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August 15, 2016 / Press Release

87 Porter Wright attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers in America®

Porter Wright is pleased to announce that 87 attorneys from across the firm’s six offices located in Ohio, Florida and Washington, D.C., have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

12 Porter Wright attorneys were named to Best Lawyers’ "Lawyer of the Year" list. The Best Lawyers® selection process is rigorous and comprehensive, involving detailed evaluations of attorneys by their peers.

Complete listing of Porter Wright attorneys recognized by 2017 Best Lawyers in Americ®:

Best Lawyers'® 2017 "Lawyers of the Year":

James P. Botti - Banking and Finance Law - Columbus, Ohio
Daniel R. Conway - Communications Law - Columbus, Ohio
Timothy E. Grady - Commercial Finance Law - Columbus, Ohio
Charles Y. Kidwell - Mergers & Acquisitions Law - Dayton, Ohio 
Holly D. Kozlowski - Patent Law - Cincinnati, Ohio
Fred J. Pompeani - Workers' Compensation Law - Employers - Cleveland, Oho
Christopher C. Russell - Workers' Compensation Law - Employers - Columbus, Ohio
H. Grant Stephenson - Financial Services Regulation Law - Columbus, Ohio
Carolyn A. Taggart - Product Liability Litigation - Defendants - Cincinnati, Ohio 
Kathleen M. Trafford - Bet-the-Company Litigation - Columbus, Ohio
Robert W. Trafford - Litigation - Banking and Finance - Columbus, Ohio
William R. Weir - Banking and Finance Law - Cleveland, Ohio

Porter Wright Ohio attorneys included in Best Lawyers® 2017

Cincinnati Office:
Brian J. Augustine - Transportation Law
David T. Croall - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
W. Kelly Johnson - Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Holly D. Kozlowski - Patent Law, Patent Law
James D. Liles - Litigation - Patent, Patent Law
Marilyn J. Maag - Trusts and Estates
T. Stephen Phillips - Trusts and Estates
John S. Stith - Corporate Law
Carolyn A. Taggart - Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Cleveland Office:
J. Philip Calabrese - Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Donald Fisher - Commercial Litigation 
Rebecca Kopp Levine - Employment Law - Management
Hugh E. McKay - Commercial Litigation
Fred J. Pompeani - Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
Michael P. Shuster - Real Estate Law
Leo M. Spellacy, Jr. - Commercial Litigation
Tracey L. Turnbull - Commercial Litigation
William R. Weir - Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law

Columbus Office:
John C. Beeler - Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law

James P. Botti - Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Finance Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Equipment Finance Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance  
John E. Brady - Real Estate Law
Robert L. Brubaker - Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental
Brian L. Buzby - Construction Law
Robert H. Cohen - Immigration Law
Daniel R. Conway - Communications Law, Energy Law
James D. Curphey - Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation - Patent
Joyce D. Edelman - Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Andrew C. Emerson - Energy Law
Theodore G. Fisher - Commercial Litigation
Timothy E. Grady - Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Equipment Finance Law, Financial Services Regulation Law
Brian D. Hall - Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
Polly J. Harris - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy
John C. Hartranft, Sr. - Banking and Finance Law, Financial Services Regulation Law
Jeffrey T. Hayes - Corporate Law
Richard J. Helmreich - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation - ERISA
C. Andrew Ireton, Jr. - Trusts and Estates

Robert J. Karl - Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental
Robert C. Kiger - Real Estate Law
Lori-Lou Kimm - Trusts and Estates
James A. King - Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law
Curtis A. Loveland - Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Alvin J. McKenna - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management
J. Jeffrey McNealey - Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law
Richard C. McQuown - Corporate Law
Mark K. Merkle, Jr. - Commercial Litigation
Robert A. Meyer, Jr. - Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Real Estate Law
Dixon F. Miller - Corporate Law

Terrance M. Miller - Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
Jennifer T. Mills - Banking and Finance Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance

Scott North - Commercial Litigation

James S. Oliphant - Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
Jack R. Pigman - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy
Fred G. Pressley, Jr. - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
James H. Prior - Banking and Finance Law, Equipment Finance Law
Diane C. Reichwein - Employment Law - Management,  Litigation - Labor and Employment, Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
Donna M. Ruscitti - Copyright Law, Technology Law 
Christopher C. Russell - Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
Joseph W. Ryan, Jr. - Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Real Estate, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Robert J. Schmidt, Jr. - Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental, Water Law
Christopher R. Schraff - Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental
Edward M. Segelken - Trusts and Estates
David P. Shouvlin - Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent

Mark S. Stemm - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
John M. Stephen - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management

H. Grant Stephenson - Banking and Finance Law, Equipment Finance Law, Financial Services Regulation Law
Robert J. Tannous - Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Richard Terapak - Corporate Law

Kathleen M. Trafford - Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation
Robert W. Trafford - Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Litigation - Securities
David A. Tumen - Tax Law, Labor Law - Management

Michael J. Underwood - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management
Charles C. Warner - Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
Franck G. Wobst - Employment Law - Management
Thomas A. Young - Commercial Litigation
Jay A. Yurkiw - Commercial Litigation


Dayton Office:
William G. Deas - Litigation - Real Estate, Real Estate Law
Caroline H. Gentry - Commercial Litigation
Thomas A. Holton - Corporate Law

Charles Y. Kidwell - Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Non-Profit / Charities Law
Walter Reynolds - Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation

Naples Office:
W. Jeffrey Cecil - Real Estate Law
Mary Beth Clary - Corporate Law, Securities Regulation, Securities / Capital Markets Law
Jeffrey S. Kannensohn - Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law
William H. Myers - Trusts and Estates
Robert J. Stommel - Trusts and Estates

Washington D.C. Office
Judd L. Kessler - International Arbitration - Governmental
Richard P. McHugh - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law