Butler Snow LLP has been recognized as a leading national law firm in the 2026 edition of the Legal 500 United States, with three practice area rankings in Dispute Resolution – Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (Tier 2) and Dispute Resolution – Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Automotive/Transport (Tier 3). Additionally, the firm was nationally recognized within the Finance – Project Finance: Infrastructure and PPP (Tier 4) category.
The Legal 500 rankings are determined through independent research that includes feedback from over 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms, and interviews with leading private practice attorneys. The publication evaluates firms across 150 jurisdictions and highlights those offering the most cutting-edge and innovative legal counsel to corporate clients.
TIER 2: Dispute Resolution – Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
Butler Snow’s continued recognition in this category reflects the firm’s strong record representing pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers nationwide. The team is lauded for its deep bench of trial lawyers and subject matter experts, its seamless collaboration across jurisdictions, and its ability to manage litigation from early discovery through trial and resolution.
Alyson Bustamante Jones was named a “Leading Partner” in 2026, reflecting her continued excellence after eight consecutive years of recognition as a “Next Generation Partner.” Jones is highly recognized for her leadership in mass tort and product liability matters, including her strategic litigation insight honed through private practice and an in-house secondment with a major pharmaceutical company.
Additional attorneys highlighted in the editorial for their excellence in this area include Caroline Walker, Kari Sutherland, and Taylor Mayes. Walker, based in Birmingham, serves as national counsel in the Paragard MDL, which alleged that the IUD had a propensity to fracture upon removal and cause complications, and has experience supporting mass tort settlements. Sutherland, based in Mississippi, focuses on MDL litigation involving pelvic mesh and other medical devices. Mayes, based in Tennessee, contributes experience in wrongful death professional liability litigation involving alleged drug interactions and dosing issues.
TIER 3: Dispute Resolution – Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action – Defense: Automotive/Transport
Butler Snow was ranked in the Automotive/Transport defense category, where the team is praised for its experience defending clients in high-stakes litigation across the transportation and automotive sectors.
Co-led by Ridgeland-based attorney Davis Frye and Atlanta-based attorney E. Righton Johnson-Lewis, handles high-stakes product liability, mass tort, and complex commercial litigation on a regional and national scale. Frye brings nearly 30 years of experience trying jury and bench trials, arbitrations, and appellate matters, focusing on catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and professional liability across multiple sectors, while Johnson-Lewis has extensive experience in multidistrict litigation, defending automotive, highway product, and medical device manufacturers, handling discovery, expert coordination, dispositive motions, and national defense strategy. They were recognized for strategic, technically rigorous, and nationally coordinated product liability defense.
TIER 4: Finance – Project Finance: Infrastructure and PPP
The firm’s Public Finance team was recognized for its extensive work in project finance, particularly in advising public entities, development authorities, energy developers, and institutions across complex infrastructure, bond, and public-private partnership (PPP) transactions. Attorneys Thad W. Varner, Blake C. Sharpton, and David H. Williams, Jr., were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the practice.
