Best Lawyers to Honor Knox L. Haynsworth, Jr. and Frederick J. Lewis as Two of the Preeminent Lawyers Throughout the United States

Honor To Be Announced during 25th Anniversary Event in Atlanta, Georgia, April 23-25, 2009

ATLANTA, GA – April 1, 2009 – Best Lawyers, the country’s original and most respected lawyer-rating directory, is pleased to announce that it will honor the extraordinary accomplishments of Knox L. Haynsworth, Jr., of Ogletree Deakins’ Greenville office, and Frederick J. Lewis, of Ogletree Deakins’ Memphis office, during its 25th Anniversary Event in Atlanta, Georgia, in April 2009.  The Event will be celebrating the distinguished careers of the 1,397 lawyers who have been listed in the publication since it began rating lawyers in 1983.

Mr. Haynsworth has practiced labor law since 1960. He is past president of both the South Carolina Bar and the Greenville County Bar. He is a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. From 1996-2002, he served as a member of the Fourth Circuit Advisory Committee on Rules and Procedures and in 2001, he was appointed to serve as chair of the committee. The Fourth Circuit is composed of all federal courts in the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. The Advisory Committee studies the court’s local rules and internal operating procedures and makes recommendations concerning them. Only one attorney from each of the five states serves on this committee, and members serve for three-year terms and are eligible for reappointment.

Mr. Lewis has practiced labor and employment law for more than 35 years. While Mr. Lewis has widely diversified experience in all aspects of employment law, including advising employers on responding to union organizational efforts, he currently concentrates his practice in the area of employment litigation.  He is admitted to practice in numerous federal district courts and courts of appeals, as well as the United States Supreme Court.  Mr. Lewis has served as lead counsel in a number of class action cases and successfully litigated cases across the country.  Additionally, he regularly counsels employers on all aspects of employment law. Mr. Lewis is a frequent speaker and author on employment law topics, and has taught both collective bargaining and labor legislation as an adjunct faculty member at the Fogleman College of Business, University of Memphis.

“This is a great honor for both Knox and Fred. They are first-rate lawyers who have continually inspired us with their passion and drive for legal excellence and their steadfast commitment to client service,” said Gray Geddie, Ogletree Deakins’ managing shareholder. “We have benefited from their professionalism and legal expertise, and we commend them both on this outstanding achievement.”

“We are so pleased to honor Knox L. Haynsworth, Jr. and Frederick J. Lewis as two of the lawyers who have been with us from the start,” says Steven Naifeh, President and founder of Best Lawyers. Naifeh is a Harvard Law School graduate as well as a Pulitzer-Prize-winning author.

The Event, to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, from April 23 to April 25, will celebrate the distinguished careers of the 1,397 lawyers who have been listed in the publication since it began rating lawyers in 1983.  It will open with a gala at the Georgia Aquarium on Thursday April 23rd, with remarks by Carolyn Lamm, President-Elect of the American Bar Association.  On Friday, April 24th at the St. Regis hotel, attendees will engage in panel-led discussions about changes in the legal profession and legal education over the last 25 years.  David Boies, one of the country’s most prominent attorneys, will speak at a luncheon.

“The Atlanta event provides an extraordinary opportunity to recognize the careers of the 1,397 lawyers who have been listed in Best Lawyers from its beginning,” says Naifeh.  “They have not only contributed in an exceptional way to the legal profession but most of them have also played important civic roles in their communities. Between them, they represent more than 25 millennia of legal experience. Because their insights into the changes in the legal profession are invaluable, we have focused the panel discussions on the changes in the legal profession during their professional lives. That’s also why we have asked each of them to bring a younger partner and a client to this event, so that they can share their collective wisdom with the next generation of preeminent lawyers.”

All proceeds generated by the event will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers, which published its first directory in 1983, is the oldest lawyer-rating publication in the U.S.  The company compiles its listings of outstanding attorneys through exhaustive peer-review surveys.  Every year, thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers and Best Lawyers tabulates more than 2.5 million votes.  Its annual publication, The Best Lawyers in America, which continues to be the only advertisement-free referral guide to the legal profession, now includes 36,126 attorneys in 78 specialties, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Best Lawyers now also evaluates lawyers worldwide and publishes its global lists online at http://www.bestlawyers.com/.

For information about Best Lawyers, contact Cheryl Riley (703-683-1798 / email cherylrileypr@comcast.net). For information about the 25th Anniversary Event or to attend, contact Steven Naifeh (803-644-1707 / email snaifeh@bestlawyers.com).

About Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is the nation’s third largest labor and employment law firm, representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 430 lawyers located in 34 offices from Miami to Los Angeles. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law.  Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, including more than half of the Fortune 50 corporations in the U.S.

For more information, please contact Karen Gonzales, communications manager, at 210-277-3606.