Rushton Stakely is proud to announce that at the June annual meeting of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, Robert C. Ward, Jr., shareholder, was elected to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association.  Also, associate Amanda C. Hines was elected to the Board of Directors of the ADLA Young Lawyers Section.

Mr. Ward joined the firm in 1994 and became a shareholder in 1998.  Ms. Hines joined the firm in June of 2012.

Rushton, Stakely, Johnston and Garrett, P.A. is pleased to announce that the Firm ranked 2 in Litigation: General Commercial for the state of Alabama in Chambers USA 2012. In addition, two Rushton Stakely shareholders achieved top rankings in the publication. These shareholders include: Thomas H. Keene – ranked 1 in Litigation: Medical Malpractice Defense (Alabama) and Jeffrey W. Blitz – ranked 2 in Real Estate (Alabama). Each year, Chambers and Partners publishes updated guides to the World’s leading law firms and lawyers. Rankings are based on an extensive research process which includes interviews of thousands of lawyers and their clients.

Rushton, Stakely, Johnston and Garrett, P.A. is pleased to announce that eight of its lawyers have been selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of the Alabama Super Lawyers publication. The lawyers selected include: Jeffrey W. Blitz (Real Estate); Ronald G. Davenport (Civil Litigation Defense: Business Litigation and Professional Liability: Defense); R. Mac Freeman (Rising Star – Personal Injury Defense: General Litigation); R. Austin Huffaker, Jr. (Civil Litigation: Defense); Thomas H. Keene (Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice and Professional Liability: Defense, Health Care); T. Grant Sexton, Jr. (Rising Star – Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice, General Litigation); Fred W. Tyson (Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice and Professional Liability: Defense, Health Care); and Helen C. Wells (Estate Planning & Probate, Business/Corporate, and Tax). Lawyers are nominated by their peers and selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers after a rigorous evaluation of their background, experience and achievements in the legal field. The purpose of the selection process is to identify a diverse and comprehensive listing of attorneys within the State who have attained the highest level of professional achievement. This honor is awarded to only the top five percent of lawyers in the State.

Rushton, Stakely, Johnston & Garrett, P.A. has been named a “recommended” Alabama law firm in the 2012 edition of Benchmark Litigation. Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys. Recommendations are based on extensive research including comprehensive interviews over a year-long period.
In addition to the top firm rankings, two Rushton Stakely shareholders were recognized for their outstanding trial skills. These shareholders include: Thomas H. Keene – “local litigation star” in the areas of personal injury and products liability and Patrick M. Shegon – “future star” in litigation.

For over a century Rushton Stakely has been a highly respected leader of the legal community in Alabama. Founded in 1890, today it is a firm composed of over 30 lawyers emphasizing many important areas of legal practice. The firm’s active and successful trial practice is conducted on a statewide basis by trial attorneys skilled and experienced in virtually all areas of civil litigation. The firm and its lawyers have been recognized repeatedly for outstanding performance.

Dennis R. Bailey and Robert W. Ward, Jr. were selected for Alabama Law Foundation’s Fellows Program.  New members are chosen from an exceptional group of lawyers.  This invitation is offered to no more than one percent of bar members who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to their profession and and their community.

The Fellows program was established in 1995 to honor Alabama bar members for outstanding service and commitment. Those chosen to become Fellows are given the opportunity to increase their leadership roles through the Alabama Law Foundation. As leaders in the legal community, Fellows provide financial and personal support for the Alabama Law Foundation, the charitable arm of the Alabama State Bar.

After three days of trial, L. Peyton Chapman and Stephen P. Dees received a defense verdict from a Montgomery County jury in favor of the Defendant hospital. Plaintiff claimed she was entering the automatic doors at the entrance of the hospital and felt her foot catch on something, causing her to fall. Plaintiff suffered a broken right arm which required two separate surgeries to repair. Plaintiff alleged that the hospital negligently maintained the floors and rugs so that they were not safe for hospital patients and visitors. Further, Plaintiff alleged that the hospital created a hazard by not properly securing the rug at the main entrance to the floor. The hospital defended the case and raised the defense of contributory negligence. The hospital also argued that the rug was appropriate for its location and was open and obvious. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the hospital.

Moments after Rushton Stakely lawyers won a defense verdict for a local hospital in an adjacent courtroom, a cardiology practice also represented by the firm won a defense verdict regarding claims that an alleged medication error caused a patient to suffer a stroke following an interventional procedure performed to re-open blocked coronary arteries. The patient claimed that a nursing miscalculation of an anti-platelet medication dosage caused blood clots to develop during a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to address multiple near-total blockages in the patient’s coronary arteries. The defense countered with evidence that the patient’s stroke was probably caused by the dislodgement of aortic plaque, a recognized risk and complication of the procedure at issue. A co-defendant hospital settled with the patient after the first day of trial. Two days later, following a brief deliberation, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the cardiology group, which was represented by Rushton Stakely lawyers Thomas H. Keene and Ben C. Wilson.
 

In its January 6, 2012 edition (Vol. 21, No. 1), the Alabama Law Weekly has recognized the case of Mandella v. Pennington, 73 So. 3d 1257 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011), as one of the 13 “most significant” Alabama Court of Civil Appeals decisions in 2011. Rushton Stakely shareholder Mac Freeman and associate Evans Bailey successfully argued in Mandella, at the trial court and appellate levels, that the plaintiff could not prevail on his wantonness claim under the Guest Passenger Statute in an automobile accident case. Mac and Evans’s client, the driver of the automobile, allegedly caused the accident when he drove across multiple lanes on Highway 84 in Dothan in an effort to beat oncoming traffic.

Rushton, Stakely, Johnston & Garrett, P.A. has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell®, Lexis Nexis® and Fortune Magazine as one of the “Top Ranked Law Firms” in the United States. Out of 254,000 law firms nationwide, fewer than 1,000 were selected for this honor. This list was featured in the Fortune Magazine December issue of the 2012 Investor’s Guide. In addition, the section will be featured online at Martindale.com, law.com, and CNNMoney.com. Inclusion on this list was limited to U.S. law firms of 21 or more attorneys in which at least one out of three of its lawyers achieved the AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating, which is the highest peer review rating available. This rating is reserved for lawyers who have been deemed by their peers to have demonstrated the highest level of ethical standards and legal ability.
Fortune Magazine is a global business magazine that is published biweekly with analyses of the entire field of business. It is particularly well-known for its exceptionally reliable annual rankings of companies, including “Fortune 500.” Fortune has been revered in its content and credibility since 1930.
For over a century Rushton Stakely has been a highly respected leader of the legal community in Alabama. Founded in 1890, today it is a firm composed of over 30 lawyers emphasizing many important areas of legal practice. Rushton Stakely has been recognized repeatedly for the outstanding achievements of our lawyers. Recently, our firm has been recognized by U. S. News and Best Lawyers as one of the “Best Law Firms;” listed as a “highly recommended” law firm in Benchmark Litigation; and included in Martindale Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Law Firms. A number of our lawyers have also been individually recognized in Benchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, and Super Lawyers (Alabama).
 

On November 10th, Rushton Stakely hosted an employment law seminar for business leaders and human resources professionals. During this meeting, seven Rushton Stakely lawyers presented information regarding current legal trends in the workplace. Speakers discussed a number of legal issues including discrimination, harassment, and effective policies and procedures. The lawyers who spoke at this conference include: J. Evans Bailey, Bethany L. Bolger, Alan T. Hargrove, Jr., R. Austin Huffaker, Jr., Paul M. James, Jr., Robert C. Ward, Jr., and Benjamin C. Wilson. In addition to hearing from this panel of Rushton Stakely lawyers, Debra Leo, the Alternative Dispute Resolution coordinator for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, provided the keynote presentation regarding the EEOC’s role in the legal process. The purpose of this seminar was to offer a networking opportunity for business leaders and to present practical advice for the effective management of human resources needs.

Rushton Stakely plans to offer this seminar on an annual basis. In addition, the firm partners with the Center for Business and Economic Development to host employment law luncheons on a quarterly basis. If you wish to speak to one of our attorneys regarding workplace challenges or you would like to attend future meetings, please contact Leslie McGlaun at lmcglaun@rushtonstakely.com.