Poyner Spruill LLP is pleased to announce 74 firm attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers® in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in nearly 50 practice areas.
Chalk Broughton, Dan Cahill, Nick Ellis, and Robert Meyer earned “Lawyer of the Year” distinctions. Broughton was recognized for his work in Trusts and Estates, Cahill for Litigation – Banking and Finance, Ellis for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, and Meyer for Labor Law – Management.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers® recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review® evaluation. This year, The Best Lawyers® in America recognized 47 Poyner Spruill attorneys.
In addition, 27 firm attorneys were named by their peers to the 2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America list, which recognizes extraordinary lawyers who have been practicing for fewer than 10 years.
The 74 attorneys named to the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers® in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America and their respective ranked practice areas are:
*Denotes a first-time ranking in 2026
Lawyer of the Year
- Trusts and Estates
- Litigation – Banking and Finance
- Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants
- Labor Law – Management
The Best Lawyers® in America
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Insurance Law
- Litigation – Construction
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Litigation – Construction
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Tax Law
- Trusts and Estates
- Construction Law
- Litigation – Construction
- Banking and Finance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Litigation – Banking and Finance
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Banking and Finance Law
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Commercial Finance Law
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Real Estate Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Corporate Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Real Estate Law
- Corporate Law
- Tax Law
- Trusts and Estates
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Banking and Finance Law
- Corporate Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Project Finance Law
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Environmental Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Employment Law – Management
- Government Relations Practice
- Litigation – Municipal
- Litigation – Real Estate
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
- Commercial Litigation
- Administrative/Regulatory Law
- Appellate Practice
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Government Relations Practice
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Real Estate Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Corporate Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Tax Law
- Corporate Law
- Employment Law – Management
- Labor Law – Management
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Banking and Finance Law
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Environmental Law
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Litigation – Environmental
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
- Corporate Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Criminal Defense: General Practice
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Health Care Law
- Litigation – Antitrust
- Litigation – Health Care
- Litigation – Securities
- Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Appellate Practice
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation – Real Estate
- Employment Law – Management
- Labor Law – Management
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Tax Law
- Employment Law – Management
- Real Estate Law
- Administrative / Regulatory Law
- Corporate Law
- Government Relations Practice
- Health Care Law
- Litigation – Health Care
- Administrative / Regulatory Law
- Corporate Law
- Health Care Law
- Litigation – Health Care
- Real Estate Law
- Banking and Finance Law
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- FinTech Practice
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Government Relations Practice
- Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Advertising Law
- Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Litigation – Patent
- Patent Law
- Trademark Law
- Employment Law – Management
- Labor Law – Management
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Banking and Finance Law
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Employment Law – Management
- Labor Law – Management
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Health Care Law
- Education Law
- Trusts and Estates
- Banking and Finance Law
- Education Law
- Labor and Employment Law – Management
- Commercial Litigation
- Insurance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Education Law
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Labor and Employment Law – Management
- Workers’ Compensations Law – Employers
- Banking and Finance Law
Evan Lee *
- Government Relations Practice
- Commercial Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Labor and Employment Law – Management
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Education Law
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Government Relations Practice
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Real Estate Law
- Education Law
- Education Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Appellate Practice
- Commercial Litigation
- Government Relations Practice
