We are proud to announce that 10 of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the Georgia Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars® lists for 2022.
Super Lawyer Honorees
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.
H. Michael Bagley, Workers’ Compensation. Mike Bagley has been practicing for more than 40 years in both First Party Insurance Matters and Workers’ Compensation defense. He has extensive experience in insurance coverage and in representing the health care industry, governmental agencies, and manufacturers. He has tried hundreds of cases around the Southeast and in virtually every county in Georgia, and he has taken and defended thousands of depositions including expert witness statements. Mike has been listed as a Super Lawyer every year since the inception of the honor.
Daniel C. Kniffen, Workers’ Compensation. Dan Kniffen has been representing employers for 37 years in the defense of Workers’ Compensation and Employment Law cases. Because of his unique experience in these overlapping areas, he specializes in guiding clients through the often-complex interactions of these laws in both Litigation and Risk Management. Dan has been listed as a Super Lawyer every year since the inception of the honor.
Hall F. McKinley, III, Civil Litigation: Defense. Hall McKinley has been practicing for more than 40 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. Hall and his team handle and try cases statewide. Hall has been listed as a Super Lawyer every year since 2012.
James V. Painter, Civil Litigation. Jim practices in the area of general civil litigation, with an emphasis on medical malpractice defense. As a partner in of our Augusta office, Jim’s practice focuses on representing hospitals, physicians, nursing homes and other health care providers throughout Georgia and South Carolina. From pre-suit investigation through final judgment, Jim has obtained numerous medical malpractice defense verdicts in State and Federal Courts. He also handles comprehensive general insurance defense, including suits involving allegations of premises liability, product liability, defamation, breach of contract, worker’s compensation, and automobile and trucking liability.
David L. Rusnak, Business Litigation. David L. Rusnak focuses his practice on state and federal litigation, risk management, and alternative dispute resolution (mediation and arbitration). Since 1984, David has represented local, regional and national clients in commercial, financial, real estate and construction matters, guiding and representing developers, building owners, lenders, landlords and tenants, contractors, engineers and vendors, as well as other commercial concerns and interests, through all phases of complex and common state and federal litigation, appeals and alternative dispute resolution procedures, as well as pre-litigation dispute resolution, work outs, claims avoidance, and contract negotiation (of construction-related agreements).
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. Benson represents insurers, third party administrators, self-insureds, and employers, and defends insurance companies.
Rising Star Honorees
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.
Anelise R. Codrington, General Liability. Anelise Codrington is an experienced civil litigator, known for being a formidable and dynamic client advocate. Anelise began her career as a judicial law clerk in Clayton County State Court for the Honorable Shalonda Jones-Parker, where she discovered her passion for civil litigation. When her clerkship ended, Anelise joined a midtown Atlanta firm practicing insurance defense. At Drew Eckl & Farnham, Anelise practices general liability, focusing her litigation practice in the areas of ride-share liability, automobile liability, trucking liability, wrongful death, negligent security, and premises liability in State and Federal courts. Anelise also serves on the Summer Associate Committee.
Elissa Haynes, Appellate Law. Elissa Haynes is an experienced litigator with a appellate practice focused primarily on defending claims involving general liability, negligent security, premises liability, personal/catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and religious institution liability. Elissa is involved in all aspects of the litigation process and has served as lead counsel in trial and on appeal. Elissa routinely consults on appellate matters and often begins her involvement at the trial court level to perfect the record and maximize chances of an advantageous result in any subsequent appeal. Her background as a former plaintiff’s personal injury attorney provides her with a unique perspective and leverage to successfully resolve even the most complex cases.
Myles Levelle, Banking. Myles Levelle has significant experience in the credit industry, representing local, regional and international banks and financial institutions, hedge funds and private equity firms. This work includes programs designed to maximize recovery initiatives and provide secure compliance with regulatory agencies and risk management standards. In addition, Myles has a solid background in construction litigation with mid to large size contracting firms building hotels, condominiums and apartments across the southeast. Myles has been listed as a Rising Star every year since 2018.
Eric R. Mull, Professional Liability: Defense. Eric Mull has been practicing for 14 years in insurance defense litigation, with a focus in the areas of construction defect, professional malpractice, and first party property insurance matters. Eric represents his clients in their investigation and adjustment of large-scale property claims and in defending his clients in coverage, bad faith litigation and arson, fraud, and property damage cases in State and Federal Courts in Georgia and the Southeastern United States. His clients include insurers, third-party administrators, and self-insureds. Eric has been listed as a Rising Star since 2016.