Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice
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State
Christopher N. Bellows is an appellate attorney who has handled complex civil appeals in the Supreme Court of Florida, all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the federal appellate courts. Mr. Bellows also has significant experience in complex commercial litigation, including areas of contract law, Uniform Commercial Code, business torts, foreclosures, receiverships, replevins, construction disputes, landlord-tenant litigation, product liability, personal injury, first amendment, employment...
Seth Horvath focuses his practice on trial and appellate litigation in state and federal courts nationwide. He represents a wide variety of clients in complex commercial disputes across multiple industries. My focus My practice includes three main areas: Commercial Litigation My commercial litigation experience is wide-ranging. From single-witness administrative hearings to complex, multiparty trials to summary proceedings on issues of law, I represent clients in the real-estate, financial-se...
James M. Parker, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. James M., who practices law in San Antonio, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Anne L. Cowgur is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation and Employment Law - Individuals. Anne L., who practices law in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Anne L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Deborah Corbishley has been litigating complex commercial cases of all types in state and federal courts for more than 35 years, in bet-the-company litigation. She also has extensive experience representing lawyers and law firms in professional liability cases. Debbie’s cases have involved common law and statutory business torts, contract disputes, fraud and conspiracy claims, state and federal securities law violations, fraudulent conveyances, class actions, and corporate and partnersh...
Laura Smalley is committed to assisting clients in Pittsford, New York, with their technological development and safeguarding intellectual property rights. Her practice areas include Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Patent Law, and Trademark Law. She has considerable experience in handling complex cases related to patent infringement, particularly in the fields of medical devices, electronic components, and imaging technology. Laura also aids in p...
Johanna Schiavoni is certified as a specialist in appellate law by the State Bar of California and has nearly two decades of appellate experience. She has argued more than 40 cases in the state and federal appellate courts, and has been the principal brief-writer in at least 100. Johanna is a leader of state and local legal associations. She was the 2020 President of the San Diego County Bar Association, which serves nearly 10,000 members of the San Diego legal community. In 2023, Johanna was...
Sharon Baumgold is an expert in the arcane science of California appellate writs. She spent nearly four decades as a writs attorney on the California Court of Appeal’s Second District. There, she reviewed, analyzed, and advised appellate justices on more than 10,000 appellate writ petitions in all areas of state law, including arbitration, business and commercial litigation, employment, entertainment, government, insurance, real estate, and probate law. Frequent topics included jurisdic...
Caren Beth Nichol is a member of Evans Petree’s Property Tax Group where she litigates commercial property tax appeals before state boards of equalization and state courts. From 2017-2018 she served as President of Evans Petree PC, a full-service law firm founded in 1907 that has grown to include 49 attorneys. Prior to being elected President, Caren served as the firm’s Secretary, as a Director for over 15 years, and as Chair of the Marketing Committee and Litigation Practice Grou...
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.