Christian & Small’s appellate practice spans a wide variety of substantive legal issues, ranging from questions of constitutional law to complex corporate matters and personal injury cases. In addition to assisting with strategy and briefing in the trial court and advising clients and other lawyers on preserving error for appeal, our appellate attorneys handle interlocutory appeals, petitions for writs of mandamus, post-verdict motions, and appeals – in cases within the firm, in cases in which lawyers from outside the firm are lead trial counsel, and in cases in which nonparties wish to submit amicus curiae briefs.
Our appellate team has successfully briefed and argued appeals before the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal, the Alabama Supreme Court and intermediate courts of appeal, as well as appellate courts in various other jurisdictions.
The appellate team is led by Managing Partner Deborah Alley Smith, a nationally recognized leader in the practice of appellate law. Debbie is ranked by Chambers USA in band one, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2010-2020 in the fields of Appellate, Insurance, and Commercial Litigation practices, is a Fellow of The American Bar Foundation, has been selected for inclusion in Benchmark Appellate as an Eleventh Circuit Local Litigation Star, and is a member of the Council of Appellate Lawyers.