Foulston Lawyers and Practice Areas Add 2026 Best Lawyers® Honors
August 21, 2025
Wichita, KAN. – This year, 67 lawyers were recognized in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Thirteen lawyers were honored as “Lawyer of the Year” within a practice area and city, and two additional Foulston attorneys and multiple new practice areas for various attorneys have been highlighted in the newest Best Lawyers® rankings. First published in 1983, Best Lawyers® is a well-known organization that uses peer and reference feedback to develop lawyer rankings.
Attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers® are reviewed by their peers and references based on professional experience and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. Only one lawyer in each practice area and location is honored as the "Lawyer of the Year." This designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same community and the same practice area(s) for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America recognizes lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their professional excellence.
The following Foulston attorneys were recognized as the Best Lawyers® 2026 "Lawyer of the Year" in these cities and practice areas:
Kansas City, Kansas
- Tony F. Rupp – Litigation - Municipal
Topeka, Kansas
- Jeremy L. Graber – Tax Law
Wichita, Kansas
- Matthew W. Bish – Trusts and Estates
- Boyd A. Byers – Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management
- Jeff P. DeGraffenreid – Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Wyatt A. Hoch – Construction Law
- Jeffery A. Jordan – Litigation - Construction
- Andrew J. Nolan – Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses
- David E. Rogers – Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
- Kyle J. Steadman – Mediation
- Shannon D. Wead – Litigation - Bankruptcy
- Craig W. West – Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- William R. Wood II – Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law
The following Foulston attorneys were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 in these practice areas and geographic locations (some were previously mentioned as a “Lawyer of the Year”):
Kansas City, Kansas
- Brian G. Boos – Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
- Daniel J. Buller – Commercial Litigation
- Vaughn Burkholder – Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Tara Eberline – Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Litigation - Municipal
- Jack M. Epps – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Leisure and Hospitality Law, Real Estate Law
- Joshua T. Hill – Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Securitization and Structured Finance Law
- Scott C. Nehrbass – Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - ERISA, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Real Estate, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- James D. Oliver – Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Litigation - Antitrust, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Litigation - Securities, Mining Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law
- Scott C. Palecki – Health Care Law
- John C. Peck – Natural Resources Law, Water Law
- Tony F. Rupp – Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Land Use and Zoning, Litigation - Municipal, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Municipal Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Lee M. Smithyman – Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
- Matthew D. Stromberg – Commercial Litigation
- James P. Zakoura – Energy Law
Topeka, Kansas
- Jeremy L. Graber – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
- Charles R. Hay – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Health Care Law
- James P. Rankin – Administrative / Regulatory Law, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Government Relations Practice, Litigation - ERISA
Wichita, Kansas
- Stanley G. Andeel – Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
- James M. Armstrong – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, Litigation - Antitrust, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Litigation - Securities
- Kevin J. Arnel – Corporate Law, Nonprofit / Charities Law, Tax Law
- Gary L. Ayers – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Health Care Law, Litigation - Health Care, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants, Qui Tam Law, Trade Secrets Law
- Francis J. Baalmann – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Brooke Bennett Aziere – Health Care Law, Litigation - Health Care
- Donald D. Berner – Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Matthew W. Bish – Elder Law, Trusts and Estates
- Boyd A. Byers – Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, Litigation - ERISA, Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Jeff P. DeGraffenreid – Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Mediation
- Holly A. Dyer – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Electronic Discovery and Information Management Law, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Municipal, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants, Trade Secrets Law
- Charles P. Efflandt – Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental
- Jay F. Fowler – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Municipal, Litigation - Trusts and Estates
- Douglas L. Hanisch – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Karl N. Hesse – Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law, Real Estate Law
- Wyatt A. Hoch – Arbitration, Construction Law, Litigation - Construction, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
- Christopher M. Hurst – Tax Law
- Jeffery A. Jordan – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, Litigation - Antitrust, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Litigation - Construction, Litigation and Controversy - Tax
- Gordon G. Kirsten II – Banking and Finance Law
- Amy S. Lemley – Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- William P. Matthews – Copyright Law, Franchise Law, Information Technology Law, Trademark Law
- Charles E. McClellan – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Corey L. Moomaw – Elder Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
- Andrew J. Nolan – Business Organizations (Including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Tax Law
- Michael J. Norton – Commercial Litigation, Copyright Law, Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Forrest T. Rhodes Jr. – Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
- David E. Rogers – Arbitration, Education Law, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
- Teresa L. Shulda – Civil Rights Law, Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Robert Smith – Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law
- Harvey R. Sorensen – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Tax Law, Venture Capital Law
- Kyle J. Steadman – Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Mediation, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- David M. Traster – Energy Law, Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental, Water Law
- Trish Voth Blankenship – Real Estate Law
- C. Edward Watson II – Employment Law - Management, Utilities Law
- Shannon D. Wead – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Stewart T. Weaver – Elder Law, Trusts and Estates
- Craig W. West – Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Mediation, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Rachel N. Wetta – Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- William R. Wood II – Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Franchise Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Project Finance Law, Real Estate Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law
The following Foulston attorneys were selected for inclusion in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America in these practice areas and geographic locations:
Kansas City, Kansas
- Cameron S. Bernard – Insurance Law, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Sarah C. Otto – Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Labor and Employment, Privacy and Data Security Law
Topeka, Kansas
- Jake G. Holly – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
- Andrew P. Wiederholt – Construction Law, Litigation - Construction
Wichita, Kansas
- Sarah Buchanan – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Morgan E. Geffre – Labor and Employment Law - Management
- Wesley J. Kimmel – Energy Law, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Real Estate Law
- Jeremy E. Koehler – Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
- Emily L. Matta – Litigation - Labor and Employment
- Robert J. McFadden – Administrative / Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law
- Samuel J. Walenz – Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Health Care Law
As the largest law firm based in Kansas, with offices in Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita, Foulston Siefkin LLP provides legal services to a broad range of clients — from large national and international corporations to small businesses to individuals. Foulston’s lawyers are consistently recognized as among the leading lawyers in the United States. For more than 100 years, Foulston’s lawyers have provided counsel in a wide range of practice areas, including civil and complex litigation, tax, business matters, employment and labor, and healthcare. For more information, contact Tammy Allen, chief marketing officer, at (316) 291-9572, tallen@foulston.com; or visit www.foulston.com.