Litigation: General Commercial: West Virginia

THE FIRM Allen Guthrie & Thomas has great depth, the ability to price work competitively and a high level of trial experience, from the most senior lawyer to the most junior. The practice is broken down into the areas of mass tort, products liability, general commercial and mine safety disputes.

Sources Say: "Exceptional quality at a low cost."

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Thomas covers toxic tort, mass tort and products liability work. He is famed for his "great courtroom presence, remaining calm under fire and communicating magnificently." He is also "a great strategic planner of a case." He recently argued the appeal of a $380 million judgment in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia for DuPont. Bryant Spann works on extremely complex securities fraud and products liability litigation. Observers describe him as "even-tempered, always prepared, and nimble on his feet." Focusing on mass tort and some general commercial litigation, Rebecca Betts is "a confident litigator who knows her cases over, under, sideways and down." She recently acted for Actavis on a multidistrict pharmaceutical litigation pending in the Southern District Court of West Virginia. Philip Combs is "a real mover and shaker in the market, destined for the top." He does a great deal of products liability work for clients such as Harley Davidson. Stephanie Thacker is a younger trial lawyer who often works with David Thomas and has been impressing high-profile clients. She is praised for being "more effective than other lawyers her age: she can always identify the crux of a matter and the right argument to win the case."

THE FIRM Flaherty, Sensabaugh & Bonasso arguably has the foremost healthcare litigation practice in West Virginia, which it combines with terrific quality in general business, mass tort and products liability disputes. The firm has around 50 lawyers who focus exclusively on litigation.

Sources Say: "The lawyers appreciate the constraints within which corporations, and in-house counsel in particular, have to operate given the current economic environment, and adjust their services to achieve the desired results."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Thomas Flaherty defends almost any kind of litigation, including medical malpractice, professional liability, commercial, personal injury and products liability cases. He has recently been representing West Virginia University in the much-publicized dispute with Rich Rodriguez, the former head coach of the West Virginia University Mountaineers football team. Observers respect him as "impeccable on his feet and in cross-examination: he is someone who knows the system and can navigate a client's ship through dangerous shoals." "Outstanding business litigator" Jeffrey Wakefield worked alongside Flaherty on the Rodriguez case and is an experienced presence in the market. Michael Bonasso is "intellectually astute and an excellent examiner and cross-examiner who always makes good judgments on cases." He is the leading products liability defense lawyer at the firm, but has a diversified practice. His experience of the automotive industry sees him representing a huge number of leading clients in this area, such as Ford and Harley Davidson. The healthcare litigation side of the practice is led by Don Sensabaugh. He defends medical institutions and doctors in malpractice claims and is lauded as "not only the most knowledgeable lawyer in the state when it comes to medical literature, but also the most skillful at using this knowledge in defense and in cross-examination." Edward Martin defends insurers, hospitals and doctors, and is described as "brilliant at presenting a case: he is a detail-oriented, low-key and likable lawyer who is great before a jury." Richard Jones is "a superstar when it comes to CLIA and HCQIA-related disputes." Though predominately a healthcare litigator, Jones has also achieved success in products liability defense, complex and mass tort disputes, and commercial litigation.

THE FIRM Jackson Kelly has one of the most illustrious histories in the West Virginia litigation market and continues to act on some of the biggest cases around. In recent times, natural resources and construction have been the industries in which the firm has been most active, defending clients in cases related to insurance contracts, royalties, contractors' disputes and guarantees. Jackson Kelly also frequently defends securities companies, brokers, realtors and bankers.

KEY INDIVIDUALS A L Emch has achieved enormous success as both a trial and an appellate lawyer. Observers describe him as "a litigator who brilliantly combines great tenacity with a sense of humor, which gets everyone on his side." Stephen LaCagnin has established a reputation as the lawyer to turn to with a complex case that requires strong guidance. Daniel Stickler is regarded as the premier litigator for the defense of coal-mining companies in the state. He is described as "bright, articulate, well prepared and very able to present difficult cases." Thomas Hurney is "a simply phenomenal healthcare litigator who will try the most complex case instills complete confidence." He works on credentialing and privileging litigation, medical malpractice claims, antitrust and business disputes for hospitals; he also does some regulatory and policy work.

THE FIRM Steptoe & Johnson's thriving litigation practice keeps the firm at the forefront of the market. It regularly handles contract or lease class actions, mass tort cases, disputes arising from accidents such as pipeline spills, breach of contract, products liability and permitting issues.

Sources Say: "Brilliant strategists who operate in a way that keeps even the most anxious risk manager happy."

KEY INDIVIDUALS William Galeota is one of the state's foremost litigators, having evolved his practice from medical malpractice work to a focus on commercial disputes. One of his great talents is "being able to relate to all parties in a courtroom." He has recently been representing a limited liability company and its managing member in an insurance-related dispute. Jeffrey Phillips works on the defense of state police, mine safety, mine accident and property damage cases. Impressed observers praise his "forthright manner in the courtroom." Joanna Tabit has caught the attention of the market thanks to her "calm air and ability to know just when to apply to apply the breaks and when to ease the pressure." She recently secured a voluntary dismissal for a regional utility company client in a workplace safety case alleging wrongful death. Susan Slenker Brewer is a healthcare litigator of superb caliber. "She is simply outstanding in a trial scenario." 

THE FIRM A litigation boutique formed around two outstanding lawyers, Bailey & Glasser handles high-profile disputes, both criminal and commercial, with great success. The firm primarily takes on cases from the natural resources sector, with coal and oil and gas supply and employment contract disputes featuring strongly.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Benjamin Bailey is described as "a rock star of a lawyer: he has incredible courtroom presence, a skillful turn of phrase and the ability to cut through things to get to the heart of the matter." He focuses primarily on commercial defense work, with criminal cases taking up a smaller proportion of his time. Brian Glasser takes on both defense and plaintiff work. One observer describes him as "simply the best commercial plaintiff lawyer - an excellent strategist and tenacious in the courtroom."

THE FIRM One of the largest firms in the state, Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love is a full-service firm with prowess in general business, insurance, real estate and energy contract, mass and toxic tort, and employer's liability and workplace safety disputes. A recent highlight has been the defense of a newspaper publisher in a defamation case, and the defense of a publicly traded independent driller of gas wells in a deliberate intent fatality case.

THE LAWYERS Charles Love is "a low-key, exceptionally smooth lawyer - the kind of trial lawyer who can make a potential horror story into a fairytale." His practice focuses predominately on mass and toxic tort work. Gerard Stowers spends his time working on insurance coverage and omissions claims, energy royalty disputes and legal malpractice cases. He is "incredibly bright and one of the most creative attorneys around: he can find the right answer to any problem."

THE FIRM Dinsmore & Shohl's strong reputation in the litigation arena is mostly due to its extensive energy disputes practice. However, the firm also represents a broad array of businesses in commercial and personal injury disputes, administrative regulatory proceedings, arbitration and medical malpractice claims.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Henry Jernigan is a well-respected trial lawyer famed for his meticulous preparation in trials. He is currently representing a number of companies that purchase or supply coal in disputes arising under coal supply agreements. Jill Bentz has a focus on the health sector. Her work spans medical insurance defense litigation, certificate of need and policy work. 

THE FIRM Spilman Thomas & Battle provides the full range of litigation services to a clientele that includes coal producers, chemicals companies and insurers.

Sources Say: "A high-quality and cost-effective firm. They bring to the table extensive trial experience, responsiveness and respect, as well as a pleasant and positive attitude."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Niall Paul is a commercial defense litigator who impresses clients thanks to his "analytical and creative approach when coming up with solutions to complex business problems." He recently defended DuPont in a class action related to water pollution allegations. Neva Lusk is praised for "encyclopedic knowledge." She has represented EBI in a high-profile products liability claim. Bruce Jacobs heads the consumer finance practice group and represents high-profile clients such as Capital One and Wells Fargo in related litigation. James Walls is known for his strength in depositions and cross-examination. He primarily handles the defense of natural resources companies. 

THE FIRM This Pittsburgh firm now possesses one of the premier mass and toxic tort litigation practices in West Virginia thanks to its acquisition of the former Hendrickson & Long firm.

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Hendrickson and Scott Long have both been involved in mass tort work for several decades. They have honed their skills in major asbestos-related litigation.

THE FIRM This litigation boutique really punches above its weight, doing exceptional work in products liability, tort, commercial and healthcare-related litigation. Heavyweight clients in the mining and chemicals industries turn to the firm, and healthcare providers are attracted by its depth of industry experience.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Michael Farrell is regarded as one of the top litigators in Huntingdon thanks to his "exhaustive preparation and excellent courtroom abilities." He does products liability, commercial and tort litigation work for major companies including a large number of leading pharmaceuticals. Tammy White is well regarded for her work in the medical malpractice arena. Clients praise her "fearlessness in trial and strong tactical awareness."

THE FIRM This firm, the largest in Huntingdon, has a thriving contentious practice which deals with disputes involving its strong client base of railroads and energy companies, as well as a range of other major entities. Huddleston Bolen has recently acted on mass tort litigation and commercial class actions, trade secret disputes, real estate-related cases, fraud, mineral royalty issues and environmental litigation. The firm is representing a large regional natural gas exploration company in a class action lawsuit alleging that the defendant improperly calculated royalties due.

KEY INDIVIDUALS John Mahaney"has a very strong courtroom presence, great intellectual power and the important ability to be tough with his own client when necessary." Angela Konrad is "a confident litigator who stands her ground but is always reasonable."

THE FIRM This Huntingdon firm deals with a large number of property, construction, securities and general contractual disputes.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Thomas Scarr spends his time on commercial and contractual, construction, personal injury and toxic tort litigation. He is one of the most respected attorneys in the region. Lee Murray Hall is an expert in insurance coverage disputes, with clients describing her as "exceptionally bright, tenacious and objective."