Hirschler Earns Best Lawyers In America® Recognitions For 52 Attorneys, Including 80% Of Partners And Of Counsel, Along With 17 Ones To Watch®

08.20.2026

Hirschler is pleased to announce that 52 of its attorneys have been included among The Best Lawyers in America® for 2027, which represents 80% of the firm’s partners and of counsel. Additionally, 17 attorneys were named Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^®.

As one of the oldest and most distinguished legal directories, Best Lawyers conducts peer-review surveys to compile its annual list of top attorneys across various practice areas. 

“We are always honored to see so many of our attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers because it reflects the respect of peers in the legal profession,” said Courtney Paulk, president of Hirschler. “Having such a significant number of our attorneys recognized speaks to the depth of talent across our firm and the exceptional counsel they provide to our clients. And, as we celebrate our 80th anniversary this year, the Ones to Watch recognition of so many attorneys highlights the next generation of talent at Hirschler and the bright future of our firm.”

Hirschler attorneys recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®:

Fredericksburg, Va.

• John F. McManus for Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, and Real Estate Law
• Charles W. Payne, Jr. for Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law

Richmond, Va.

• R. Robert Benaicha for Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law
• Kelly J. Bundy for Construction Law

• Andrew K. Clark for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Construction, and Litigation – Trusts & Estates
• Zachary D. Cohen for Litigation – Labor & Employment
• Franklin R. Cragle III for Commercial Litigation
• Brian J. Daly for Corporate Law, and Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Paul H. Davenport for Real Estate Law
• Thomas J. Dillon III for Commercial Litigation
• J. Benjamin English for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Venture Capital Law
• Brittany B. Falabella for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Laura Lee Garrett for Real Estate Law
• Jeffrey P. Geiger for Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law
• Barry A. Hackney for Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction
• Lisa J. Hedrick for Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Robert P. Henley for Copyright Law, and Litigation – Intellectual Property
• John C. Ivins, Jr. for Litigation – Real Estate
• Lisa Spickler Ivins for Environmental Law
• Brian K. Jackson for Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law
• Joshua D. Kelly for Trust and Estates
• David S. Lionberger for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, and Tax Law
• Andrew M. Lohmann for Corporate Law
• J. Kevin Muldowney for Corporate Law, and Tax Law
• Courtney Moates Paulk for Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction
• Janie Rhoads for Community Association Law.
• Matthew Roberts for Land Use and Zoning Law
• N. Pendleton (Penn) Rogers for Litigation and Controversy – Tax, and Tax Law
• Charles H. Rothenberg for Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law
• Robert N. Saffelle for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Emily M. Scott for Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Health Care
• Andrew P. Sherrod for Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Roderick W. Simmons for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• John W. (Jay) Steele for Real Estate Law
• Brandt H. Stitzer for Real Estate Law
• Nathaniel L. Story for Construction Law
• Michael H. Terry for Real Estate Law
• James W. Theobald for Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law
• John R. Walk for Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Litigation – Real Estate, and Litigation – Trusts and Estates
• James L. Weinberg for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities / Capital Markets Law
• Jaime B. Wisegarver for Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Construction, and Litigation – Real Estate
• Charles F. Witthoefft for Arbitration, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Mediation

Tysons, Va.

• Kristen E. Burgers for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Mihir V. Elchuri for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate
• David C. Hannah for Commercial Finance Law, and Real Estate Law
• Stacey Rose Harris for Commercial Litigation, and Criminal Defense: White Collar
• Lawrence A. Katz for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Litigation - Bankruptcy
• Stephen E. Leach for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, and Litigation – Bankruptcy
• Wayne G. Travell for Commercial Litigation
• Robert R. Vieth for Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Real Estate
• William L. Walsh, Jr. for Corporate Governance Law, and Government Contracts
• M. Jay Yurow for Real Estate Law

The Ones to Watch recognitions are awarded to individual attorneys who display outstanding professional excellence in the first ten years of private practice. Included among the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America are: In Fredericksburg, Va., Logan Brunette and Kristin Shields are both recognized for Real Estate Law. In Richmond, Kollin Bender is recognized for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Connor Bleakley for Commercial Litigation; Kimberly Castleman for Commercial Litigation; Caroline Jaques for Corporate Law; Erin Deal Johnson for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Andrea M. Marafatsos for Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Scott Miller, Jr. for Land Use and Zoning Law; Caroline M. Poma for Real Estate Law; Matthew Sarfan for Labor and Employment Law – Management; Jackson Smith for Corporate Law; Eliza Unrein for Commercial Litigation; Marieke Van Rijn for Corporate Law; and Ryan Witt for Real Estate Law. In Tysons, Allison P. Klena for Litigation – Bankruptcy; and Ekitoviya Nabugero for Corporate Law.

Also in the 2027 edition, 2 Richmond-based partners were named “Lawyer of the Year”: David S. Lionberger for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; and, James L. Weinberg for Securities/Capital Markets Law.

About The Best Lawyers in America^® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America

First published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Globally, almost 32,000 industry leading lawyers are eligible to vote and nearly 3.8 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world were received. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

About Hirschler

Hirschler is a national-caliber law firm based in Virginia. Invested in our clients and their success, our attorneys deliver smart solutions to important and often-complex legal issues. We are distinct in our deliberate service focus, partner involvement in client matters, and ability to deliver legal excellence and business efficiency. For more information, please visit the firm’s website at www.hirschlerlaw.com.