Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice

Jonathan Sternberg is an appellate lawyer based in Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, representing businesses and individuals in civil and criminal appeals and related matters before state and federal courts nationwide. His practice is focused exclusively on appellate litigation, including briefing and arguing appeals and related actions and advising trial lawyers on procedural and strategic issues at all stages of a case. Since opening his practice upon his admission to the bar in 2007, Jo...

Tim Cunningham is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation. Tim, who practices law in Portland, Oregon, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tim is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Education : Occidental College (B.A., Psychology/Theater, cum laude, 1979); University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D. 1983). Admitted to : California and New York State Bars; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; U.S. District Courts in California. Professional Experience : Benedon & Serlin, LLP (2015-present); Senior Counsel head of Law and Motion & Appellate Department, Collins Collins Muir & Stewart (2012-2015); Associate, Lit...

Harvey Brown joined The Lanier Law Firm in 2019 following distinguished service as a District Judge in Harris County and as a Justice on the First Court of Appeals for the State of Texas. Judge Brown is selected to the list of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Appellate Law and Commercial Litigation. Before his judicial service he was in private practice for more than 20 years, handling both trials and appeals. Judge Brown served on the First Court of Appeals bench from 2010-2018. Durin...

Eric Hoch is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Construction Law and Insurance Law. Eric, who practices law in Des Moines, Iowa, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dick’s litigation and appellate practice focuses primarily on business and commercial disputes, employment law, education law, and civil rights cases that are typically resolved in federal court. He frequently appears in the U.S. District Courts for the Districts of Maine and New Hampshire and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Dick devotes a significant portion of his practice to the representation of individuals with disabilities and their families, often in cases ari...

Georganna L. Simpson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice and Family Law. Georganna L., who practices law in Dallas, Texas, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Georganna L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mark Jacobs is a creative and accomplished litigator with deep experience that is enhanced by his background as a transactional lawyer. Mark has broad commercial litigation experience in state and federal trial and appellate courts, arbitration proceedings, and mediation. As lead trial and appeals counsel, he advises businesses on all aspects of legal issues with a focus on defining and achieving successful business outcomes. Mark also has experience in advising clients in mergers and acquisi...

Judge Moore co-leads AZA’s appellate practice group. He has prosecuted more than 100 appeals in state and federal courts. In one day in 2021, Judge Moore argued two governmental-immunity cases back-to-back in the Texas Supreme Court. He won both. The two cases he argued are City of San Antonio v. Armando D. Rioja and City of San Antonio v. Jimmy Maspero . Judge Moore is a go-to lawyer for high-stakes, high-profile, complex litigation. (He recently represented Ben & Jerry’s and...

Shareholder Michael J. Cohen has more than 25 years of experience in complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. His proven record of numerous favorable verdicts at the trial and appellate levels has earned him a reputation as one of Wisconsin’s preeminent business litigators. For many years, Mike has been recognized by members of the Wisconsin bar and judiciary as one of the top lawyers in the state. Mike concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation includi...

Alston Johnson practices in the area of litigation, particularly at the appellate level and with particular emphasis in the areas of tort litigation, insurance coverage and litigation, and administrative law. He has extensive experience in legislative and regulatory and governmental matters and has represented numerous public entities in both counseling and litigation capacities. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar in 1984, Mr. Johnson was a member of the full-time law faculty at the Hebert Law Ce...

Peter D. Hawkes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Peter D., who practices law in Portland, Oregon, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Peter D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dennis R. Rose represents clients across a wide spectrum of industries at both the trial and appellate level. Dennis has extensive experience handling a broad range of disputes in federal and state courts throughout the country. He has served as national litigation counsel in products liability litigation and Ohio counsel for lender liability and toxic tort matters. He represents clients in a diverse spectrum of industries, including financial services, paper, manufacturing, retail, real esta...

Brendan Rielly has experience in a broad range of civil matters in both state and federal courts (including the First Circuit Court of Appeals) as well as before the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Brendan's practice area focuses on commercial litigation, real estate litigation (including easements and rights of way), school law, probate litigation, public utilities law, environmental compliance and personal injury. Brendan has also served as local counsel for major law firms in both state...

Ken Payson’s practice focuses on class action defense, other complex commercial litigation and appellate work, particularly with respect to claims under state and federal consumer protection laws. Ken represents clients from a variety of industries, including financial services, telecommunications, software, and digital media companies. He has obtained numerous orders dismissing putative class actions or denying class certification and has successfully defended them on appeal. He serves...

Michael Berger is one of California’s preeminent appellate lawyers and is a partner in Manatt Real Estate and the appellate practice. One of the top land use and condemnation lawyers in the United States, his appellate cases have involved planning, zoning, eminent domain, various kinds of business litigation, landslides, contract, due process, equal protection, defective construction, nuisance, insurance and environmental law. Michael has argued four cases before the United States Supre...