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Nine ELPO Law Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers 2023; Five Named Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

by Ashley Carter

The Best Lawyers in America© announced today that it has ranked nine ELPO Law attorneys for its 2023 listing. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Based on peer review feedback and meticulous vetting, the Best Lawyers’ selection process whittles down thousands of nominees to recognize the best of the best as objectively and meaningfully as possible. Because of this, its annual lists are viewed as some of the most impartial and trusted attorney ratings.

For the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, more than 12.2 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 71,000 leading lawyers being honored 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.

ELPO Law attorneys chosen for recognition by Best Lawyers in 2023 are as follows:

  • Kenly Ames is listed in the areas Bet-the-Company Litigation and Commercial Litigation. Kenly has been ranked since 2013.
  • Buzz English is listed in the areas of Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation. This is the fifth year in a row he has been ranked.
  • Charles E. English is listed in the areas of Appellate Practice, Banking and Finance Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, and Litigation – Trusts and Estates. He has been listed in all six areas since 2006.
  • Michael Owsley is listed in the areas of Education Law and Litigation- Labor and Employment. He has been ranked since 2020.
  • Park L. Priest is ranked for the first time this year in the area of Litigation- Insurance.
  • Murry Raines is listed in the area of Health Care Law where he has been listed since 2013.
  • Rebecca Simpson is ranked for the second year in a row in the categories of Family Law and Family Law Mediation.
  • Michael Vitale is listed in the area of Corporate Law and has been ranked since 2013.
  • LaJuana Wilcher is listed in the areas of Environmental Law and Litigation- Environmental. She has been ranked since 2009.

For the third year in a row, ELPO Law has attorneys recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. This recognition is given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recipients typically have been in practice for 5-9 years.

The methodology for determining Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch is the same as for Best Lawyers recognition: peer-review.

2023 ELPO Law attorneys recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch include:

  • Heather Coleman Brooks is listed for the first time in the areas of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, and Trusts and Estates.
  • Sarah Jarboe listed in the areas of Corporate Law, Environmental Law, and Litigation- Environmental (third year).
  • Jessica Shoulders listed in the areas of Mass Tort Litigation/ Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (second year).
  • J.A. Sowell listed in the areas of Corporate Law, Personal Injury Litigation- Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, (third year).
  • Nathan Vinson listed in the areas of Corporate Law and Tax Law (third year).