McGuireWoods Earns 42 Nationwide Practice Rankings in Legal 500 United States Guide

Firm Rated in Top Tier for Energy, M&A and Transportation

June 15, 2022

McGuireWoods was recognized as a leading law firm in 42 nationwide practice areas in The Legal 500 United States, the respected independent guide to the country’s top firms and lawyers.

The 2022 rankings once again highlight the firm’s litigation and transactional strength across industries and practice areas, including energy; banking and finance; M&A and private equity; healthcare; corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense; data protection and privacy; technology; and transportation.

McGuireWoods earned Tier 1 nationwide rankings in four categories: Energy Litigation: Conventional Power; Energy Regulation: Conventional Power; Transport: Rail and Road – Litigation and Regulation; and M&A: Middle Market.

The Legal 500 noted the depth and breadth of McGuireWoods’ corporate practices, saying the firm demonstrates a tenacity for multibillion-dollar transactions and excels in middle-market deals.

“The workload encompasses a wealth of deal types including M&A, stock and asset purchases and joint venture, in addition to general corporate matters, and spans a broad geographical footprint, recently reaching 40 different U.S. states and numerous international jurisdictions,” The Legal 500 reported.

McGuireWoods also received high marks for its litigation prowess in areas ranging from energy enforcement to product liability matters. The Legal 500 praised the firm’s “strong Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) enforcement skills” and its work for major utilities and energy companies in landmark cases. The guide also cited the firm’s “significant market visibility in class action and MDL proceedings across a range of products liability and toxic tort matters.”

McGuireWoods lawyers were individually recognized throughout the guide, with eight singled out as “Leading Lawyers” in their respective practice areas.

  • Eric Bilik, Transport: rail and road – litigation
  • Anthony Carna, Energy transactions: oil and gas
  • Taylor French, Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
  • Joanne Katsantonis, Energy transactions: conventional power
  • Brian Kelly, Energy transactions: conventional power
  • John Padgett, Transport: shipping
  • Noel Symons, Energy regulation: conventional power
  • Michael Woodard, M&A: middle market

Partner Ava Lias-Booker was among a select group of litigators chosen for The Legal 500’s first-ever U.S. “Leading Trial Lawyers” list.

The Legal 500 also recognized associate Natalie Zagari as a “Rising Star” for Transport: rail and road – litigation and regulation.

McGuireWoods earned rankings in the following nationwide practice areas.

  • Antitrust: cartel
  • Antitrust – civil litigation and class actions: defense
  • Capital markets: debt offerings
  • Commercial lending: advice to borrowers
  • Commercial lending: advice to lenders
  • Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to corporates
  • Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to individuals
  • Cyber law (including data protection and privacy)
  • Education
  • Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
  • Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
  • Energy litigation: conventional power
  • Energy litigation: oil and gas
  • Energy regulation: conventional power
  • Energy: renewable/alternative power
  • Energy transactions: conventional power
  • Energy transactions: oil and gas
  • Environment: litigation
  • Environment: regulatory
  • Fintech
  • General commercial disputes
  • Healthcare: advice to service providers
  • Insurance: advice to policyholders
  • Intellectual property – trade secrets
  • Labor and employment – disputes (including collective action): defense
  • Leading trial lawyers
  • M&A/corporate commercial – private equity buyouts
  • M&A: middle-market (sub-$500 million)
  • Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: automotive/transport
  • Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: consumer products
  • Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices
  • Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: toxic tort
  • Project finance: advice to lenders
  • Project finance: advice to sponsors
  • Real estate finance
  • Securities litigation: defense
  • Tax: not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations)
  • Technology: transactions
  • Technology: outsourcing
  • Transport: aviation and air travel – finance
  • Transport: rail and road – litigation and regulation
  • Transport: shipping – litigation and regulation

In addition, The Legal 500 recognized individual McGuireWoods lawyers in the following categories.

Antitrust – cartel
Amy Manning, Angelo Russo and Sarah Zielinski of Chicago

Antitrust – civil litigation/class actions: defense
Amy Manning, Angelo Russo and Sarah Zielinski of Chicago; Howard Feller and Brent Justus of Richmond

Capital markets – debt offerings
Richard W. Viola and Elizabeth Wren of Charlotte

Commercial lending
Chris Molen of Atlanta; Eric Burk, Kevin McGinnis and Raj Natarajan of Charlotte; Hamid Namazie of Los Angeles

Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
Jason Cowley of Charlotte; Kevin Lally of Los Angeles; Benjamin Hatch of Norfolk; John Adams and Laura Colombell Marshall of Richmond; John Ayanian, Robert Bittman, John Moran, Michael Podberesky, Todd Steggerda and George J. Terwilliger III of Washington, D.C.

Cyber law (including data protection and privacy)
Anne Peterson of New York; Janet Peyton of Richmond; Andrew Konia of Tysons

Education
Shelby Guilbert of Atlanta; Harrison Marshall Jr. of Charlotte; Micah Schwartz of Charlottesville; Mary Nash Rusher of Raleigh; Michele McKinnon of Richmond; Farnaz Thompson of D.C.

Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
Taylor French and Allison Tanner of Charlotte; G. William Tysse of D.C.

Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
Taylor French of Charlotte; Robert Cipolla of Richmond; G. William Tysse of D.C.

Energy litigation: conventional power
Bernard L. McNamee of Richmond, Julia English, Todd Mullins and Noel Symons of D.C.

Energy litigation: oil and gas
James Jeffries of Charlotte; Brian Jackson of Charlottesville; Anthony Carna and Greg Krock of Pittsburgh

Energy regulation: conventional power
Julia English, Todd Mullins and Noel Symons of D.C.

Energy: renewable/alternative power
Timothy Callahan of Chicago; Durham McCormick of Houston; D. Brennen Keene and Michael Woodard of Richmond

Energy transactions: conventional power
Brian Kelly of Baltimore; Joanne Katsantonis of Richmond

Energy transactions: oil and gas
Anthony Carna of Pittsburgh

Environment: litigation
David Franchina of Charlotte; Candace Ali Blydenburgh, Diane Flannery, Vishwa Link and Darin Waylett of Richmond; Aaron Flynn, Makram Jaber and Allison Wood of D.C.

Environment: regulatory
David Franchina of Charlotte; Diane Flannery, Vishwa Link and Heather Stevenson of Richmond; Aaron Flynn, Makram Jaber and Allison Wood of D.C.

Fintech
Rakesh Gopalan and Susan Rodriguez of Charlotte; Sarah Zielinski of Chicago; James Anderson of Richmond

General commercial disputes
Ava Lias-Booker of Baltimore; Robert Muckenfuss of Charlotte; Jonathan Blank of Charlottesville; David Powell of San Francisco

Healthcare: advice to service providers
Kate Hardey, Kayla McCann Marty, Chris Scheurer and Bart Walker of Charlotte; Scott Becker and Holly Buckley of Chicago

Insurance: advice to policyholders
Joseph Englert, Shelby S. Guilbert and Anthony Tatum of Atlanta; Stephen Foresta of New York and Scott Oostdyk of Richmond

Intellectual property:trade secrets (litigation and noncontentious matters)
Meghaan Madriz and Yasser Madriz of Houston; David Finkelson, Brian Riopelle and Rodney Satterwhite of Richmond; David Greenspan of Tysons

Labor and employment – disputes (including collective action): defense
Sabrina A. Beldner of Century City, California; Dana Rust and Rodney Satterwhite of Richmond; John E. Thomas Jr. of Tysons

Leading trial lawyers
Ava Lias-Booker of Baltimore

M&A/corporate commercial – private equity buyouts
Geoffrey Cockrell of Chicago; Jon Finger and David McLean of Dallas; Thomas Zahn of Pittsburgh

M&A: middle-market (sub-$500 million)
Chris Scheurer of Charlotte; Tom Zahn of Pittsburgh; Joanne Katsantonis and Michael Woodard of Richmond

Media, technology and telecoms: outsourcing
Rakesh Gopalan of Charlotte

Media, technology and telecoms: technology transactions
Rakesh Gopalan of Charlotte; James Anderson of Richmond

Not-for-profit: nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations
Gerald V. Thomas II of Atlanta; Sabrina Conyers of Charlotte; Jean Gordon Carter of Raleigh; Michele McKinnon, Bradley Ridlehoover and Lucy Jewett Wheatley of Richmond

Product liability, mass tort and class actions – automotive/transport – defense
Courtney Shytle of Charlotte; Mark Anderson and Joan Dinsmore of Raleigh; Terrence Bagley, Candace Ali Blydenburgh, Stephen Busch, Diane Flannery, Joy Fuhr, Perry Miles and Trent Taylor of Richmond; Samuel Tarry of Tysons

Product liability, mass tort and class actions – consumer products – defense
Courtney Shytle of Charlotte; Mark Anderson of Raleigh; Terrence Bagley, Candace Ali Blydenburgh, Stephen Busch, Diane Flannery, Joy Fuhr, Perry Miles and Trent Taylor of Richmond; Samuel Tarry of Tysons

Product liability, mass tort and class action – defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices
Courtney Shytle of Charlotte; Mark Anderson and Joan Dinsmore of Raleigh; Candace Ali Blydenburgh, Diane Flannery and Davis Walsh of Richmond; Samuel Tarry of Tysons

Product liability, mass tort and class actions – toxic tort – defense
Courtney Shytle of Charlotte; Mark Anderson of Raleigh; Terrence Bagley, Candace Ali Blydenburgh, Stephen Busch, Diane Flannery, Joy Fuhr, Perry Miles and Trent Taylor of Richmond; Samuel Tarry of Tysons

Project finance

Brian Kelly of Baltimore; Timothy Callahan of Chicago; Durham McCormick of Houston; D. Brennen Keene of Richmond; Evelyn Kim of San Francisco

Real estate finance
Alice Youngbar of Century City; Thomas Lansen and Dennis Mensi of New York

Securities litigation: defense
Cheryl Haas of Atlanta; Jonathan Blank of Charlottesville; Robert Muckenfuss of Charlotte; Diane Flannery of Richmond; Louis Greenstein and Todd Steggerda of D.C.

Transport: aviation and air travel – finance
Patricia Hosmer and David Whelpley Jr. of Charlotte; Deepak Reddy of New York; Peter Szurley of San Francisco

Transport: rail and road – litigation and regulation
Eric Bilik, Christopher Thanner and Sean Walsh of Jacksonville; Bryan Brantley and Natalie Zagari of Pittsburgh; Frank Talbott and Davis Walsh of Richmond

Transport: shipping – litigation and regulation
John Padgett of Norfolk; Bryan Brantley of Pittsburgh