Best Lawyers® 2027 Recognizes 32 Downey Brand Lawyers with Four Receiving Prestigious “Lawyer of the Year” Honors
August 20, 2026
Six up-and-coming lawyers were recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®
Downey Brand is pleased to announce that 32 of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, including four who earned the distinguished 2027 “Lawyer of the Year” honor:
- Tyson Hubbard (Sacramento) for Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Meredith Nikkel (Sacramento) for Litigation – Environmental
- John Oehmke (Sacramento) for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Brian Cragg (San Francisco) for Energy 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 32 Downey Brand attorneys who were honored as The Best Lawyers in America®:
- Annie Amaral – Commercial Litigation
- Meghan Baker – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation
- Kelly Breen – Commercial Litigation
- Kristin Capritto – Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
- Brian Cragg – Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Utilities Law
- Michael Day – Energy Law
- Jay-Allen Eisen – Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Matthew Ellis – Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law
- Cassandra Ferrannini – Litigation – Labor and Employment
- 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, Commercial Litigation
- 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 – Litigation – Environmental, 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 – Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
- James Squeri – Communications Law, Energy Law
- Danielle Stephens – Real Estate Law
- Dale Stern – Agriculture Law
- Michael Thomas – Commercial Finance Law
- William Warne – Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
- Matthew Weber – Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
- Jennifer Williams – Commercial Litigation
Here are the six Downey Brand attorneys named to the “Ones to Watch” list:
- Bradley Carroll – Commercial Litigation
- Austin Cho – Environmental Law, Natural Resources 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.