Bracewell Recognized as Legal Powerhouse in Legal 500 US 2023

HOUSTON – Bracewell LLP’s continued excellence on finance, transactional, regulatory and litigation matters in the energy, finance and real estate industries earned the firm top rankings in The Legal 500 United States 2023. For the seventh year in a row, Bracewell received a Tier 1 national ranking for Energy Regulation: Oil and Gas. In total, the firm received 116 practice and individual lawyer recommendations.

G. Alan Rafte (Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas) and Catherine McCarthy (Energy Regulation: Electric Power) were named to Legal 500’s Hall of Fame, and eight Bracewell partners were recommended as Leading Lawyers:

• Stephen L. Braga – Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense
• Jeffrey R. Holmstead – Environment: Regulatory
• Mark K. Lewis – Energy Regulation: Oil and Gas
• Charles R. Mills – Energy Litigation: Electric Power
• D. Kirk Morgan II – Energy Regulation: Oil and Gas
• Danielle M. Varnell – Energy Transactions: Electric Power
• Richard F. Whiteley – Real Estate: Construction
• Timothy A. Wilkins – Environment: Regulatory

In addition, three lawyers were named Next Generation Partners across three categories:

• Michael W. Brooks – Energy Regulation: Oil and Gas; and Energy Regulation: Electric Power
• Molly E. Butkus – Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas
• Tyler S. Johnson – Energy Litigation: Electric Power and Energy Regulation: Electric Power

Now in its 34th year, The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in more than 150 jurisdictions based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions received from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers.

2023 Rankings

Appellate

• Warren W. Harris
• Jeff Oldham
• Walter A. Simons

Capital Markets: Debt

• Will Anderson
• Troy L. Harder
• Catherine Hood
• Charles H. Still Jr.

Commercial Lending

• Heather L. Brown
• Jeris Diana Brunette
• Kenni E. Callahan
• William H. Ebert
• Dewey J. Gonsoulin Jr.
• Leslie M. Hansen
• Robin J. Miles
• G. Alan Rafte

Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense

• Stephen L. Braga – Leading Lawyer
• Kevin D. Collins
• Daniel S. Connolly
• Seth D. DuCharme
• Barbara S. Jones
• Matthew G. Nielsen
• Jeffery B. Vaden

Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional

• Matthew B. Grunert
• Scott C. Sanders

Energy Litigation: Electric Power

• Bradley J. Benoit
• Michael W. Brooks
• Stephen B. Crain
• Bryan S. Dumesnil
• Tyler S. Johnson – Next Generation Partner
• Deanna E. King
• Catherine P. McCarthy
• Charles R. Mills – Leading Lawyer

Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas

• W. Stephen Benesh
• Bradley J. Benoit
• Stephen B. Crain
• Deanna E. King
• William A. Moss

Energy Regulation: Electric Power

• Michael W. Brooks – Next Generation Partner
• Theodore F. Duver
• Tyler S. Johnson – Next Generation Partner
• Deanna E. King
• Catherine P. McCarthy – Hall of Fame
• Charles R. Mills

Energy Regulation: Oil and Gas

• Michael W. Brooks – Next Generation Partner
• Annie Cook
• Kevin A. Ewing
• Mark K. Lewis – Leading Lawyer
• Catherine D. Little
• Kirk Morgan – Leading Lawyer
• David A. Super

Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power

• Kevin A. Ewing
• Danielle Garbien
• Ryan S. Holcomb
• G. Alan Rafte
• Laura D. Sheldon
• Danielle Varnell

Energy Transactions: Electric Power

• Danielle Garbien
• Ryan S. Holcomb
• Patrick K. Johnson
• Frank Lee
• G. Alan Rafte
• Laura D. Sheldon
• Danielle M. Varnell – Leading Lawyer

Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas

• Molly E. Butkus – Next Generation Partner
• W. Cleland Dade
• Jason M. Jean
• Austin T. Lee
• James “JJ” McAnelly III
• G. Alan Rafte – Hall of Fame

Environment: Litigation

• Kevin D. Collins
• Kevin A. Ewing
• Jeffrey R. Holmstead
• Jason B. Hutt
• Ann Navaro
• Brittany M. Pemberton
• David A. Super
• Timothy A. Wilkins

Environment: Regulatory

• Sara M. Burgin
• Kevin D. Collins
• Annie Cook
• Steven Cook
• Kevin A. Ewing
• Jeffrey R. Holmstead – Leading Lawyer
• Jason B. Hutt
• Catherine D. Little
• Ann Navaro
• Matt Paulson
• Brittany M. Pemberton
• Whit Swift
• Timothy A. Wilkins – Leading Lawyer

Environment: Transactional

• Annie Cook
• Steven Cook
• Kevin A. Ewing
• Jason B. Hutt
• Catherine Little
• Timothy A. Wilkins

General Commercial Disputes

• W. Stephen Benesh
• Bradley J. Benoit
• Stephen B. Crain
   

Government Relations

• Liam P. Donovan
• Jeffrey R. Holmstead
• Anna B. Karakitsos
• E. Dee Martin
• Scott H. Segal
• Timothy J. Urban
• Joshua C. Zive

Immigration  

• Victoria M. Garcia

M&A: Large Deals ($1 Billion+)    

• Will Anderson
• Lytch T. Gutmann
• Jason M. Jean
• Benjamin J. Martin
• Charles H. Still Jr.

Outsourcing  

• Jeffrey B. Andrews
• Jonathon K. Hance
• Lucy Porter

Project Finance

• Danielle Garbien
• G. Alan Rafte
• Nicolai J. Sarad
• Thomas M. Tomlinson

Real Estate: Construction

• Phillip L. Sampson Jr.
• Richard F. Whiteley – Leading Lawyer

Restructuring (Including Bankruptcy): Corporate

• Robert G. Burns
• Jason G. Cohen
• Mark E. Dendinger
• Jason B. Hutt
• William A. (Trey) Wood III

Securities Litigation: Defense

• W. Stephen Benesh
• Bradley J. Benoit
• Bryan S. Dumesnil
• Tony L. Visage

US Taxes: Non-Contentious

• Gregory M. Bopp
• R. Todd Greenwalt
• Elizabeth L. McGinley
• Victoria N. Ozimek
• Brian P. Teaff