Having one of your partners selected as a 2026 Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America is cause for celebration. The party just gets bigger when the oldest and most respected peer-review guides in the nation bestows that honor on two of your partners. 

We could not be more proud to announce that Dawn Estes has been selected as Dallas-Fort Worth’s Arbitration Lawyer of the Year and Carol Payne has earned DFW Lawyer of the Year recognition for Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law.  

This is the second time in three years that Dawn has earned this distinction. She also earned Best Lawyers recognition in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Labor and Employment Litigation, and Arbitration.  

Carol was previously selected as the Lawyer of the Year in Legal Malpractice Law Defense in 2024. She also earned the Best Lawyers designation in four categories: Commercial Litigation, Arbitration, Legal Malpractice Law Defense, and Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law. 

And as impressive as those honors are, they are just two of the candles on our celebratory cake. Five additional firm attorneys were recognized across a total of six practice areas.  

Jessica Thorne and Abby Ewing each earned repeat recognition for their impressive Family Law and Collaborative Family Law practices. Jessica received a third nod for her Commercial Litigation work.  

Linda Moore and Jennifer Henry were recognized for their Commercial Litigation work, with Linda also selected for ERISA Litigation.  

Lori Carr was selected in Labor and Employment Litigation and Employment Law-Management.  

Congratulations to our outstanding colleagues. You truly are The Best.