Several Huntsville attorneys were highlighted in the most recent edition of the “Best Lawyers” publication that was released to the public today. The publication is provided by a legal rating service, Best Lawyers, and has been one of the most notable recognitions a lawyer can receive from his or her peers. Readers have looked to the list annually for reliable and free information about their region’s top attorneys since it was first published in 1981.

The Best Lawyers methodology is built upon the foundation of peer review, capturing the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

Attorneys are selected for the list through an extensive set of surveys sent to prominent lawyers who assess the legal abilities of their peers. Every lawyer who makes the list does so entirely on peer review as no one is permitted to pay for participation.

Publications like these are important for the legal industry. The American Bar Association advises consumers to begin their search through a trusted friend, relative, or business associate, and according to a legal industry study, clients reported using a combination of methods, the top three being recommendations from friends or family, online search engines, and referrals from other lawyers.

The 2023 edition factored in more than 11.5 million votes and recognized around 70,000 lawyers that meet the rigorous standards. This equates to roughly 5% of practicing attorneys earning this distinction.

Additionally, lawyers can earn “Lawyer of the Year” status for their respective fields. Only one individual can earn that status for their field in each metro.

Here are the 8 Huntsville attorneys awarded Lawyer of the Year for their specific practice:

Ryan Brake (Carr Allison) – Employment Law / Management
David Canupp (Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne) – Appellate Practice
L. Justin Burney (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings) – Corporate Law
Stephen H. Hall (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings) – Litigation / Intellectual Property
David Hodge (Morris, King & Hodge) – Bet-the-Company Litigation
David Holt (Loftin Holt) – Commercial Litigation
George Knox, Jr. (Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne) – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Clay Martin (Martin & Helms) – Mass Tort Litigation

The Best Lawyers publication also features a separate list, Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recipients have typically been in practice for 5-9 years and are chosen on the same peer-review system.

Twelve Huntsville lawyers made this list.

Logan Abernathy (Dentons Sirote)
Katy Carr (Carr Allison)
Amanda Coolidge (Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne)
Sarah Green (Dentons Sirote)
Lauren Houseknecht (Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne)
Ryan Letson (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings)
Harod “Hal” Mooty III (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings)
Sarah Sutton Osborne (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings)
Christopher Pape (Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne)
Angela Schaefer (Loftin Holt)
Sarah Shepard (Sarah Shepard LLC)
W. Ty Stafford (Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne)

In addition to individual awards, Best Lawyers also recognizes law firms that meet the same standard of quality. For the 2023 edition, 10 different firms in Huntsville made the list.

The full list can be found online at https://www.bestlawyers.com/ along with information about the methodology used and how to nominate lawyers for future publications.