The Best Lawyers in America®

Constangy congratulates 69 of its attorneys who have been named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. In addition, 37 attorneys were named as “Ones to Watch,” recognizing attorneys with less than eight years in practice. With 106 individuals ranked, those recognized in the 2025 edition represent 46% of the firm’s lawyers.

Three Constangy partners were named “Lawyer of the Year.” Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area received this honor, making this accolade particularly significant. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.

Constangy also received several “top-listed” awards, as the firm with the most lawyers named to Best Lawyers in Employment or Labor Law in Jacksonville (for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor & Employment) and Winston-Salem for (Employment Law – Management and Litigation- Labor & Employment). The firm also received a “top-listed” award in Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” with the most lawyers named to Best Lawyers in Employment or Labor Law in its Northern New Jersey office (for Labor & Employment).

Since it was first published in 1981, The Best Lawyers in America® has become regarded as one of the definitive guides to legal excellence. The Best Lawyers in America® lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel Magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."

Lawyers of the Year:

  • John Babione, Indianapolis for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants
  • Penni Bradshaw, Winston-Salem for Employment Law – Management
  • Kristine Sims, Winston-Salem for Litigation – Labor & Employment

Best Lawyers:

Asheville, NC

  • Michelle Rippon recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Missy Spainhour recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment and Litigation - Banking and Finance

Atlanta, GA

  • Barbara Kihumba* recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Carl McCalla recognized for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
  • Pierrette McCalla recognized for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
  • Darrick McDuffie* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Bill Principe recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Eric Proser recognized for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
  • Frank Shuster recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Leigh Tyson recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Pat Tyson recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Neil Wasser recognized for Employment Law – Management

Birmingham, AL

  • Rick Brown recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • James Nolan recognized for Workers' Compensation Law – Employers
  • Dana Thrasher recognized for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Tammy Woolley recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Boston, MA

  • Andrew Eisenberg recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Ellen Kearns recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Dave Kurtz recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Punam Rogers recognized for Immigration Law
  • Sasha Thaler recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment

Chicago, IL

  • Laura Balson recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Todd Rowe* recognized for Litigation - Insurance

Columbia, SC

  • Cara Crotty recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Brian Magargle recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Dallas, TX

Denver, CO

  • John Combs recognized for Immigration Law
  • Jim Goh recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Fairfax, VA

  • Jim Coleman recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Maureen Knight recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Indianapolis, IN

  • John Babione recognized for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

Jacksonville, FL

  • Jesse Bannon recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Damon Kitchen recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Colin Thakkar* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Gary Wheeler recognized for Labor Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Meg Zabijaka recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Kansas City, MO

  • Tim Davis recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Don Prophete recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Kim Seten recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Jack Wallace recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Los Angeles, CA

  • Steve Katz recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Ken Sulzer recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Erik Von Zeipel* recognized for Commercial Litigation

Macon, GA

  • Mel Haas recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Minneapolis, MN

Nashville, TN

  • Zan Blue recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Teresa Bult recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Mary Dohner Smith recognized for Employment Law – Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

New York

Northern New Jersey

  • Sal Simao recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Orange County, CA

  • Lara de Leon* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Allen Sattler recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Carolyn Sieve* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment

Rochester, NY

San Francisco, CA

  • Barbara Antonucci recognized for Employment Law - Management
  • Sarah Hamilton recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

St. Louis, MO

  • Dean Kpere-Daibo recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Bob Ortbals recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment

Tampa, FL

  • Kelly Holbrook recognized for Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Individuals, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • David Steffen recognized for Employment Law – Individuals, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Winston-Salem, NC

  • Penni Bradshaw recognized for Employment Law – Management, Immigration Law, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Ken Carlson recognized for Arbitration, Employment Law – Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Mediation, and Trade Secrets Law
  • Terry Clark recognized for Employment Law – Management and Labor Law – Management
  • John Doyle recognized for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Bill McMahon recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Robin Shea recognized for Employment Law – Management
  • Kristine Sims recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Jill Stricklin recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Ones to Watch:

Atlanta, GA

  • Obasi Bryant* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Katelyn Green recognized for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
  • Katie Kelley recognized for Workers' Compensation Law – Employers
  • David Korsen recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Sarah Phaff recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Birmingham, AL

  • Brittany Turner recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Boston, MA

Chicago, IL

Denver, CO

  • Rayner Mangum recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants

Fairfax, VA

Jacksonville, FL

  • Jadie Mims* recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Kansas City, MO

  • John F. Doyle recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Evan Jarrold recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Los Angeles, CA

  • David Crane* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Jeffrey Fields recognized for Labor and Employment Law - Management
  • Cameron Haynes* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Julia Levitskaia recognized for Labor and Employment Law - Management
  • Kelsey Link recognized for Labor and Employment Law - Management
  • Joanna MacMillan recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Sabrina Punia-Ly recognized for Health Care Law and Labor and Employment Law – Management
  • Aaron Rutschman recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Matthew Scholl recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Natalie Torbati Meinhardt recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Macon, GA

  • Claire Cronin* recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Amanda Morejon recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Nashville, TN

  • Rachael Rustmann recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

Northern New Jersey

  • Eric Baginski recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management
  • Luis Hansen recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management
  • Latiqua Liles recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management
  • Danielle Pierre recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

New York

  • Tim Barbetta recognized for Litigation - Labor and Employment

Raleigh, NC

  • Daniel Ball* recognized for Labor and Employment Law - Management
  • Nia Doaks recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management

San Diego, CA

  • Arcelia Magaña recognized for Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

San Francisco, CA

St. Louis, MO

  • Katie Rhoten recognized for Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment

*Denotes attorneys who are being recognized by Best Lawyers for the first time.

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