A total of 135 attorneys from McAfee & Taft were selected by their peers for inclusion in the recently released 2026 editions of Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
This year, 96 McAfee & Taft attorneys were named to the 32nd edition of Best Lawyers and another 39 were named to the sixth edition of its companion list, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, which recognizes attorneys who have demonstrated outstanding professional excellence earlier in their careers. Both lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer review evaluation.
Eight lawyers newly named to the list this year by Best Lawyers are Brian C. Beatty (equipment finance law), Kevin Blaney (banking and finance law; banking and finance law; bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; business organizations; corporate law), Brian A. Burget (equipment finance law), William J. Holland (commercial litigation) Andrew J. Morris (commercial litigation; insurance law; insurance litigation), Dru A. Prosser (insurance litigation; product liability litigation – defendants), Chase C. Webb (intellectual property litigation; patent law; trademark law), and Anna E. Wolfe (commercial litigation).
Sixteen lawyers named as first-time Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch honorees are Travis J. Adams (banking and finance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law), R. Cooper Black (commercial litigation; oil and gas law), Blaine W. Brewer (corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law), Catherine Anne Cape (business organizations; corporate governance and compliance law; mergers and acquisitions law), Connor C. Curtis (labor and employment law – management; labor and employment litigation), Grace A. DeJohn (construction litigation; labor and employment litigation; real estate litigation), Elizabeth G. Fudge (closely held companies and family businesses law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law), Lindsey N. Gonzalez (banking and finance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law), Miranda L. Harrison (bankruptcy litigation; commercial litigation; environmental litigation; trusts and estates), Allison Meinders Harvey (closely held companies and family businesses law; real estate law; tax law), Braden M. Hoffmann (commercial litigation; insurance law; personal injury litigation – defendants), Zach L. Neighbors (commercial litigation; insurance law; personal injury litigation – defendants), Karlen C. Parsamian (business organizations; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law), Sam Roberts (business organizations; energy law; mergers and acquisitions law), Russell B. Taylor (banking and finance law; banking and finance litigation; bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; bankruptcy litigation; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law), and Riley Wren (employee benefits/ERISA law).
Attorneys re-selected for the annual Best Lawyers list are:
- Jeremy M. Black (business organizations; corporate law, mergers and acquisitions law; tax law)
- T. Michael Blake (business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law, corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; tax law; trusts and estates; venture capital law)
- Rachel Blue (advertising law; copyright law; intellectual property litigation; media law; trademark law)
- Timothy J. Bomhoff (commercial litigation; employment law – management; energy law; environmental litigation; labor and employment litigation; labor law – management; mass tort litigation/class actions – defendants; oil and gas law; product liability litigation – defendants; qui tam law; securities litigation)
- Matthew K. Brown (banking and finance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law)
- Courtney Bru (employment law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Philip R. Bruce (employment law – management)
- J. Craig Buchan (commercial litigation; mass tort litigation/class actions – defendants; professional malpractice law – defendants)
- Brandon L. Buchanan (commercial litigation; construction litigation; health care law; insurance law; mass tort litigation/class actions – defendants)
- Steven W. Bugg (bankruptcy, creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; bankruptcy litigation)
- Jennifer H. Callahan (employee benefits/ERISA law; nonprofit/charities law)
- Brita Haugland Cantrell (family law)
- Steven P. Cole (business organizations; corporate law; tax law; tax litigation and controversy; trusts and estates; trust and estates litigation)
- Jodi Cole Wetzel (commercial litigation; energy law; environmental litigation; oil and gas law)
- W. Chris Coleman (business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law; corporate compliance law; corporate governance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; securities/capital markets law; securities regulation; venture capital law)
- Mary Quinn Cooper (bet-the-company litigation; commercial litigation; insurance litigation; mass tort litigation/class actions – defendants; personal injury litigation – defendants; product liability litigation – defendants; professional malpractice law – defendants)
- Todd Court (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Richard D. Craig (business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law; corporate law; tax law; tax litigation and controversy; trusts and estates; trust and estates litigation)
- Katie Gant Crane (commercial litigation)
- Jacob S. Crawford (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- C. Bruce Crum (banking and finance law; business organizations; corporate law; financial services regulation law)
- Wagner R. Dias da Silva (business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law; corporate compliance law; corporate governance law; corporate law; leveraged buyouts and private equity law; mergers and acquisitions law; private funds/hedge funds law; securities/capital markets law; venture capital law)
- Jessica L. Dickerson (commercial litigation; insurance law; insurance litigation)
- Kate N. Dodoo (commercial litigation)
- Bradley K. Donnell (bet-the-company litigation; commercial litigation; construction law; construction litigation; labor and employment litigation; real estate litigation)
- Clifford C. Dougherty III (advertising law; copyright law; intellectual property litigation; patent law; patent litigation; trade secrets law; trademark law)
- Gregg B. Eichner (banking and finance law; business organizations)
- Roberta B. Fields (employment law — management; labor and employment litigation)
- S. Gregory Frogge (business organizations; health care law)
- Robert L. Garbrecht (business organizations; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law; tax law)
- Bonner J. Gonzalez (commercial finance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; tax law)
- Paige Hoster Good (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Danae V. Grace (corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law)
- J. Derek Hardberger (energy regulatory law; environmental law; environmental litigation; natural resources law)
- Stephen M. Hetrick (business organizations; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law)
- Matthew B. Hickey (business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law; nonprofit/charities law; tax law; tax litigation and controversy)
- Frank D. Hill (corporate law; economic development law; land use and zoning law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law)
- Alan G. Holloway (tax law; trusts and estates)
- Henry D. Hoss (commercial litigation; construction law; construction litigation; professional malpractice law – defendants)
- Christian S. Huckaby (commercial litigation; product liability litigation – defendants)
- Justin Jackson (business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law; corporate governance law; corporate law; leveraged buyouts and private equity law; mergers and acquisitions law; securities/capital markets law; securities regulation)
- Richard D. Johnson (corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; nonprofit/charities law; real estate law; tax law; trusts and estates; trusts and estates litigation)
- Robert J. Joyce (commercial litigation; environmental law; environmental litigation; mining law)
- Garry L. Keele, II (administrative/regulatory law; energy regulatory law; environmental law; environmental litigation; natural resources law)
- Michael J. LaBrie (advertising law; biotechnology and life sciences practice; copyright law; intellectual property litigation; patent law; patent litigation; trade secrets law; trademark law)
- Myrna S. Latham (business organizations; real estate law)
- Michael F. Lauderdale (commercial litigation; employment law – management; health care law; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- William S. Leach (commercial litigation; insurance law; insurance litigation; mass torts litigation / class actions – defendants; personal injury litigation – defendants; product liability litigation – defendants)
- Ronald W. Little (family law; family law mediation)
- Brandon P. Long (employee benefits/ERISA law)
- Laura J. Long (commercial litigation; energy law; environmental litigation; oil and gas law)
- Cori H. Loomis (administrative/regulatory law; business organizations; corporate law; health care law; nonprofit/charities law)
- Robert T. Luttrell III (banking and finance law; banking and finance litigation; commercial finance law; corporate law; financial services regulation law)
- H. Cole Marshall (business organizations; corporate law; real estate law)
- Tony Mastin (tax law)
- Scott D. McCreary (aviation law; equipment finance law)
- Isai Molina (business organizations; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law)
- M. Richard Mullins (commercial litigation; health care law; health care litigation; securities litigation;)
- Kathy R. Neal (commercial litigation; employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Drew Neville (antitrust litigation; bet-the-company litigation; commercial litigation; securities litigation; white collar criminal defense)
- Richard D. Nix (business organizations; corporate law; employee benefits/ERISA law)
- Zach Oubre (advertising law; commercial litigation; copyright law; intellectual property litigation; patent litigation; privacy and data security law; trade secrets law; trademark law)
- John A. Papahronis (employee benefits/ERISA law)
- Ross A. Plourde (bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; bankruptcy litigation; commercial litigation)
- Charles S. Plumb (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Louis J. Price (bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; bankruptcy litigation; commercial finance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law)
- Tony G. Puckett (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Anthony L. Rahhal (biotechnology and life sciences practice; copyright law; intellectual property litigation; patent law; patent litigation; trade secrets law; trademark law)
- Natalie Ramsey (employment law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Phil R. Richards (bet-the-company litigation; commercial litigation; insurance law; medical malpractice law – defendants; personal injury litigation – defendants)
- Andrew Richardson (commercial litigation; mass tort litigation/class actions – defendants; personal injury litigation – defendants)
- Patricia A. Rogers (health care law; privacy and data security law)
- Paul A. Ross (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Sherry A. Rozell (commercial litigation)
- Christopher Scaperlanda (commercial litigation; trusts and estates litigation)
- Susan B. Shields (business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law; nonprofit and charities law; tax law; tax litigation and controversy; trust and estates; trust and estate litigation)
- Kristin M. Simpsen (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Joshua D. Smith (business organizations; corporate governance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law)
- Spencer F. Smith (banking and finance litigation; commercial litigation; intellectual property litigation; securities litigation)
- Patrick L. Stein (commercial litigation; energy law; environmental litigation; oil and gas law)
- Kelsie M. Sullivan (insurance law; insurance litigation; personal injury litigation – defendants)
- Trey Tipton (banking and finance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law)
- Jeff L. Todd (agriculture law; commercial litigation; eminent domain and condemnation law; environmental litigation; real estate litigation; water law)
- W. Kirk Turner (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Erin M. Van Laanen (aviation law; equipment finance law; transportation law)
- Nathan L. Whatley (employment law – management; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- J. Todd Woolery (commercial litigation; environmental litigation; natural resources law; oil and gas law)
- Harold C. Zuckerman (commercial litigation; personal injury litigation – defendants)
Attorneys re-selected for the annual Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list are:
- Logan Blackmore (energy law; oil and gas law)
- Simon Bright (business organizations; corporate governance and compliance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law; real estate litigation)
- Colby J. Byrd (administrative/regulatory law; commercial litigation; eminent domain and condemnation law; real estate litigation)
- Kaitlyn Schrick Chaney (banking and finance law; business organizations; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law)
- Robert J. Clougherty (business organizations; corporate governance and compliance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law)
- Katherine Crowley Jimenez (commercial litigation; energy law; oil and gas law)
- Evan J. Crumpley (banking and finance law; business organizations; corporate governance and compliance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law; securities regulations; venture capital law)
- Alex Duncan (commercial litigation; securities litigation; white-collar criminal defense)
- Genni Ellis (intellectual property law; intellectual property litigation; patent law; patent litigation)
- Emalie L. Foster (commercial litigation; construction litigation; corporate law; family law; product liability litigation – defendants)
- Thomas Goresen (administrative/regulatory law; energy law; environmental law)
- Peyton S. Howell (commercial litigation; insurance law; medical malpractice law – defendants; personal injury litigation – defendants)
- Alyssa Lankford (labor and employment law – management; labor and employment litigation)
- Elke C. Meeùs (commercial litigation; construction litigation)
- T. Lake Moore (employee benefits/ERISA law)
- Haley Nimmo (business organizations; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; real estate law)
- Jennifer B. Puckett (commercial litigation; energy law; oil and gas law)
- Garrett J. Reed (administrative/regulatory law; commercial litigation; eminent domain and condemnation law; energy law; oil and gas law; real estate litigation)
- Tim Spencer (commercial litigation; personal injury litigation – defendants; product liability litigation – defendants)
- Gatlin Squires (administrative/regulatory law; banking and finance litigation; commercial litigation; eminent domain and condemnation law; real estate litigation)
- Jonna Vanderslice (business organizations; energy law; oil and gas law)
- Jeffrey L. Vogt (banking and finance law; business organizations; closely held companies and family businesses law; corporate governance and compliance law; corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; project finance law; real estate law)
- Emma L. Wilson (transportation law)