(Memphis, TN/June 16, 2009) The recently released 2009 edition of Chambers USA, a highly regarded directory of America's leading lawyers for business, has recognized Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC with a total of 50 attorneys in 16 practice areas and a total of 17 of the Firm's practice areas ranked as leading practitioners and practices in their respective states. Of those, six practice areas and fifteen attorneys received rankings in Band 1, the top tier in Chambers USA.
Baker Donelson's 17 practice area rankings listed by tier are:
- Band 1: Real estate (Alabama), corporate/commercial (Mississippi), litigation (Mississippi), banking and finance (Tennessee), health care (Tennessee) and real estate (Tennessee);
- Band 2: Bankruptcy/restructuring (Alabama); corporate/commercial (Alabama), labor and employment (Alabama), energy and natural resources (Louisiana), litigation (Louisiana), real estate (Mississippi), labor and employment (Tennessee) and litigation (Tennessee);
- Band 3: Labor and employment (Mississippi) and corporate/mergers and acquisitions (Tennessee): litigation; and
- Band 4: litigation (Georgia).
In individual rankings, 50 of the Firm's attorneys were recognized in Chambers USA as among the leaders in their field.
- Band 1: Edward H. "Hank" Arnold III, energy and natural resources: marine finance (Louisiana); Thomas E. Bartrum, health care regulatory (Tennessee); Leo Bearman Jr., general commercial litigation (Tennessee); Roy C. Cheatwood, general commercial litigation (Louisiana); Richard G. Cowart, health care (Tennessee); Steven J. Eisen, banking and finance (Tennessee); H. Chervis Isom, real estate (Alabama); Robert C. Liddon Jr., real estate (Tennessee); Timothy M. Lupinacci, bankruptcy/restructuring (Alabama); Randal S. Mashburn, bankruptcy litigation (Tennessee); Edward P. Meyerson, construction litigation (Alabama); William S. Painter, corporate/commercial (Mississippi); James H. Roussel, energy and natural resources: marine finance (Louisiana); Fern H. Singer, labor and employment (Alabama); and W. Scott Welch, general commercial litigation (Mississippi).
- Band 2: Mary L. Aronov, real estate (Tennessee); Jennifer Crowson, corporate/commercial: municipal finance (Mississippi); Stephen Edds, corporate/commercial: municipal finance (Mississippi); Brooks Eason, labor and employment (Mississippi); Kenneth P. "Pete" Ezell Jr., real estate (Tennessee); John A. Gupton III, real estate (Tennessee); John S. Hicks, general commercial litigation (Tennessee); Walker W. "Bill" Jones III, general commercial litigation (Mississippi); Linda A. Klein, construction (Georgia); William S. Mendenhall, corporate/commercial (Mississippi); B. G. Minisman Jr., corporate/commercial (Alabama); William N. Norton, corporate/mergers and acquisitions (Louisiana); and Daniel L. Singletary, real estate (Mississippi)
- Band 3: Gary M. Brown, corporate/mergers and acquisitions (Tennessee); Ashby Q. Burks, health care (Tennessee); Robert J. DelPriore, corporate/mergers and acquisitions (Tennessee); Barry W. Ford, general commercial litigation (Mississippi); Nedom A. Haley, tax (Georgia); Denise W. Killebrew, real estate (Alabama); Thomas O. Kolb, real estate (Alabama); William S. Mendenhall, real estate (Mississippi); J. Randall Patterson, labor and employment (Mississippi); Charles A. Powell IV, labor and employment (Alabama); William N. Reed, general commercial litigation (Mississippi); D.J. Simonetti, corporate/commercial (Alabama); William G. Somerville III, labor and employment (Alabama); Donna K. Thiel, health care (Washington, D.C.); J. Carter Thompson Jr., general commercial litigation (Mississippi); Steven H. Trent, labor and employment (Tennessee); M. Kim Vance, labor and employment (Tennessee); and Edward R. Young, labor and employment (Tennessee)
- Band 4: Michael J. Powell, intellectual property (Georgia) and Edmund J. Novotny, general commercial litigation (Georgia)
- Up and Coming: David Gevertz, labor and employment (Georgia) and David A. Rueff Jr., real estate (Mississippi)
Considered a cornerstone directory whose listings are given much weight among business leaders selecting legal counsel, Chambers USA ranks law firm practice areas and individual attorneys based on research conducted by the directory's team of more than 50 full-time researchers, including in-depth interviews with clients and attorneys.