William M. "Bill" Lawrence

Leon Ashford has been a trial lawyer for 42 years. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Ashford has a proven record of consistently obtaining multimillion dollar jury verdicts and settlements for his clients, their families and their small businesses. Though he has always focused his practice on complex litigation involving catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death, he has recently been called upon to represent family-owned and closely held businesses in litigation which threatene...

Shaun A. DeCoudres is a shareholder in the firm’s Birmingham (AL) office. His practice concentrates on transportation and automotive liability, premises liability, construction litigation, insurance and environmental law. He has tried numerous cases, both jury and non-jury, and is the primary attorney who handles pest control litigation (bed bugs, termites, etc.) in the firm. Shaun earned his Bachelor of Arts in business, magna cum laude , from Auburn University (AL), his Master of Busi...

Sarah S. Johnston is a Shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation practice, based in Birmingham, Alabama. Since 2004, she has advised high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses on a wide range of matters, including estate and tax planning, trust and estate administration, wealth preservation strategies, trust and estate litigation, business succession planning, and the ongoing support of family offices. She also regularly counsels clients on retire...

David Stewart is the chair of the firm's Governmental Affairs Practice Group. He is also a member of the Economic Development Practice Group. While based in the firm's Birmingham office, he regularly represents clients before the executive and legislative branches in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery, Alabama. He also advises clients on federal and state campaign finance and ethics laws. Following David’s graduation from Washington and Lee, he worked in Washington, DC for Senator Jeff Ses...

Dr. Blaudeau is a person uniquely qualified to understand the complex issues involving medicine and the law. He established the Southern Institute for Legal and Medical Affairs to build a bridge between to his dual professional experience to benefit people who have been injured. He has litigated high profile medical malpractice claims on behalf of clients around the country. His experience and perspective is an asset in investigating what exactly happened in a medically negligent situation. D...

Jeff is one of the founding partners of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan. At first, Jeff wanted to be an engineer. His father was an engineer and he saw the profession as challenging and rewarding. Then, he discovered an affinity for words and speaking, which led him to the law. “Both professions require critical thinking,” says Jeff. “That was and still is very important to me.” Jeff gives much credit to the advantages of growing up in small town Alabama where everybody too...

M. STANFORD BLANTON serves on the Firm’s Executive Committee and is a member of the Energy Practice Group. His practice is focused on the representation of the owners, operators and purchasers of electric generating facilities, with special emphasis on nuclear development, regulation and policy. Blanton represents the owner and operator of the first new nuclear reactors ordered in the United States in thirty years on matters ranging from the formation and implementation of contracts for...

Katie T. Powell is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Commercial Litigation. Katie T. practices law in Birmingham, Alabama Best Lawyers has recognized Katie T. Powell since 2021. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Katie T. Powell is held by other lawyers.

Mr. Pennington is the Managing Shareholder and a founding member of the Birmingham Office of Ogletree Deakins. For more than two decades, he has represented employers in a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including administrative agency charges, federal and state court litigation, union campaigns and collective bargaining. Mr. Pennington strives to help employers achieve peaceful, productive workplaces. He helps employers avoid workplace disputes by providing management trainin...

Richard Monk is a seasoned attorney experienced in a variety of complex civil litigation, including commercial, product liability, toxic tort and personal injury cases. Richard's experience includes significant responsibilities on coordinated teams of lawyers defending and managing large numbers of similar cases and cases among multiple jurisdictions, including work on cases in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia. H...