Alston & Bird attorneys continue to be recognized and honored by Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch in key markets around the world. Notably, the 265 Alston & Bird attorneys recognized by the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® includes 22 first-time honorees; all 11 of the firm’s U.S. offices and 69 practice areas are represented.
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®, which features lawyers who have been in private practice between five and 10 years, features 159 Alston & Bird attorneys who span the firm’s 11 U.S. offices and represent 43 practice areas.
The following Alston & Bird attorneys were named “Lawyer of the Year” in their practice areas and markets. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.” These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.
- Sandy Brown: Financial Services Regulation Law (Dallas/Fort Worth)
- Ed Casey: Litigation - Land Use and Zoning (Los Angeles)
- John Haynes: Litigation – Patent (Atlanta)
- Paul Monnin: Criminal Defense: White-Collar (Atlanta)
- Scott Ortwein: Securities Regulation (Atlanta)
- Mike Parisi: Commercial Finance Law (Atlanta)
- Pat Sargent: Securitization and Structured Finance Law (Dallas/Fort Worth)
- Ted Stevenson: Trade Secrets Law (Dallas/Fort Worth)
- Mark Williamson: Tax Law (Atlanta)
Highlighting the firm’s international reach, three Alston & Bird attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom™ and one was selected for The Best Lawyers in Germany™ 2026:
- James Fisher: Securitisation Law (London)
- Anna Nolan: Insolvency and Restructuring Law (London)
- Phillip Taylor: Insolvency and Restructuring Law (London)
- Jens-Olrik Murach: Competition/Antitrust Law; Litigation (Frankfurt/Main)
Please see here for a complete list of Alston & Bird attorneys recognized in this year’s Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch.
First published in 1983, Best Lawyers is the world’s oldest peer-review attorney guide. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America® list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise.