Robinson & McElwee Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers 2027

Fourteen lawyers from Robinson & McElwee PLLC were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2027.

The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2027 for Charleston, WV include:

  • Craig S. Beeson, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Joseph S. Beeson, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Kent J. George, Commercial Finance Law, Construction Law, Corporate Law
  • Heather G. Harlan, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Tax Law
  • Mark H. Hayes, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Robert E. Lannan II, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
  • Douglas C. McElwee, Land Use and Zoning Law, Natural Resources Law, Real Estate Law
  • John C. Palmer IV, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • William C. Porth, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Utilities Law
  • Bradley Sorrells, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Real Estate Law

The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2027 for Clarksburg, WV include:

  • Richard W. Gallagher, Commercial Litigation, Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
  • Stephen F. Gandee, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, and Transportation Law

The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2027 for Alliance, OH include:

  • Brent A. Barnes, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate, Oil and Gas Law
  • Michael A. Ogline, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which almost 50,000 leading attorneys cast nearly five million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed.  Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

 


Robinson & McElwee PLLC Recognized by Chambers USA 2026

Robinson & McElwee Recognized by Chambers USA 2026

The newly released edition of Chambers USA 2026 recognized four Robinson & McElwee attorneys as leaders in their field for their practices in West Virginia:

  • Kent George, Real Estate (Band 1) and Corporate/Commercial (Band 1)
  • Heather Harlan, Tax (Band 2) and Corporate/Commercial (Band 3)
  • Doug McElwee, Real Estate (Band 1)
  • David Russo, Labor & Employment (Band 3)

Robinson & McElwee was also recognized as a leading firm in three practice categories in West Virginia:

  • Real Estate (Band 1)
  • Labor and Employment (Band 3)
  • Corporate/Commercial (Band 3)

Chambers USA ranks the leading firms and attorneys in a wide range of practice areas by conducting in-depth, client-focused research. The results are published each year in a guide that serves as a legal resource for industry-leading companies and organizations. Rankings are assessed on criteria such as technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness/astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities that the client considers relevant.


Robinson & McElwee Listed in U.S. News Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” for 2026

Robinson & McElwee PLLC has been recognized in three regional tiers in three cities in the 2026 U.S. News – Best Lawyers© “Best Law Firms” list.  Firms included in this list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers, according to the Best Lawyers© press release.

Regional Tier 1

Akron

  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Tax Law
  • Trusts & Estates Law

Charleston-WV

  • Administrative / Regulatory Law
  • Commercial Finance Law
  • Employment Law – Management
  • Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Real Estate Law
  • Utilities Law

Morgantown

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Litigation – Construction
  • Transportation Law

 

Regional Tier 2

Akron

  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Commercial Litigation

Charleston-WV

  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Labor Law – Management
  • Land Use and Zoning Law
  • Litigation – Bankruptcy
  • Litigation – Labor and Employment

 

Regional Tier 3

Charleston-WV

  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Energy Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Natural Resources Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • Tax Law

 

For a firm to receive a tier designation there must be present a high level of respect for that firm among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for their capabilities, their professionalism and their integrity.  The tier rankings were determined through the firm’s overall evaluation derived from a combination of clients’ impressive feedback, the high regard attorneys from different firms in the same practice area hold for Robinson & McElwee, and information provided by the firm.


Robinson & McElwee Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers 2026

Fourteen lawyers from Robinson & McElwee PLLC were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026.

The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 for Charleston, WV include:

  • Craig S. Beeson, Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Joseph S. Beeson, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Kent J. George, Commercial Finance Law, Construction Law, Corporate Law
  • Heather G. Harlan, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Tax Law
  • Mark H. Hayes, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Robert E. Lannan II, Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
  • Douglas C. McElwee, Land Use and Zoning Law, Natural Resources Law, Real Estate Law
  • John C. Palmer IV, Commercial Litigation, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants
  • William C. Porth, Administrative / Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Utilities Law
  • Bradley Sorrells, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Real Estate Law

The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 for Clarksburg, WV include:

  • Richard W. Gallagher, Commercial Litigation
  • Stephen F. Gandee, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, and Transportation Law

The Robinson & McElwee attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 for Alliance, OH include:

  • Brent A. Barnes, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate, Oil and Gas Law
  • Michael A. Ogline, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which almost 50,000 leading attorneys cast nearly five million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed.  Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”


Robinson & McElwee PLLC Recognized by Chambers USA 2025

The newly released edition of Chambers USA 2025 recognized four Robinson & McElwee attorneys as leaders in their field for their practices in West Virginia:

  • Kent George, Real Estate (Band 1) and Corporate/Commercial (Band 2)
  • Heather Harlan, Tax (Band 2)
  • Doug McElwee, Real Estate (Band 1)
  • David Russo, Labor & Employment (Band 3)

Robinson & McElwee was also recognized as a leading firm in three practice categories in West Virginia:

  • Real Estate (Band 2)
  • Labor and Employment (Band 3)
  • Corporate/Commercial (Band 3)

Chambers USA ranks the leading firms and attorneys in a wide range of practice areas by conducting in-depth, client-focused research. The results are published each year in a guide that serves as a legal resource for industry-leading companies and organizations. Rankings are assessed on criteria such as technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness/astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities that the client considers relevant.


Robinson & McElwee Announces Jonathon Stanley as Firm’s Newest Member

Robinson & McElwee has announced the addition of Jonathon Stanley as the firm’s newest member.  Stanley will continue his work in the business and litigation practice groups in the firm’s Charleston office.

Stanley first joined the firm as a summer associate in 2016.  Upon graduation with honors from Washington and Lee University Law School, he started as an associate in the firm’s corporate litigation group.  His practice focuses on representing businesses and individuals across many industries, both in litigation and in other forms of dispute resolution.  Additionally, Stanley represents clients in related matters such as corporate structuring, strategic planning, and insurance, as well as constitutional, utility, and regulatory matters.

Professionally, Stanley has been involved in the Federalist Society, the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society.  He holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Russian from Brigham Young University, and has a minor in Anthropology.

Stanley lives with his wife, Karissa, and their four children just outside of Charleston.  While he now considers West Virginia home, Stanley is a native of Utah and has lived in Minnesota, Texas, and Virginia.  He also lived in Western Siberia for two years, and is fluent in Russian.