Benchmark Litigation 2022 Under 40 Hot List

Balch & Bingham LLP congratulates three litigators in the Birmingham office who have been selected for inclusion in Benchmark Litigation’s annual Under 40 Hot List for 2022. 

“This group of litigators boasts courtroom acumen and aptitude that serve our clients well across the firm’s footprint,” said Russ Campbell, partner in the firm’s Birmingham office and chair of the Litigation Practice. “We commend these attorneys on this recognition for their accomplishments thus far and look forward to their ongoing contributions to our firm.”

Benchmark Litigation is the only attorney ranking publication in the United States to focus exclusively on litigation. The Under 40 Hot List honors the achievements of the nation’s most accomplished legal partners under the age of 40.

With more than 85 active litigators firm wide, Balch represents clients in state, federal and appellate courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Chambers USA recently recognized Balch’s Litigation Practice as a top tier practice in Alabama and Mississippi and commented that the firm is “well regarded for its deft handling of disputes in highly regulated industries, including healthcare, energy and financial services, and represents commercial clients in the manufacturing industry.”

The Balch attorneys recognized include:

• Thomas DeBray, partner in the firm’s Birmingham office and member of the Litigation Practice, maintains a diverse civil litigation practice, providing counsel in cases concerning property damage or disputes, business disputes, and defending alleged violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Thomas recently obtained a defense ruling in a business dispute arbitration where the plaintiffs requested roughly $50 million in damages.

• Adam Israel, partner in the firm’s Birmingham office and member of the Litigation Practice, focuses on complex business litigation, including the areas of business torts and unfair competition, banking and financial services, and energy. A substantial portion of Adam’s practice is devoted to representing businesses and individuals in non-compete, non-solicitation, and theft of trade secrets cases in trial and appellate courts. Adam also regularly represents nuclear utilities in matters arising from the Department of Energy’s delay in disposing of the nation’s commercial spent nuclear fuel.

• Joe Leavens has a diverse practice focusing primarily on construction law, commercial litigation and infrastructure issues for electric utilities. A substantial portion of Joe’s practice involves representing owners, developers, general contractors and subcontractors in construction contract negotiation, project management, and, when necessary, litigation and dispute resolution. Joe's experience includes countless appearances in state and federal trial courts, appeals before the Eleventh Circuit and numerous regulatory proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).