Ten Vorys Attorneys Included in the 29th Edition of Best Lawyers: “Lawyer of the Year”

Ten Vorys attorneys have been named 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers. Each year, only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year”. According to Best Lawyers, lawyers being honored as “Lawyer of the Year” have earned a high level of respect among other lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, professionalism and integrity. The Vorys lawyers and their selections are listed below:

COLUMBUS

Anthony D. Weis has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Lawyer of the Year in Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Tony represents and counsels public and private companies and financial institutions on a broad range of legal matters, including corporate governance, business formation, mergers and acquisitions, tax credit transactions, joint ventures, contract negotiations, disclosure and reporting under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and regulatory compliance. A significant portion of his practice is devoted to assisting Japanese companies in establishing and operating U.S. affiliates and joint ventures.
John J. Kulewicz has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Lawyer of the Year in Civil Rights Law. He has argued cases in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Ohio and federal and state courts of appeals. His experience includes a wide range of appeals involving constitutional, statutory, regulatory and common law issues; the trial of numerous cases; and leadership of the pretrial discovery and motions efforts in civil actions. In addition, he has served at the request of federal and state courts as pro bono counsel for indigent clients in several actions presenting significant questions of law.
Judith L. Marsh has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Lawyer of the Year in Commercial Transactions / UCC Law and Franchise Law. She has more than 20 years of experience representing large, national retailers and consumer brands. Although her focus is on corporate, commercial, franchising and distribution, and finance transactions, she strives to serve these companies as a strategic partner to help them reach their business objectives.
Perry W. Doran II has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Lawyer of the Year in Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants. Perry has extensive experience in personal injury, premises liability and product liability litigation, including mass tort defense work, as well as commercial, construction and insurance related litigation. Perry is also a member of Vorys’ Drone and Autonomous Vehicle Working Group, where he focuses on litigation.

William Porter has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Lawyer of the Year in Bet-the-Company Litigation. For over 35 years, he has led trial teams, litigated and tried a wide variety of cases on behalf of public and private corporations and their directors and officers, including class actions and injunctions in federal and state courts. As lead trial lawyer, he has litigated on diverse legal topics, including products liability, health and patient care, corporate, banking, fiduciary and commercial matters. He has tried more than 40 jury and bench trials and has appeared multiple times before the Ohio Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for Sixth Circuit and numerous state courts of appeal.

CLEVELAND

Bryan Falk has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Cleveland Lawyer of the Year in Real Estate Law. Bryan is the managing partner of the Vorys Cleveland office. He has broad and deep business counseling experience and a reputation as an effective legal project manager and problem solver. His practice also includes representing both public and private companies in the structuring, financing, acquisition, development, construction, and disposition of commercial real estate projects, from global corporate headquarters and R&D facilities, to 1 million+ square foot distribution facilities to mixed-use retail, office and residential developments. He represents many national and regional banks in connection with a wide range of secured and unsecured transactions, including syndicated and single bank asset-based facilities, commercial loans, subordinated debt financings and all types of commercial real estate loans, including tax credit and opportunity zone structures.

CINCINNATI

Elizabeth E. W. Weinewuth has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Cincinnati Lawyer of the Year in Litigation – Trust and Estates. Her practice focuses on controversies related to wealth transfer, including estate, trust, real estate, and closely-held business disputes, and the exercise of fiduciary duties by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, and powers of attorney. She represents both corporate and individual trustees and beneficiaries, guardians and other individuals in both probate courts and common pleas courts throughout Ohio. Beth also has experience handling ERISA litigation and FINRA arbitration proceedings. Beth is an efficient, practical, and passionate advocate for her clients.

HOUSTON

Jacklyn J. Ford has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Houston Lawyer of the Year in Employment Law – Individuals. Her practice focuses on labor and employment issues, privacy, and online brand protection. She is the co-founder of the firm's Women’s Initiative. Much of Jackie’s practice focuses on the retail industry. Jackie counsels businesses on issues related to eCommerce and online brand protection. In her employment law practice, Jackie helps retailers and other clients address issues of harassment and discrimination, workplace and online privacy, internal investigations, and employment-related administrative charges and litigation. She has conducted internal investigations for a wide variety of clients, ranging from Fortune 500 retailers to schools, universities, small businesses, and non-profits on issues ranging from harassment claims to data breaches. She also serves as outside general counsel to independent K-12 schools.

AKRON

Mark A. Watkins has been named the 2023 Best Lawyers’ Akron Lawyer of the Year in Trademark Law. Mark provides IP counsel to many Fortune 1000 companies across the U.S. and around the world, helping companies create IP strategies for the procurement and protection of their IP rights. He has experience in evaluation and counseling concerning intellectual property rights acquired or divested in mergers and acquisitions; and in evaluation, counseling and negotiations on behalf of clients concerning transfer of intellectual property rights, including assignments and licenses. Mark has participated in the enforcement and defense of a wide range intellectual property matters, including patent, trademark and copyright infringements, and misappropriation of trade secrets. His experience in the entertainment industry is extensive. He has represented a variety of celebrities and athletes in the areas of product endorsement, brand licensing, development and protection of celebrities as brands, as well as in the enforcement of trademark and brand infringements worldwide.

2023 BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA ^®

One hundred and fifteen Vorys attorneys were included 29^th edition of The Best Lawyers in America^® and 33 Vorys attorneys were named to the 2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America list. Click here to see a full listing.

About Vorys: Vorys was established in 1909 and currently has nearly 375 attorneys in eight offices in Ohio, Washington, D.C., Texas, Pennsylvania and California. Vorys currently ranks as one of the 200 largest law firms in the United States according to American Lawyer magazine.