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Aug 21 – Press Releases

BEST LAWYERS® IN AMERICA HONORS 31 HFM ATTORNEYS; 4 ADDITIONAL ATTORNEYS NAMED “ONES TO WATCH”

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HFM Partner Susan M. Hack Receives “2027 Lawyer of the Year” Recognition

SAN DIEGO (August 21, 2026): Thirty-one Higgs Fletcher & Mack (HFM) attorneys have been named to the 2027 list of “Best Lawyers® in America” and four attorneys were named to the publication’s “Ones to Watch” list.  In addition, HFM Partner Susan M. Hack was recognized as “2027 Lawyer of the Year” in the Product Liability Litigation – Defendants category.

Best Lawyers® in America are designated through a peer-review process. Attorneys are divided by geographic region and practice areas and then reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise. Best Lawyers® also publishes a “Ones to Watch” list, recognizing lawyers who have been in practice between five and ten years. According to the publication, the list highlights the most promising younger lawyers in the United States. The following HFM Attorneys were named to the 2027 Best Lawyers ® in America list:

• Roland H. Achtel – Litigation – Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates
• Susan E. Basinger – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation –Defendants
• Edwin M. Boniske – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Nicholas D. Brauns – Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Steven J. Cologne – Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Christine De Santis – Family Law
• Mitchell Dubick – Tax Law
• Martin A. Eliopulos – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Sarah Evans – Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Michael R. Gibson – Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate, and Real Estate Law
• Alexis S. Gutierrez – Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Susan M. Hack – Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law, Insurance Law, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• Daniel C. Herbert – Family Law
• Scott J. Ingold – Trusts and Estates
• Rachel R. James – Family Law
• Kenneth C. Jones – Employment Law – Individuals and Real Estate Law
• William M. Low – Commercial Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• Anna Luedtke – Real Estate Law
• Nicole M. Martinez – Family Law
• Susan A. Mercure – Trusts and Estates
• John M. Morris – Appellate Practice
• Kyle W. Nageotte – Employment Law – Management
• Bruce M. O’Brien – Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates
• James M. Peterson – Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Stephanie Pfaff – Tax Law
• F. Gregory Pyke – Real Estate Law
• John J. Rice – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
• Phillip Samouris – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property, and Real Estate Law
• Mark K. Stender – Trusts and Estates
• Geoffrey M. Thorne – Commercial Litigation
• Brian P. Tsu – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates


The following HFM Attorneys were named to the 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” list:

• Kathryn Callaghan – Commercial Litigation
• Greer L. Houston – Trusts and Estates
• Philip Mauriello – Litigation – Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates
• Jake Sesti – Commercial Litigation

Hack’s “2027 Lawyer of the Year” honor is particularly significant, as only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area receives that designation, and the lawyers are selected because they earn particularly impressive voting averages from their peer review assessments. Best Lawyers® was founded in 1981 with a purpose of “highlighting the extraordinary accomplishments of those in the legal profession,” and the Best Lawyers in America list has been published for over three decades.

About Higgs Fletcher & Mack
Higgs Fletcher & Mack is a full-service law firm that serves diverse individuals and industries. For over 85 years, the firm has worked tirelessly with companies and people that need legal counsel and representation in and out of the courtroom. Higgs Fletcher & Mack’s over 75 attorneys with experience in multiple fields of law, and its internal network of legal professionals, frequently coordinate in practice area groups with multidisciplinary dimensions, helping clients make more informed decisions. The firm is actively recruiting partner-level talent in complementary practice areas to provide legal expertise in the San Diego region and beyond.

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