30th Edition of Best Lawyers® Recognizes 67 Attorneys from Conner & Winters

08.18.2023

Tulsa, Okla. (August 18, 2023) - The latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America^® released on Thursday recognized 67 Conner & Winters attorneys in 55 practice areas and from all 6 office locations. In addition, 11 partners received top regional distinction as "Lawyer of the Year" in their respective practice areas and 10 attorneys were included on the 2024 list of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America.

Now in its 30th year, Best Lawyers^® is the oldest and most respected legal rankings company that uses a peer review process to recognize the top 5% of legal talent in a given region. The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America program follows a similar methodology, recognizing lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years. Over 13.7 million votes from qualified attorneys were analyzed to produce the 2024 edition.

Conner & Winters attorneys making their Best Lawyers^® debut in 2024 are Amber Prince, Mitch Blackburn, Daniel Gomez, Jed Isbell, Rob James, Kathryn Kindell, and David Randolph.

Other newcomers to recognition are Jorge Rodriguez, Ashley Selwyn, and McKayla Hendrix, who were recognized on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list for the first time in 2024. 

Three attorneys in particular earned the remarkable distinction of "Lawyer of the Year" in multiple categories: 

• Mark Berman - Tulsa Lawyer of the Year, for Mergers & Acquisitions Law and for Business Organizations
• Robert Melgaard - Tulsa Lawyer of the Year, for Securities Regulation and for Corporate Compliance Law
• Jim Smith - Fayetteville Lawyer of the Year, for Tax Law and for Corporate Law

Additionally of note, Brad Cunningham and Brad Grundy swept the Tulsa Family Law categories, receiving "Lawyer of the Year" recognition for Family Law and for Family Law Mediation, respectively. 

Congratulations to all attorneys who were honored on the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers^®. We're proud to be highly-regarded by our peers and we're committed to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism and client service.

2024 "Lawyer of the Year"

• Jim Smith - Fayetteville Tax Law
• Jim Smith - Fayetteville Corporate Law
• Kiran Phansalkar - OKC Land Use and Zoning Law
• Mark Berman - Tulsa Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Mark Berman - Tulsa Business Organizations
• Brad Cunningham - Tulsa Family Law
• Robert Curry - Tulsa Corporate Law
• Brad Grundy - Tulsa Family Law Mediation
• Scott Hathaway - Tulsa Construction Law
• Robert Melgaard - Tulsa Securities Regulation
• Robert Melgaard - Tulsa Corporate Compliance Law
• Stephen Ward - Tulsa Native American Law
• Martin Wing - Tulsa Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

2024 Best Lawyers^®

Dallas

• Kevin Good

Houston

• Doug Selwyn

Northwest Arkansas

• Vicki Bronson
• John Elrod
• Rebecca Hurst
• Robert Jones III
• Kerri Kobbeman
• Todd Lewis
• Amber Prince **
• Greg Scharlau
• John Scott
• James Smith

Oklahoma City

• Mitchell Blackburn **
• Dillon Curran
• John Funk
• Jared Giddens
• Curtis Long
• Kiran Phansalkar
• Justin Pybas
• Irwin Steinhorn
• Jeanette Timmons

Tulsa

• Bradley Bendure 
• Mark Berman
• Elise Dunitz Brennan 
• Teresa Meinders Burkett
• David Cordell
• Katherine Coyle
• Brad Cunningham 
• Robert Curry 
• Isaac Ellis
• Melodie Freeman-Burney
• Daniel Gomez ** 
• Bradley Grundy 
• Scott Hathaway
• John Ingraham
• Jed Isbell **
• Robert James **
• Kathryn Kindell **
• Richard Love III
• Robert Melgaard
• Steven McGrath 
• Lynnwood Moore
• David Randolph ** 
• Kevin Redwine 
• Ryan Sacra 
• Paige Shelton
• Beverly Smith
• Eric Smith
• Gentra Sorem
• Jason Taylor
• Timothy Trump
• Andrew Turner
• Nancy Vaughn 
• Stephen Ward 
• Chris Wilson
• Martin Wing

Washington, D.C.

• Daniel Miller

2024 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America

Northwest Arkansas

• Emily Mizell
• Jorge Rodriguez **

Houston

• Ashley Selwyn **

Tulsa

• Austin Birnie
• McKayla Hendrix **
• Dillon Langley
• Eric Sardella
• Ryan Scharnell
• Hayley Stephens

** denotes 2024 is the first year the lawyer has been recognized by Best Lawyers

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About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For 40 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers awards are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.

Lawyers who are nominated for consideration are voted on by currently recognized Best Lawyers working in the same practice area and located in the same geographic region. Our awards and recognitions are based purely on the feedback we receive from these top lawyers. Those who receive high peer reviews undergo a thorough verification process to make sure they are currently still in private practice. Only then can these top lawyers be recognized by Best Lawyers.

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