The Best Lawyers in America© has selected 11 Kutak Rock partners as “Lawyer of the Year” for 2020. This designation goes above and beyond traditional inclusion and is based upon the highest overall peer feedback in a specific practice area and metropolitan region. The “Lawyer of the Year” distinction reflects an extraordinary level of respect that an attorney has earned among his or her peers. This year, recognitions were awarded in 137 practice areas across 182 metropolitan regions.
The firm's "Lawyer of the Year" designations for 2020 are:
Arkansas
Fayetteville
Mark W. Dossett: Litigation - Insurance
Mr. Dossett, Chair of the Arkansas Regional Litigation Department, focuses on litigation in the healthcare and construction industries and has been lead counsel in more than 40 jury trials.
Little Rock
Randal B. Frazier: Litigation – Banking and Finance
Mr. Frazier represents banks, lending institutions, real estate developers, wireless communication companies and other clients in a variety of transactional and litigation matters.
H. Watt Gregory, III: Securities Regulation
Since 1969 Mr. Gregory’s practice has been concentrated in business development and finance, including handling initial public offerings and issuance of other equity and debt securities in the public markets. He also provides lead counsel services in mergers and acquisitions of public and private companies, and in private equity and venture capital-related financings involved in business formation and development.
Jim Hathaway: Public Finance Law
Mr. Hathaway focuses on public finance, banking, securities, energy and real estate matters. He has extensive general experience in transactions, including major asset and stock acquisitions and dispositions, bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel in student loan finance, and bond counsel on major university facilities financings.
David A. Smith: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Mr. Smith concentrates his practice in federal income tax matters, particularly as they relate to complex business and financing transactions. He regularly advises clients with respect to the tax aspects of securitizing a wide range of asset classes. He also counsels private foundations, public charities, tax-exempt hospitals and pension funds on a variety of tax matters.
Colorado
Denver
Kenneth K. Skogg: Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
Mr. Skogg has successfully represented clients in complex commercial litigation for more than 30 years. A constant component of Ken’s practice is eminent domain, and he has guided many clients through eminent domain matters from their nascent stages through trial and into the appeals process.
Missouri
Springfield
Dan R. Nelson: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Mr. Nelson has represented secured and unsecured creditors and trustees under Chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. His experience includes civil litigation to enforce promissory notes, security agreements, deeds of trust and personal guaranties, collection of loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration, real estate foreclosures and loan workouts, among others.
Nebraska
Omaha
Patrick B. Griffin: Litigation – Securities
Mr. Griffin regularly provides direct defense and supervisory litigation services and risk management advice to securities broker-dealers and clearing firms, investment advisors and insurers, including monoline insurers, real estate developers, banks and other financial institutions.
John P. Passarelli: Franchise Law
For more than 30 years Mr. Passarelli has concentrated his practice on complex commercial litigation at both trial and appellate levels, with an emphasis on cases involving antitrust, intellectual property and information technology.
John E. Schembari: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Mr. Schembari leads the firm’s national employee benefits and executive compensation group and focuses his practice primarily on minimizing his client’s legal risks while ensuring that their employee benefits and executive compensation programs align with their goals.
Jeffrey T. Wegner: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Mr. Wegner has 30 years of experience representing banks, institutional lenders, landlords and lessors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. He has appeared in business bankruptcy cases in over 40 jurisdictions on behalf of the firm’s clients. Mr. Wegner is a recognized expert in bankruptcy law.
About Best Lawyers®
For more than 30 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the attorneys best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers lists are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.