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Christian & Small and Six Partners Recognized in 2025 Chambers USA Rankings

June 05, 2025

Christian & Small is pleased to announce that the firm and six partners are recognized in the 2025 edition of Chambers USA. Partners Bill D. Bensinger,  Bradley R. Hightower, Thomas B. Humphries, and Daniel D. Sparks are ranked for Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2, 3, Up and Coming, and 1, respectively). Partner Richard E. Smith and  Sharon D. Stuart are ranked in Litigation: General Commercial (Band 4 and 3, respectively).  The firm is recognized for its General Commercial Litigation (Band 3) and Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2) practice areas. New to the rankings this year is the Construction Practice Group, ranked as Band 3. This marks the fifteenth year that the firm's partners and practice have received recognition.

 Bill D. Bensinger focuses his practice on commercial dispute litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring litigation. He represents creditors, franchisors, landlords, unsecured creditors’ committees, and financial institutions in a wide range of matters, including preference and avoidance actions, workout transactions and insolvency matters.

 

 Bradley R. Hightower has been practicing since 2002 and focuses his practice on commercial and bankruptcy litigation. He routinely addresses complex issues arising in business reorganization, restructuring, and liquidations.

 

Thomas Humphries is a member of the Bankruptcy & Restructuring and Business Services & Commercial Litigation practice groups. He represents creditors, debtors, bankruptcy trustees, and other commercial litigants in state and federal courts in Alabama and neighboring states.

 

 Richard E. Smith's practice primarily focuses on complex corporate litigation for clients in the financial services, health care, and construction industries, along with corporate entities in other sectors. His extensive litigation experience includes trying over 175 jury trials to a verdict in more than 30 Alabama counties and all three federal district courts in Alabama.

 

 Daniel D. Sparks leads Christian & Small’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group. He focuses his practice on bankruptcy and business litigation involving creditors’ rights, consumer finance, lender liability, commercial contracts, and injunctive relief.

 

Sharon D. Stuart is a founding partner at Christian & Small and has been with the firm since 1993. She dedicates her practice to civil trial work and arbitration. Her focus is on complex commercial and insurance litigation, and she manages a variety of pharmaceutical and medical device products liability cases as national, regional, or local counsel.

 

Managing Partner Greer Mallette shared, “Since the firm was founded 25 years ago, we have strived for excellence in everything we do. Recognition by Chambers USA is a significant achievement in the legal industry, and we are honored to have three practice groups and six partners included this year. We remain committed to being nonstop advocates for our clients, our community, and each other.”

Law firms and individual lawyers are ranked in bands 1 through 6, with 1 being the highest. The qualifications include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities clients value. A Recognized Practitioner is an individual on the Chambers research radar working towards being included in the printed version of the guide.

About Christian & Small

Christian & Small LLP represents a diverse clientele throughout Alabama, the Southeast, and the nation with clients ranging from individuals and closely held businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. By matching highly experienced lawyers with specific client needs, Christian & Small develops innovative, effective, and efficient solutions for clients. With offices in Birmingham, metro-Jackson, Mississippi, and the Alabama Gulf Coast, Christian & Small focuses on the areas of litigation and business, is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, and is a Mansfield Rule™ Certified Plus Law Firm. Our corporate social responsibility program is focused on education, and diversity is one of Christian & Small's core values.

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. 

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