Phelps’ Chambers USA Rankings Expand to 78 Lawyers, 28 Practices in 2025 Guide

NEW ORLEANS — June 5, 2025 — Chambers USA recognized 78 Phelps lawyers in its 2025 edition, up from 69 in 2024. The guide, which features top lawyers and law firms across the country, ranked Phelps as a leading law firm in 28 practice areas across the Gulf Coast.

With Phelps’ new presence and team in Pensacola, the firm’s Florida energy and natural resources practice earned Chambers USA’s highest recognition, Band 1. The group guides legacy and alternative power producers through strategic sales, purchases and builds. The firm’s energy lawyers help renewable energy providers, electric and natural gas utilities, and oil and gas companies secure financing and navigate complex regulatory frameworks to get projects up and running.

Phelps earned Band 1 recognition in 12 total practice areas:

• Energy and Natural Resources – Florida
• Energy and Natural Resources: Utilities – Louisiana
• Gaming and Licensing – Louisiana
• Insurance – Louisiana
• Insurance – North Carolina
• Insurance: Dispute Resolution – Florida
• Intellectual Property – Louisiana
• Labor and Employment – Louisiana
• Labor and Employment – Mississippi
• Real Estate – Louisiana
• Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use – Texas
• Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (outside New York) – Nationwide

Additionally, Chambers USA awarded top-tier rankings to 13 other Phelps practices:

• Banking and Finance – Louisiana
• Construction – Alabama
• Construction – Florida
• Construction – Louisiana
• Corporate/Commercial - Alabama
• Corporate/M&A – Louisiana
• Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation – Louisiana
• Environment – Louisiana
• Health Care – Alabama
• Health Care – Louisiana
• Labor and Employment – Florida
• Litigation: General Commercial – Louisiana
• Litigation: General Commercial – Mississippi

Phelps also earned nationwide rankings for its construction and insurance: dispute resolution: insurer practices. And the firm’s Texas insurance practice joined the rankings for the first time in 2025.

Chambers USA relies on an independent team of researchers and editors, who conduct extensive reviews and compile lawyer rankings. Peer endorsements, client feedback and detailed submissions all play a crucial role in rankings. The Chambers USA team ranks lawyers on technical legal ability, client service, professionalism and diligence.

Chambers welcomed nine Phelps lawyers to the guide for the first time in 2025, including the firm’s first lawyer ranked in the litigation: appellate practice area. Ranked Phelps lawyers include:

Alabama

• Christopher P. Couch – Banking and Finance: Mainly Regulatory
• James F. Henry – Health Care
• Crawford S. McGivaren Jr. – Litigation: General Commercial
• Carlton Smyly - Construction
• Thomas Sullivan – Health Care
• Hal H. West Jr. – Corporate/Commercial

Florida

• Brian Albritton – Litigation: White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations
• Bret Feldman – Construction
• Steven R. Griffin – Energy and Natural Resources
• Edison Holland Jr. – Energy and Natural Resources
• Michael S. Hooker – Litigation: General Commercial
• Matthew L. Litsky – Insurance: Dispute Resolution
• Dennis McClelland – Labor and Employment
• Michael McGriskin – Insurance: Dispute Resolution
• Patricia McLean – Insurance: Dispute Resolution
• John Phillips – Labor and Employment
• Jason Pill – Labor and Employment
• Payton Pope – Construction
• Reed L. Russell – Labor and Employment
• Seth M. Schimmel – Construction
• William J. Tinsley Jr. – Construction

Louisiana

• Lee Adler – Marine Finance
• Nan Alessandra – Labor and Employment
• Bart C. Bacigalupi – Banking and Finance, Marine Finance
• Jeffrey M. Barbin – Gaming and Licensing
• William Bishop – Corporate/M&A
• Shelton Dennis Blunt – Litigation: General Commercial
• Kim M. Boyle - Labor and Employment
• Lindsay Calhoun – Intellectual Property
• Philip deV. Claverie Sr. – Real Estate
• Philip deV. Claverie Jr. – Banking and Finance, Real Estate
• Virginia Dodd – Insurance
• Warner Delaune – Intellectual Property
• Mark A. Fullmer – Corporate/M&A
• Kelsey Funes – Construction
• Susan W. Furr – Labor and Employment
• Pablo Gonzalez – Insurance
• Jeremy Grabill – Litigation: Appellate
• Karleen J. Green – Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
• Walt Green – Litigation: White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations
• Alan Harrell – Environment: Litigation
• David D. "Beau" Haynes - Health Care
• Nathan Huntwork – Energy and Natural Resources: Utilities
• Thomas H. Kiggans – Labor and Employment
• Errol King Jr. – Health Care
• David M. Korn – Labor and Employment
• Steve J. Levine – Environment, Environment: litigation
• Daniel Lund III – Construction
• Daniel Pancamo – Energy and Natural Resources: Utilities
• David Patrón – Litigation: General Commercial
• Drew Patty – Intellectual Property
• Erik Piazza – Real Estate: Zoning and Land Use
• Christopher Ralston – Intellectual Property, Litigation: General Commercial
• Ragan Richard – Real Estate
• Harry Rosenberg – Litigation: General Commercial, Litigation: White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations
• Randy P. Roussel – Real Estate
• Mary Ellen Roy – Intellectual Property
• John O. Shirley – Energy and Natural Resources: Utilities
• James A. Stuckey – Banking and Finance, Real Estate
• David Topping – Environment
• Michael Williams – Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation

Mississippi

• Todd Butler – Labor and Employment
• Nash Gilmore – Litigation: General Commercial
• Mike Hurst – Litigation: General Commercial
• Danielle Mashburn-Myrick – Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• LaToya Merritt – Labor and Employment
• Thomas Siler Jr. – Labor and Employment
• Sarah Beth Wilson – Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• James G. Wyly III – Litigation: General Commercial

North Carolina

• Thomas M. Contois – Insurance
• Kevin M. O’Brien – Insurance

Texas

• Blake A. Bailey – Litigation: General Commercial
• Frederick Junkin – Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
• George S. McCall – Insurance
• Sondra S. Sylva – Insurance

USA - Nationwide

• Gary Hemphill – Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (outside New York)
• Kevin LaVie – Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (outside New York)
• Ivan M. Rodriguez – Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (outside New York)