Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - ERISA
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State
Scott Burnett Smith is a partner in the firm’s Huntsville office. His practice covers class actions, complex litigation, and appeals. Scott has been involved in dozens of nationwide class actions in state and federal courts, and he has handled over 30 class action appeals. He is also regularly involved as the appellate lawyer embedded with a trial team in complex civil litigation. In that role, he has succeeded in having several multi-million dollar injury verdicts (including punitive d...
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.
Aaron M. Hegji is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - ERISA. Aaron M., who practices law in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Aaron M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Public and private sector business clients alike trust commercial litigator Bart Karwath to look out for their best interests and safeguard their position. Bart helps his clients solve serious problems by focusing on the merits of each case and seeking the best possible outcome. Bart concentrates his practice on utilities, condemnation, government, municipal, UCC/sales, contracts, construction, commercial lease, real estate, franchise, civil RICO and ERISA litigation matters. Valued for his c...
Nationally recognized trial attorney John Joseph (J.J.) Conway has legally navigated the complexities of disability, employee health benefits, and ERISA law since 1999. Founding J.J. Conway Law on the principle of helping people secure the employee benefits rightfully owed to them, Conway has recovered more than $100 million for his clients and won landmark class-action lawsuits in favor of families and retirees. Among his focus areas, Conway is a trailblazer in advocating for children’...
Mike Prame is seasoned trial attorney and counselor, with over two decades of experience representing clients in matters related to retirement and healthcare plans. His clientele is largely based in three primary sectors. First, he counsels businesses with underfunded defined benefit pension plans, particularly those plans under scrutiny by the PBGC. Second, Mike advises actuarial, benefit/investment consulting and recordkeeping firms that provide services in connection with retirement and he...
Brad has been practicing in the employee benefits field for over forty years, and his practice is primarily in the areas of ERISA litigation, fiduciary responsibility matters, qualified pension and profit sharing plans and Department of Labor investigations. Brad serves as a private mediator in ERISA litigation matters and has been appointed as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Neutral in over sixty ERISA cases by the United States District Court, Northern District of California. Brad has als...
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...
Dipa N. Sudra is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Litigation - ERISA. Dipa N., who practices law in Seattle, Washington, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dipa N. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Merline is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Merline has been with the firm since 1983. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the following fields: Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Employee Benefits Law, Litigation - ERISA, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and...
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...
Stacy A. Carpenter is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants and Litigation - ERISA. Stacy A., who practices law in Denver, Colorado, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stacy A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.