12 Helmsing Leach attorneys named Best Lawyers in America® 2026

Twelve Helmsing Leach attorneys were named to the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America® in Mobile, Ala. Best Lawyers® recognizes the top attorneys in a metropolitan area each year. The full list is below:

Joseph P.H. Babington

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation – Construction
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Russell C. Buffkin

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation – Real Estate

John T. Dukes

  • Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
  • Real Estate Law

Thomas O. Gaillard III

  • Litigation – Construction
  • Municipal Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Jeffery J. Hartley

  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Litigation – Bankruptcy

James B. Newman

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation – Banking and Finance
  • Litigation – Construction
  • Litigation – Labor and Employment

J. Casey Pipes

  • Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
  • Land Use and Zoning Law *Lawyer of the Year
  • Litigation – Land Use and Zoning
  • Litigation – Real Estate *Lawyer of the Year
  • Municipal Law
  • Real Estate Law

Robert H. Rouse

  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
  • Tax Law
  • Trusts and Estates

A. Edwin Stuardi III

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation – Construction
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants *Lawyer of the Year
  • Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

Karen Tucker

  • Appellate Practice
  • Litigation – Health Care
  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants

William W. Watts III

  • Appellate Practice

W. Kirkland Mattei (Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®)

  • Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Professional Malpractice Law