by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Minneapolis-based “Law & Politics” recently published its second Florida version of “Super Lawyers” — a slick, full-color magazine that highlights the top lawyers in the state with lists of every type and features on individual firms and attorneys.
One of the lists is the top 100 individual attorneys in the state. A dozen are from Jacksonville — certainly impressive enough — but three are from one firm: Charlie Pillans, Hank Coxe and John DeVault from the Bedell Firm.
“Obviously we are pleased,” said DeVault.
All three downplay the significance of making the list that may come across as a popularity contest. However, they do admit being on the list can help. Pillans said he was recently in New York where he met with the general counsels from several large corporations. Pillans said they will often use such a list when looking for outside counsel in a particular state. The list, they said, is a good starting point.
“They may use it to find a candidate and then corroborate the information,” said Pillans.
All three, as well as “Super Lawyers” publisher Bill White insist the lists are not “pay your way in” lists; meaning buying an ad or promising to buy an ad doesn’t mean anything.
“We try to make it really clear that advertising won’t help with being on the list,” said White, who is as he puts it “a recovering attorney” who got into publishing in 1990. “But, not advertising won’t hurt, either. Some attorneys still think we conspire and that attorneys work behind the scenes.”
White said there are safeguards worked into the nomination and selection process to assure the playing field is as level as possible. For example, if a particular pair or attorneys seem to get several nominations, those nominations are heavily scrutinized. He admits they may be legitimate, however the nominations are still looked at closely.
Coxe is the immediate past president of The Florida Bar. He said the lists are certainly filled with qualified and deserving attorneys. However, because they are limited to the top 25, 50 or 100 depending on the category, the lists may omit many who should be included.
“One of the great disservices of this type of list is that many great lawyers are not included,” said Coxe.
“Especially young lawyers that many may not know yet. It really is a popularity contest,” said DeVault, who is the state’s second-ranked attorney behind Christian Searcy of West Palm Beach.
White said by the end of next year all 50 states will have a “Super Lawyers” publication. He said the idea for such lists was borne out of the information age.
“People are used to getting more quality information before making decisions,” said White. “Super Lawyers is not the end all, but it is a good tool. The more information available for consumers, the better.”
The other 10 Jacksonville attorneys to make the top 100 are: Howard Coker, Michael Dewberry, Evan Yegelwel, Wayne Hogan, Rutledge Liles, Don Maciejewski, George “Buddy” Schultz, Bon Spohrer, Gerald Weedon and David Wells. Tracy Carlin was the only female attorney to make the magazine’s top 50 women lawyers list.
Super Lawyers selection process
The objective of the Super Lawyers selection process is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource to assist attorneys and sophisticated consumers in the search for legal counsel.
In December 2006, Key Professional Media, Inc. retained Global Strategy Group (GSG), one of the nation’s leading market research and consulting firms, to provide an independent assessment of the Super Lawyers selection process. The GSG report concluded that the process is scientific and objective and went on to state:
“The broad range of sources used to obtain a large and representative nominee pool, the comprehensive data search on each candidate, the protocols used to evaluate nominees, the expert panel system, and the meticulous checks and balances built into the process . . . leave little to chance or idiosyncratic influence.”
No other legal publisher goes through the unique multi-step process that Super Lawyers employs to find evidence of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Step one: creation of the candidate pool
Statewide survey of lawyers
Each year, we conduct a statewide survey of lawyers (except in California and Washington, D.C., where we survey by region). Lawyers eligible to participate include those who have been in practice for at least five years.
This year, we will invite over 800,000 lawyers nationwide to participate in our online survey.
We ask the lawyers to nominate the best attorneys they’ve personally observed in action.
Nominees need not be in private practice. Lawyers may nominate legal aid attorneys, prosecutors and in-house counsels.
Lawyers may nominate attorneys in their own firm, but these nominations count only if each in-firm nomination is matched by at least one out-firm nomination.
Each nomination carries a point value. An out-firm vote has substantially greater point value than an in-firm vote.
Lawyers cannot vote for themselves.
With our database, we are able to keep track of who votes for whom. This helps us detect any excessive “back-scratch” voting (lawyers voting for each other) and “block voting” (where members of the same law firm cast identical ballots).
“Star Search” process
We add additional names to the candidate pool through our “Star Search” process.
Our attorney-led research staff searches for outstanding lawyers by:
• Reviewing national and local periodicals as well as legal trade journals
• Searching numerous databases and online sources
• Conducting in-person and telephonic meetings with law firms
Some of the attorneys found through “Star Search” may have been missed in the online balloting process. Examples of lawyers often overlooked in balloting:
• Lawyers with national litigation practices who rarely appear in the courts of their home jurisdiction
• Lawyers in smaller firms, or from smaller communities
• Lawyers practicing in less visible or highly specialized practice areas
Step two: evaluation of lawyers in candidate pool
Our research department examines the background and experience of each candidate searching for evidence of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Factors considered in evaluating candidates:
• Verdicts and settlements
• Transactions
• Representative clients
• Experience
• Honors and awards
• Special licenses and certifications
• Position within law firm
• Bar and or other professional activity
• Pro bono and community service
• Scholarly lectures and writings
• Education and employment background
• Other outstanding achievement
Step three: peer evaluation by practice area
Candidates are grouped according to primary area of practice.
Those with high point totals from the balloting and qualitative evaluation steps are asked to be on a blue ribbon panel for their practice area.
Panelists review and score a list of candidates from their practice area.
Panelists may add names to the list. These are passed along to research for evaluation.
Final Selection
Final candidates are segmented according to firm size (firm size categories vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction). Those with the highest point totals from each category are selected. Only 5 percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers.
Before publishing
The research staff checks each candidate’s standing with the local licensing authority;
Candidates are asked to aver that they have not been subject to disciplinary or criminal proceedings and to confirm the accuracy of contact and practice area information;
Final Internet searches are performed on each candidate to ensure there are no outstanding matters that would reflect adversely on the lawyer.
— Information courtesy Key Professional Media, Inc.