Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
State
Walter represents a variety of individual and corporate clients in large, complex commercial litigation, arbitration, and personal injury litigation. Walter's primary area of expertise lies in the litigation of disputes in the federal and state courts of Mississippi, where he regularly tries cases to verdict. Specialties: Commercial litigation; catastrophic personal injury litigation; insurance coverage and defense.
Michael McCarty Harrison serves of counsel in the firm’s litigation practice group. She focuses her practice on insurance defense and coverage, products liability, medical malpractice, personal injury defense, transportation litigation, fire/arson investigation and defense and appellate advocacy.Prior to joining the firm, Harrison spent 20 years developing a strong litigation practice in Little Rock and has been recognized for her work by Mid-South Super Lawyers. She is a member of the ...
Michael S. Jackson is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Michael S. practices law in Louisville, Kentucky Best Lawyers has recognized Michael S. Jackson since 2018. 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 Michael S...
For nearly 30 years, Matt Utecht has devoted his practice to representing healthcare providers. Matt works in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Greenville office where he concentrates his practice on provider mergers, acquisitions and innovative integration strategies and advises clients on regulatory requirements and business considerations unique to healthcare transactions. Matt also practices healthcare alternative dispute resolution and conflict management.
Jamison (“Jami”) Cooper has a practice that focuses on pre-litigation and litigation matters. The particular fields in which she practices have included commercial disputes, insurance coverage, construction, contracts, personal injury and wrongful death, condemnation and eminent domain, premises liability, consumer products and “lemon law” issues, insurance bad faith and professional liability. In addition to her practice before the state and federal courts, she handle...
Edward J. Smith III is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Edward J. practices law in Syracuse, New York Best Lawyers has recognized Edward J. Smith III since 2020. 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 Edward J. Smith III is held by other lawyers.
Kelly A. Kincaid is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Kelly A. practices law in Providence, Rhode Island Best Lawyers has recognized Kelly A. Kincaid since 2026. 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 Kelly A. Kincaid is held by other lawyers.
Kaara Lind is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Litigation - Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Kaara practices law in Gulfport, Mississippi Best Lawyers has recognized Kaara Lind since 2026. 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 Kaara Lind is held by other l...
Don O’Keefe has over 25 years of experience as a trial lawyer. In all, he has tried more than 100 cases to verdict in state and federal courts in Missouri and Illinois and arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association and United States Arbitration and Mediation. Don has argued before appellate courts in both Missouri and Illinois and has been before the Missouri Supreme Court on multiple cases. Don is a member of many prominent legal and state bar organizations including the ...
Christopher T. Sweeney is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Litigation - Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Christopher T. practices law in Billings, Montana Best Lawyers has recognized Christopher T. Sweeney since 2021. 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 Christopher T. Sweeney is held by other law...
Mr. Best is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he returned home to South Louisiana in 2005. Mr. Best worked for a healthcare boutique firm in New Orleans for almost nine years before joining Blue Williams. Mr. Best has first and second chaired numerous bench and jury trials in Louisiana, as well as Georgia, and he has participated in numerous medical review panel proceedings and arbitration hearings in various jurisdictions. Mr. Best has extensive experience in healthcare regulatory and ...
Cristina M. Ciminelli is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Cristina M. practices law in Los Angeles, California Best Lawyers has recognized Cristina M. Ciminelli 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 Cristina M. Ciminelli is held by other lawy...
Walter Yoka is a nationally recognized trial attorney with particular focus on products liability. He has tried numerous complex and high profile cases to verdict on behalf of Yoka & Smith’s corporate clients and successfully argued in California’s Supreme and Appellate courts. Among his many affiliations, Mr. Yoka is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Product Liability Advisory Counsel and International Society of Barristers. He served as President of the Asso...
Intuitive. Strategic. Relentless. What sets Amy apart from other attorneys are the skills she garnered from her experiences in the athletic world. As a former Division I college athlete and coach, Amy brings a dignified and measured aggressiveness and competitive nature to her practice. Amy has expertise in dealing with contracts, insurance matters, business torts, breaches of fiduciary duty, products, liability, employment, labor, and defending personal injury matters. As a client explained ...
Dennis Blunt practices in the area of commercial litigation, with a focus on business disputes including business torts and insurance company solvency and regulation. He is an experienced trial litigator having represented plaintiffs, defendants, and regulators across a wide spectrum of industries including education, public utilities, health care, state and municipal government, insurance, and financial institutions on a regional and national basis. He has tried matters involving corporate g...
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.
