Sixteen Vorys Attorneys Named 2016 Lawyers of the Year by Best Lawyers
Sixteen Vorys attorneys have been named 2016 Lawyers 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
Michael J. Canter has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Litigation – Antitrust Lawyer of the Year. He is a partner and a member of the litigation group. Canter’s practice is focused on high risk/high value business litigation and related conflict counseling. He has specialized knowledge and experience in antitrust and trade regulation, business and commercial law, consumer protection, customs and international trade, health care law, litigation and appeals, non-profit and tax-exempt organizations.
David W. Cook has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Immigration Law Lawyer of the Year. Cook, a partner in the corporate group, focuses his practice on the representation of businesses and individuals in all areas of immigration and naturalization law.
Gerald P. Ferguson has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Litigation – Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year. He is a retired partner with over three decades of experience in successfully representing clients in commercial litigation. Ferguson’s practice was focused on intellectual property and he had experience in trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, infringement, counterfeiting, false advertising, and supplier and contract disputes.
Reginald W. Jackson has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Lawyer of the Year. Jackson, a partner, has significant experience representing secured creditors, Chapter 11 debtors, trustees, creditors’ committees, equity holders, asset purchasers, vendors and suppliers.
Shawn M. Flahive has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Corporate Compliance Lawyer of the Year. Flahive is a partner in the corporate group and represents corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. He has a significant transactional practice involving mergers and acquisition work, securities law and insurance law.
Russell M. Gertmenian has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Corporate Governance Lawyer of the Year. He serves as the firm’s managing partner. Gertmenian engages in the practice of general corporate and contract law, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and initial public offerings and acts as general counsel to a variety of public and private corporations.
Judith L. Marsh has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Commercial Transactions and Franchise Lawyer of the Year. Marsh, a partner, focuses her practice on commercial and business law, with an emphasis on general commercial transactions, the Uniform Commercial Code, commercial finance, and franchising and distribution law.
Thomas O. Ruby has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Banking and Finance Lawyer of the Year. He is a partner in the finance, energy and real estate practice group. Ruby focuses his practice on commercial finance, including representation of borrowers and lenders in credit facilities and letters of credit.
Carl D. Smallwood has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action - Defendants Lawyer of the Year. Smallwood, a partner, represents clients in litigation, arbitration and mediation of employment-related injury, wrongful termination and toxic exposure disputes.
Andrew C. Smith has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Labor Law- Management Lawyer of the Year. Smith is a partner and chair of the labor and employment group. His practice focuses on all aspects of labor and employment law, including employment litigation, wrongful discharge, and wage and hour class actions.
David A. Swift has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Columbus Trust and Estates Lawyer of the Year. Swift, a partner and member of the tax group, focuses his practice in estate planning, estate and trust administration and representation of tax-exempt organizations.
Akron
J. Bret Treier has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Akron Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year. Treier, a partner, focuses primarily on representation of public and significant private companies, which he counsels regularly on a broad range of matters involving acquisitions, dispositions and other transactions, corporate governance, securities law compliance and reporting including executive compensation and disclosure issues, and public offerings of debt and equity securities.
Mark A. Watkins has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Akron Litigation – Intellectual Property and Trademark Lawyer of the Year. He is a partner and member of the technology and intellectual property group. Watkins focuses on all facets of intellectual property protection, including patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrets and intellectual property litigation.
Cincinnati
Melvin A. Bedree has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Cincinnati Banking and Finance Lawyer of the Year. Bedree is a partner and his general business practice has an emphasis in finance. He has represented many national and regional asset-based and structured finance lenders.
Daniel J. Buckley has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Cincinnati Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year. Buckley, a partner and member of the litigation group, practices in the areas of business litigation, complex litigation, class actions and probate and fiduciary litigation.
Cleveland
James M. McMonagle has been named the 2016 Best Lawyers’ Cleveland Arbitration Lawyer of the Year. McMonagle is a partner and member of the corporate and litigation practice groups. He has been involved with the mediation and arbitration of complex cases throughout the United States, including tort business, securities and employment litigation.
More than 100 Vorys attorneys were included on the 2016 Best Lawyers in America ® List. Click here to see a full list of the firm’s 2016 Best Lawyers.
