Costello and Pierce Named “Lawyer of the Year” for Dayton and Three Named “Ones to Watch”
Dayton, Ohio – Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A. is pleased to announce that 16 of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 edition, and two attorneys, Shannon L. Costello and David P. Pierce, have been named “Lawyer of the Year” for Dayton in their practice areas. In addition, three Coolidge lawyers were named “Ones to Watch.”
Best Lawyers is regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Its process is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Lawyers may not pay a fee to be listed, so inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
The Coolidge Wall attorneys selected for inclusion in 2026 Best Lawyers in America® are:
- Michelle D. Bach for Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
- R. Scott Blackburn for Trusts and Estates
- Christopher R. Conard for Commercial Litigation
- Shannon L. Costello for Real Estate Law and Litigation-Real Estate
- Terence L. Fague for Commercial Litigation and Litigation-Labor and Employment
- Kristin A. Finch Real Estate Law
- Patricia J. Friesinger for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights, Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Daniel J. Gentry for Commercial Litigation
- J. Stephen Herbert for Real Estate Law and Banking and Finance Law
- W. Chip Herin III for Corporate Law
- Benjamin A. Mazer for Employment Law-Management
- David P. Pierce for Commercial Litigation and Litigation-Labor and Employment
- Richard A. Talda for Commercial Litigation
- Sam Warwar for Tax Law, Corporate Law, and Litigation and Controversy-Tax
- Merle F. Wilberding for Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, and Litigation-Real Estate Law
- Jeffrey A. Winwood for Trusts and Estates
Two Coolidge Wall attorneys received additional special recognition by Best Lawyers. Shannon Costello, chair of the firm’s Real Estate Department was named the Best Lawyers® 2026 Litigation, Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year” in Dayton, and David Pierce, chair of the firm’s Litigation and Labor & Employment Departments, was named the Best Lawyers® 2026 Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year” in Dayton. “Lawyer of the Year” recognition is awarded to an individual lawyer with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty -within a given region.
In addition, three Coolidge Wall attorneys were named as 2026 Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch in their practice areas.
- Robert D. Ballinger for Corporate Law and Real Estate Law
- Elliott V. Haller for Health Care Law, Corporate Law, Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Patrick Martin for Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Ones to Watch recognize lawyers who have been in private practice less than 10 years in the U.S. and like traditional Best Lawyers recognition, is based entirely on peer review.
Coolidge Wall is a leading full-service, Dayton-based law firm providing clients with legal representation in matters of corporate and business transactions, real estate, tax, bankruptcy, employee benefits, estate planning and probate, health care, labor and employment, litigation, and dispute resolution.
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