Peter F. "Pete" Burns

Partner Christina May Bolin leads Christian & Small’s Mobile/Baldwin County office – defending individuals, businesses, and insurers against lawsuits and liability claims, and assisting clients in the development of strategic solutions to legal disputes and litigation risks. Since 2001, she has defended property and casualty insurers in direct actions involving large property losses, catastrophic casualty claims, complex insurance coverage questions, fraud and bad faith. Since...

William Shreve practices in the areas of appellate advocacy, insurance coverage, and civil litigation. He has handled more than 100 appeals and petitions for extraordinary writ in the Alabama Supreme Court, Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, and United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has represented insurers and insureds in numerous coverage matters, preparing coverage opinions, prosecuting declaratory-judgment actions, defending breach-of-contract/bad-faith cases, and inter...

Steve Nicholas is part of an elite group of Alabama litigators known for their skill in handling Bet-the-Company cases. A big picture thinker, his work revolves around complex litigation claims including business disputes, class actions, mass torts and major construction disputes. Among his many noteworthy cases is representing thousands of business owners who filed lawsuits and claims in connection with the BP oil spill , an event that is deemed to be the worst environmental disaster in the ...

Thomas O. Gaillard III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Construction, Municipal Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Thomas O., who practices law in Mobile, Alabama, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas O. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Richard Wright is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He advises financial services providers on a broad range of matters. Richard has more than 36 years of experience representing financial institutions in commercial loan transactions, commercial collection and foreclosure, bankruptcy, workouts, and loan restructurings. Richard has represented lenders, investors, and sellers in multimillion-dollar real estate transactions throughout the southeastern and Gulf Coast states. A significan...

Rick A. La Trace is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Real Estate. Rick A., who practices law in Mobile, Alabama, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rick A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew Williams is a skilled litigator and negotiator whose aggressive yet well-reasoned approach has delivered strong results for clients in Mississippi and Alabama. His practice includes first- and third-party insurance defense, trucking and transportation, employer’s liability, professional liability, and construction, with additional experience serving as local counsel for major insurers and advising on corporate transactions. As a member of Galloway’s Emergency Response Team...

Susan F. E. Bruhnke resolves clients’ legal issues efficiently and effectively, focusing on cost-effective solutions and high-quality representation delivered with integrity and respect. Her practice centers on workers’ compensation defense in Mississippi, Alabama, and under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, along with insurance defense litigation. Licensed in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas, she is also active in several professional legal assoc...

E. Russell March III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Elder Law. E. Russell, who practices law in Mobile, Alabama, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which E. Russell is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Shirley Justice is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Mobile, Alabama office. She is a member of the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice. Shirley counsels professionals, business owners and their businesses in contracts, entity structuring, individual, corporate, transactional and personal tax planning and also provides estate planning and wealth preservation advise and services for them and others, to minimize taxes and family and business disputes. She represents clients i...