Mike Birrer, Christie Newkirk Again Selected Among Nation’s Top Corporate Employment Lawyers

For a third consecutive year, Carrington Coleman partners Mike Birrer and Christie Newkirk have been selected among the Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers. They were selected based on their broad-based Labor & Employment Law practices.

Mike Birrer’s national practice touches on every aspect of the employer/employee relationship, from drafting hiring policies to structuring mass layoffs and providing counsel on workplace issues including employment policies, wage/hour compliance, safety rules, termination risks, and protection of trade secrets.

Christie Newkirk’s practice focuses on management-side employment law, advising clients on a far-reaching variety of critical human resources matters including the planning and implementing of reductions in force, managing employee and executive performance issues, making high-risk employment decisions, and drafting confidentiality, noncompetition, and executive employment agreements.

The annual Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers guide honors the nation’s top advisors on diverse workplace issues including mobility, benefits, and executive compensation as well as wage and hour class actions, discrimination, and non-compete agreement disputes. The full 2025 list can be found at: https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2024-09-20-the-2025-lawdragon-500-leading-corporate-employment-lawyers.

21 Carrington Coleman Attorneys Selected to Texas Super Lawyers

Twenty-one Carrington Coleman attorneys have been selected for the 2024 edition of Texas Super Lawyers.

Additionally, Managing Partner Monica Latin and Construction Litigation Partner Cathy Altman each earned recognition among the Top 100 attorneys in Texas, Top 100 attorneys in Dallas-Fort Worth, and the state’s Top 50 female attorneys.

Carrington Coleman attorneys included in the 2024 Texas Super Lawyers legal guide are:

Cathy Altman, Construction Litigation

Katie Anderson, Schools & Education

Mike Birrer, Employment & Labor

Neil Burger, Business Litigation

Ken Carroll, Appellate

Mark Castillo, Bankruptcy: Business

Bruce Collins, Business Litigation

Lance Currie, Construction Litigation

Carmen Eiker, Family Law

Kelli Hinson, Business Litigation

Mark Howland, IP Litigation

Jason Katz, Business Litigation

Whitney Keltch Green, Family Law

Monica Latin, Business Litigation

Rodney Lawson, Personal Injury: General, Defense

Alex More, Securities Litigation

Christie Newkirk, Employment & Labor

Debrán O’Neil, Business Litigation

Marisa O’Sullivan, Insurance Coverage

Jennifer Ryback, Business Litigation

J. Michael Sutherland, Bankruptcy: Business

Texas Super Lawyers recognizes the top 5% of attorneys each year. Selection is determined through a multiphase process that combines peer nominations, evaluations, and independent research.

25 Carrington Coleman Litigators Selected Among Nation’s Best

A total of 25 Carrington Coleman attorneys are included on the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America legal guide.

The prestigious legal guide honors the attorneys most trusted by corporations and other entities to handle their most important commercial, construction, labor and employment, antitrust, securities, intellectual property, product liability, insurance coverage, bankruptcy and financial litigation, as well as appellate, professional liability and white collar investigation matters. Selection is based on peer submissions and editorial research.

The Carrington Coleman attorneys selected to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America listing are:

Cathy Altman, Construction Litigation

Chris Anaya, Commercial Litigation, Construction

Katie Anderson, Commercial Litigation

Mike Birrer, Labor and Employment Litigation

Neil R. Burger, Commercial Litigation

Ken Carroll, Appellate, Antitrust

Bruce W. Collins, White Collar & Investigations, Securities Litigation, Commercial Litigation

Lance Currie, Securities Litigation

Monica Gaudioso, Commercial Litigation

John B. Gessner, Commercial Litigation

Parker Graham, Commercial Litigation

Kelli M. Hinson, Accounting & Other Professional Liability

Mark C. Howland, IP

Jason M. Katz, Commercial Litigation

Monica W. Latin, Business/Financial Litigation, Commercial Litigation

Rodney H. Lawson, Product Liability, Class Action

Steven L. Levine, IP Litigation, esp. Trademark

Alex More, Business/Financial Litigation

Debrán O’Neil, Accounting & Other Professional Liability, Product Liability

Marisa O’Sullivan, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation

LaCrecia Perkins, Commercial Litigation, Real Estate

Brent Rubin, Appeals, Financial Services

Jennifer Ryback, Commercial Litigation, Employment

Brian Shaw, Business/Financial Litigation

Mike Sutherland, Bankruptcy Litigation

The full Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America listing can be found at https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2024-09-06-the-2025-lawdragon-500-leading-litigators-in-america.

Haley Ablon Awarded the 2024 Rising Raggio Award from the Dallas Women Lawyers Association

Overview: Carrington Coleman Attorney Haley Ablon recently received the 2024 Rising Raggio Award from the Dallas Women Lawyers Association. DWLA established the Rising Raggio Award to recognize an outstanding woman lawyer who has been practicing for less than six years, has achieved significant professional accomplishments, and demonstrated leadership within the Dallas community. Join DWLA at the 2024 Awards Reception for the annual presentation of the prestigious awards that celebrate the outstanding achievements of women in the legal community.

Event Details: October 22, 2024 | 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM | The Empire Room – Design District

The 2024 Award Recipients can be found here.

Marisa O’Sullivan Named Among Texas’ Most Influential Women Lawyers

In recognition of her leadership in improving the gender gap in equity partnership and working to elevate women in the legal profession, Carrington Coleman partner Marisa O’Sullivan has been selected among the Influential Woman of the Year finalists for the 2024 Texas Legal Awards.

Presented by Texas Lawyer and Law.com, the award honors female lawyers who are making a “remarkable difference” in the legal profession, demonstrating exceptional skill in their fields and dedication to advancing equality.

“The selection committee indicated that the finalists are remarkable women with the ability to inspire others. That is exactly how I would describe Marisa,” said Managing Partner Monica Latin. “As chair of our insurance recovery section, she has won over tough clients, who marvel at her ability to be calm and fierce at the same time. But what I appreciate perhaps the most about Marisa is natural leadership in developing and promoting our women lawyers. She really cares about people and the profession, and I am excited to watch her star continue to rise.”

And her career-spanning efforts have had a profound impact far beyond Carrington Coleman. As a young lawyer, she was instrumental in the development of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association’s nationally-recognized Women’s Mentoring Circles program, which has positively impacted hundreds of women lawyers. Later, as president of the DWLA, Marisa doubled membership, doubled fundraising records, and implemented a swath of groundbreaking programs that are now being emulated across the country.

First was The Pitch – a business development experience, designed to close the gender gap in equity partnership. During The Pitch, participants (women lawyers ranging from senior associates to junior partners) practice various types of pitches all with real-time feedback from in-house counsel. Because of its innovation, Marisa has coached firms and non-profits nationwide on how to replicate the success of The Pitch and Forbes and Fortune magazines have highlighted The Pitch in an editorial piece titled “Extraordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things.” The State Bar of Texas and the National Conference of Women Bar Associations have both given The Pitch awards of highest honor.

Second, working in conjunction with the National Association of Women Lawyers she developed Breakfast and Breakouts, a program designed to engage managing partners and executive committee members in a frank issue-solving roundtable on key issues like parental leave, succession, compensation, and reviews. NAWL has now rolled out Breakfast and Breakouts to other markets nationwide.

Last, Marisa created the Dallas Legal Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Job Board by bringing together six other diverse bar associations to increase the accessibility of job prospects for their memberships. LEAD serves as a centralized hub for legal employers seeking to hire well-qualified, diverse attorney candidates. The State Bar of Texas awarded the LEAD Job Board a Star of Achievement.

“It is an honor to be named alongside the other finalists for this award,” Marisa said. “I believe achieving equity in the legal profession will have a ripple effect in our society and these women are a perfect example of the changemakers necessary to bring that to fruition.”

The winner of the Influential Woman award will be announced during the Texas Legal Awards dinner October 15 at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas. The full list of winners and finalists in the 19 award categories can be found at “Announcing the 2024 Texas Legal Awards Finalists and Honorees.”

Monica Latin Earns 2025 Lawyer of the Year Honor from Best Lawyers

Carrington Coleman is pleased to announce that Managing Partner Monica Latin has earned recognition as Dallas’ Lawyer of the Year for Bet-the-Company Litigation for 2025 by The Best Lawyers in America®.

One of the nation’s most respected attorneys, Ms. Latin has earned Best Lawyers honors for her Bet-the-Company Litigation practice as well as her Commercial Litigation, Employment Law-Management, and Appellate Practice work, consistently since 2015.

Ms. Latin’s practice focuses on a broad range of commercial and employment litigation, including injunctions, trials, arbitrations, and appeals. She is a frequent lecturer on litigation issues and is a longtime leader in the litigation section of the American Bar Association.

This is just the latest honor for Ms. Latin, whose work has also been recognized by Chambers USA, Texas Super Lawyers, D Magazine, D CEO, Dallas Business Journal, and Lawdragon.

Among her multiple professional honors and recognitions are Chambers USA; Texas Super Lawyers’ Top 100 Attorneys in Texas and Top 50 Women Lawyers; D CEO’s Dallas 500; Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business; and Dallas Top Women in Legal from the National Diversity Council. She was also the 2023 recipient of the Legal Aid of Northwest Texas’ Louise Raggio Women’s Legal Advocate Award.

In addition to Ms. Latin’s Lawyer of the Year honors, a total of 38 Carrington Coleman attorneys, more than half of the firm’s lawyers, representing 37 unique practice areas were selected to either The Best Lawyers in America or Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch legal guide for 2025.

More Than Half of Carrington Coleman Lawyers Earn 2025 Best Lawyers® Recognition

Twenty-four Carrington Coleman attorneys, representing 31 unique practice areas, are featured in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® legal guide. The 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch includes 14 lawyers from the firm. More than half of the firm’s attorneys are honored this year in these publications.

“These selections speak to the depth of expertise we offer to our clients. We are particularly proud of the impressive number of colleagues across key practice areas that these lists highlight,” said Managing Partner Monica Latin, who was honored in four different practice areas, including being selected as the Dallas Lawyer of the Year for Bet-the-Company Litigation.

The Carrington Coleman attorneys selected to the 2025 list of The Best Lawyers in America® are:

Cathy Altman: Construction Law, Construction Litigation

Katie Anderson: Commercial Litigation

Mike Birrer: Employment Law-Individuals, Employment Law-Management, Labor & Employment Litigation

Robert H. Botts Jr.: Trusts & Estates

Kenneth E. Carroll: Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation

Lance Currie: Construction Law, Construction Litigation

Bruce W. Collins: Commercial Litigation, Regulatory (SEC, Telecom, Energy) Enforcement Litigation, Securities Litigation

David G. Drumm: Real Estate Law

Carmen E. Eiker: Family Law, Family Law Mediation

John B. Gessner: Commercial Litigation

Kelli M. Hinson: Commercial Litigation, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, Product Liability Litigation (Defendants)

Mark C. Howland: Intellectual Property Litigation, Patent Litigation

Charles C. Jordan: Environmental Law, Real Estate Law

Whitney Keltch Green: Family Law, Collaborative Law: Family Law

Monica W. Latin: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law-Management, Appellate Practice

Rodney H. Lawson: Health Care Litigation

George T. Lee: Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law

Stephen L. Levine: Patent Law, Trademark Law

Bret A. Madole: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies & Family Businesses Law

Christie Newkirk: Labor Law-Management, Employment Law-Management, Labor & Employment Litigation

Andrea N. Perez: Corporate Law

Jennifer Larson Ryback: Commercial Litigation

Brian P. Shaw: Commercial Litigation

J. Michael Sutherland: Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization Law

Carrington Coleman’s attorneys selected to the 2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list are:

Chris Anaya: Commercial Litigation

Stephanie Assi: Commercial Litigation, Bankruptcy Litigation

Monica Gaudioso: Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Labor & Employment Litigation

Parker Graham: Commercial Litigation, Labor & Employment Litigation, Labor & Employment Law-Management

Theodore R. Harrington: Real Estate Law

Joshua D. Kipp: Commercial Litigation

Debrán O’Neil: Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law

Marisa O’Sullivan: Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law

LaCrecia Perkins: Commercial Litigation

Robert Rowe: Commercial Litigation, Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bankruptcy Litigation, Construction Litigation

Brent M. Rubin: Commercial Litigation, Appellate Practice

Amanda J. Saunders: Trusts & Estates

Sven Stricker: Commercial Litigation

Shelby K. Taylor: Commercial Litigation, Labor & Employment Law-Management, Labor & Employment Litigation

Lara Yost: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Construction Litigation

More information on The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch can be found at https://www.bestlawyers.com.

David Drumm, Charles Jordan Selected to Lawdragon’s First Real Estate Legal Guide

Carrington Coleman partners David Drumm and Charles Jordan are recognized in the inaugural Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers legal guide.

David Drumm was chosen for his real estate transactions work where he regularly represents commercial mortgage lenders, master planned community developers, owner-operators, and private real estate investors and investment managers. With more than four decades of experience, he is known for his flexibility and expediency in closing alternative financing arrangements.

Recognized for his real estate transactions practice, Charles Jordan regularly represents clients in large real estate deals, bet-the-farm real estate developments, private equity investments, commercial leasing, public-private partnerships, environmental compliance contexts, and complex capital stack issues. Selection is based on peer nominations and extensive editorial review. The full Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers listing can be found at https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2024-08-09-the-2024-lawdragon-500-leading-real-estate-lawyers.

Carrington Coleman Among Country’s Top Midsize Firms

Carrington Coleman has been selected as one of Vault’s 2025 Top 150 Under 150 in the career website’s listing of “outstanding small and midsize law firms that deliver big results.”

The guide is designed to assist law students and lawyers in selecting an employer. The listed firms are those with 150 or fewer lawyers that provide “greater opportunities for early responsibility, a higher quality of life and increased chances for making partner” than are available to larger firms.

Selection is based on Vault survey data, news stories, trade journals and other legal publications; attorney interviews; and a review of other published legal rankings. The Vault research and editorial teams also assess firms for “prestige, quality of life and professional growth opportunities.”

The 2025 Top 150 Under 150 guide can be found at https://vault.com/top-150-best-law-firms-to-work-for-under-150.

Lawdragon Names 7 Carrington Coleman Attorneys Among Its Next Generation of Legal Leaders

Seven Carrington Coleman attorneys have been selected to the 2024 Lawdragon 500 X-The Next Generation listing.

Next Generation recognizes the top tier of young attorneys across the county who are at the forefront of the next generation of legal leaders and are poised to impact their chosen field of expertise, according to the Lawdragon research team.

  • Stephanie Assi, one of three attorneys featured on the guide’s cover, earned selection to the prestigious listing for her representation of clients in commercial disputes in state and federal courts and work on behalf of creditors in bankruptcy cases.
  • Robert Fountain was selected for his commercial litigation focus on insurance recovery cases on behalf of commercial policyholders.
  • Theodore Harrington was honored for his commercial real estate transactional work and representation of ultra-high-net-worth clients.
  • LeCrecia Perkins was honored for her commercial litigation work for businesses and individuals in state and federal courts.
  • Robert Rowe was selected based on his representation of plaintiffs and defendants involved in bankruptcy litigation.
  • Josh Sherman was chosen based on his litigation, arbitration and investigations work on behalf of individuals and businesses.
  • Shelby Taylor earned recognition for her labor and employment litigation practice.

The full 2024 Lawdragon 500 X-The Next Generation list can be found at: https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2024-06-28-the-2024-lawdragon-500-x-the-next-generation.