Eighty-six attorneys from Baker Donelson have been ranked as leading practitioners in the recently released 2019 edition of Chambers USA, a highly regarded directory of America's leading lawyers for business. Of these attorneys one attorney was ranked as a "Star Individual," a ranking given to attorneys with exceptional recommendations in their field; and five attorneys also achieved a national ranking.
Chambers also recognized 26 of the Firm's practice areas as leading statewide practices, with eight being ranked in Band 1. The Firm's healthcare practice was also ranked as a leading practice in the country, achieving a Band 3 ranking.
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 researchers, including in-depth interviews with clients and attorneys.
Attorney Rankings
Star Individuals
- Healthcare: Sanford V. Teplitzky (Nationwide and Maryland)
Band 1
- Antitrust: Hal K. Litchford (Florida)
- Banking and Finance (Marine Finance): Edward H. "Hank" Arnold III (Louisiana)
- Banking and Finance (Regulatory): Steven J. Eisen (Tennessee)
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Jan M. Hayden (Louisiana) and Timothy M. Lupinacci (Alabama)
- Bankruptcy Litigation: E. Franklin Childress Jr. (Tennessee)
- Construction Litigation: Edward P. Meyerson (Alabama)
- Corporate/Commercial: William S. Painter (Mississippi)
- Corporate/Commercial (Gaming and Licensing): Dan M. McDaniel Jr. (Mississippi)
- Environment: Ralph DeMeo (Florida)
- General Commercial Litigation: Roy C. Cheatwood (Louisiana)
- Healthcare: Richard G. Cowart (Tennessee), S. Craig Holden (Nationwide and Maryland) and Howard L. Sollins (Maryland)
- Real Estate: Kenneth P. "Pete" Ezell Jr. (Tennessee) and Denise Killebrew (Alabama)
Band 2
- Banking and Finance: Steven J. Eisen (Tennessee)
- Construction: Linda A. Klein (Georgia), Mark W. Frilot (Louisiana), David Kurtz (Louisiana) and Mark W. Mercante (Louisiana)
- Corporate/Commercial (Gaming & Licensing): Amy K. Elder (Mississippi)
- Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions: Tonya Mitchem Grindon (Tennessee)
- Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions (Tax): Robert Wollfarth (Louisiana)
- Energy and Natural Resources (Oil and Gas): Kenneth Klemm (Louisiana)
- Environment: Robert M. Steele (Tennessee)
- General Commercial Litigation: Leo Bearman Jr. (Tennessee), John S. Hicks (Tennessee), William N. Reed (Mississippi), Gary C. Shockley (Tennessee) and J. Carter Thompson (Mississippi)
- Healthcare: Catherine Martin (Maryland) and John J. Miles (Washington, D.C.)
- Labor and Employment: Jennifer L. Anderson (Louisiana), Phyllis G. Cancienne (Louisiana), Brooks Eason (Mississippi), and Steven F. Griffith Jr. (Louisiana)
- Medical Malpractice Defense Litigation: Jill M. Steinberg (Tennessee)
- Real Estate: Matthew T. Harris (Tennessee), Jon F. "Chip" Leyens (Louisiana), Murphy McMillan (Alabama) and William R. Sylvester (Alabama)
- White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations Litigation: Jonathan Biran (Maryland) and Ty Kelly (Maryland)
Band 3
- Banking and Finance: Jackie Prester (Tennessee)
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Edward H. "Hank" Arnold III (Louisiana) and Eric L. Pruitt (Alabama)
- Corporate/Commercial: B.G. Minisman Jr. (Alabama)
- Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions: Kenneth Abel (Maryland)
- Energy and Natural Resources (Oil and Gas): Adam Zuckerman (Louisiana)
- Environment: Michael T. Dawkins (Mississippi) and Gary C. Shockley (Tennessee)
- Gaming and Licensing: Dan M. McDaniel Jr. (Nationwide)
- General Commercial Litigation: Nancy Scott Degan (Louisiana) and Kent A. Lambert
- Healthcare: Ashby Q. Burks (Tennessee), Joe Campbell (Alabama), Sean Finan (Louisiana), Monica A. Frois (Louisiana), Julie Kass (Maryland and Nationwide), Errol J. King Jr. (Louisiana), John J. Miles (Nationwide) and Donna K. Thiel (Washington, D.C.)
- Labor and Employment: Angie Davis (Tennessee) and Amelia "Mimi" Williams Koch (Louisiana), J. Randall Patterson (Tennessee), M. Kim Vance (Tennessee) and Edward R. Young (Tennessee)
- Real Estate: William S. Mendenhall (Mississippi), David A. Rueff Jr. (Mississippi) and Ginger Weaver (Mississippi)
- Tax: Nedom A. Haley (Georgia)
- White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations Litigation: Joe D. Whitley (Georgia)
Band 4
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Dan Carrigan (Washington, D.C.) and John McJunkin (Washington, D.C.)
- General Commercial Litigation: Sheryl Bey (Mississippi) and Linda A. Klein (Georgia)
- Healthcare: Thomas William Baker (Georgia)
- Labor and Employment: David Gevertz (Georgia)
- Real Estate: Martha Hartley (Florida)
Senior Statespeople
- Construction: J. Ben Shapiro (Georgia)
- Healthcare: Donna D. Fraiche (Louisiana)
- Real Estate: John A. Gupton III (Tennessee) and H. Chervis Isom (Alabama)
Up and Coming
- Construction: Matthew Emmons (Louisiana)
- Construction Litigation: Kevin R. Garrison (Alabama)
- Labor and Employment: Kathlyn Perez (Louisiana)
Associates to Watch
- Intellectual Property: Emily Billig
- Real Estate: Lee Hill
Practice Group Rankings
Band 1
- Construction: Louisiana
- General Commercial Litigation: Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee
- Healthcare: Louisiana and Maryland
- Real Estate: Alabama and Tennessee
Band 2
- Antitrust: Florida
- Banking and Finance: Tennessee (includes Regulatory)
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Alabama
- Corporate/Commercial: Alabama and Mississippi (includes Gaming and Licensing and Municipal Finance)
- Energy and Natural Resources: Louisiana (includes Oil and Gas)
- Environment: Tennessee
- Healthcare: Tennessee
- Labor and Employment: Louisiana and Tennessee
- Real Estate: Mississippi
Band 3
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Louisiana
- Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions: Maryland and Tennessee
- Healthcare: Nationwide
- Labor and Employment: Mississippi
Band 4
Recognized Practitioner
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Georgia
- Healthcare: Georgia