Top Lawyers 2014: Lawyers' Picks for the Best in Delaware

Lawyers on this list were chosen by a survey of Delaware lawyers. Top vote-getters are in bold, with office addresses and phone numbers, law schools, number of years in practice, and legal specialties.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

KEITH DONOVAN 
Morris James LLP, 29 N. State St., Dover, 678-8815; Widener University School of Law; 23; personal injury and workers’ compensation claims for plaintiffs; alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a mediator and arbitrator

YVONNE TAKVORIAN SAVILLE
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Weiss & Saville, P.A., 1105 N. Market St., Suite 200, Wilmington, 656-0400; Widener University School of Law; 19; alternative dispute resolution, workers’ compensation, personal injury

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JOSEPH R. SLIGHTS III
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6940; Washington and Lee University School of Law; 26; alternative dispute resolution, business litigation, corporate and fiduciary litigation, special committee representation

CHARLES H. TOLIVER IV
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6941; University of Virginia School of Law; 39; alternative dispute resolution, business litigation

AVIATION LAW

LEWIS C. LEDYARD III
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6869; Villanova University School of Law; 24; business transactions, strategic planning and counseling; commercial transactions; corporate advice; corporate trust and fiduciary services; structured finance transactions

MICHAEL M. LEDYARD
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6917; Delaware Law School; 32; use of limited liability companies, statutory and common law trusts, partnerships, corporations and other Delaware entities in complex financing transactions, such as asset backed financings and leveraged leases, and in joint ventures and other business organizations

BANKING

MARK V. PURPURA
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7588; University of North Carolina School of Law; 16; banking, LLC and partnership advisory

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BUSINESS-COMMERCIAL LAW

P. CLARKSON COLLINS JR.
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6990; Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law; 38; alternative entities, business litigation, corporate and fiduciary litigation, corporate governance counseling, energy industry team, products liability litigation, special committee representation

CYNTHIA D. KAISER
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7736; Widener University School of Law; 28; commercial transactions

WILLIAM A. YEMC
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7790; Villanova University School of Law; 24; commercial transactions, insurance

CIVIL LITIGATION

KELLY E. FARNAN
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7705; College of William & Mary School of Law; 11; intellectual property, litigation

LORETO P. RUFO
Rufo Associates, P.A., 1252 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, 234-5900; Delaware Law School; 27; litigation and trials—complex and multi-party cases

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JEFFREY M. WEINER
Law Offices of Jeffrey M. Weiner, P.A., 1332 King St., Wilmington, 652-0505; Boston College Law School; 42; commercial litigation with a focus on construction

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW  

DAVID L. FINGER
Finger & Slanina, LLC, One Commerce Center, 1201 N. Orange St., seventh floor, Wilmington, 573-2525; University of Virginia School of Law; 26; commercial litigation, corporate litigation, intellectual property litigation, commercial bankruptcy, First Amendment and media law

RICHARD H. MORSE
American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware, 100 W. 10th St., Wilmington, 654-5326, ext. 103; Harvard Law School; 39; civil rights, civil liberties

CONSUMER LAW           

CHRISTOPHER J. CURTIN
Christopher J. Curtin, Esq., Attorney at Law, 629 Mount Lebanon Road, Wilmington, 388-0135; New York Law School; 36; consumer protection, lemon law, consumer warranty law, consumer personal injury, home improvement fraud, consumer property insurance claims, litigation, confidential government ethics investigations, appeals

CORPORATE LAW

P. CLARKSON COLLINS JR.
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6990; Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law; 38; alternative entities, business litigation, corporate and fiduciary litigation, corporate governance counseling, energy industry team, products liability litigation, special committee representation 

MARK J. GENTILE
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7722; Boston University School of Law; 30; corporate advisory and governance, special committees

PETER B. LADIG
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6826; Emory University School of Law; 18; Alternative Entities, Business Litigation, Corporate and Fiduciary Litigation, Corporate Governance Counseling, Special Committee Representation

LEWIS H. LAZARUS
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6970; Stanford Law School; 32; alternative entities, business litigation, corporate and fiduciary litigation, corporate governance counseling, special committee representation

CRIMINAL LAW

THOMAS A. FOLEY
Thomas A. Foley, Attorney at Law, 1905 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, 658-3077; University of Detroit; 25; criminal defense 

JOE HURLEY
Joe Hurley, 1215 King St., Wilmington, 658-8980; Dickinson School of Law (now Penn State University Law School); 43; criminal law

JOHN R. GAREY
John R. Garey, Attorney at Law, 48 The Green, Dover, 744-9290; Widener University School of Law; 27; criminal law, Superior Court felony trial practice

EUGENE J. MAURER JR.
Eugene J. Maurer Jr., P.A., 1201A King St., Wilmington, 652-7900; Temple University Beasley School of Law; 39; defense of criminal cases from homicide to misdemeanors, white-collar crime

ERIC G. MOONEY      
Eric G. Mooney, P.A., 11 S. Race St., Georgetown, 856-3070; Quinnipiac University School of Law; 18; criminal defense, DUI defense

E-DISCOVERY

RICHARD K. HERRMANN
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6816; Syracuse University School of Law; 43; technology law, computer law section, electronic discovery, intellectual property law

IAN D. MCCAULEY
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6919; Villanova University School of Law; 6; electronic
discovery, corporate and fiduciary litigation, commercial litigation

ELDER LAW

MARY M. CULLEY
Morris James LLP., 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6885; Widener Law School; 30; estate planning, state administration, special-needs trusts, elder law

WILLIAM W. ERHART
Estate & Elder Law Services, 1011 Centre Road, Suite 117, Wilmington, 651-0113; Rutgers University School of Law; 32; estate planning, Medicaid planning, crisis planning, asset protection, trusts, wills, probate, special needs, veterans’ benefits

DAVID J. FERRY JR.
Ferry, Joseph & Pearce, P.A., 824 N. Market St., Suite 1000, Wilmington, 575-1555; Widener University School of Law; 32; elder law, estates, trusts, guardianship, probate litigation

EMPLOYMENT LAW

MICHELE D. ALLEN
Law Offices of Michele D. Allen LLC, 724 Yorklyn Road, Suite 310, Hockessin, 234-8600; Widener University School of Law; 14; employment and labor law, civil litigation, health law

TIMOTHY M. HOLLY
Connolly Gallagher LLP, 1000 West St., Brandywine Building, 14th floor, Wilmington, 252-4217; Villanova University School of Law; 13; employment law (management and employee-side)

JAMES H. MCMACKIN III
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-5849; Widener University School of Law; 12, represents employers in labor and employment disputes  

DAVID H. WILLIAMS
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6900; Dickinson School of Law; 38; employment law, education law

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW   

TODD A. COOMES
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7507; Tulane Law School; 13; environmental law, litigation

STEPHANIE L. HANSEN
Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, Rodney Square,
1000 N. King St., Wilmington, 571-6733; Widener University School of Law; 13; environmental law, fair-housing law, commercial real-estate law

F. MICHAEL PARKOWSKI
Parkowski, Guerke & Swayze, P.A., 116 W. Water St., Dover, 678-3262; Temple Law School; 41; environmental law, land use—real estate, administrative law

ROBERT W. WHETZEL
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7634; Villanova University School of Law; 30; environmental law, litigation, intellectual property, alternative dispute resolution

FAMILY LAW

JILL SPEVACK DI SCIULLO
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6871; Widener University School of Law; 15; family law

GLYNIS GIBSON
Glynis Gibson, P.A., 34 The Green, Suite G, Dover, 730-1300; University of Baltimore School of Law; 29; family law, including custody, divorce, property division, visitation, grandparent rights, termination of parental rights/adoption, dependency/neglect petitions, prenuptial agreements, protection from abuse petitions, child support and appeals

ANDREW W. GONSER
Gonser and Gonser, P.A., 3411 Silverside Road, Hagley Building, Suite 203, Wilmington, 478-4445; Widener University School of Law; 10; family court matters

FELICE GLENNON KERR
MacElree Harvey, Ltd., 5721 Kennett Pike, Centreville, 654-4454, Suffolk University Law School; 25; family law-divorce, custody, child support, prenuptial agreements

GRETCHEN S. KNIGHT
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6926; Villanova University School of Law; 24; family law, including divorce, property division, alimony, child support, custody, guardianships, premarital agreements

FINANCIAL REGULATION

MARK V. PURPURA
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7588; University of North Carolina School of Law; 16; banking, LLC and partnership advisory

HEALTH-CARE LAW

ADAM BALICK
Balick & Balick, 711 King St., Wilmington, 658-4265; Dickinson School of Law; 25; health-care law

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

JACK BLUMENFELD
Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, 1201 N. Market St., Wilmington, 351-9291; Yale Law School; 35; intellectual property litigation

FREDERICK L. COTTRELL III
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7509; Dickinson School of Law, 26; intellectual property, litigation

RICHARD K. HERRMANN
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6816; Syracuse University School of Law; 43; technology law, computer law section, electronic discovery, intellectual property law

INTERNATIONAL LAW

ELENA C. NORMAN
Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, 1000 N. King St., Rodney Square, Wilmington, 571-5029, Stanford Law School, 21, corporate litigation, cross-border litigation

LAND USE-ZONING

RICHARD E. BERL JR.
Berl & Feinberg, LLP, Dartmouth Business Center, Suite 3, 34382 Carpenter’s Way, Lewes, 644-8330; Delaware Law School; 35 years; civil litigation, real estate

A. KIMBERLY HOFFMAN
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-5209; Florida State University College of Law; 18; real estate, land use, alternative dispute resolution

LITIGATION

JAMIE C. KING
Tunnell & Raysor, P.A., 30 E. Pine St., Georgetown, 856-7313; Appalachian School of Law; 2; civil litigation/family law

LORETO P. RUFO
Rufo Associates, P.A., 1252 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, 234-5900; The Delaware Law School; 27; litigation and trials—
complex and multi-party cases

GREGORY V. VARALLO
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7772; Temple University School of Law; 31; corporate litigation, special committees, alternative dispute resolution

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

BARTHOLOMEW J. DALTON
Dalton & Associates, P.A., Cool Springs Meeting House, 1106 W. 10th St., Wilmington,
652-2050; University of Tulsa, 35; medical negligence, personal injury, product liability, civil rights, wrongful death

TIMOTHY E. LENGKEEK
Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, Rodney Square, 1000 N. King St., Wilmington, 571-6605; Rutgers Law School; 13; medical negligence, personal injury, workers’ compensation

MICHAEL J. MALKIEWICZ
Barros, McNamara, Malkiewicz & Taylor, P.A., 2 W. Loockerman St., P.O. Box 1298, Dover, 734-8400; University of Notre Dame, 32; personal injury, medical malpractice, criminal, administrative, Board of Medical practice

RANDALL E. ROBBINS
Ashby & Geddes, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 800, Wilmington, 654-1888; University of Richmond; 33; medical malpractice/negligence and serious personal injury

PATENT LAW

JACK BLUMENFELD
Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, 1201 N. Market St., Wilmington, 351-9291; Yale Law School; 35; intellectual property litigation

RICHARD K. HERRMANN
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6816; Syracuse University School of Law; 43; technology law, computer law section, electronic discovery, intellectual property law

MARY B. MATTERER
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6960; Delaware Law School of Widener University, 26; intellectual property litigation; insurance law

PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY

ERIN K. BRIGNOLA
Cooper Levenson, P.A., 30 Fox Hunt Dr., Fox Run Shopping Center, Bear, 838-2600; Widener School of Law; 25; consumer bankruptcy practice/litigation for individuals and debt solutions for small businesses, complex litigation for the domestic/bankruptcy issues and minor practice with small satellite office attention for simple wills, powers of attorney, health-care directives, real-estate settlements and closings

WILLIAM F. JAWORSKI JR.
Law Office of William F. Jaworski, 1274 S. Governors Ave., Dover, 730-8511; Ohio Northern University College of Law; 22; consumer bankruptcy, consumer fair debt collection practices act claims, personal injury, workers’ compensation

TIFFANY A. POOLE
Rahaim and Saints, LLP, 2055 Limestone Road, Suite 211, Wilmington,892-9200; Widener University School of Law; 15;
individual consumer bankruptcy

PERSONAL INJURY

KEITH DONOVAN
Morris James LLP, 29 N. State St., Dover, 678-8815; Widener University School of Law; 23; personal injury and workers’ compensation claims for plaintiffs; alternative dispute resolution as a mediator and arbitrator

TIFFANY QUELL FRIEDMAN
Roeberg, Moore & Friedman, 910 Gilpin Ave., Wilmington, 658-8700; Widener University School of Law; 24; personal injury, workers’ compensation, alternative dispute resolution

TIMOTHY E. LENGKEEK
Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, Rodney Square, 1000 N. King St., Wilmington, 571-6605; Rutgers Law School; 13; medical negligence, personal injury, workers’ compensation

PRIVATE EQUITY LAW

PAUL M. ALTMAN
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7664; Villanova University School of Law; 31; LLC and partnership advisory

GREGORY LADNER
Richards, Layton & Finger, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7547; Villanova School of Law; 19; corporate law, in particular, alternative entities, mergers and acquisitions

MICHAEL M. LEDYARD
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6917; Delaware Law School; 32; use of limited liability companies, statutory and common law trusts, partnerships, corporations and other Delaware entities in complex financing transactions, such as asset backed financings and leveraged leases, and in joint ventures and other business organizations

MELISSA K. STUBENBERG
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7515, George Washington University Law School, 16; LLC and partnership advisory

REAL ESTATE LAW

HAROLD E DUKES JR.
Tunnell & Raysor, 30 E. Pine St., Georgetown, 856-7313; The University of South Carolina; 40; real estate

DANIEL H. KRAPF
Saul Ewing LLP, 222 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, 421-6841; Dickinson School of Law; 38; Commercial Real Estate

ANDREW P. TAYLOR
Cooch and Taylor, 1000 N. West St., Brandywine Building, Wilmington, 984-3812; Dickinson School of Law of Penn State University; 32; real estate

SARA T. TONER
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7646; Temple University School of Law; 9; real estate

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY

STEVE BUTLER
Linarducci & Butler, P.A., 910 W. Basin Road, Suite 100, New Castle, 325-2400; Widener University School of Law; 11; Social Security disability

GARY LINARDUCCI    
Linarducci & Butler, P.A., 910 W. Basin Road, Suite 100, New Castle, 325-2400; The Delaware Law School of Widener University; 39; Social Security disability

KAREN Y. VICKS
Law Office of Karen Y. Vicks, 500 W. Loockerman St., Dover, 674-1100; James Beasley School of Law; 14; Social Security disability and veterans disability

TECHNOLOGY LAW

RICHARD K. HERRMANN
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6816; Syracuse University School of Law; 43; technology law, computer law section, electronic discovery, intellectual property law

TORTS-INSURANCE

FRANCIS PETE JONES
Morris James LLP, 803 N. Broom St., Wilmington, 651-3586; The Catholic University of America; 31, plaintiff’s personal injury and alternative dispute resolution

LORETO P. RUFO
Rufo Associates, P.A., 1252 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, 234-5900; The Delaware Law School; 27; litigation and trials—complex and multi-party cases

DAVID J. SOLDO
Morris James LLP, 500 Delaware Ave., Suite 1500, Wilmington, 888-6950; Widener University School of Law (J.D.), Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (LL.M. in trial advocacy); 12; business litigation, personal injury litigation, products liability litigation

TRUSTS AND ESTATES

F. PETER CONATY JR.
Richards, Layton & Finger; One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7855; Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M.), Temple University School of Law (J.D.); 22; trusts and estates, tax

MATTHEW P. D’EMILIO
Cooch and Taylor, P.A., 1000 West St., 10th Floor, Wilmington, 984-3800; Widener University School of Law; 8; estate planning and wealth transfer, estate and trust litigation, estate and trust administration

SHANNON R. OWENS
Moore & Rutt, P.A., 122 W. Market St., Georgetown, 856-9568; Widener University School of Law; 11; elder law, including guardianships and Medicaid matters; real estate, estate planning; estate and trust administration; estate litigation

W. DONALD SPARKS II
Richards, Layton & Finger, One Rodney Square, 920 N. King St., Wilmington, 651-7758; Yale Law School; 31; trusts and estates, tax

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION, BUSINESS

H. GARRETT BAKER
Elzufon Austin Tarlov & Mondell, P.A., 300 Delaware Ave., Suite 1700, Wilmington, 504-3220; Southern Illinois University; 22; workers’ compensation defense

SCOTT R. MONDELL
Elzufon, Austin, Tarlov & Mondell, P.A., 300 Delaware Ave., Suite 1700, Wilmington, 504-3222; The Delaware Law School of Widener University; 26; workers’ compensation defense on behalf of employers, insurance carriers and third-party administrators

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION, EMPLOYEE

JONATHAN B. O’NEILL
Kimmel, Carter, Roman, Peltz & O’Neill, P.A., 56 W. Main St., Suite 400, Newark, 565-6100; Widener University School of Law; 11; plaintiff’s personal injury, workers’ compensation

WALT F. SCHMITTINGER
Schmittinger & Rodriguez, P.A.,414 S. State St., P.O. Box 497, Dover, 674-0140; Widener University; 19; workers’ compensation

MICHAEL WEISS
Weiss & Saville, P.A., 1105 N. Market St., Suite 200, Wilmington, 656-0400; Villanova School of Law; 40; plaintiff personal injury and employee workers’ compensation

NATALIE WOLF
Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, 1000 N. King St., Wilmington, 571-6606; Georgetown University School of Law; 20; workers’ compensation, personal injury, medical negligence

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