The Best Lawyers in America© has selected 10 Kutak Rock partners as “Lawyer of the Year” for 2021. 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 136 practice areas across 184 metropolitan regions.
The firm's "Lawyer of the Year" designations for 2021 are:
Arizona
Scottsdale
Dean M. Dinner: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
For more than 30 years, Mr. Dinner has focused his practice on bankruptcy law, creditor-debtor rights, workouts, commercial transactions and commercial litigation. He has represented secured creditors, surety companies, unsecured creditors, creditor committees, lessors, trustees and debtors in Chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13 proceedings.
Arkansas
Fayetteville
Russell C. Atchley: Litigation - Construction
Mr. Atchley has practiced law as a trial attorney in Arkansas as well as in many other states across the country for more than 35 years. He regularly handles a variety of complex commercial matters for his clients in high stakes litigation in both state and federal courts.
Little Rock
Jess L. Askew III: First Amendment Law
Mr. Askew practices in the areas of business and class action litigation and constitutional, education, media and appellate law.
Randal B. Frazier: Land Use and Zoning Law
Mr. Frazier represents banks, lending institutions, real estate developers, wireless communication companies and other clients in a variety of transactional and litigation matters.
Nebraska
Omaha
P. Brian Bartels: Litigation - ERISA
Mr. Bartels works with clients on employee benefit plan issues and advises on group health plans, wellness programs, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, ERISA, cafeteria plans, health savings accounts, and other health and welfare plans.
Thomas H. Dahlk: Litigation – Securities
As a trial lawyer who focuses on cases involving complex business transactions, Mr. Dahlk has successfully obtained verdicts for clients in federal and state court and provided litigation strategy and multidistrict litigation management for clients in the securities industry.
Michael G. Mullin: Mediation
Mr. Mullin has served as a mediator in over 4,000 disputes and over 90% of his mediated cases to date have resulted in a successful agreement. He has successfully mediated a wide range of civil disputes, including class action lawsuits, FLSA collective actions, FELA claims, Superfund CERCLA cost recovery actions, catastrophic injury claims, shareholder disputes and virtually all types of business and commercial disputes.
John P. Passarelli: Litigation – Intellectual Property
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.
Patrick C. Stephenson: Trademark Law
Mr. Stephenson has more than 25 years of experience advising clients on all aspects of trademark protection and use. He has worked with business teams and in-house counsel to assist clients in every aspect of developing and adopting protectable trademarks and best practices for using and protecting valuable trademark assets.
Jeffrey T. Wegner: Litigation – Bankruptcy
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.