Lightfoot Named to Benchmark Litigation’s ‘Top 20 Trial Firms’ in the Nation

November 25, 2025

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC has been named to Benchmark Litigation’s 2026 “Top 20 Trial Law Firms” list. This is the ninth time Lightfoot has appeared on the annual list. 

Benchmark’s rankings are based on extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and clients. Researchers examine recent casework handled by firms and ask individual litigators to offer their opinions on peers.

“We’re deeply honored to once again be recognized alongside so many distinguished law firms,” said Melody H. Eagan, Lightfoot’s managing partner. “I’m incredibly proud of the dedication our team brings to every case, and this honor motivates us to set the bar even higher. This acknowledgment is a testament to the exceptional quality of our work, the unwavering talent and commitment of our team, and the continued expansion of our national footprint.”

Benchmark highlights several key wins Lightfoot had over the past year in the 2026 guide. These include:

• Lana A. Olson and John M. Johnson securing a clarifying unanimous appellate win for DuPont before the Alabama Supreme Court in a case involving alleged contamination from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
• Adam K. Peck successfully defending Teal Sales, a Washington state-based family-owned business that designs machinery for the wood processing industry, in a product liability lawsuit where the plaintiff sought $7.3 million in damages following a mill injury. 
• Henry J. Gimenez’s victorious defense for U-Haul in a product liability claim in Miami-Dade County.   
• Lee Hollis’ representation of The Boppy Company in a wrongful death product liability case. 
• R. Ashby Pate’s win as lead plaintiffs’ counsel for the City of Birmingham in a performance contract dispute where the city alleged a Fortune 500 company failed to deliver energy savings of more than $100 million from upgrades to 119 city facilities. 

An annual guide to the leading U.S. litigation firms and lawyers, Benchmark Litigation is the only B2B study on the market to focus exclusively on litigation and dispute resolution in the U.S.