More than half the attorneys at Provost Umphrey in Beaumont are being recognized among the top lawyers in the nation in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
According to an Aug. 17 press release, 14 PU attorneys were selected, with PU partner Bryan O. Blevins Jr. earning additional recognition as the Beaumont “Lawyer of the Year” for plaintiffs' product liability litigation.
"It is very gratifying to be selected ‘Lawyer of the Year’ since Best Lawyers is based on the opinions of other attorneys who work in the same area of law," said Blevins. "Like everyone in our firm, I'm committed to protecting our clients against corporate wrongdoing and making sure they receive justice."
Paul “Chip” Ferguson, who recently resigned from the firm and sued PU, is not mentioned in the press release.
However, the press release states that PU founder Walter Umphrey is included in Best Lawyers for the 25th consecutive year based on his work in plaintiffs' personal injury litigation.
James E. Payne was selected for the tenth time, and Joseph J. Fisher II earned recognition for the fifth time.
"There are few, if any, law firms of our size with more than half of their lawyers honored in Best Lawyers as a result of their track records in product liability and personal injury trials," said Payne. "We do our best work in the courtroom, which is reflected by this recognition."
Four PU attorneys earned their second consecutive selections to the Best Lawyers listing, including Edward Fisher, D'Juana Parks and Aaryn Kemp Giblin for their work in plaintiffs' personal injury litigation, and Matthew C. Matheny for his representation of plaintiffs in mass tort litigation, class actions and personal injury litigation, the press release states.
The PU attorneys honored for the first time include David P. Wilson, J. Keith Hyde and Jane Swearingen Leger for plaintiffs' personal injury litigation, and Christopher T. Kirchmer and Colin D. Moore for their work in plaintiffs' product liability litigation.
Darren L. Brown was honored for the first time based on his work for plaintiffs in personal injury and product liability litigation.