Best Lawyers Recognizes 87 Cole Schotz Attorneys on 2026 Lists

Cole Schotz P.C. is pleased to announce that 87 attorneys have been recognized across all three of the 2026 Best Lawyers® individual award categories, including “The Best Lawyers in America,” “Lawyer of the Year,” and “Ones to Watch in America.”

From those chosen as Best Lawyers, an additional “Lawyer of the Year” title is granted to individual attorneys who receive the overall highest peer feedback in a specific practice area and geographical location. Three Cole Schotz attorneys have been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in their particular practices: Leo V. Leyva, Michael D. Sirota, and Steven D. Leipzig.

In addition to the 63 attorneys selected as “The Best Lawyers in America”, 23 Cole Schotz attorneys were named to the “Ones to Watch in America” list to highlight a distinction given to attorneys who display outstanding professional excellence early in their careers.

Best Lawyers, among the oldest guides to the legal profession, identifies honorees through a detailed peer-review process in which 50,000 attorneys evaluate their colleagues based on legal abilities within similar geographical locations and legal practice areas. A description of the methodology can be viewed on the Best Lawyers website.

Honorees include:

Best Lawyers: “Lawyers of the Year” 2026

Steven D. Leipzig, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Leo V. Leyva, Litigation, Real Estate

Michael D. Sirota, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Best Lawyers: “Ones to Watch in America” 2026

Matthew Barish, Construction, Litigation, Real Estate

Drew Barone, Construction, Real Estate

Marian Bekheet, Tax, Trusts & Estates

David Borsack, Corporate Transactions

Haley Brescia, Environmental

Jasleen Chandhoke, Corporate Transactions

Wendy Chavez, Construction, Litigation

Bryant Churbuck, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Jack Dougherty, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Nicole Dlugosz-Howard, Real Estate

Jonathan Friedman, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Toni Gallo, Construction, Corporate Transactions

Nathaniel Klepser, Litigation

Connor Mannion, Litigation, Real Estate

Justin Mei, Real Estate

Marta Paczkowska, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Pekham Pal, Litigation

Erin Palmer, Environmental

J. Michael Pardoe, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Patrick Parrish, Real Estate

Jeffery Sauer, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Arielle Wasserman, Litigation

Andrew Weiss, Employment, Litigation

Best Lawyers in America 2026

Mitchell W. Abrahams, Real Estate

Richard W. Abramson, Real Estate

Justin R. Alberto, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Gary M. Albrecht, Real Estate

Joseph Barbiere, Construction, Litigation, Real Estate

Wendy M. Berger, Real Estate

Marc R. Berman, Litigation, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Elizabeth A. Carbone, Construction, Litigation

Brian A. Carpenter, Intellectual Property, Litigation

J. Jeffery Cash, Corporate Transactions

Christoper J. Caslin, Real Estate

Jamie P. Clare, Employment, Litigation

Andrew L. Cole, Litigation

Timothy J. Craddock, Intellectual Property, Litigation

Aaron D. Davidson, Intellectual Property, Litigation

G. David Dean, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Robert M. DiPisa, Real Estate

Richard J. Ericsson, Environmental

Jason R. Finkelstein, Litigation

Brian A. Flank, Real Estate

Michael H. Forman, Litigation, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Jacob S. Frumkin, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Brian L. Gardner, Construction, Litigation

David S. Gold, Intellectual Property, Litigation

Jennifer Horowitz, Corporate Transactions

Roger M. Iorio, Corporate Transactions

Ryan Jareck, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Glenn R. Kazlow, Litigation, Environmental, Tax, Trusts & Estates

James T. Kim, Litigation

Steven L. Klepper, Litigation, Real Estate

Randi W. Kochman, Employment

Stuart Komrower, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Gary H. Leibowitz, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Steven D. Leipzig, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Jan Alan Lewis, Real Estate

Leo V. Leyva, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Construction, Litigation, Real Estate

Lauren M. Manduke, Litigation

Christopher Massaro, Litigation

Jason R. Melzer, Litigation

Pamela L. Millard, Corporate Transactions

Donald A. Ottaunick, Litigation

W. John Park, Real Estate

Vishal H. Patel, Intellectual Property, Litigation

Matteo Percontino, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Norman L. Pernick, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Gary A. Phillips, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Arnold P.  Picinich, Litigation

Patrick Reilley, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Carl A. Rizzo, Litigation, Real Estate

David Rubenstein, Real Estate

Alan Rubin, Corporate Transactions

Luis Salazar, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Jeffrey H. Schechter, Litigation, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Michael D. Sirota, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Adam J. Sklar, Construction, Litigation

Gary R. Sorden, Intellectual Property, Litigation

Scott J. Topolski, Litigation

Susan Usatine, Litigation

Warren A. Usatine, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Irving E. Walker, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Litigation

Samuel Weiner, Tax, Trusts and Estates

Cameron A. Welch, Construction, Litigation

Lori I. Wolf, Tax, Trusts & Estates

Felice R. Yudkin, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court of any state. See Award Methodology.