For the past 40 years, legal peer review guide Best Lawyers in America, has recognized attorneys based on merit-based legal distinction. In its 2026 issue, Best Lawyers has recognized 60 Parsons Behle & Latimer (Parsons) attorneys as the Best Lawyers in America, including four attorneys as “Lawyer of the Year” – a category that is presented to only one attorney in a given geographical region and practice area for each year’s edition – and eight attorneys as “Ones to Watch” – attorneys who are notably climbing the legal ranks. The 2026 Best Lawyers in America list includes attorneys from Parsons’ offices across the Intermountain Region, including Boise and Idaho Falls, Idaho; Helena, Montana; Reno, Nevada; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
According to Best Lawyers™, lists of attorneys recognized are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Only 5% of practicing U.S. attorneys earn a Best Lawyer distinction. If the votes for a lawyer are positive enough for recognition by Best Lawyers, that lawyer must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain in each edition. The publication says nearly 30,000 attorneys participated in the voting process, providing more than 3.4 million confidential evaluations in 151 practice areas. “Lawyer of the Year” status was given to attorneys with extremely high overall feedback within specific practice areas and metropolitan regions. The “One to Watch” status was conferred on up-and-coming attorneys in their respective practice areas.
Parsons’ attorneys who achieved “Lawyer of the Year” ranking status are as follows:
“Lawyer of the Year”
Boise office:
J. Kevin West, Healthcare Law
Reno office:
Sarah Ferguson, Litigation – Labor and Employment
Salt Lake City office:
Michael Patrick O'Brien, Employment Law – Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
C. Kevin Speirs, Copyright Law
Parsons’ attorneys recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” include:
Boise, Idaho office:
Richard H. Greener, Norman M. Semanko, J. Kevin West
Helena, Montana office
John E. Bloomquist
Idaho Falls, Idaho office:
Lee Radford, John A. Stenquist
Reno, Nevada office:
Jim B. Butler, Sarah Ferguson, Rew R. Goodenow, Michael R. Kealy
Salt Lake City office:
Richard J. Angell, J. Michael Bailey, Lawrence R. Barusch, J. Thomas Beckett, Thomas G. Berggren, Thomas T. Billings, David R. Bird, Julianne P. Blanch, Jonathan K. Butler, Erik A. Christiansen, Gary E. Doctorman, Angus Edwards, Raymond J. Etcheverry, Shawn C. Ferrin, George M. Flint III, David R. Hall, Stephen J. Hull, Christina M. Jepson, Bart J. Johnsen, Lisa A. Kirschner, Alex B. Leeman, Michael J. Malmquist, Geoffrey W. Mangum, Margaret Niver McGann, Sean A. Monson, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Justin B. Palmer, Connie Rogers, Cory D. Sinclair, John A. Snow, C. Kevin Speirs, Craig B. Terry, Nathan D. Thomas, Charles H. Thronson, Mark D. Tolman, Michael J. Tomko, Paul D. Veasy, Katherine E. Venti, Juliette P. White, Francis M. Wikstrom, Michael W. Young, Michael A. Zody.
“One to Watch” attorneys include:
Boise office:
James D. Meaders, Patent Law
Idaho Falls office:
John E. Cutler, Appellate Practice
Salt Lake City office:
Michael R. Brown, Banking & Finance Law; Real Estate Law
Liz Butler, Commercial Litigation
Gregory H. Gunn, Appellate Practice
Eric U. Johnson, Litigation – Intellectual Property
Christian Sorensen, Tax Law
Jason D. Steiert, Energy Law; Environmental Law
Parsons congratulates these deserving attorneys. For more information about individual attorneys, visit https://www.parsonsbehle.com/people.
