We are proud to announce that nine of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the Georgia Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars® lists for 2015.
Super Lawyers Honorees
• H. Michael Bagley, Workers’ Compensation. Mike Bagley has been practicing for more than 30 years in both First Party Insurance Matters and Workers’ Compensation defense. Mr. Bagley represents hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, government agencies, manufacturers, and insurance companies from across the country. Mr. Bagley has been listed as a Super Lawyer every year since the inception of the honor.
• Paul W. Burke, Insurance Coverage. Paul Burke has been practicing law for 30 years and has extensive experience in commercial litigation including insurance coverage and bad faith defense, inland marine/cargo litigation and creditor rights litigation. Mr. Burke represents clients throughout the United States.
• John A. Ferguson, Jr., Workers’ Compensation. John Ferguson has been practicing Workers’ Compensation law for more than 38 years. Mr. Ferguson represents corporations and insurance companies throughout Georgia.
• Julie Y. John, Workers’ Compensation. Julie John has been practicing law for 26 years and concentrates her efforts in the defense of Workers’ Compensation claims for employers, insurers, self-insurers, and self-insured funds throughout Georgia. She serves clients in many industries and has particular experience in city and county government, transportation and carriers, healthcare providers, manufacturing, small entrepreneurial organizations as well as charitable groups.
• Daniel C. Kniffen, Workers’ Compensation. Dan Kniffen has been practicing for 30 years focusing his practice on Workers’ Compensation and Employment Law. Because of his extensive experience in both Workers’ Compensation and Employment Law, he specializes in guiding clients through the often complex interactions between the two in both litigation and in risk management.
• Hall F. McKinley, III, Civil Litigation – Defense. Hall McKinley has been practicing for more than 33 years with a focus on trucking companies, the retail industry, general insurance litigation, and larger self-insured companies. He serves General Counsel, in-house Legal Departments, Claims Departments, and Risk Managers in litigating matters in state and federal courts.
Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are named by Super Lawyers. The selections for this esteemed list are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, which is a service of the Thomson Reuters, Legal division based in Eagan, MN. Each year, the research team at Super Lawyers undertakes a rigorous multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area, and a good-standing and disciplinary check.
Rising Stars Honorees
• Brian Thomas Moore, Construction Litigation. Brian Moore has extensive civil litigation and trial experience in state and federal courts including complex litigation. His practice focuses on construction litigation, the credit industry, and subrogation. Mr. Moore represents local, regional and national companies including construction firms, design-build firms, sub-contractors, banks and financial institutions, hedge funds and private equity firms, and insurers.
• Matthew Walker, Workers’ Compensation. Matt Walker practices Workers’ Compensation law and serves national and regional clients who have a Georgia presence. He has worked with clients in the automotive industry, health care, telecommunications, food & beverage, manufacturing, and trucking & transportation arenas.
• J. Benson Ward, Workers’ Compensation. Benson Ward practices insurance defense litigation, with a focus on workers’ compensation and major insurance matters including bad faith, insurance coverage, and arson & fraud investigations throughout the southeast. Mr. Ward represents insurers, third party administrators, self-insureds, and employers, and defends insurance companies.
Rising Stars is a listing of exceptional lawyers who are 40 years or under, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less and have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only 2.5 percent of the total lawyers in the state are honored on the Rising Stars list.