Member News

Additional recognitions include “Lawyer of the Year” and “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America”

Buffalo, N.Y. - Phillips Lytle LLP is pleased to announce 54 of the firm’s attorneys have been ranked in The Best Lawyers in America 2024, four of whom have earned “Lawyer of the Year” recognition. Additionally, 21 attorneys have been named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America list.

The following Phillips Lytle attorneys are cited as 2024 “Lawyer of the Year”:

• Adam S. Walters, Buffalo, NY (Environmental Law)
• Deborah A. Doxey, Buffalo, NY  (Banking and Finance Law)
• William D. Christ, Buffalo, NY (Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants)
• Linda T. Prestegaard, Rochester, NY (Employment Law - Individuals)

Attorneys ranked as The Best Lawyers in America for 2024 include:

Buffalo

• Holly A. Beecher (Trusts and Estates)
• Lucy Berkman (Litigation - Trusts and Estates; Trusts and Estates)
• Kristen M. Birmingham (Corporate Law)*
• Joel A. Blanchet (Product Liability Litigation - Defendants)*
• Edward S. Bloomberg (Commercial Litigation)
• Glenn J. Bobeck (Corporate Law)
• Alan J. Bozer (Appellate Practice; Criminal Defense: White Collar)
• William J. Brown (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
• Craig R. Bucki (Litigation – Municipal)
• William D. Christ (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
• James J. Contino (Real Estate Law)
• Douglas W. Dimitroff (Real Estate Law)
• James D. Donathen (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment)
• Deborah A. Doxey (Banking and Finance Law)
• Kevin J. English (Commercial Litigation)
• Patrick T. Fitzgerald (Real Estate Law)*
• David P. Flynn (Environmental Law)
• James R. Grasso (Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management)
• Tamar P. Halpern (Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
• Mary Jo Herrscher (Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants)
• Kevin M. Hogan (Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental)
• William P. Keefer (Health Care Law)
• David H. Kernan (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
• Gary F. Kotaska (Corporate Law; Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
• Ryan A. Lema (Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants)
• Amanda L. Lowe (Commercial Litigation; Litigation - Labor and Employment; Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants)*
• Kenneth A. Manning (Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Labor and Employment; Litigation – Municipal; Litigation and Controversy – Tax; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants)
• Lisa McDougall (Health Care Law)
• David J. McNamara (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking and Finance)
• Sean C. McPhee (Commercial Litigation)
• Angela Zwirecki Miller (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
• David J. Murray (Corporate Law; Health Care Law)
• John A. Pappano (Real Estate Law)
• Michael B. Powers (Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants)
• John G. Schmidt Jr. (Commercial Litigation)
• Ronald S. Shubert (Litigation – Real Estate; Real Estate Law)
• Lisa L. Smith (Mass Tort Litigation /Class Actions - Defendants; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
• James W. Smyton (Corporate Law)
• Adam S. Walters (Environmental Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law)
• James W. Whitcomb (Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants)
• Sharon L. Wick (Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Trusts and Estates)
• Preston L. Zarlock (Commercial Litigation)

Rochester

• Richard M. Beers, Jr. (Banking and Finance Law; Real Estate Law)
• David L. Cook (Commercial Litigation; Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Litigation – Real Estate)
• Victoria L. Grady (Banking and Finance Law)
• Ryan A. Lown (Real Estate Law)
• Linda T. Prestegaard (Employment Law – Individuals; Employment Law – Management)
• Nicholas C. Roberts (Commercial Litigation)*
• Raymond L. Ruff (Banking and Finance Law)
• Robert F. Zogas (Banking and Finance Law; Corporate Law)

New York City

• Kenneth R. Crystal (Real Estate Law)
• Eric M. Kraus (Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants)

Jamestown

• Gregory L. Peterson (Real Estate Law)

Albany

• Marc H. Goldberg (Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants)*
• Richard E. Honen (Commercial Litigation; Corporate Law; Venture Capital Law)

The following attorneys were named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America list:

• Jeremy M. Amar-Dolan, Buffalo, NY (Commercial Litigation)*
• Samuel Borbor-Sawyer, Buffalo, NY (Commercial Litigation)*
• Anthony M. Carello, Rochester, NY (Real Estate Law)
• Catherine N. (Eisenhut) Cervone, Buffalo, NY (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law)
• Rosario Chetta, Buffalo, NY (Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants)*
• Erin E. Connare, Buffalo, NY (Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
• Jeffrey D. Coren, Buffalo, NY (Commercial Litigation)
• Benjamin Cranston, Buffalo, NY (Trusts and Estates)*
• Andrew P. Devine, Buffalo, NY (Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Banking and Finance; Litigation – Real Estate)
• Jillian M. Dunbar, Rochester, NY (Banking and Finance Law)
• Matthew J. Fitzgerald, Buffalo, NY (Environmental Law; Land Use and Zoning Law)*
• Joshua Glasgow, Buffalo, NY (Commercial Litigation)*
• Lindsey E. Haubenreich, Buffalo, NY (Environmental Law)*
• Timothy P. Kucinski, Buffalo, NY (Corporate Law)*
• Robert J. MacClaren, Rochester, NY (Banking and Finance Law)*
• Alson James McKenna, Rochester, NY (Banking and Finance Law)
• Timothy P. Moriarty, Buffalo, NY (Real Estate Law)*
• David L. Principe, Buffalo, NY (Patent Law)*
• Zabrina V. Reich, Buffalo, NY (Immigration Law)
• Jacob S. Sonner, Buffalo, NY (Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
• Tara Ward, Rochester, NY (Commercial Litigation)

Recognition by Best Lawyers^® is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by their peers. For more than four decades, the publications have earned the respect of the profession, media and public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere. These lists of outstanding lawyers are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. In 2024, Best Lawyers analyzed over 13 million evaluations, resulting in over 143,000 recognized lawyers in 150 practice areas. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

*Denotes newly-listed attorneys for 2024.

Phillips Lytle LLP is a premier regional law firm that is recognized nationally for its legal excellence. With offices across New York State and in Chicago, IL; Washington, D.C.; and Canada, our attorneys serve a multinational client base, including Fortune 1000 companies, global and regional financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations, middle-market companies, startups, entrepreneurs and individuals on important matters affecting their businesses and personal wealth. For more information, visit www.phillipslytle.com.