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Rushton Stakely is pleased to announce that shareholders, Dennis R. Bailey, Frank J. Stakely, Helen Crump Wells, and Benjamin C. Wilson have been selected as “Lawyers of the Year” in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a guide that is highly respected in the legal community. Lawyers are selected based on extensive reviews by their peers, and only one lawyer in a specific practice field and location is selected annually for this publication.

Mr. Bailey is being recognized as a Lawyer of the Year for the sixth time, with this years’ recognition honoring him for his work in Product Liability Litigation in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Bailey began practicing law with the firm in 1980 and has been a shareholder since 1983. Building upon a strong background of product liability and insurance defense, Mr. Bailey’s practice has evolved into handling a variety of complex litigation. He has managed and argued complex litigation for corporate manufacturing, insurance, and financial services clients as pro hac vice counsel in federal or state cases in Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and California. He has also represented clients in construction arbitration proceedings and has served as an arbitrator. Additionally, Mr. Bailey has extensive experience in media law, particularly in matters involving First Amendment rights and open government.

Mr. Stakely has been recognized repeatedly, with this year’s recognition marking his fifth year as a Lawyer of the Year. He is currently being honored for his work in Personal Injury Litigation– Defendants in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Stakely joined the firm in 1987 and attained shareholder status in 1991. He is a member of the litigation practice department, and he has over twenty years’ experience defending a broad range of civil cases, with emphasis on professional liability, healthcare, products liability, and insurance defense. He has extensive experience defending physicians, hospitals, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in medical malpractice cases throughout the state. He also handles other complex litigation involving personal injury and first-party bad faith claims.

Mrs. Wells is being recognized as a Lawyer of the Year for the fourth time, with this year’s recognition honoring her for her work in Trusts and Estates. Ms. Wells began practicing law with the firm in 1988 and has been a shareholder since 1992.   Mrs. Wells has a wide range of experience in corporate mergers and other transactions, securities issuance and disclosure, bank regulatory matters, corporate governance, and estate planning and trust and estate administration. Mrs. Wells’ practice includes corporate, partnership, and personal financing and real estate transactions, taxation, entity formations, corporate transactions including purchases, mergers and reorganizations, and corporate buy-sell agreements, and other business succession planning. Her probate and estate planning practice has included innovative tax and personal planning for complex estates involving closely held businesses, generation-skipping tax problems, minimization of estate and gift taxes by various techniques, securing IRS private letter rulings, and numerous other issues.

Mr. Wilson is being recognized as a Lawyer of the Year in Litigation and Health Care.  Mr. Wilson has been a shareholder since 2004.  He focuses his practice on civil litigation and trial work, with an emphasis on health care and professional liability defense, drug and medical device litigation, product liability, and employment law. Mr. Wilson has significant trial and appellate experience, having defended a variety of individuals and entities including hospitals, physicians, and dentists in jury trials throughout the state. Mr. Wilson has also been actively involved in the defense of medical devices and pharmaceutical products, both in local and nationwide (multi-district or consolidated) litigation. In addition, he regularly represents a variety of clients in various types of employment litigation including claims of discrimination based on race, gender, or age, retaliatory discharge, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family & Medical Leave Act, and wage and hour matters.

For over 130 years, Rushton Stakely has provided the highest levels of legal service throughout the United States. Founded in 1890, the firm is now composed of over thirty experienced lawyers practicing in a broad spectrum of legal fields. From the courtroom to the boardroom, our lawyers will advocate for you.

 

Rushton Stakely is pleased to announce that twenty-one of our attorneys were chosen for the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. For over fifteen years, more than half of the Rushton Stakely attorneys have been recognized in the annual publication, with at least one attorney being named Lawyer of the Year in his or her respective practice area(s) since 2011. This recognition spans across numerous practice areas, with our attorneys gaining recognition in eighteen areas of law in 2024. The selected lawyers include: Dennis R. Bailey, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Communications Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Litigation – Real Estate, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; J. Evans Bailey, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Jeffrey W. Blitz, Real Estate Law; L. Peyton Chapman III, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Stephen P. Dees, Healthcare Law and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; James R. Dickens, Jr., Real Estate Law; Royal C. Dumas, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; William I. Eskridge, Real Estate Law; R. Brett Garrett, Insurance Law and Litigation – Insurance; Alan T. Hargrove, Jr., Insurance Law, and Litigation – Insurance; William S. Haynes, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Amanda C. Hines, Insurance Law and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Paul M. James, Jr., Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants;  Thomas H. Keene, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Daniel L. Lindsey, Jr., Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates; T. Grant Sexton, Jr., Insurance Law, and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Patrick M. Shegon, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Christopher S. Simmons, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Public Finance Law, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates; Frank J. Stakely, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Helen Crump Wells, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates; Ben C. Wilson, Litigation – Health Care, Litigation – Labor and Employment, and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants.

 

The Northern District of Alabama recently ruled in favor of Dennis and Evans Bailey’s client when it dismissed a Lanham Act claim over a video posted to YouTube.  Judge Liles Burke of the Northern District of Alabama found that the content of the video, which discussed crawl space treatment products, was not commercial speech subject to the Lanham Act.  Judge Burke’s opinion and order can be found here: Watsonseal Mktg. LLC v. Crawlspace Ninja IP LLC, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43534, (N.D. Ala. 2023)

Rushton Stakely is pleased to announce that Chris Griffin has joined the firm as an associate. His practice is devoted to civil litigation with a primary focus on medical malpractice.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Griffin completed a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Terry F. Moorer at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton College in 2017. He received his Juris Doctorate and Masters of Law in Business Transactions from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2020. While in law school, Mr. Griffin served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Legal Profession Law Review and Student Attorney in the Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Clinic.

Rushton Stakely is pleased to serve as a sponsor of the upcoming Jere F. White, Jr. Trial Advocacy Institute.  This event is scheduled for Friday, November 4, 2022, at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Jere F. White, Jr. Trial Advocacy Institute is a one-day seminar that is presented by The Alabama Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Cumberland School of Law.  This year’s seminar will feature Senator Doug Jones as the keynote speaker and will focus on topics such as Voir Dire, Opening Statements, Direct Examination, and Cross Examination.  Also, drawings will be held for unique prizes, including a pair of tickets to the Iron Bowl and the SEC Championship, a gift certificate for Helen Restaurant, and a custom suit from Harrison Limited.

The event has been approved for six hours of CLE credit, including one hour of ethics, in Alabama and Mississippi. In Georgia, it has been approved for six hours, including one hour in ethics and four trial hours.  In Tennessee, it has been approved for six hours, including one dual hour.

To register for this event, or to obtain additional information, please click the following link: https://www.samford.edu/cumberlandlaw/events/continuing-education/Jere-F-White-Jr-Trial-Advocacy-Institute.

Please note that proceeds from this event will be used to fund the Jere F. White, Jr. Fellowship at Cumberland School of Law.

 

Rushton Stakely is proud to announce that Ginny Bradley has joined the firm as an Associate, with her practice focusing on civil litigation.

Ginny is originally from Jackson, Alabama. She received her Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, from Troy University in 2019. She received her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2022. While in law school, Ginny served on the editorial board of the Alabama Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Law Review, was a member of the Moot Court Board, competed on the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Team, and was selected to join the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society.

Rushton Stakely is proud to announce that Pat Shegon has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), recognized as the leading trial lawyers organization in North America.  Pat was inducted as a Fellow at the recent annual meeting of the ACTL which was held in Rome, Italy.

The American College of Trial Lawyers is composed of preeminent members of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship is extended only by invitation, after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Membership can never be more than 1% of the total lawyer population of any state or province. Qualified lawyers are called to Fellowship in the College from all branches of trial practice. They are selected from among advocates who represent plaintiffs or defendants in civil proceedings of all types, as well as prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the administration of justice.

Membership is limited to only those trial lawyers who are unquestionably and eminently qualified, in addition to being regarded as the best in their state/province. Qualifications must include high ethical and moral standards, as well as excellent character. Consideration for Fellowship also requires lawyers must be actively engaged in trial work as their principal activity for a minimum of 15 years. Geographic distribution is not a deciding factor in acceptance to the College: Fellows are not arbitrarily concentrated in metropolitan areas, distributed in rural areas, or denied to any area.  Additionally, no qualified person shall be excluded from consideration or denied Fellowship due to race, sex, religion, or national origin.

Pat Shegon is a shareholder in the firm of Rushton Stakely where he has practiced for 27 years. He serves as a member of the firm’s Board of Governors, and his practice is devoted to complex litigation with an emphasis on defending healthcare providers in medical malpractice lawsuits. He is an experienced lead lawyer in high stakes jury trials where he has represented corporate entities as well as individuals. His active trial and appellate practices involve cases throughout the State of Alabama, as well as in Tennessee, where he is also licensed.

Rushton Stakely is pleased to announce that shareholders, Dennis R. Bailey, Alan T. Hargrove, Jr., William S. Haynes, and Frank J. Stakely have been selected as “Lawyers of the Year” in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a guide that is highly respected in the legal community. Lawyers are selected based on extensive reviews by their peers, and only one lawyer in a specific practice field and location is selected annually for this publication.

Mr. Bailey is being recognized as a Lawyer of the Year for the fifth time, with this years’ recognition honoring him for his work in Bet-the-Company Litigation in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Bailey began practicing law with the firm in 1980 and has been a shareholder since 1983. Building upon a strong background of product liability and insurance defense, Mr. Bailey’s practice has evolved into handling a variety of complex litigation. He has managed and argued complex litigation for corporate manufacturing, insurance, and financial services clients as pro hac vice counsel in federal or state cases in Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and California. He has also represented clients in construction arbitration proceedings and has served as an arbitrator. Additionally, Mr. Bailey has extensive experience in media law, particularly in matters involving First Amendment rights and open government.

Mr. Hargrove is being honored for a second year in a row for his work in Insurance Law in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Hargrove joined the firm in 1999 and became a shareholder in 2005. He is a member of the litigation department, and he currently serves on the firm’s management committee. He has a broad civil defense practice that includes insurance defense, complex and commercial litigation, construction law, product liability, state and federal employment claims, and professional liability. Mr. Hargrove has extensive experience representing major pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. He has also defended employers in discrimination, retaliatory discharge, and whistleblower claims.

Mr. Haynes is being honored for a third time, with this years’ recognition honoring him for his work in Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Haynes joined the firm in 1987 and has over twenty-five years’ experience litigating a broad range of civil liability cases, with his primary focus on the defense of medical malpractice cases involving physicians, dentists, hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare professionals. He also has experience handling other complex litigation matters in the areas of professional liability, healthcare, and insurance defense.

Mr. Stakely has been recognized repeatedly, with this year’s recognition marking his fourth year as a Lawyer of the Year. He is currently being honored for his work in Medical Malpractice law – Defendants in Montgomery, Alabama. Mr. Stakely joined the firm in 1987 and attained shareholder status in 1991. He is a member of the litigation practice department, and he has over twenty years’ experience defending a broad range of civil cases, with emphasis on professional liability, healthcare, products liability, and insurance defense. He has extensive experience defending physicians, hospitals, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in medical malpractice cases throughout the state. He also handles other complex litigation involving personal injury and first-party bad faith claims.

For 130 years, Rushton Stakely has provided the highest levels of legal service throughout the United States. Founded in 1890, the firm is now composed of over thirty experienced lawyers practicing in a broad spectrum of legal fields. From the courtroom to the board room, our lawyers will advocate for you.

Rushton Stakely is pleased to announce that twenty of our attorneys were chosen for the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. For over fifteen years, more than half of the Rushton Stakely attorneys have been recognized in the annual publication, with at least one attorney being named Lawyer of the Year in his or her respective practice area(s) since 2011. This recognition spans across numerous practice areas, with our attorneys gaining recognition in eighteen areas of law in 2023. The selected lawyers include: Dennis R. Bailey, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Communications Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Litigation – Real Estate, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; J. Evans Bailey, Insurance Law and Product Liability – Defendants; Jeffrey W. Blitz, Real Estate Law; L. Peyton Chapman III, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Stephen P. Dees, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; James R. Dickens, Jr., Real Estate Law; Royal C. Dumas, Insurance Law and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; William I. Eskridge, Real Estate Law; R. Brett Garrett, Insurance Law; Alan T. Hargrove, Jr., Insurance Law, and Litigation – Insurance; William S. Haynes, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Amanda C. Hines, Insurance Law and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Thomas H. Keene, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Daniel L. Lindsey, Jr., Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates; T. Grant Sexton, Jr., Insurance Law, and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Patrick M. Shegon, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants; Christopher S. Simmons, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Public Finance Law, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates; Frank J. Stakely, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Helen Crump Wells, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates; Ben C. Wilson, Litigation – Health Care, Litigation – Labor and Employment, and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants.

For over 30 years, Best Lawyers® has been regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Inclusion in the Best Lawyers® list is based on a rigorous national survey of leading U. S. attorneys, and Corporate Counsel® magazine has called Best Lawyers® “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” We are proud that sixteen of our attorneys were recognized with this distinguished honor.

This month, Rushton Stakely partnered with the Montgomery Area Food Bank to help provide food to those in need. The mission of the food bank is to help combat hunger and food insecurity in thirty-five counties throughout Alabama by connecting people, food, and resources to satisfy emergent hunger needs. To assist in these efforts Rushton Stakely employees worked with other volunteers to sort and package food items to be distributed to individuals in the local community. Rushton Stakely regularly partners with community service organizations, and we were thrilled to collaborate with the Montgomery Area Food Bank to help them accomplish their critical mission of providing nutritional aid to families in need.