News & Insights

3 Lightfoot Attorneys Named Birmingham "Lawyers of the Year" and 50 Recognized Overall in 2027 Edition of Best Lawyers®

August 20, 2026

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC is celebrating a standout year in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© published by Woodward/White, Inc. In total, 50 attorneys were recognized across the firm’s Birmingham and Houston offices—40 in the main guide and 10 as Best Lawyers: One to Watch in America. Additionally, three of the firm’s attorneys have been named “Lawyers of the Year” for Birmingham.

Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. The methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical and legal practice area.

"Lawyers of the Year" are selected based on exceptional peer feedback in their practice area and geographic region. "Lawyer of the Year" is a particularly exclusive distinction — only one attorney is recognized per practice area and location, based on standout peer feedback. The Lightfoot attorneys honored for 2027 are:

• Michael L. Bell (Birmingham - Product Liability Litigation - Defendants)
• Lee M. Hollis (Birmingham - Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants)
• Jackson R. Sharman III (Birmingham - Corporate Compliance Law)

The 40 2027 Lightfoot attorneys named to Best Lawyers are:

Birmingham

• J. Chandler Bailey
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Michael L. Bell
  • Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
• William H. Brooks
  • Appellate Practice
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Sports Law
• Reid C. Carpenter
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Kevin E. Clark
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Haley A. Cox
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Jeffrey P. Doss
  • Appellate Practice
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Melody Hurdle Eagan
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Brandon K. Essig
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Sara Anne Ford
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Banking and Finance
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Litigation - Real Estate
  • Litigation - Securities
• Samuel H. Franklin
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Antitrust
  • Litigation - Banking and Finance
  • Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Litigation - Securities
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• James W. Gibson
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Wesley B. Gilchrist
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Litigation - Securities
• Enrique (Henry) J. Gimenez
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Sports Law
• Nicole M. Hardee 
  • Commercial Litigation
• Lee M. Hollis
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Elizabeth H. Huntley
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• John M. (Johnny) Johnson
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
• Brian P. Kappel
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Sports Law
• M. Christian King
  • Appellate Practice
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Litigation - Securities
• Rachel M. Lary
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Trusts and Estates
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Jonathan R. Little
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
• Terrence W. (Terry) McCarthy
  • Appellate Practice
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Insurance
• William H. Morrow
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Lana A. Olson
  • Litigation - Environmental
• R. Ashby Pate
  • Appellate Practice
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
• Adam K. Peck
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Laura H. Peck
  • Health Care Law
  • Litigation - Health Care
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
• J. Bradley Powell
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Harlan I. Prater IV
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• David R. Pruet III
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Construction
  • Litigation - Real Estate
• W. Larkin Radney IV
  • Environmental Law
  • Litigation - Environmental
• J. Banks Sewell III
  • Advertising Law
  • Aviation Law
  • Litigation - First Amendment
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Jackson R. (Jack) Sharman III
  • Corporate Compliance Law
  • Corporate Governance Law
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Electronic Discovery and Information Management Law
• Clinton T. Speegle
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Sports Law
• John G. (JT) Thompson Jr.
  • Advertising Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • First Amendment Law
  • Litigation - First Amendment
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• E. Glenn Waldrop, Jr.
  • Construction Law
  • Litigation - Construction
• Christopher C. Yearout
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Real Estate Law

Houston

• Sanford G. (Sandy) Hooper
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Jared I. Levinthal
  • Commercial Litigation

2027 "Ones to Watch":

Birmingham

• Meghan S. Cole
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• W. McKinley Dunn
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Amaobi Enyinnia
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• William C. Johnson
  • Insurance Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Transportation Law
• Mary Parrish McCracken 
  • First year listed
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Phillip J. Pullen 
  • First year listed
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Elizabeth Harrison Rice 
  • First year listed
  • Litigation - Environmental
• Rachelle E. Sanchez
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Health Care Law
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• M. Wesley Smithart 
  • First year listed
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
• Matthew J. Winne
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Professional Malpractice Law

Four attorneys — Mary Parrish McCracken, Phillip J. Pullen, Elizabeth Harrison Rice and M. Wesley Smithart — appear in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch guide for the first time.