Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice
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State
Natalie Armour offers experience in trial and appellate matters involving mass torts, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and other types of products liability claims, personal injury matters and business litigation. A key member of the Issues and Appeals Section of The Lanier Law Firm in Houston, Ms. Armour has briefed appellate matters before the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Courts of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Eighth Circuit, and Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri. ...
Mary has commanded a robust career guiding legal issues that have left lasting impacts on government authority, election campaign finance and election law. As a former Solicitor General for the State of Arizona, she has a mastery of public law issues and has led an extensive set of complex, high-profile lawsuits and appeals in state and federal courts. Her experience handling this complex litigation positions her well to get to the core of the issue in a dispute and provide critical strategic...
Jason B. Tompkins is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Jason B., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jason B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
George C. Freeman, III, is a founding member of the firm. His practice focuses on securities litigation, arbitration, and enforcement. He primarily represents financial advisors and broker-dealers, together with their respective officers, directors, and employees, in customer disputes and in SEC and FINRA proceedings. He also represents underwriters, issuers, and trustees in securities class action cases. Outside the field of securities, George concentrates in complex financial and commercial...
Clients embroiled in bet-the-company appeals and high-stakes litigation call on Dana for the type of broad and deep experience that a savvy, experienced, and skilled appellate lawyer can bring. A board-certified appellate specialist, Dana is recognized as one of the premier appellate practitioners in the state, with particular expertise before the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court of Texas. A former Law Clerk for the Fifth Circuit and a former Staff Attorney at the Supreme Court of Texas, D...
Theresa’s practice has been spent in fast-paced jury trials, employment and fair housing litigation, and appellate work. In her criminal practice, Theresa handled cases involving fraudulent schemes, tax fraud, real estate fraud, and racketeering. Theresa is a regular presenter to lawyers and the community on topics including Civil Rights, Harassment Free Work Environments, and the Rules of Evidence. Before joining Osborn Maledon, Theresa served as Section Chief Counsel for the Arizona A...
Ben Cooper advocates for clients in high-stakes appeals and writ proceedings in the U.S. Supreme Court, federal circuit courts, and state supreme and intermediate appellate courts from coast to coast. Ben’s practice also emphasizes both trial-court and appellate representation in such fields as intellectual-property protection and e-commerce disputes; federal, state, and local taxation; insurance coverage and bad-faith defense; and public pension plans. In the U.S. Court of Appeals for ...
Margaret Bryant is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice and Litigation - Construction. Margaret, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Margaret is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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...
Chris Nickelson is Dual Board Certified in Family Law and in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and a partner at Goranson Bain Ausley in Fort Worth. With over 27 years practicing exclusively in family law, Chris is a past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section, currently serves as Director of District 7 on the State Bar of Texas Board, and chaired the Committee on Pattern Jury Charges, Family & Probate Volume, from 2020 to 2024. He is a member of t...
Andrew Pappas is a nimble advocate and trusted counselor whose practice focuses on appeals, complex commercial disputes, and governmental and regulatory matters. Before joining Osborn Maledon, Andrew served as general counsel of the Arizona House of Representatives, where he was the principal legal advisor to the Speaker and members of the majority caucus. In that capacity, Andrew provided legal, policy, and strategic advice on a vast range of issues, with a particular focus on elections, red...
Ted Gentry focuses his practice on counseling colleges and universities and on appellate litigation. Ted’s career handling complex litigation gives him valuable insights into the ways that today’s decisions affect tomorrow’s disputes. Ted has served education clients for over two decades, and has extensive appellate experience, including cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the South Carolina Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and t...
Benjamin G. Shatz is a partner in the firm’s Trial Practice Group , focusing on appellate advocacy and complex litigation matters. Benjamin represents clients in high-stakes appeals, writ proceedings, and discretionary review matters in state and federal courts across the country. His appellate experience spans a broad range of industries and legal issues, including complex commercial disputes, entertainment and copyright matters, employment litigation, real estate and land use, banking...
Bradley D. Pack joined Engelman Berger after completing a clerkship for the Arizona Court of Appeals, Hon. Susan A. Ehrlich. His practice focuses on the representation of both creditors and debtors in Chapter 11 bankruptcies, receiverships, and complex loan workouts. Bradley also represents lending institutions and small and medium-sized businesses in commercial litigation matters concerning business loan and contract disputes. In addition, he has successfully represented litigants in appeals...
James Meadows focuses his practice on contract disputes, real estate claims, construction payment and defect claims, insurance coverage actions, and employment cases. As a former law clerk for the Supreme Court of Missouri, Mr. Meadows has handled high-profile state and federal appeals as a replacement for trial counsel as well as handling litigation from start through jury trial to a verdict himself.
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.