Richard Bannister

Ed Sledge represents businesses, including private equity groups, product manufacturers and financial services institutions, in high-exposure civil disputes in a variety of industries. Ed’s national practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation in courts across the country; he also routinely represents businesses in consumer finance disputes and in personal injury and wrongful death matters. With his strategic, problem-solving approach and ability to anticipate and see ...

F. Todd Weston is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. F. Todd, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which F. Todd is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tom Oliver is a founding shareholder and currently serves as Carr Allison’s president. A trial attorney whose practice focuses on complex matters involving transportation and professional liability litigation, Tom has litigated cases in state and federal courts in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia. Tom is designated as regional and statewide counsel for numerous companies and their insurers. He developed the firm’s accident response GO TEAM and coordinates catas...

Elizabeth Jones Flachsbart is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Elizabeth Jones, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elizabeth Jones is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kris Cross is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where she is a member of the Litigation practice group. With over 20 years of general litigation experience at Dentons Sirote, formerly Sirote & Permutt, PC, Kris focuses on defending insurance companies in the area of life, disability, and ERISA litigation. Her work for insurers has included not only benefits litigation but also defensive litigation where insureds claim fraud in the marketing and sale of in...

M. Jansen Voss is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law and Insurance Law. M. Jansen, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which M. Jansen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ronald Levitt is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Tax practice group and leads the Dentons Sirote Conservation Easement team. His practice focuses on federal and state controversy matters, including planning and defending conservation easements. Additionally, his practice focuses on business and tax planning, particularly for closely-held and family-owned businesses. Specifically, he counsels clients in business, succession, estat...

Keith Covington is a partner in the firm’s Birmingham, Alabama office where he practices labor and employment, immigration, and construction law. Keith counsels employers on a wide variety of topics, including labor relations, union avoidance, equal employment opportunity, OSHA compliance, disability accommodation, non-compete agreements, and issues relating to employee discipline and termination. His immigration practice includes worksite compliance and obtaining employer-based non-imm...

Ralph Yeilding is Chair of the firm's Trusts and Estates Practice Group. His primary areas of practice include estate and gift tax planning, estate and trust administration, IRS estate and gift tax audits and litigation, and state court probate and trust litigation. Ralph regularly advises individuals and fiduciaries on a broad range of estate, trust and probate matters, including rendering advice concerning estate and gift tax planning, and drafting wills, trusts, family LLC's, limited partn...

Richard Smith, one of the founding partners of Christian & Small and a partner with its predecessor, Rives & Peterson, has been an integral member of the firm’s litigation group for his entire legal career. He served as the firm’s Managing Partner for five years. Richard’s practice focuses primarily on complex and corporate litigation for clients in the financial services, health care and construction industries, as well as corporate entities in other industries. His...