Peter A. Hiorth

Maria Simon is an award-winning attorney who serves as the firm’s Managing Partner. While Maria’s practice is quite versatile, she specializes in family law, divorce, custody disputes, Collaborative Divorce, business law, and litigation. Frequently appearing in court nationwide on behalf of her clients, Maria has considerable experience in the Federal District Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, Bankruptcy Court, and the State courts of Virginia, District of Columbia, and Maryland. She ...

Before graduating from the Washburn University School of Law, Stan Spurrier served as a law clerk for Shawnee County Kansas District Court Judges. For years, Mr. Spurrier has authored the briefs in many of the successful appeals argued by Dan Monnat. Together, in 1985, they founded Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered. Mr. Spurrier is licensed to practice before the federal and state courts in the Kansas.

James P. Beachboard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law and Real Estate Law. James P., who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ryan M. Martin is a principal and the office litigation manager of the Louisville, Kentucky, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is also a principal in the firm’s Cincinnati, Ohio, office. He has an extensive litigation and counseling practice and represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including issues related to discrimination, harassment, retaliatory discharge, wrongful discharge, wage and hour matters, ERISA matters, class actions, leave management matters, trad...

Personal relationships have always been the backbone of Sonny Ferguson’s law practice. He says parties respond to someone who will listen to their issues and provide them with a truthful evaluation of the facts. Once the parties engage the firm’s services, as a mediator or as a Private Judge, Sonny believes they deserve 100% of his attention to their issues and a timely resolution to their matter. Sonny joined Christian & Small after serving as a judge for 15 years in the Dome...

Heather Peterson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Heather, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Heather is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Richard D. Herndon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Transactions / UCC Law and Real Estate Law. Richard D., who practices law in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Richard D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

George Ernst is a Partner in our Little Rock office whose practice specializes in immigration, international business, and labor and employment matters. Also proficient in German, he has over a decade of experience representing multi-national corporations across various industries. His practice focuses on advising clients in highly complex matters relating to the employment of foreign nationals under the EB-5 program for international investors, EB-1 and EB-2 visas for employment-based immigr...

Katherine Earle Yanes was born in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from Williams College, magna cum laude, with honors in economics, in 1993. In 1997, she graduated from Stetson University College of Law, magna cum laude, as valedictorian of her class. She was an associate member of the Stetson Law Review. Following law school, Ms. Yanes served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Since 1999, she has rep...

Susan J. Booth is the head of the West Coast Real Estate Group of Holland & Knight and served on the firm's Directors Committee. Ms. Booth counsels domestic and international commercial banks, pension funds, private equity funds, REITs and developers on a variety of real estate matters including portfolio loans and CMBs, secured lending transactions (acquisition, development, construction, revolving, permanent, mezzanine and Shari'ah compliant), co-lending and participation arrangements, ...