HOUSTON – Best Lawyers® recognized more than 140 Bracewell LLP lawyers for their exceptional legal work in its 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
Lawyers of the Year
Four Bracewell lawyers were honored as a “Lawyer of the Year,” a designation given to individual lawyers who receive the highest overall peer feedback in a specific practice area within a given geographic location. Those individuals are:
- Heather L. Brown – Project Finance Law (Houston)
- Conor M. Civins – Trade Secrets Law (Austin)
- Richard C. Danysh – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants (San Antonio)
- James “JJ” McAnelly III – Natural Resources Law (Houston)
Ones to Watch
In addition, 48 Bracewell lawyers were named to the “Ones to Watch” list, which identifies the top up-and-coming legal talent within a given geographic location in the United States:
Austin
- Daniel J. Pope – Energy Law
Dallas
- Jacqueline A. Garza-Rothrock – Commercial Litigation
- Shelby Harden – Public Finance Law
- Christie L. Latimer – Real Estate Law
- Kim McCrea – Health Care Law
- Brett W. Rector – Commercial Litigation
- Sarah Tahir – Public Finance Law
- Anna Wortham – Health Care Law
Houston
- Shannon Baldwin – Banking and Finance Law
- Emily A. Banse – Banking and Finance Law
- W. Jared Berg – Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Andrew C.J. Bueso – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Nancy McEvily Davis – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Energy Law; Health Care Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs
- Jennifer N. Dill – Banking and Finance Law
- Caroline E. Ellis – Energy Law
- Patrick K. Johnson – Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Benjamin J. Martin – Corporate Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Kate Barrington McGregor – Corporate Law
- Shannon R. McKay – Energy Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Caroline Melo Chapman – Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Andrew P. Mintz – Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Andrew W. Monk – Corporate Law
- Lucy Porter – Intellectual Property Law
- Eryn E. Roberts – Public Finance Law
- Derek A. B. Speck – Corporate Law; Energy Law
- John L. Stavinoha III – Energy Law
- Drew Taggart – Commercial Litigation; Patent Law
- Carlton D. Wilde III – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Kenni C. Wilkinson – Banking and Finance Law
New York
- Margaret B. Beasley – Commercial Litigation
- Russell W. Gallaro – Litigation – Securities
- Katie J. Jones – Corporate Law
- Mark Wulfe – Oil and Gas Law
San Antonio
- Amber K. Dodds – Labor and Employment Law – Management
- Summer B. Greathouse – Corporate Law; Real Estate Law; Tax Law
Seattle
- Patrick J. Connolly – Intellectual Property Law; Litigation – Patent
- Tyler S. Johnson – Energy Law
- Jared Schuettenhelm – Intellectual Property Law; Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Tom Shewmake – Litigation – Intellectual Property
Washington, DC
- Brittany M. Pemberton – Energy Law; Environmental Law; Natural Resources Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Joshua Robichaud – Energy Law
- Laura D. Sheldon – Corporate Law
- Boris Shkuta – Energy Law
- Britt Cass Steckman – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Taylor M. Stuart – Environmental Law
- Kevin M. Voelkel – Energy Law
Best Lawyers
The following Bracewell lawyers were recognized in their specific practice areas within given geographic locations:
Austin
- W. Stephen Benesh – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking and Finance; Litigation – Construction
- Elizabeth Rippy Bowes – Municipal Law; Public Finance Law
- Sara M. Burgin – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Water Law
- Michael Chibib – Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent; Patent Law
- Conor M. Civins – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent; Patent Law; Trademark Law
- Kevin D. Collins – Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
- Tim J. Deithloff – Banking and Finance Law; Public Finance Law
- W. Glenn Opel – Energy Law; Public Finance Law
- Victoria N. Ozimek – Public Finance Law; Tax Law
- Matt Paulson – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
- Whit Swift – Energy Law; Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
- Timothy A. Wilkins – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
Dallas
- K. Brock Bailey – Real Estate Law
- Patrick Bredehoft – Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care; Litigation – Insurance
- Robert R. Collins III – Public Finance Law
- J. Dean Hinderliter – Tax Law
- Wilson G. Jones – Health Care Law; Litigation – Health Care
- Jonathan C. Leatherberry – Health Care Law; Public Finance Law
- Matthew G. Nielsen – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Julie Melton Partain – Economic Development Law; Public Finance Law
- George G. Rodriguez – Health Care Law; Public Finance Law
Houston
- Will Anderson – Banking and Finance Law
- Jeffrey B. Andrews – IT Outsourcing Law; Technology Law
- Bradley J. Benoit – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy); Litigation – Securities
- Gregory M. Bopp – Tax Law
- Heather L. Brown – Banking and Finance Law; Commercial Finance Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Molly E. Butkus – Energy Law
- Peggy B. Christman – Public Finance Law
- Jason G. Cohen – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Steven Cook – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Real Estate Law
- Stephen B. Crain – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Securities
- W. Cleland Dade – Corporate Law; Energy Law
- Kate H. Day – Banking and Finance Law
- Suzanne F. Day – Insurance Law
- Keith R. Derrington – Patent Law
- Bryan S. Dumesnil – Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
- Cristy C. Edwards – Public Finance Law
- Mark C. Evans – Banking and Finance Law; International Trade and Finance Law; Project Finance Law
- Jonathan K. Frels – Public Finance Law
- Kelly Frels – Education Law; Government Relations Practice
- Dewey J. Gonsoulin Jr. – Banking and Finance Law; Oil and Gas Law
- R. Todd Greenwalt – Public Finance Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law; Tax Law
- J. Clifford Gunter III – Commercial Litigation
- Amy Karff Halevy – Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Warren W. Harris – Appellate Practice; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants
- Ryan S. Holcomb – Energy Law
- Austin T. Lee – Oil and Gas Law
- Nancy C. LeGros – Health Care Law
- James “JJ” McAnelly III – Energy Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Tamara L. McKinzie – Real Estate Law
- Vincent E. Morgan – Insurance Law; Litigation – Insurance
- Susan B. Murphy – Health Care Law
- Robert S. Nichols – Labor Law – Management
- Jeff Oldham – Appellate Practice
- G. Alan Rafte – Energy Law; Natural Resources Law; Oil and Gas Law; Project Finance Law
- Constance Gall Rhebergen – Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent
- Aaron P. Roffwarg – Real Estate Law
- Douglas W. Rommelmann – Patent Law; Trademark Law
- Phillip L. Sampson Jr. – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Real Estate
- Stephanie Koo Song – Banking and Finance Law; Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Charles H. Still Jr. – Corporate Law; Securities/Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation
- Tracy C. Temple – Appellate Practice
- Jeffery B. Vaden – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Barron F. Wallace – Commercial Finance Law; Energy Law; Public Finance Law
- Richard F. Whiteley – Litigation – Intellectual Property
- R. Daniel Witschey Jr. – Corporate Law; Securities/Capital Markets Law
- William A. Wood III – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy
New York
- Daniel S. Connolly – Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Theodore F. Duver – Energy Law
- Martin Gusy – International Arbitration – Commercial
- Catherine Hood – Energy Law
- Barbara S. Jones – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Frank Lee – Energy Law
- Parker A. Lee – Energy Law
- Fernando J. Rodriguez Marin – Energy Law
- J. Anthony Terrell – Energy Law
San Antonio
- Leslie Selig Byrd – Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Richard C. Danysh – Commercial Litigation
- James H. Kizziar Jr. – Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Jane H. Macon – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
- James P. Plummer – Public Finance Law
- Edward C. Prado – Appellate Practice
Seattle
- Jeffrey E. Danley – Patent Law
- Douglas F. Stewart – Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Patent
Washington, DC
- Stephen L. Braga – Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: General Practice; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants; Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy); Litigation – Securities; Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants
- Michael W. Brooks – Energy Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Eugene R. Elrod – Energy Law; Energy Regulatory Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Kevin A. Ewing – Energy Law
- George D. Fatula – Energy Law
- Jeffrey R. Holmstead – Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
- Jason B. Hutt – Energy Regulatory Law; Litigation – Environmental
- Mark K. Lewis – Oil and Gas Law
- Catherine D. Little – Energy Law; Energy Regulatory Law; Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Oil and Gas Law
- Catherine P. McCarthy – Energy Law
- Charles R. Mills – Derivatives and Futures Law; Securities/Capital Markets Law
- D. Kirk Morgan II – Energy Law; Oil and Gas Law
- Ann D. Navaro – Environmental Law
- David M. Perlman – Energy Law; Oil and Gas Law
Established in 1981, Best Lawyers, a BL Rankings, LLC publication, is one of the oldest peer-review publications in the legal profession.
