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    55 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America 2025, 7 Named “Lawyer of the Year,” and 13 Named “Ones to Watch”

    Kaufman & Canoles is pleased to announce that the following attorneys were selected for inclusion in
    The Best Lawyers in America® 2025:

    Eric E. Ballou, Public Finance Law, Richmond
    Michael E. Barney, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Virginia Beach
    Dale Truitt Berrett, Family Law, Virginia Beach
    John M. Bredehoft, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Norfolk
    Patrick M. Brogan, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Norfolk
    Kristan B. Burch, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation –Intellectual Property, Norfolk
    Catherine A. Byrd, Commercial Litigation, Norfolk
    Vonda W. Chappell, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates, Chesapeake
    Lawrence G. Cumming, Real Estate Law, Newport News
    Gregory R. Davis, Real Estate Law, Trusts and Estates, Williamsburg
    Jason R. Davis, Litigation – Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Norfolk
    David M. Delpierre, Corporate Law, Norfolk
    Dustin H. DeVore, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Williamsburg
    Douglas M. Foley, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Richmond
    Paul W. Gerhardt, Real Estate Law, Williamsburg
    Megan Martz Gilliland, Public Finance Law, Richmond
    Laura Geringer Gross, Labor Law – Management, Nonprofit / Charities Law, Norfolk
    Robert C. Goodman Jr., Corporate Law, Mutual Funds Law, Virginia Beach
    Amy L. Harman, Real Estate Law, Chesapeake
    Nicole J. Harrell, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Franchise Law, Norfolk
    Philip L. Hatchett, Trusts and Estates, Newport News
    Frank A. Hirsch Jr., Banking and Finance Law, Raleigh
    John E. Holloway, Admiralty and Maritime Law, Norfolk
    William L. Holt, Real Estate Law, Newport News
    Joseph E. Houchin, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Raleigh
    Barry W. Hunter, Public Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Norfolk
    Robert Q. Johnson, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Newport News
    David Kamer, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, Norfolk
    Alison V. Lennarz, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, Williamsburg
    Dennis T. Lewandowski, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Norfolk
    Richard C. Mapp III, Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Norfolk
    Vincent J. Mastracco Jr., Corporate Law, Norfolk
    T. Braxton McKee, Health Care Law, Virginia Beach
    Charles V. McPhillips, Corporate Law, Norfolk
    Sarah E. Messersmith, Trusts and Estates, Newport News
    Stephen E. Noona, Litigation – Antirust, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Norfolk
    Patrick H. O’Donnell, Government Contracts, Litigation – Antitrust, Norfolk
    John M. Peterson, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law, Norfolk
    Alexander W. Powell Jr., Trusts and Estates, Williamsburg
    Alfred M. Randolph Jr., Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Norfolk
    L. Scott Seymour, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law, Norfolk
    Mark A. Short, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law, Newport News
    Randy C. Sparks Jr., Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Richmond
    W. Edgar Spivey, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation – Real Estate, Litigation – Securities, Norfolk
    Jeffrey M. Stedfast, Real Estate, Norfolk
    Edward R. Stolle, Trusts and Estates, Virginia Beach
    Stephen E. Story, Franchise Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Norfolk
    Raymond H. Suttle Jr., Municipal Law, Real Estate Law, Newport News
    Neil S. Talegaonkar, Employment Law – Management, Richmond
    Timothy O. Trant II, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law, Newport News
    William R. Van Buren III, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Norfolk
    Lewis W. Webb III, Trusts and Estates, Norfolk
    Burt H. Whitt, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Norfolk
    J. Britton Williston, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Norfolk
    James L. Windsor, Litigation – Construction, Real Estate Law, Newport News

    Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Almost 87,000 industry-leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world), and we have received almost 10 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, 7.8 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 60,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

    Additionally, K&C is pleased to announce that seven of the firm’s attorneys have been named Best Lawyers 2025 “Lawyer of the Year.”

    Nicole J. Harrell was named Norfolk Business Organizations Lawyer of the Year
    John E. Holloway was named Norfolk Admiralty and Maritime Law Lawyer of the Year
    Alfred M. Randolph Jr. was named Norfolk Banking and Finance Law Lawyer of the Year
    W. Edgar Spivey was named Norfolk Litigation – Real Estate Lawyer of the Year
    Stephen E. Story was named Norfolk Litigation – Patent Lawyer of the Year
    Timothy O. Trant II was named Norfolk Land Use and Zoning Law Lawyer of the Year
    William R. Van Buren III was named Norfolk Health Care Law Lawyer of the Year

    Best Lawyers in America is designating “Lawyer of the Year” in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities, honoring a single lawyer in each specialty as the “Lawyer of the Year.” Lawyers being honored as “Lawyer of the Year” have received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

    Additionally, K&C is pleased to announce that thirteen of the firm’s attorneys have been named Best Lawyers 2025 “Ones to Watch.”

    Brandon S. Allred, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law, Norfolk
    Clark J. Belote, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Norfolk
    Samantha J. Forsyth, Banking and Finance Law, Trusts and Estates, Richmond
    Lauren S. Kadish, Health Care Law, Norfolk
    Morgan A. Lambert, Trusts and Estates, Norfolk
    Chenxi Lu, Securities / Capital Markets Law, Tax Law, Norfolk
    Shannon M. McDonough, Corporate Law, Norfolk
    William M. Palmer, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Norfolk
    Adam B. Pratt, Commercial Litigation, Williamsburg
    Sharon Kerk Reyes, Labor and Employment Law – Management, Norfolk
    Laura Dickson Rixey, Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Health Care Law, Virginia Beach
    Benjamin A. Wills, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Public Finance Law, Richmond
    Benming Zhang, Corporate Law, Trusts and Estates, Williamsburg

    Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch awards recognize extraordinary lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States. Like traditional Best Lawyers awards, a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition is based entirely on peer review.


    The contents of this publication are intended for general information only and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on specific facts and circumstances. Copyright 2024.