We are honored to announce that eight of our firm’s distinguished attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2027 publication The Best Lawyers in America: Norris A. Adams, II, Robert S. Blair, L. Bree Laughrun, Lauren V. Lewis, John T. Maheras, Julia K. Stage, Jon C. Windham, and John C. Woodman. The following is a complete list of Essex Richards’s honorees and their awarded practice areas as published within 2027 Best Lawyers:
- Norris A. Adams, II (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2018)
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment Law – Individuals
- Litigation – ERISA
- Robert S. Blair, Jr. (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2011)
- Collaborative Law: Family Law
- Family Law
- Family Law Mediation
- L. Bree Laughrun (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2024)
- Family Law
- Lauren V. Lewis (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2019)
- Collaborative Law: Family Law
- Family Law
- John T. Maheras (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2025)
- Real Estate Law
- Julie K. Stage (Recognized in Best Lawyers – new)
- Family Law
- Jonathan C. Windham (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2025)
- Tax Law
- John C. Woodman (Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2023)
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a rigorous and confidential peer-review process involving more than 50,000 attorneys across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The selection methodology includes over 13 million detailed evaluations of attorneys by their peers within the same practice areas and geographic regions. Candidates undergo a comprehensive nomination, voting, eligibility review, and verification process to ensure the integrity of the results. Importantly, attorneys cannot pay any fee to participate in or receive recognition on the Best Lawyers list, making it one of the legal profession’s most respected peer-reviewed distinctions.