August 2025 - Kaufman & Canoles is pleased to announce that the following attorneys were selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® 2026:
Eric E. Ballou, Public Finance Law, Richmond
Clark J. Belote, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate Law, Norfolk
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
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, Real Estate 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
Robert C. Goodman Jr., Corporate Law, Mutual Funds Law, Virginia Beach
Laura Geringer Gross, Labor Law – Management, Nonprofit/Charities Law, Norfolk
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
Michael J. Levy, Real Estate Law, Norfolk
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
Colin P. McCarthy, Health Care Law, Richmond
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
Trey T. Parker, Trusts and Estates, 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
Mary Elizabeth Sherwin, Health Care Law, Litigation – Health Care, 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 five of the firm's attorneys have been named Best Lawyers 2026 “Lawyer of the Year.”
Kristan B. Burch was named Norfolk Litigation - Construction Lawyer of the Year
David Kamer was named Norfolk Tax Law Lawyer of the Year
Stephen E. Noona named Norfolk Litigation - Intellectual Property and Litigation - Patent Lawyer of the Year
Alfred M. Randolph Jr. was named Norfolk Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year
James L. Windsor was named Norfolk Real Estate 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 2026 “Ones to Watch.”
Brandon S. Allred, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law, Norfolk
Samantha J. Forsyth, Banking and Finance Law, Trusts and Estates, Richmond
Brandan M. Goodwin, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation – Real Estate, Norfolk
Benjamin A. Korte, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Norfolk
Morgan A. Lambert, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates, Norfolk
Shannon M. McDonough, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Norfolk
Ahmed Mohamed Khalil, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Litigation – Real Estate, Newport News
William M. Palmer, Labor and Employment – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Norfolk
Adam B. Pratt, Commercial Litigation, Williamsburg
Sharon Kerk Reyes, Labor and Employment Law – Management, Norfolk
Jenni S. Tynes, Family Law, Virginia Beach
Benjamin A. Wills, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Public Finance Law, Richmond
Benming Zhang, Corporate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Securities/Capital Markets 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.
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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 2026.
