Simon Lapthorne

William is an AV-Rated attorney in our Tort, Transportation & Specialized Litigation Group. He focuses his practice on Insurance Law, Professional Liability Defense, Personal Injury Litigation, White Collar Crime, Business and Commercial Disputes, and Employment Litigation among others.

Jeffrey J. Bakker provides strategic counsel to clients nationwide concerning every executive compensation and employee benefit matter that affects their businesses, including designing and preparing deferred compensation and equity compensation plans, maintaining ERISA and tax compliance for all qualified and nonqualified retirement plans (defined contribution, defined benefit and cash balance plans) and representing clients in Department of Labor benefits plan audits. Jeff regularly advises...

Cory Itkin has established a reputation as one of the most aggressive and prepared trial lawyers in the country. His experience includes maritime accidents, trucking accidents, plant explosions, and other high-stakes personal injury cases. Mr. Itkin has won verdicts and settlements for clients in more than two dozen states. He also obtained favorable results in the high-profile litigation involving families who lost loved ones or workers who were injured in the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion ...

Jack A. Levine has been with Holland & Knight since 1981. His areas of practice include business and tax planning, and structuring of corporate acquisitions and reorganizations, partnerships, limited liability companies, syndications and joint ventures. Mr. Levine also practices in the tax controversy area, the utilities taxation area, and in several other tax and tax-related areas. Mr. Levine is Board Certified in Tax Law by The Florida Bar. From 1977 to 1981, Mr. Levine worked in the Na...

Jim is a member of Butler Snow’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets group.

Leslie Smith is a litigation partner and was a long-time member of the Firm’s Global Management Committee. She concentrates her practice in the areas of antitrust, class action, and consumer fraud litigation. The Legal 500 stated that Leslie has a ‘good strategic approach’, ‘demonstrates personal commitment to the company’s cause’ and ‘acquires and deploys the best firm talent appropriately’. Leslie is highlighted as “2017 Life Science Sta...

Andrew D. Graf is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Andrew D., who practices law in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrew D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Brooks Smith advises clients in their endeavors related to commercial real estate matters, commercial financing and general business transactions. Brooks represents developers, owners, users, borrowers and lenders in all aspects of commercial real estate development, acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing among all classes of real estate (office, retail, industrial, multi-family, and hospitality, medical and residential developments). Brooks also regularly represents lending institut...

Throughout his career, Thomas R. Stauch has helped numerous clients throughout Dallas and northern Texas with complex commercial litigation cases, including construction, real estate and business tort litigation, as well as other matters. A partner at Nowak & Stauch, PLLC, in Dallas, Texas, he devotes the majority of his practice to litigation, but is often asked to review and draft contracts for his clients as well. In 2018, Tom was added to the Roster of Arbitrators for the American Arb...

Everett M. Johnson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Public Finance Law. Everett M., who practices law in Woodbridge, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Everett M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.