13 Ogletree Deakins Attorneys Named Best Lawyers® 2026 “Lawyer of the Year”

ATLANTA – August 21, 2025 – Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that 13 of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized as a Best Lawyers^® 2026 “Lawyer of the Year”. Best Lawyers^® grants this award to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty and location.

The Ogletree Deakins attorneys named as Best Lawyers^® 2026 “Lawyers of the Year” include:

• Bernard Bobber – 2026 Milwaukee Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year”
• Gregory Hare – 2026 Atlanta Labor Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”
• James Pennington – 2026 Birmingham Labor Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”
• John Williams – 2026 Lexington Energy Law “Lawyer of the Year”
• John Merrell – 2026 Greenville Labor Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”
• Lauren Zeldin – 2026 Atlanta Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year”
• Laurence Shapero – 2026 Seattle Labor Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”
• Melissa Pesce – 2026 St. Louis Employment Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”
• Michael Matula – 2026 Kansas City, MO Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year”
• Peter Hughes – 2026 Newark Employment Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”
• Robert Sar – 2026 Raleigh Labor Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”
• Russell Buhite – 2026 Seattle Litigation – ERISA “Lawyer of the Year”
• Thomas Stanek – 2026 Phoenix Labor Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year”

About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. Best Law Firms® has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 14 consecutive years. In the 2025 edition, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor and Employment Law category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 1,100 attorneys located in 60 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including many of the Fortune 50 companies in the U.S. www.ogletree.com