Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation
State
Alicia M. LaPado is a Senior Litigation Associate of the firm, with a practice that includes business litigation, general civil litigation, and criminal defense. Prior to becoming an associate, Ms. LaPado was employed by the firm as a law clerk where she provided support for complex civil and criminal matters, primarily in federal court. She also researched, drafted, and prepared briefs for submission in both state and federal court, as well as the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. LaPado o...
Judy Barrasso is a founding member of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, and includes complex commercial litigation matters and class actions involving complex commercial contracts, director and officer liability, securities fraud, and insurance coverage and bad faith claims. Judy has been ranked by Chambers USA as a top commercial litigator, by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star, and by the Diversity Journal as among 20...
Stuart Miller is a distinguished trial lawyer with extensive experience defending catastrophic injury suits, professional liability claims and suits for wrongful death. His practice focuses on complex high-stakes commercial litigation, defense of class actions and catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death defense. In addition, he has an established practice in areas involving insurance coverage matters and bad faith claims. Stuart's clients represent a wide spectrum of business and indu...
Scott A. Petz is a Member in Dickinson Wright's Troy office. Mr. Petz focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation, class and collective actions, labor litigation, consumer protection, and condemnation and land use. Mr. Petz regularly litigates high stakes and complex matters, and consults on non-litigation matters. During his career, Mr. Petz has received a number of acknowledgements such as: (1) Selected for America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators® ...
Jim Williams is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Birmingham, Alabama office, where he is a member of the Litigation practice group, leads the Insurance Litigation team and previously served six terms on the Firm’s Board of Directors/Executive Committee. Jim also chairs the Firm’s Recruitment Committee. Jim was born and raised in Birmingham. Now in his thirty-fifth year at Dentons Sirote, formerly Sirote & Permutt, PC, Jim handles civil litigation, with a particular focu...
Danial D. Pharris is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Danial D. practices law in Seattle, Washington Best Lawyers has recognized Danial D. Pharris since 2025. 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 Danial D. Pharris is held by other lawyers.
Matthew’s practice focuses mostly on complex civil litigation, and he has participated in some of the largest and most complicated litigation in South Carolina in the past 20 years, including the largest minority owner oppression litigation, the largest public utility rate case, the largest public corruption investigation and prosecution in a generation, the statewide redistricting challenges, statewide consumer protection litigation, and a federal constitutional challenge to temporary ...
For over 25 years, Dawn's practice has focused on trial work, representing a variety of large and mid-sized corporate clients in claims involving a wide range of litigation topics. Dawn is an AV Preeminent® rated lawyer with a proven ability to manage and resolve sophisticated disputes. Dawn is comfortable in state and federal courts and arbitrations. Dawn serves as a court-appointed mediator, and she also serves on the American Arbitration Association's National Panel of Commercial and E...
Tina Muscarella Gooch is a shareholder at Sutin, Thayer & Browne APC and serves as one of the firm’s office group leaders in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has more than a decade of experience representing clients throughout New Mexico in a wide range of civil and commercial litigation matters. Her practice includes Cannabis Law, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Construction. Ms. Gooch regularly represents businesses, i...
Thomas J. McKee, Jr. is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Thomas J. practices law in McLean, Virginia Best Lawyers has recognized Thomas J. McKee, Jr. since 2023. 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 Thomas J. McKee, Jr. is held by other lawyers.
John D. Haggerty is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Commercial Litigation. John D. practices law in Newark, New Jersey Best Lawyers has recognized John D. Haggerty since 2025. 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 John D. Haggerty is held by other lawyers.
Frederick J. Grady is a commercial litigator who has significant experience in several areas of complex commercial litigation and construction law. He handles construction litigation, including delay claims, mechanic's lien work, architect/engineer liability, and differing site conditions claims. Mr. Grady also has experience in contract drafting, review and administration. His experience includes various types of projects, including commercial and residential construction, including office b...
Cliff Atkinson has practiced for more than 44 years in the areas of complex commercial and tort litigation in a broad spectrum of difficult cases. He, with his good friend and now retired colleague John Thal, founded the Firm in 1992 on the principle that a small, directed, hard hitting litigation firm can deliver the highest quality of personalized services to its clients. In his many years of practice, Cliff has litigated and tried cases to verdict, judgment, or other successful resolution ...
Ronald C. Minkoff is a partner in the Litigation Group and chair of the Professional Responsibility Group. Mr. Minkoff is one of New York State’s leading practitioners in the field of attorney ethics and professional responsibility, representing attorneys in a wide variety of matters including law firm partnership agreements, attorney departures and lateral hires, attorney discipline cases, legal fee disputes and legal malpractice and professional liability cases on behalf of both plain...
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.
