Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - ERISA
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State
D. Andrew Portinga has been practicing law since 1996. He is a litigator, and has extensive experience in both federal and state courts. He has represented both Fortune 500 companies and family owned businesses, and Mr. Portinga has handled complex cases involving myriad issues. General Commercial Litigation Mr. Portinga has handled a wide variety of complicated commercial cases. His clients have included oil and gas producers, a manufacturer of implantable medical devices, a national communi...
Howard Shapiro is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation - ERISA and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants. Howard, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 1993. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Howard is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Gary Gotto's diverse experience helps him meet his clients' diverse needs. Gary is a member of Keller Rohrback's nationally recognized Complex Litigation Group. He has a broad range of practice experience and interests, including all aspects of corporate and real estate transactional work, securities issuance and compliance, Chapter 11 bankruptcy and workout matters, and general commercial and ERISA litigation. Gary speaks and teaches regularly on a number of topics, including an annual real ...
Mike Scheier is a trial lawyer who also helps our clients manage their litigation risks and achieve cost-effective non-litigation solutions. His practice is concentrated in the defense of ERISA fiduciary duty claims, and defending corporate directors and officers in state law actions alleging breaches of fiduciary duties. Mike also focuses his practice in enforcement of creditor’s rights, and has developed extensive experience in bankruptcy court and state law insolvency and collection ...
Rich Birmingham has over 30 years of experience in both employee benefit consulting and ERISA litigation. He is one of the few lawyers in the country who is listed in "Best Lawyers in America" in two employee benefit categories—ERISA law and ERISA litigation. His command of both the substantive and litigation areas of ERISA enable him to give practical proactive advice when consulting with clients and to obtain early dismissal or settlement when litigating ERISA matters. Rich is a frequ...
Cove Geary is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group, where he counsels clients with respect to a broad range of disputes. Cove represents and advises clients in connection with energy litigation; life, health, and disability insurance, and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation; aviation litigation; insurance coverage issues; commercial disputes; professional liability matters; and class action litigation. Cove leads the firm’s insurance coverage practice team. ...
Mark sues insurance companies when they fail to pay claims. Varnum represents only insureds in these matters. Mark has helped shape the landscape of Michigan Insurance Law since 1985.He is regularly asked to speak on insurance issues for continuing legal education programs, and at other bar related activities. Mark is also Varnum's lead attorney in litigation matters dealing with employee benefit issues under ERISA. He has handled all facets of employee benefit litigation, from benefit claims...
Bill Banowsky focuses his practice on complex business litigation and arbitration, securities litigation, and corporate governance investigations. He also represents national and international energy industry clients in various disputes involving contract rights and business torts. In recent years, he has become involved in numerous disputes representing healthcare providers including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, medical device suppliers, physician groups and ancillary providers. Mr...
JULIA B. MEISTER is a partner in Taft's Litigation, Health & Life Sciences, and Private Client practice groups and heads the firm's Cincinnati Estates, Trusts and Fiduciary Litigation practice. She counsels clients and represents them in business, commercial, estate, guardianship, trust, and fiduciary matters and professional ethics and discipline matters before courts, administrative tribunals, and arbitrators. Julia advises clients on a variety of health care issues, including privacy, ...
Bentley J. Tolk is a member of the firm’s Litigation Group, with an emphasis in the areas of ERISA litigation, employment litigation, intellectual property litigation, and general commercial litigation. Mr. Tolk has represented employers, third-party administrators, and insurance companies in a wide variety of ERISA and employee benefits disputes. He has also represented national and local employers in numerous employment-related lawsuits and disputes. In addition, Mr. Tolk has represen...
Grant Shuman focuses his practice in ERISA and employee benefit law, representing welfare benefit and pension plans, plan sponsors, and plan administrators in matters involving plan operation from design and plan drafting to compliance issues and termination. He practices from the Charleston, West Virginia office. With nearly 25 years of experience, Grant has provided trusted counsel to clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. He has represented plans and plan sponsors ...
Angel L. Garrett is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - ERISA. Angel L., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Angel L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Having worked as an in-house compensation and benefits manager for a large manufacturer, Mike Nader takes pride in using that unique insight to advise clients in this ever-changing area of the law. He understands first-hand the dual pressures employers face in managing costs and delivering competitive benefits while remaining compliant with complex statutes, regulations and case law. Because Mike knows the realities clients encounter when managing employee benefits and executive compensation ...
Joe Callow leads litigation matters on a national, regional, and local basis. Joe works primarily on complex litigation. He has experience in class actions/collective actions and multi-district litigation, as well as environmental, securities, IP, antitrust, and commercial litigation. Joe currently represents several state Attorneys General in complex litigation. Joe was one of the lead litigation counsel for the State of Ohio in its litigation against opioid distributors that resulted in an ...
Clarissa advocates zealously and effectively for employee benefit plans, plan administrators, plan sponsors, and other fiduciaries before federal and state courts and government regulatory agencies. As a director in our nationally recognized ERISA litigation group (First Tier Nationally in US News and World Report Best Lawyers), she has handled a broad spectrum of litigation, including cases involving benefit claims, fiduciary issues, plan administration, multiemployer plans, withdrawal liabi...
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.