The Best Lawyers in America® has selected 54 Kutak Rock attorneys as “Ones to Watch,” an award initiative created in 2021. Using the same Purely Peer Review™ methodology as traditional Best Lawyers recognitions, this designation targets attorneys who have been in private practice for fewer than 10 years and are known for their outstanding professional excellence. The seventh edition of “Ones to Watch” recognizes more than 25,000 lawyers practicing in the United States across nearly 80 practice areas. Only about 2% of early-career attorneys in the United States receive this honor.
The Firm’s “Ones to Watch” designations for 2027 are:
Arizona
Scottsdale
Sierra Belisle: Public Finance Law
Rilee J. Jelinek*: Public Finance Law
Verity Kang: Public Finance Law
Lori N. Rush : Real Estate Law
Arkansas
Fayetteville
Zach A. Musgraves*: Commercial Litigation
Peyton C. Watts*: Commercial Litigation
Little Rock
Jacob Hill: Public Finance Law
McKenzie L. Raub*: Commercial Litigation
Rogers
Alexander P. Mickel*: Commercial Litigation
Maggie R. McGill*: Health Care Law
William Swartzwelder: Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law
California
Los Angeles
David Mnatsakanyan: Public Finance Law
Colorado
Denver
Katie J. Crane*: Real Estate Law
Cara Groseth*: Real Estate Law
Kathleen Guilfoyle*: Appellate Practice
L. Hunter Maude: Project Finance Law; Real Estate Law; Tax Law
Reid Melton*: Real Estate Law
Elizabeth Partlow: Public Finance Law; Transportation Law
Heather M. Puckette*: Real Estate Law
Taylor L. Rabb*: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Aren Sharifi: Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Real Estate Law
Brooke D. Simons*: Real Estate Law
Heather N. Tilley*: Litigation – Intellectual Property
Florida
Tallahassee
Bennett Davenport: Public Finance Law
Ryan Dugan: Public Finance Law
Hunter A. Hurley*: Public Finance Law
Kate John: Public Finance Law
Kyle Magee: Public Finance Law
Patrick Scott O’Bryant*: Commercial Litigation
Georgia
Atlanta
Sarah Gregg: Public Finance Law; Real Estate Law
Jessica Nichols: Public Finance Law
Kansas
Wichita
Jason D. Stitt: Labor and Employment Law – Management
Missouri
Kansas City
Grant Berning: Banking and Finance Law
Nicholas R. Boyle: Banking and Finance Law; Public Finance Law
Curtis M.D. Kaine: Banking and Finance Law; Public Finance Law
Evan A. Kallsen: Corporate LawMergers and Acquisitions Law
Jason Kotlyarov: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Litigation – Labor and Employment; Tax Law
Taylor M. Meeks: Banking and Finance Law
John P. Mullane: Land Use and Zoning Law; Public Finance Law
Scott J. Strohm: Commercial Litigation; Intellectual Property Law; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Patent Law
Anastasia R. Weston: Banking and Finance Law; Real Estate Law
Springfield
Ariel Sparrow: Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Real Estate Law
Nebraska
Omaha
Brett Bruneteau: Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Colin Finnegan*: Labor and Employment Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment
Steven R. Hogan: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
M. Tyler Johnson: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships); Corporate Law; Intellectual Property Law; Real Estate Law
Steve Koo: Corporate Law
Ashley Moore*: Insurance Law
Benjamin R. Myer*: Public Finance Law
Matthew A. Robinson: Real Estate Law
Robert J. Toth II: Construction Law; Corporate Law; Litigation – Labor and Employment
Tanner Whited*: Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Ohio
Columbus
Michael A. Ringle*: Public Finance Law
Washington
Spokane
Alex Fern: Education Law; Municipal Law
* First Time Listed
About Best Lawyers®
For more than 40 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.