Troutman Pepper Announces 2025 Best Lawyers Rankings

NEW YORK – The Best Lawyers in America® — the oldest peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession — has recognized 242 Troutman Pepper attorneys as Best Lawyers in America in its 2025 edition. Notably, Best Lawyers® honored 21 Troutman Pepper partners as “Lawyers of the Year,” a distinction held by very few practicing attorneys nationwide, with only one lawyer recognized as the “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty and location.

The firm also has 163 attorneys recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America®. This recognition highlights the exceptional abilities of attorneys with less than a decade of private practice and is a testament to the firm’s commitment to nurturing exceptional legal talent. 

Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Attorneys must be nominated for consideration and then voted on and recommended by their peers for inclusion. Those recognized must also be in good standing with their local bar associations.

Troutman Pepper’s full list of recognized attorneys can be found here.

Lawyers of the Year

Atlanta
Hazen H. Dempster (Securitization and Structured Finance Law)
Andrea M. Farley (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Steve J. Hewitson (Energy Regulatory Law)
Eric A. Koontz (Energy Law)
Charles F. Palmer (Administrative / Regulatory Law)

Charlotte
Kiran H. Mehta (Litigation – Environmental)
Paul A. Steffens (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Lynne Wakefield (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)

Harrisburg
David J. Tshudy (Real Estate Law)

Norfolk
John C. Lynch (Litigation – Banking and Finance)

Philadelphia
Michael E. Baughman (Media Law)
Thomas J. Cole, Jr. (Labor Law – Management)
Joseph T. Imperiale (Construction Law)

Pittsburgh
Eric D. Kline (Banking and Finance Law + Securities / Capital Markets Law)

Richmond
Robert A. Angle (Litigation – Patent)
John Owen Gwathmey (Securities / Capital Markets Law)
Brooks M. Smith (Water Law)
Chris Vinyard (Banking and Finance Law)
John S. West (Criminal Defense: White-Collar)
Andrea Wortzel (Environmental Law)

Rochester-NY
Andrew P. Zappia (Litigation – Patent)

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 20+ U.S. cities. The firm’s litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from startups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients’ most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.