Taft is pleased to announce that 28 attorneys have been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers^® 2025. The “Lawyer of the Year” recognition is given to individual attorneys with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice and geographic area. Only one lawyer is awarded “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty and location.

The following Taft attorneys have been named Best Lawyers^® “Lawyer of the Year.”

Chicago, Illinois

• Michael D. Froelich, Gaming Law
• Heather Jackson, Employment Law – Management

Cincinnati, Ohio

• Robert A. Bilott, Litigation – Environmental
• W. Stuart Dornette, Litigation – Municipal
• Ralph W. Kohnen, Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Earl K. Messer, Litigation – Real Estate
• Maggie A. Muething, Venture Capital Law
• Russell S. Sayre, Appellate Practice
• James M. Zimmerman, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Cleveland, Ohio

• Andrew Agati, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
• Carl A. Murway, Family Law
• David R. Tavolier, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Columbus, Ohio

• Caryn A. Boyer, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Gregory J. Dunn, Municipal Law
• Marc J. Kessler, Litigation – Real Estate
• Janica Pierce Tucker, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law

Dayton, Ohio

• Lance A. Gildner, Tax Law
• Jennifer Hann Harrison, Employment Law – Management

Detroit, Michigan

• Mark G. Cooper, Litigation – Insurance
• Mark L. Kowalsky, Litigation – Securities

Indianapolis, Indiana

• Gregory B. Coy, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice
• Frank J. Deveau, Environmental Law
• John R. Hammond III, Government Relations Practice
• Samuel D. Hodson, Litigation and Controversy – Tax
• Kay Pashos, Energy Law

Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Valerie T. Herring, Energy Regulatory Law
• Michael M. Lafeber, Trademark Law
• Charles B. Rogers, Litigation – Real Estate

About Best Lawyers^®

Best Lawyers^® is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers^® rankings are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. If the votes for an attorney are positive enough for inclusion in Best Lawyers^®, that attorney must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain on the list for each edition. Lawyers are not permitted to pay any fee to participate in or be included on the lists.