Best Lawyers® 2026 Recognizes 30 Downey Brand Lawyers with Two Receiving Prestigious “Lawyer of the Year” Honors
August 21, 2025
Six up-and-coming lawyers were recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®
Downey Brand is pleased to announce that 30 of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, including four who earned the distinguished 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” honor:
- Kevin O’Brien (Sacramento) for Natural Resources Law
- Sil Reggiardo (Sacramento) for Tax Law
In addition to these achievements, six of the firm’s up-and-coming attorneys were selected for the Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch® list.
Here are the 30 Downey Brand attorneys who were honored as The Best Lawyers in America®:
- Annie Amaral – Commercial Litigation
- Meghan Baker – Commercial Litigation
- Kelly Breen – Commercial Litigation
- Kristin Capritto – Trusts and Estates
- Brian Cragg – Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Utilities Law
- Michael Day – Energy Law, Utilities Law
- Jamie Dreher – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Jay-Allen Eisen – Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Matthew Ellis – Commercial Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Sean Filippini – Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate
- Janlynn Fleener – Commercial Litigation
- Tyson Hubbard – Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Steve Hymas – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Thomas MacBride, Jr.—Communications Law, Energy Law
- John McCarron – Agriculture Law
- Scott McElhern – Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
- Clif McFarland – Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
- Daniel McVeigh – Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor & Employment
- Stephen Meyer – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental
- Meredith Nikkel – Natural Resources Law, Water Law, Litigation – Environmental
- Kevin O’Brien – Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Water Law
- John Oehmke – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Silvio Reggiardo III – Tax Law
- Scott Shapiro – Natural Resources Law, Water Law
- Rebecca Smith – Natural Resources Law, Water Law
- Robert Soran – Litigation – Environmental
- James Squeri – Communications Law, Energy Law
- Danielle Stephens – Real Estate Law
- William Warne – Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Matthew Weber – Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Commercial Litigation
Here are the six Downey Brand attorneys named to the “Ones to Watch” list:
- Bradley Carroll – Commercial Litigation
- Austin Cho – Natural Resources Law, Environmental Law
- Brian Hamilton – Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental, Natural Resouces Law
- Christopher Kolkey – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Alexandra LaFountain – Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Michael Laino – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Intellectual Property
Best Lawyers ranked attorneys are selected annually through peer-reviewed surveys to determine the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same region and practice areas. Best Lawyers also awards a “Lawyer of the Year” accolade to one lawyer in each practice area and specific geographic region who receives the highest overall feedback from peers. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America highlights the legal talent of lawyers who have been in practice for five to nine years. “Ones to Watch” nominees are voted on by current “Ones to Watch” honorees, candidates, and Best Lawyers awardees.