Eight Partners Recognized in 2021 Benchmark Litigation
October 1, 2020
Christian & Small is pleased to announce that eight partners are recognized in the 2021 edition of Benchmark Litigation. Recognized as a 2021 Litigation Star are: John Johnson, LaBella S. McCallum, Deborah Alley Smith, Richard E. Smith, Daniel D. Sparks, Sharon D. Stuart, and Michael A. Vercher. Recognized as a 2021 Litigation Future Star is Christina May Bolin.
Christina May Bolin leads the Christian & Small Mobile/Baldwin County office. She focuses her practice on defending individuals, businesses, and insurers against lawsuits and liability claims. Christina is an appointed member of the Alabama State Bar Covid-19 Bench & Bar Task Force, is an Alabama State Representative for the Defense Research Institute and is the Immediate Past President of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association.
John W Johnson II represents clients in contract and tort litigation, defending them against claims of bad faith, breach of contract, fraud, and extra-contractual damages. He is the author of Allen’s Alabama Liability Insurance Handbook and is frequently consulted by clients and other lawyers to help navigate complex coverage issues. John is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers, and has an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
LaBella S. McCallum has more than 30 years of experience as a trial attorney. She routinely handles matters of medical malpractice defense, products liability, professional liability, liquor liability and coverage cases, transportation, and employment liability claims. LaBella is consistently ranked in industry and peer-related listings and was named a 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants.
Deborah Alley Smith serves as Managing Partner and focuses her practice on post-judgment and appellate litigation. She is consistently recognized by Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America®, and Benchmark Litigation, and was selected for inclusion in the 2017 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. She is a Fellow of The American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and The American Bar Foundation.
Richard E. Smith is an integral part of the Christian & Small litigation team. His extensive litigation experience includes having tried more than 175 jury trials to verdict in over 30 Alabama counties and all three Alabama federal district courts. Richard is recognized by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers®, and has an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Daniel D. Sparks leads Christian & Small’s Bankruptcy and Creditor & Lender Rights Practice Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of bankruptcy and business litigation involving creditors’ rights, consumer finance, lender liability, commercial contracts, and injunctive relief. Dan is recognized in Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers®, and has an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Sharon D. Stuart focuses her practice on complex commercial and insurance litigation and routinely handles pharmaceutical and medical device products liability litigation. She has defended dozens of class-action lawsuits in areas as diverse as product liability/toxic tort, financial products, insurance, and employment law. Sharon is recognized by Chambers USA for General Commercial Litigation, The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers®, and has an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Michael A. Vercher has defended insurance companies and their insureds in litigation for more than 20 years. He represents businesses and individuals in complex mass tort, workplace exposure, construction, transportation, product liability, premises liability, breach of contract, and fraud litigation. Mike is a leader in the American Bar Association and currently chairs the ABA Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section’s (“TIPS”) Litigation and Trial Practice Committee.
Benchmark Litigation research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During interviews, Benchmark examines recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice areas.
About Christian & Small
Christian & Small LLP represents a diverse clientele throughout Alabama, the Southeast, and the nation with clients ranging from individuals and closely-held businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. By matching highly experienced lawyers with specific client needs, Christian & Small develops innovative, effective, and efficient solutions for clients. With offices in Birmingham, metro-Jackson, Mississippi, and the Alabama Gulf Coast, Christian & Small focuses on the areas of litigation and business, is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, and is the only Alabama-based member firm in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Our corporate social responsibility program is focused on education, and diversity is one of Christian & Small’s core values.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers