Hawley Troxell is pleased to announce that 39 firm attorneys were named Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© in various practice areas, from Bet-the-Company Litigation to Corporate Governance Law.
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Their methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical region and legal practice area. Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Their belief has always been that the quality of a peer-review survey is directly related to the quality of its voting pool.
John A. Bailey (Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants), John C. Hughes (Tax Law), Nicholas G. Miller (Corporate Law), and Paula L. Kluksdal (Banking & Finance) were recognized as Lawyer of the Year in their practice areas.
Christopher Cook (Real Estate), Chelsea Porter (Municipal), and Brent Wilson (Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization, Litigation – Bankruptcy) were recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
The 39 attorneys selected by their peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers® include:
Boise, ID Office
Tyler J. Anderson (2016) Litigation – Construction
John Ashby (2017) Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor & Employment
Brian L. Ballard (2005) Real Estate
Merlyn W. Clark (1995) Appellate Practice, Arbitration, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Ethics & Professional Responsibility Law, Mediation
Christopher Cook** (2023) Real Estate
Lynnette M. Davis (2021) Construction, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Labor & Employment
Bradlee R. Frazer (2024) Copyright Law
Steve Frinsko (2025) Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Richard F. Goodson (2011) Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization, Real Estate
Kenneth C. Howell (2015) Banking & Finance, Corporate
John C. Hughes* (2023) Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Tax Law
Paula L. Kluksdal (2016) Banking & Finance, Corporate, Real Estate
David W. Knotts (2014) Construction, Insurance, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Insurance, Professional Malpractice – Defendants
James L. Martin (2008) Commercial Litigation, Insurance, Litigation – Insurance
John Stanley McGown, Jr. (2007) Tax, Trusts & Estates
Craig L. Meadows (2001) Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Insurance, Litigation – Banking & Finance, Litigation – Insurance, Litigation – Labor & Employment, Litigation – Real Estate, Litigation – Securities, Mediation
Jason D. Melville (2025) Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Brad P. Miller (2018) Employment Management, Litigation – Labor & Employment
Nicholas G. Miller* (1997) Corporate Governance, Corporate, Public Finance, Securities/Capital Markets, Securities Regulation
Thomas J. Mortell (2013) Construction, Corporate, Health Care
Mindy M. Muller (2023) Insurance, Litigation – Health Care, Litigation – Insurance
Carsten A. Peterson (2018) Litigation – Insurance
Mark C. Peterson (2022) Insurance, Workers’ Compensation – Employers
Chelsea Porter** (2023) Municipal Law
Richard A. Riley (2010) Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions
Sheila R. Schwager (2019) Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization, Litigation – Bankruptcy
Cathy R. Silak (2021) Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Mediation
Richard G. Smith (2021) Litigation & Controversy – Tax, Tax Law, Trusts & Estates
Michael M. Stoddard (2019) Corporate, Public Finance
Paul Street (2025) Corporate, Governance Law
Stephen R. Thomas (2010) Commercial Litigation, Insurance
Ronald L. Williams (2010) Energy
Brent R. Wilson** (2021) Banking & Finance, Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization, Litigation – Bankruptcy
Tracy L. Wright (2020) Litigation – Insurance
Coeur d’Alene, ID Office
Brian T. Rekofke (2010) Medical Malpractice – Defendants
Idaho Falls, ID Office
Benjamin C. Ritchie (2023) Workers’ Compensation – Employers
Marvin K. Smith (2024) Corporate
Marvin M. Smith (2018) Litigation – Insurance
Pocatello, ID Office
John A. Bailey* (2008) Appellate Practice, Insurance, Litigation – Labor & Employment, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Howard D. Burnett (2010) Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial, Corporate, Health Care, Litigation – Health Care
Julian E. Gabiola (2021) Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Insurance, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Reno, NV Office
Rita L. Ricks (2010) Real Estate
* Lawyer of the Year
** Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch
Since 1983, Best Lawyers® has been regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because it is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which leading attorneys cast votes on the legal abilities of other attorney in their practice area, and because attorneys are not allowed to pay to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers® is considered an honor. Corporate Counsel Magazine has Best Lawyers® the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.