International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that 159 lawyers from all 13 of the Firm’s U.S. offices were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021 (Woodward White, Inc.). In addition, 12 of those lawyers, from the Firm’s Anchorage, Denver, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle offices, were recognized as Best Lawyers® 2021 Lawyers of the Year.

New for 2021, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognized 24 Dorsey attorneys. This award recognizes extraordinary lawyers who have been in private practice for less than 10 years in the United States. Like traditional Best Lawyers awards, a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition is based entirely on peer review.

Listed below are the Dorsey lawyers recognized as 2021 Lawyers of the Year, 2021 Ones to Watch and 2021 Best Lawyers, the areas of practice in which they are named, the first year they were listed in Best Lawyers and their office location.

Best Lawyers 2021 Lawyers of the Year: 

  • Michael J. Ahern
    Minneapolis–Administrative/ Regulatory Law
  • Christopher J. Barry
    Seattle–Securities/Capital Markets Law
  • Brett L. Foster
    Salt Lake City–Litigation-Patent
  • Cristina Kuhn
    Des Moines–Public Finance Law
  • Bridget A. Logstrom Koci
    Minneapolis–Trusts and Estates
  • Edwin N. McIntosh
    Des Moines–Health Care Law
  • Milo Steven Marsden
    Salt Lake City–Litigation-Securities
  • Melissa Raphan
    Minneapolis–Employment Law-Management
  • Jay L. Swanson
    Minneapolis–Corporate Compliance Law
  • Gregory S. Tamkin
    Denver–Litigation-Patent
  • Claire H. Topp
    Minneapolis–Nonprofit/Charities Law
  • Joan M. Travostino
    Anchorage–Municipal Law

2021 Ones to Watch:

  • Paul K. Beck (2021)
    Minneapolis–Administrative/ Regulatory Law
  • Sahr A.M. Brima (2021)
    Minneapolis–Commercial Litigation
  • Siena Moberly Caruso (2021)
    Anchorage–Commercial Litigation
  • TaraLynn A. Casperson (2021)
    Seattle–Trusts and Estates
  • Jennifer R. Colich (2021)
    Minneapolis–Trusts and Estates
  • Erin Conti (2021)
    Minneapolis–Banking and Finance Law
    Commercial Litigation
  • Manuel A. Cornell (2021)
    Des Moines–Appellate Practice
    Commercial Litigation
  • Evan Everist (2021)
    Minneapolis–Intellectual Property Law
  • Wendy M. Feng (2021)
    Seattle–Banking and Finance Law
    Commercial Litigation
  • Anna K. B. Finstrom (2021)
    Minneapolis–Commercial Litigation
  • Roxanna V. Gonzalez
    Commercial Litigation
  • Madeline D. Hepler (2021)
    Seattle–Commercial Litigation
    Litigation-Patent
  • Jasmine Hui (2021)
    Seattle–Labor and Employment Law-Management
  • Andrew T. James (2021)
    Minneapolis–Litigation-Labor and Employment
  • Shane Kanady (2021)
    Anchorage–Appellate Practice
    Corporate Law
  • Robert J.M. Lee (2021)
    Seattle–Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Brian E. Mason (2021)
    Dallas–Commercial Litigation
  • Michael Sly (2021)
    Minneapolis–Banking and Finance Law
  • Nicole H. Strydom (2021)
    Minneapolis–Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Mathew Teagarden (2021)
    Seattle–Trusts and Estates
  • Tiana Towns (2021)
    Minneapolis–Commercial Litigation
  • Samuel J. Tunheim (2021)
    Minneapolis–Commercial Litigation
  • Ashley M. Walker (2021)
    Salt Lake City–Commercial Litigation
  • Stephen Weingold (2021)
    Denver–Commercial Litigation

The Best Lawyers in America 2021:

ANCHORAGE, AK

  • Louisiana W. Cutler (2007)
    Employment Law - Individuals
    Employment Law–Management
    Land Use and Zoning Law
    Litigation–Labor and Employment
    Municipal Law
  • Michael R. Mills (2003)
    Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Joan M. Travostino (2007)
    Corporate Law
    Land Use and Zoning Law
    Municipal Law
    Real Estate Law


COSTA MESA, CA

  • Juan C. Basombrio (2007)
    Litigation–Antitrust
  • Gabrielle M. Wirth (2007)
    Employment Law–Management
    Labor Law–Management
  • Dennis Wong (2011)
    Banking & Finance Law


DALLAS, TX

  • G. Michael Gruber (2011)
    Commercial Litigation
  • Robert B. Hale (2008)
    Corporate Law
    Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Jay J. Madrid (2003)
    Commercial Litigation
    International Arbitration–Commercial
    Mediation
  • Larry A. Makel (2007)
    Finance Law
  • Jamie G. Whatley (2021)
    Banking and Finance Law


DENVER, CO

  • Charlene Krogh (2021)
    Trademark Law
  • Lee R. Osman (2007)
    Litigation–Intellectual Property
    Litigation–Patent
    Patent Law
    Technology Law
  • Lisa A. Osman (2016)
    Trademark Law
  • Kenneth G. Sam (2013)
    Securities/Capital Markets Law
  • Gregory S. Tamkin (2017)
    Litigation–Intellectual Property
    Litigation–Patent
  • Paul G. Thompson (2014)
    Corporate Law

DES MOINES, IA

  • Rebecca A. Brommel (2020)
    Litigation - Health Care
  • Catherine C. Cownie (2016)
    Health Care Law
  • John P. Danos (2019)
    Economic Development Law
    Public Finance Law
  • David D. Grossklaus (2005)
    Public Finance Law
  • Robert E. Josten (2003)
    Public Finance Law
  • Cristina Kuhn (2013)
    Public Finance Law
  • Edwin N. McIntosh (2007)
    Health Care Law
  • William J. Miller (2016)
    Commercial Litigation
    Litigation–Labor & Employment
  • Alissa Smith (2015)
    Health Care Law
  • David A. Tank (2007)
    Commercial Litigation
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
  • Jonathan B. Abram (2007)
    Securities/Capital Markets Law
  • Michael J. Ahern (2010)
    Administrative/Regulatory Law
    Government Relations Practice
  • Timothy B. Arends (2013)
    Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • William J. Berens (1993)
    Litigation–Trusts & Estates
    Trusts & Estates
  • Rebecca J. Bernhard (2019)
    Employment Law–Management
  • Shannon Bjorklund (2021)
    Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • B. Andrew Brown (2007)
    Litigation–Environmental
  • Elizabeth C. Buckingham (2010)
    Copyright Law
    Trademark Law
  • Robert E. Cattanach (2008)
    Litigation–Environmental
  • Monica Clark (2020)
    Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/
    Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Dan Colton (2018)
    Mining Law
  • Clint Conner (2020)
    Litigation – Intellectual Property
  • Ross D’Emanuele (2017)
    Health Care Law
  • Skip Durocher (2013)
    Commercial Litigation
    Native American Law
  • L. Joseph Genereux (2007)
    Banking & Finance Law
  • Michelle S. Grant (2020)
    Litigation - Securities
  • Mark E. Hamel (1995)
    Real Estate Law
  • Peter L. Harris (2020)
    Banking and Finance Law
  • Paul W. Heiring (2016)
    Litigation–ERISA
  • Stuart R. Hemphill (2016)
    Litigation–Intellectual Property
  • Robert Hensley (2021) 
    (Robert is primarily resident in the Denver office)
    Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Nathan E. Honson (2013)
    Tax Law
  • J David Jackson (2016)
    Commercial–Litigation
  • Mark R. Kaster (2010)
    Administrative/Regulatory Law
  • Thomas O. Kelly III (2019)
    Banking and Finance Law
    Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/
    Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Jocelyn Knoll (2016)
    Construction Law
    Litigation–Construction
  • Bridget A. Logstrom Koci (2008)
    Litigation–Trusts & Estates
    Trusts & Estates
  • Peter M. Lancaster (2011)
    Litigation–Intellectual Property
    Litigation–Patent
  • Jim Langdon (2021)
    Commercial Litigation
  • Thaddeus R. Lightfoot (2007)
    Environmental Law
    Litigation–Environmental
  • Jay R. Lindgren (2006)
    Land Use & Zoning Law
    Public Finance Law
  • Michael A. Lindsay (2008)
    Litigation–Antitrust
  • Stephen P. Lucke (2010)
    Commercial Litigation
    Litigation–ERISA
  • Edward B. Magarian (2011)
    Litigation–Antitrust
  • JoLynn M. Markison (2021)
    Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • John Marsalek (2021)
    Corporate Law
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • John Marti (2020)
    Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • David Meyer (2018)
    Real Estate Law
  • Ryan E. Mick (2018)
    Employment Law–Management
    Litigation–Labor & Employment
  • Marcus A. Mollison (2019)
    Real Estate Law
  • Peter Nelson (2017)
    Banking & Finance Law
  • Steven C. Nelson (2013)
    Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Barry Newman (2018)
    Trusts & Estates
  • Robert J. Olson (2013)
    Construction Law
    Real Estate Law
  • Betsy Sanders Parker (2021)
    Banking and Finance Law
  • Katina M. Peterson (2020)
    Tax Law
  • Neal N. Peterson (2017)
    Health Care Law
  • Michael K. Pignato (2021)
    Banking and Finance Law
  • Michael J. Radmer (2007)
    Mutual Funds Law
  • F. Matthew Ralph (2020)
    Commercial Litigation
    Litigation - Antitrust
  • Melissa Raphan (2009)
    Employment Law–Management
    Litigation–Labor & Employment
  • Robert A. Rosenbaum (2006)
    Corporate Compliance Law
    Corporate Governance Law
    Corporate Law
    Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Eric A. O. Ruzicka (2016)
    Construction Law
    Litigation–Construction
  • Kim A. Severson (2021)
    Tax Law
  • Eric R. Sherman (2021)
    Commercial Litigation
  • Zeviel Simpser (2021)
  • Energy Regulatory Law
    Utilities Law
  • William Stoeri (2019)
    Medical Malpractice Law–Defendants
  • Mary J. Streitz (2012)
    Native American Law
    Tax Law
  • Jay L. Swanson (2007)
    Corporate Compliance Law
    Corporate Governance Law
    Corporate Law
    Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Michele J. Thurnblom (2021)
    Real Estate Law
  • Thomas W. Tinkham (1989)
    Commercial Litigation
  • Claire H. Topp (2019)
    Nonprofit/Charities Law
  • Gary L. Tygesson (2007)
    Securities/Capital Markets Law
  • Alyson Van Dyk (2021)
    Real Estate Law
  • Steven J. Wells (2012)
    Commercial Litigation
    Franchise Law
  • Bradley F. Williams (2021)
    Real Estate Law
  • Sarah Zach (2021)
    Real Estate Law
  • RJ Zayed (2015)
    Criminal Defense: White-Collar
    Litigation–Intellectual Property

MISSOULA, MT

  • Stephen Bell (2020)
    Commercial Litigation
  • Dan Semmens (2021)
    Public Finance Law

NEW YORK, NY

  • Nick Akerman (2019)
    Privacy and Data Security Law
  • Joshua Colangelo-Bryan (2019)
    Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Sandra Edelman (2007)
    Litigation–Intellectual Property
    Litigation–Patent
  • Bruce R. Ewing (2005)
    Trademark Law
  • Jonathan M. Herman (2012)
    Commercial Litigation
    Litigation–Trusts & Estates
  • Richard H. Silberberg (2007)
    Arbitration
    Mediation

PALO ALTO, CA

  • Stephen T. O'Neill (2018)
    Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

  • Alan W. Bell (2010)
    Corporate Law
    Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Bryon J. Benevento (2006)
    Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants
    Product Liability Litigation–Defendants
  • Brett L. Foster (2013)
    Litigation - Intellectual Property
    Litigation – Patent
    Trade Secrets Law
    Trademark Law
  • L. Grant Foster (2013)
    Copyright Law
    Patent Law
    Trademark Law
  • Megan Houdeshel (2017)
    Environmental Law
    Litigation - Environmental
  • Bradley B. Jensen (2014)
    Patent Law
    Trademark Law
  • Milo Steven Marsden (2010)
    Bet-the-Company Litigation
    Commercial Litigation
    Litigation–Securities
  • David Marx (2014)
    Corporate Law
  • Mark A. Miller (2015)
    Litigation–Intellectual Property

    Litigation - Patent
    Patent Law
    Trade Secrets Law
    Trademark Law
  • Aaron Murdock (2019)
    Corporate Law
  • Wells Parker (2021)
    Energy Regulatory Law
    Environmental Law
  • Bryan G. Pratt (2020)
    Patent Law
  • William B. Prince (2006)
    Natural Resources Law
    Oil & Gas Law
  • Marcus Simon (2020)
    Litigation – Intellectual Property
    Patent Law
  • Layne T. Smith (2021)
    Corporate Law
  • Nolan S. Taylor (2006)
    Corporate Law
    Mergers & Acquisitions Law
    Securities/Capital Markets Law
    Venture Capital Law
  • Steven T. Waterman (2006)
    Litigation–Bankruptcy
  • Matthew G. Wells (2008)
    Corporate Law
    Mergers and Acquisitions Law
    Venture Capital Law

SEATTLE, WA

  • Nathan Alexander (2021)
    Commercial Litigation
  • Christopher J. Barry (2009)
    Corporate Law
    Mergers & Acquisitions Law
    Securities/Capital Markets Law
  • Michael W. Droke (2007)
    Employment Law–Management
    Labor Law–Management
    Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Kimton N. Eng (2011)
    Patent Law
  • Aaron Goldstein (2018)
    Employment Law–Management
  • John D. Hollinrake Jr. (2012)
    Tax Law
  • Walter Q. Impert (2018)
    Trusts & Estates
  • J. Michael Keyes (2013)
    Commercial Litigation
    Copyright Law
    Litigation–Intellectual Property
    Litigation–Patent
    Patent Law
    Trademark Law
  • Paul T. Meiklejohn (2021)
  • Litigation - Patent
  • Marianne O'Bara (2007)
    Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Jennifer Lane Spaith (2021)
    Patent Law

WASHINGTON, DC

  • Thomas O. Gorman (2010)
    Litigation–Securities
    Securities Regulation

WILMINGTON, DE

  • Eric Lopez Schnabel (2016)
    Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Almost 108,000 industry leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world), and more than 13 million evaluations were received on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, 9.4 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 67,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

The lawyers listed in Best Lawyers do not decide in which legal specialties they are listed. They are included in specialties as a result of the votes they receive from their peers. The specialties listed are based on information from a variety of sources.  For more information, visit the Best Lawyers website.