The boutique operation of Christian & Small finds its roots and central leadership in Birmingham, with additional Mobile metro area and Jackson, Mississippi offices. Capable in a broad variety of litigation capacities, the firm’s team represents local, national, and international institutions and corporations from a diversity of sectors in disputes throughout the Southeast. The firm’s practitioners are frequently involved in the commercial and insurance spheres, as well as in a wide variety of liability matters.
Michael Vercher of the Birmingham stronghold is among the firm’s founding members and represents both insurers and the insured in complex proceedings relating to mass tort claims, workplace exposure, product liability, premises liability, construction, transportation, and a variety of other matters. Vercher currently provides defense representation to commercial motor carrier RM Logistics and one of the drivers in the company’s employ against a suit which alleges that the driver’s negligence was the cause of a multi-vehicle collision resulting in the closure of Interstate 65.
Among Vercher’s fellow Birmingham-based founding partners, Richard Smith has developed a practice which underscores complex matters arising in the financial services, healthcare, and construction sectors. Smith currently represents design and engineering firm Stantec in three separate defective design suits filed by plaintiffs including the State of Alabama Department of Transportation, arising in relation to a recent $23 million bridge project on which the company was retained to provide several engineering services.
Heading the firm’s bankruptcy and restructuring group from Birmingham,
Daniel Sparks currently represents Nelson Brothers, Inc. as a member of the official committee of unsecured creditors of Cloud Peak Energy on Cloud Peak’s $600 million, widely spectated Chapter 11 case.
Benchmark continues to recognize the involvement of other key firm practitioners, including founding partner
Sharon Stuart and insurance coverage and extra contractual practice head
John Johnson, as well as newly recognizing Todd Weston as a litigation star as of this year. Weston is active in a variety of practice areas, chiefly those of insurance, construction, employment, and product liability.
