Michael Bell Inducted as a Fellow of International Academy of Trial Lawyers

July 29, 2026

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC partner Michael L. Bell was inducted as a Fellow into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers at the organization’s 2026 Mid-Year Meeting in Yountville, California, July 22-26. 

The International Academy of Trial Lawyers (the Academy) is a fellowship of lawyers with a singular mission — to protect and promote the rule of law. Founded in 1954, the Academy comprises leading trial lawyers, as measured by skill, experience, ethics and civility. It represents both sides of the trial bar: prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases; plaintiff and defense counsel in civil litigation.

"Mike's induction reflects a career spent among the very best trial lawyers in this country and is a testament to his dedication to his clients," said managing partner Wes Gilchrist. "He is now a Fellow of three of the most selective organizations in the profession — the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Bar Foundation, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Few lawyers reach that distinction."

Bell is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, making him one of a small number of lawyers to hold fellowships in all three organizations. Bell focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, including wrongful death, class actions, commercial disputes, product liability, consumer fraud and automotive litigation.