Best Lawyers Near You in Mobile, Alabama for Commercial Litigation
Partner Brad Hightower has been practicing law since 2002, and focuses his practice on commercial and bankruptcy litigation. He routinely handles complex issues that arise in business reorganization, restructuring and liquidations. Prior to joining the firm, Brad interned with the Executive Office of the President in Washington, D.C. He was responsible for supplying science and technology articles to the White House website. Brad also completed a two year clerkship with the Honorable Margaret...
Carl Smyly was born and raised in Andalusia, Alabama. He received his undergraduate education at Birmingham-Southern College, where he was selected for membership in the Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honorary societies and was valedictorian of his graduating class in 1979. He then earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982. Mr. Smyly has been assigned the highest possible Peer Review Ratings for legal ability and ethical standards in...
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...
John Russell Campbell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. John Russell, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John Russell is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Christopher S. Randolph, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Christopher S., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Bryan Balogh focuses his practice on complex business litigation involving disputes with significant risk and damages, with a particular emphasis on class action litigation involving corporations and financial institutions. Industry sources praise Mr. Balogh on his practice, saying: "He is extremely knowledgeable and an expert on class actions. He also has a good demeanor with judges and other lawyers, he will take the higher ground and get the best result because of it." – Chambers USA...
John Goodman has practiced in civil litigation since joining the firm in 1988. He tries cases in state and federal courts, and handles complex litigation in a variety of areas of the law. John's primary areas of practice involve commercial litigation (including antitrust, securities, competitive torts and contract and related disputes), class action and product liability litigation. John is the author and editor of the Alabama chapters of the Aspen publications Product Liability Desk Referenc...
Allen M. Estes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Allen M., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Allen M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Robert Baugh is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he serves as chair of the Dentons Sirote Litigation practice group. Robert has been engaged in the practice of law continuously since 1982. Robert represents clients in insurance, business, and product liability cases in both state and federal courts throughout the Southeast. He has obtained favorable results for Fortune 500 companies as well as privately held companies. In addition to his litigation pra...
Joseph Leavens is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Construction. Joseph, 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 Joseph is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Emily Ruzic advises leading natural gas pipeline companies and other infrastructure clients on issues involving location, land acquisition, construction, and operations. Currently, she is advising on multiple large-scale pipeline projects in the Southeast, including serving as the lead outside lawyer on several significant projects for one of the country’s largest energy companies. Emily also regularly litigates land and operational issues, including disputes over survey access, eminent...
Barry is a litigator in our Birmingham office. He recently returned to Sirote, where he began his legal career, after spending the last 15 years representing defendants and plaintiffs in anti-trust, securities, insurance and business fraud cases. He also handles matters involving products liability, shareholder, and other complex litigation and class actions. Barry represents clients in state and federal courts.
Kane is particularly active in the public education sector, where he has represented both public universities and boards of education on tax and finance matters, and he currently serves on the faculty of the University of Alabama's academy for finance training for new school superintendents and chief school financial officers. In addition to bond counsel engagements, he has served as company counsel and bank counsel in letter-of-credit backed transactions, as lender’s counsel in direct ...
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...
Ralph D. Cook is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Securities, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. Ralph D., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2014. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ralph D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mike Vercher is a partner and former chair of Christian & Small’s Insurance and Financial Services Practice Group. For over 20 years, he has represented insurance companies and their insureds in litigation and coverage disputes. Mike also routinely represents businesses in complex mass tort, workplace exposure, construction, transportation, product liability, premises liability, breach of contract and fraud litigation. He has tried cases as lead counsel in seven different Alabama co...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.