34 Attorneys Named to 2026 Best Lawyers in America, 3 Earn “Lawyer of the Year” Honors

BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 34 of our lawyers have been included in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America and three BrownWinick attorneys have been named lawyer of the year in their practice areas.  

BrownWinick would like to congratulate the following attorneys named to the 2026 The Best Lawyers in America list:    

THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA LIST:    

• David M. Breiner – Patent Law   
• Paul E. Carey – Tax Law; Trusts and Estates    
• Michael A. Dee – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation - Patent    
• Douglas E. Gross – Administrative/Regulatory Law; Gaming Law; Government Contracts; Government Relations Practice    
• Kelly D. Hamborg – Health Care Law; Real Estate Law    
• Robert D. Hodges – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates    
• Alex M. Johnson – Banking and Finance Law; Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law    
• Thomas D. Johnson – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities/Capital Markets Law    
• Brant D. Kahler – Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Construction; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Litigation – Real Estate    
• Karen L. Karr – Real Estate Law    
• Cynthia Boyle Lande – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Tax Law    
• Drew D. Larson – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law    
• Joe Leo – Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Securities/Capital Markets Law; Securities Regulation 
• Jennifer Lindberg – Commercial Litigation  
• Allison M. Lindner – Banking and Finance Law; Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) 
• Christine Long – Trusts and Estates 
• Matthew H. McKinney – Government Relations Practice  
• Ben R. Merrill – Commercial Litigation; Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers    
• Sean P. Moore – Litigation - Environmental    
• Christopher L. Nuss – Tax Law    
• James L. Pray – Energy Law; Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Privacy and Data Security Law   
• Christopher Proskey – Copyright Law  
• Christopher R. Sackett – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities/Capital Markets Law; Venture Capital Law   
• Danielle D. Smid – Litigation – Labor and Employment   
• Ann C. Spellman – Workers' Compensation Law - Employers   
• Adam C. Van Dike – Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law; Real Estate Law    
• Haley R. Van Loon – Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) 

ONES TO WATCH LIST:    

Using the same peer review methodology that Best Lawyers® has utilized for almost 40 years, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognized associates who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States.    

• Ellen Hames – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Environmental Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law   
• Kirsten E. Johanson – Trusts and Estates   
• Matt Mauntel-Medici – Labor and Employment Law-Employee  
• Jordan E. Meggison-Decker – Intellectual Property Law; Patent Law    
• Kelli J. Orton – Real Estate Law; Trusts and Estates   
• Zachary Parle – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions 
• Maggie Simonson Schild – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Labor and Employment Law – Employee; Litigation and Controversy – Tax; Tax Law; Trusts and Estates  

Lawyer of the Year:  

In addition to individual Best Lawyers’ recognitions, Best Lawyers® also awards a "Lawyer of the Year" accolade to individual lawyers who received the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the "Lawyer of the Year" for a specialty and metropolitan location per edition.  

• Brant Kahler – Litigation – Real Estate 
• David Breiner – Patent Law 
• Matthew McKinney – Government Relations Practice 

Best Lawyers® has published their list for more than three decades, earning the respect of the professional, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 75 countries.    

Lawyers in The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.    

To learn more, visit bestlawyers.com