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Six JAMS Panelists Named 2023 “Lawyers of the Year” and 63 Recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers®

Six JAMS Panelists Named 2023 “Lawyers of the Year” and 63 Recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” by Best Lawyers®

Panelists selected by their peers across practice areas and regions for exceptional legal service

Panelist News Awards

Irvine, Calif. – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce that Best Lawyers® has recognized six of its neutrals as “Lawyers of the Year” and 63 neutrals as “Best Lawyers in America” for 2023.

The Best Lawyers in America© is a product of the collaborative efforts of Best Lawyers® and U.S. News & World Report to conduct exhaustive, peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.

The neutrals honored with the “Lawyers of the Year” designation are selected for their exceptionally high rankings from their peers based on their abilities, professionalism and integrity. Only one individual in a given geographical region and practice area is selected for this recognition each year.

The following JAMS neutrals were honored as“Lawyers of the Year” for 2023:

Jeffrey G. Benz, Esq., for arbitration in Los Angeles

Shelby R. Grubbs for international commercial arbitration in Atlanta

David T. Hamilton, Esq., for eminent domain and condemnation law in St. Louis

Scott J. Silverman (Retired Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit, Florida) for mediation in Miami

Hon. Dennis M. Sweeney (Ret.) for mediation in Washington, D.C.

Wayne Thorpe, Esq., for mediation in Atlanta

We are thrilled to see this group of neutrals recognized by Best Lawyers® as both ‘Lawyers of the Year’ as well as ‘Best Lawyers in America.’ We are fortunate to have a panel comprised of some of the most hardworking and diligent ADR professionals in the legal industry, and we congratulate each one of these honorees for this outstanding recognition.

- Chris Poole, JAMS CEO

The following JAMS neutrals were recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” for 2023:

Steven M. Bauer, Esq.

Jeffrey G. Benz, Esq.

Hon. William L. Bettinelli (Ret.)

Hon. Stanley F. Birch, Jr. (Ret.)

Gary Birnberg, Esq.

Gary B. Blum, Esq.*

Philip L. Bruner, Esq.

Richard Chernick, Esq.

Steven C. Choquette, Esq.*

Zela G. Claiborne, Esq.

Terrence Lee Croft, Esq.

Robert B. Davidson, Esq.

Charles H. Dick Jr., Esq.

Bruce A. Edwards, Esq.

Joseph P. Farina (Retired Chief Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit, Florida)

Hon. Norman S. Fletcher (Ret.)

Gary Fowler, Esq.

Fern L. Frolin, Esq.

David Geronemus, Esq.

Kenneth C. Gibbs, Esq.

Steven R. Gilford, Esq.

Patricia K. Gillette, Esq.

Joan C. Grafstein, Esq.

Shelby R. Grubbs

Hugh E. Hackney, Esq.

David T. Hamilton, Esq.

David G. Heiman, Esq.

John W. Hinchey, Esq.

Eleissa C. Lavelle, Esq.

Hon. Richard A. Levie (Ret.)

Hon. Harlan A. Martin (Former)

James E. McGuire, Esq.

Robert A. Meyer, Esq.

Lawrence R. Mills, Esq.

Cecilia H. Morgan, Esq.

Hon. Stephen E. Neel (Ret.)

Andrew D. Ness, Esq.

Lawrence W. Pollack, Esq.

Clarence L. Pozza, Jr., Esq.

Ronald Ravikoff, Esq.

Hon. Ronald M. Sabraw (Ret.)

Deborah Crandall Saxe, Esq.

Scott J. Silverman (Retired Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit, Florida)

Abby B. Silverman, Esq.

Linda R. Singer, Esq.

Stephen P. Sonnenberg, Esq.

Jerry Spolter, Esq.

Hon. Steven J. Stone (Ret.)

Hon. Dennis M. Sweeney (Ret.)

Hon. Dickran M. Tevrizian (Ret.)

Patricia H. Thompson, Esq.

John W. Thornton (Retired Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit, Florida)

Wayne Thorpe, Esq.

Eric E. Van Loon, Esq.

Hon. Curtis E. von Kann (Ret.)

Julia T. Waggener, Esq.*

Maria C. Walsh, Esq.

Hon. James Ware (Ret.)

Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.)

Hon. Diane M. Welsh (Ret.)

Hon. Rebecca Westerfield (Ret.)

Michael D. Young, Esq.

David M. Zacks, Esq.

About JAMS – Local Solutions. Global Reach.

Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. JAMS successfully resolves and manages business and legal disputes by providing efficient, cost-effective and impartial ways to overcome barriers at any stage of conflict. JAMS offers customized in-person, virtual and hybrid resolution services locally and globally through a combination of industry-specific experience, first-class client service, the latest technology and highly trained mediators and arbitrators.

With a roster of over 400 neutrals and 29 locations, JAMS resolves thousands of the world’s important cases every year. JAMS neutrals are adept at managing the resolution process whether they are conducting in-person, virtual or hybrid hearings.

More information is available at www.jamsadr.com, and you can connect with us on TwitterLinkedInFacebook and our JAMS ADR blog. To learn about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at JAMS, visit www.jamsadr.com/diversity/.

* This panelist is with the JAMS Denver office, which is a licensee office.

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Media Contact

For further information, please contact:

Kristine Snyder

JAMS Director, Public Relations & Content 

+1 949-224-4614 (Direct Dial)

Ksnyder@jamsadr.com

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