B-Metro March/April

Special Promotion Special Promotion

2 B-METRO.COM

Special Promotion Special Promotion

THE FACE OF AVIATION Steven Allen, Jr. understands the legacy, responsibility and thrill of being in the aviation business. His father, Steven Allen, Sr., started the family’s aviation business, Premier Group, Inc., 47 years ago. Last year, Steven and wife Heather, purchased this unique family legacy. Heather manages the design aspect of the business, focusing on the look and comfrot of the aircraft. Premier Group is Alabama’s only true aircraft dealer, buying, selling and trading all sizes and brand of aircraft using their own funding. They also specialize in complex multi-aircraft trades. The company prides itself on its ability to deliver a very simple turn key solution to even the most demanding of clients, and delivering a product in 50 percent less time than their competitors.

PREMIER GROUP 205-841-6720 premiergroupinc.com

B-METRO.COM 3

N0.—124

MAR/APR 20

Volume 11 Number 4

METRO

Red (page 28)

FEATURES 22. Welcome to the Neighborhood

After nearly a quarter century, Hot and Hot Fish Club has a new home, a new generation in the wings, and a new sense of just what a restaurant should be. (Photography by Beau Gustafson)

28. Red

Nostalgia and a feeling for the red earth of Alabama became the seed of an idea. (text by Bill Caton)

32. Rum Revolutionary

Hatton Smith came back from the jungle a rum revolutionary. (Photography

by Chuck St. John)

39. Top Attorneys

Our list takes into account education, professional experience and community involvement. Just what you want in a good attorney.

Hot and Hot (page 22)

4 B-METRO.COM

Special Promotion

Give your love the gift of music.

MAR

25

Wed | 7p

Meshell Ndegeocello

APR

18

Sat | 6p

VIVA HEALTH Gala FEATURING

MAR

Chicago

26 Thu | 7p

JAZZ CAFE SERIES

Stefon Harris

& Blackout

JUN

14

Sun | 4p

AN EVENING WITH

APR

Samin Nosrat

9

Host of Netflix’s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”

Thu | 7p

JAZZ CAFE SERIES

Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martinez

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY TO GET YOUR BEST SEATS!

AlysStephens.org 205 975 2787

DEPARTMENTS 12. Currents

Food, art, fun and parties you missed.

18. Bleacher Seat

By Luke Robinson

19. Glamorous Life

By Sunny Brown

20. BHM to the Max

Chronicle

In It Together While much of this issue was completed before all of the difficulties associated with the corona virus pushed our city into a whole new world of isolation and fear, we were able to put together highlights of the amazing efforts people in the Birmingham area have undertaken to do battle with this terrible contagion. You can find the story on page 8.

With sincere hopes that soon things will be back to normal, I hope you enjoy this issue.

By Max Rykov

64. B-Curious

By Joey Kennedy

EDITORIAL

Joe O’Donnell Editor/Publisher joe@b-metro.com

ADVERTISING/ MARKETING

Amy Tucker Marketing Specialist amy@b-metro.com

Elizabeth O’Donnell Accounting elizabeth@b-metro.com

6 B-METRO.COM

Contributing Writers Javacia Bowser, Lee Ann Brown, Micah Cargo, Tom Gordon, Angela Karen, Joey Kennedy, Brett Levine, Lindsey Osborne, Cody Owens, Phillip Ratliff, Luke Robinson, Max Rykov

Contributing Photographers Billy Brown, Edward Badham, Marc Bondarenko, Cameron Carnes, Liesa Cole, Eric Dejuan, Larry O. Gay, Beau Gustafson, Angela Karen, Nik Layman, Jaysen Michael, Alison Miksch, Karim Shamsi-Basha, Jerry Siegel, Chuck St. John

B–Metro is published

by Fergus Media LLC 1314 Cobb Lane South Birmingham, AL 35205 (205) 202-4182 METRO

PERFECTLY PAIRED

Special Promotion

2020 WINE DINNERS Rombauer Vineyards

2/26

Prisoner Wine Company 3/26 & High West Distillery Grgich Hills Estate

5/28

Cakebread Cellars

6/25

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 8/20 Orin Swift Cellars

9/17

Caymus Vineyards

10/15

Veuve Clicquot

11/12

THIS IS HOW WINING AND DINING IN BIRMINGHAM IS DONE. 2300 Woodcrest Place at the Embassy Suites Birmingham | 205.879.9995 For Menus & Additional Information, visit RuthsChris.net

Special Report

The City in the Time of Covid19 We are all in this together.

Instead of bridal gowns Heidi Elnora was thinking about face masks.

Moved by the plight of nurses, doctors, and medical workers hampered by a lack of gowns, masks and other protective equipment, she organized an effort to put seamstresses to work creating masks that could be donated to the medical workers in need.

While not medical-grade masks, Elnora hopes they can help.

Help. That is a defining goal for these times.

The examples are all around.

McDonald’s restaurants (franchises owned by the Valluzzo Companies) offered free meals to uniformed first responders to help in their efforts as they go about the business of saving lives.

The Jefferson County Department of Health collected personal protection equipment (PPE) at the Christian Service Mission Warehouse including N95 masks, surgical masks, isolation gowns, gloves, face shields, sterile specimen collection swabs, and hand sanitizer.

They also accepted home-made face masks and gowns that will be used by local health care workers, first responders and others on the front lines of the COVID-19 response.

8 B-METRO.COM

A group of local Birmingham bloggers and digital creators used their platforms and teamed up to give back. Their initiative, Frontline Heroes, provided meals to healthcare workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at Birmingham area hospitals.

“I was looking for a way to give back in our community and came across a blogger in Houston, TX collecting donations to give back to her local medical teams. I instantly thought that I could do this in Birmingham and recruit others with influence to use our platforms for the greater good. A quick group text later and dozens of “let’s do it,” we had a whole concept and logo ready to go. It’s amazing to see us all come together so quickly to give back,” says Lindsey Lutz the leader of Frontline Heroes, local Vestavia resident, and creator behind the digital platform, Life Lutzurious.

The initiative began with local meal prep company, Fit Five Meals. Their individually packaged meals were perfect for Frontline Heroes. These meals are prepped and cooked by the Fit Five Meals team. “At this time, our team want to support the city that has given so much to us. We will be extra cautious and take

extreme measures when preparing this food for the real heroes in Birmingham,” says Paul Shunnarah, founder of Fit Five Meals. Their meals will be delivered to the COVID-19 floor at UAB Highlands and UAB Main.

The Summit has partnered up with several of the restaurants on its property to give back to Frontline Heroes.

“As soon as our team heard about this initiative, we immediately agreed to aid in a collaborative effort through the restaurants at The Summit. After discussing the effort with our restaurants, we are hoping to provide at least 300 meals for our frontline workers.

The Summit will also be making a donation towards the initiative to help increase the amount of meals Frontline Heroes will be distributing. We are honored to be a part of giving back to our community.” said Carver Boynton, General Manager of The Summit.

A wide array of businesses and organizations, large and small, banded together to create #BhamStrong in order to coordinate and aid in the city’s response to the crisis. Partners included the City of Birmingham, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham,

United Way, Shipt, Birmingham Business Resource Center, UAB, TruFund, Birmingham Bar Association, Jeffco Health Department, Birmingham City Schools, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, HICA, Cadence, Spire, Protective, Rotaract, Yellowhammer Creative, Altec, Valley Bank, Alabama Power Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Wells Fargo, and Regions.

Currents

Snapshot

The innocence of spring as epitomized by this puppy running through the grass was undermined by the fear and terrible disruption of the pandemic. But we can still look at this photo and be transported away from a world of worry to a world of joy. (Photo courtesy of Jack Landham.)

10

B-METRO.COM

A PRACTICE AND REPUTATION WORTHY OF

Recognition.

Congratulations to the eight Cory Watson attorneys recognized as Birmingham’s Top Flight Attorneys 2020. The lawyers on the “Top Flight Attorneys” list are nominated for their unparalleled counsel, service to the profession, and service to our community.

ERNEST CORY LEILA H. WATSON DOUGLAS A. DELLACCIO, JR. ELIZABETH E. CHAMBERS

F. JEROME TAPLEY STEPHEN HUNT, JR. NINA TOWLE HERRING LAUREN S. MILLER

On behalf of our thousands of clients nationwide, each of us at Cory Watson Attorneys congratulates this team of amazing lawyers for their outstanding achievement and well-deserved recognition.

YOU DESERVE THE Best. NEVER Settle FOR LESS.

Personal Injury • Product Liability • Class Action • Asbestos Environmental • Mass Torts • Business & Commercial Litigation 2131 Magnolia Avenue S • Birmingham, AL 35205 (205) 328-2200 • CoryWatson.com No representation is made that the quality of legal services performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Currents: Dive In

Yum Yum Thai

If you ever visited Yum Yai Thai near UAB on 7th Avenue, then you probably miss having some great Thai street food since a fire destroyed that location.

Well the good news is that they reopened a new take–out place out on 280, with hopes of opening up another store downtown at some point in the future. Their food is delicious and whenever I find myself driving by, I stop and pick up some Masaman Chicken, some beef lamb or some pot stickers. So if you are in the mood for some great Thai food out on 280, Dive in to Yum Yai Thai Take Out and hopefully we will see them back in downtown Birmingham soon.

12

B-METRO.COM

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS W e Cong r atu l ate Glen da Coch r a n f or be ing Selected a s on e of th e Top F l ig h t At torn e ys of 2020 [ Quest

for Truth]

Hall Fame B-METRO

of

AT TO R N E Y

Stars

Bar

B-METRO

Our

of the cOmmitment is fOcused On cases invOlving catastrOphic persOnal injury

and wrOngful death.

in

Our quest fOr truth, we will leave nO stOne unturned.

AT TO R N E Y

GL E NDACOC H RAN.COM

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

B-METRO.COM

13

Currents

The Party You Missed

Eccentricities: A Leap Year Art Bash February 29, 2020 (Leap Day) at Sloss Docks Magic City Art Connection’s Winter Benefit, Art Bash, is known for reinventing Birmingham spaces into fun, one-night-only party experiences and artful environments to build excitement and support for the festival.

The springtime contemporary art festival and its Imagination Festival for kids, which provides free art workshops, occurs April 24-26 in downtown’s Linn Park. (The event is now postponed) On February 29th, "Eccentricities: A Leap Year Art Bash" put its art mark on Sloss Docks with eccentric art installations by local artists, a special dance performance by Inherent Rhythm, music and video projections, an art auction with works from exhibiting artists and local collectors, plus its 12th annual guest portraits with award winning photographer, Liesa Cole.

14

B-METRO.COM

B-METRO.COM

15

Talk: Bleacher Seats

Leaning Back

By Luke Robinson

Luke is a host for the Universi-

ty of Alabama’s Coaches Cabana webcast, an AHSAA Radio Network team member, and a Sportzblitz TV/radio personality and blogger for Crimson Country Club.

16

B-METRO.COM

In this issue of B-Metro, I will be answering the age old question that has plagued scholars and philosophers for millenniums: “Is it okay to lean back in your seat on an airplane if someone is behind you?”.

The short answer is “no.”

The long answer, of course, is “NOoooOOOOOoooooooOOOO!” Look, I know the option is there to lean back. Delta and Southwest didn’t accidentally put that archaic button on the side of your armrest. But unless you turn around and see Tyrion Lannister, Verne Troyer or Mary Lou Retton sitting behind you, DO NOT LEAN BACK! It’s simple courtesy, folks. No one wants your chair tilted into their laptop while your hair dangles jusssssst above the flat Diet Coke the stewardess served them.

When airplanes were invented, people were smaller. Orville and Wilbur Wright were both 4’3” tall and 65 pounds. (Editor’s note: This is completely untrue). So when they built the first 747 aircraft in 1803 (Editor’s note: Both of these statements are also untrue), they planned their seating according the sizes of average humans in their day.

Flash forward to 2017, and Americans are both a lot taller and a good bit chunkier on average (I am not talking about YOU though…

You look great!). Now we all need more room.

Unfortunately, like stadium seats in the SEC, the airlines haven’t begun to accommodate our collective newfound girths and heights. Planes just aren’t designed for people of our carriage.

Let me explain more through a story. A story of one of the proudest moments of my life. . . which is very sad in its own right, but anyhoo.

The year was 1999 and I was aboard a Southwest flight from Birmingham to Dallas.

There was a feisty middle-aged woman in front of me who, at about 10,000 feet, decided to lean back. Wayyyyyy back. Leanin’ back like she was auditioning to be an extra in a Snoop Dogg video.

It should be noted here I didn’t ask for her to readjust the seat to an upright position. That

seemed rude. I did, however, let out an exasperated sigh to acknowledge my discontent. She was not phased.

Well, I was puzzled. Perplexed even. I mean, there was an empty seat right in front of her. Move up and THEN lean back, lady!

Now I could have moved, too, that’s true.

But in that scenario, she wins. I didn’t want her to win. I wanted to win.

I then did what any self-respecting, lanky, 6’5” dude would do: I crammed my knees right into the back of that chair. A unique strategy, certainly, because it hurt me to do it. It was more uncomfortable than that time I had an appointment with the fat-fingered proctologist.

I had to persevere though. I had to push through the pain. Lessons needed to be learned.

Of course, she struggled. She fought like a hooked marlin, moving side to side and back and forth in an effort to dislodge my knees. It was no use though; I was not budging.

Then, finally, she threw in the towel.

The lady turned to me, glared for a moment, grabbed her carry-ons and stormed to the seat in front of her. She whispered that I was a “bass mole”.

That seemed weird… Who calls someone a “bassmo------“…..Wait a minute… Maybe I misheard her?

Bottom line: I won. My knees look like they spent a week at Joe Namath’s Knee Camp, but I won. Also, my bet is that woman NEVER leans her chair back without checking again! In that sense, you COULD call me one of the greatest American heroes of my generation.

It’s not a great generation, but still….

So now you know: Don’t…Lean…. Back.

And if G.I. Joe taught us anything, it’s that “knowing is half the battle”. Also, Cobra Commander always has a helmet-shaped escape pod.

So, I guess G. I. Joe taught us two things.

Finally! The world has sat up and taken notice of a fifty-year-old woman. It’s all anyone is talking about. After all these years, it’s like society suddenly realized we actually exist. Well, one of us, anyway.

It just took her to be dancing on a pole, scantily-clad during half-time of a male dominated professional football game on national television to make it happen.

Nothing says “Look at Me!” more than that. And, frankly, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I thought I was doing pretty good until I saw her performance.

Jennifer Lopez’s half-time show performance during the Super Bowl has set a new bar for what it means to be a woman in her fifties. She took away all of my excuses for why my husband couldn’t have a pole installed in our bedroom; “I am a woman in my fifties, for God’s sake, no one wants to see that!” And, that is still true, no one does want to see me doing that. Everyone does want to see JLO, though! I’m just glad she came along after I turned fifty.

No longer is being a fifty-year-old woman an excuse for having that stubborn middle-age weight gain, or why you just can’t seem to find the energy to do all those things you used to do. Now everyone will just say to look at Jennifer Lopez, she’s a fifty-year-old woman. Thanks a lot, Jen. Thank God I’m older than her. I’m so glad that I can always default to saying that, even if it is by just five years. I feel like that gives me some sort of excuse for not living up to the expectations that if you are going to stick around into your fifties you might as well make the effort to not look like it.

I think I am going all about it the wrong way. I just recently got my second set of stitches removed since January. I told my husband that the next time I get stitches I want to end up looking ten years younger. I don’t want to look like a Picasso painting or a patch work quilt with a little

patch job here, and a stitch together there leaving me with a series of little scars and nothing quite matching. I’m tired of getting put back together again by accident, next time I want it to be because I am having something lifted or tucked.

They say that dermabrasion is great for renewing your skin, but trust me, dermabrasion from the sliding of your face across the concrete is not the way to go for that smoother, younger looking skin we are all dying for. Unfortunately, I will only have this fresh, new, youthful look around one eye, the one that hit the porch, the other eye will apparently continue to look old. On the bright side, my “good side” just got even better, well once the swelling and bruising has gone down.

I just don’t think I have what it takes to age like JLO. So, what does this mean for the rest of us who do not have her talents?

It seems we women over fifty have but few choices as we age: We can continue to fight it and buy every product and submit to every procedure marketed to us to try and turn back the face of the clock of time, or, we can put in the time, effort, energy, discipline, and money that JLO does to actually defy all the years and the pull of gravity.

Given our choices I think I will stick to my firmly established routine. It’s just so much easier to slather on some vanishing cream and become another invisible woman and disappear into the world of women over fifty, than do what it takes to look like JLO. Although, it probably ends up costing just as much money. Either way, there’s just no getting around the fact that, whether you decide to fight it, or give in to it, as a woman, it costs a lot of money, and takes a lot of time, to age. It’s already been a long year.

Talk: Glamour

Super Woman

By Sunny Brown

Sunny is a humor writer, actress, and

singer, chronicling her glamorous life on stage and in print. She can be contacted at leeanndbrown@gmail.com.

B-METRO.COM

17

Talk : BHAM TO THE MAX

Count On Yourself



Writer, emcee, producer, nonprofit event organizer, and freelance quarterback Max Rykov is a tireless advocate for the creative community in Birmingham.

18

B-METRO.COM

Although it may not seem like it at times, every single person in Birmingham matters.

They’re important. They have value. They have significant worth. And I don’t mean in the sense that all human life is intrinsically important. That’s true as well, of course, but I’m talking about something deeper—all Birminghamians matter as a number to be counted in this year’s census!

Between March 12-20th of this year, our good friends at the United States Census Bureau will be mailing out a shiny new questionnaire to every household, including yours! And for those with a crippling suspicion towards mailing back government forms, the Census Bureau has added an unprecedented innovation this year—people will also be able to fill out their census forms online and by phone.

Every good little American school child knows that having a Census is mandated by the Constitution every decade, and while it may just seem like busy work for bureaucrats, its results actually play a foundational role in shaping the future of not only the country, but of the community that you live in. Things like the number of Congressional representatives per state, federal funding, and state, local, and federal redistricting are dependent on having an accurate count. Based on the census returns, district boundaries are redrawn to ensure each one contains roughly the same number of voters. This directly impacts the power of your vote and helps prevent gerrymandering.

Ensuring a complete census count in 2020 is critical for Alabama. Due to stagnant population growth, an undercount could result in the loss of two congressional seats, in addition to millions in vital federal funding for community service providers across the state. In terms of keeping Birmingham’s recent momentum going, it is imperative that we aren’t undercounted in order to be eligible for our fair share of the $900 billion in federal grants to states and cities that the census affects.

It’s estimated that the 2010 census missed about 2.1 percent of the African-American population and 1.5 percent of the Hispanic population. This can have a negative impact on how those communities are represented, both on a local and national level. And with a city that’s 75% African-American, undercounts can have even more significant ramifications.

Recently, concerns over a citizenship question being added to the census have worried

analysts who believe such a move would chill participation—roughly 7 percent of the country’s population is comprised of non-citizens.

However, under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about individuals, households, or businesses, even to law enforcement agencies.

On top of that, a federal judge issued an order last July definitively blocking the current administration from adding a citizenship question to the upcoming census.

Unfortunately, due to its prominence in the media, quite a bit of damage around the citizenship question has already been done, and fear still exists among many Hispanics living in America. Fortunately, Birmingham is a town full of caring organizations and activists, and several are teaming up as part of the Alabama Hard-to-Count Collaborative, to make sure that Birminghamians who are too important to ignore are also counted in the Census. The Hispanic Interest Coalition and the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice are incorporating census education as part of their immigrant assistance and civic engagement programs to make sure their constituents know how to complete the census form. Greater Birmingham Ministries will be hosting presentations from social justice organizations about the importance of census participation as part of its weekly grocery assistance program, and the Birmingham Public Library System will be hosting “Census Fridays” at each of their branches in the coming months, as well as helping people fill out their census questionnaires online.

As scam artists get ever more sophisticated, there will be all sorts of shysters trying to use the Census as a way to further their own nefarious interests. Last month, a friend of mine showed me a picture of a fake census form that his grandmother received in the mail. It was sent in an official government-looking envelope, and included the infamous citizenship question. This was not a legitimate form, as was most likely sent to either discourage participation from vulnerable populations, to steal valuable personal information, or both. So if you see such a form in your mailbox—discard it. It’s a scam.

So stay vigilant, but do take a few minutes to participate in the Census, and encourage your fellow Birminghamiams, and your fellow Americans to do the same. The future of our nation depends on it!

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

Kirk Drennan Law is strong so you don’t have to be. #KDPCstrong

FAMILY LAW GROUP

•Divorce •Custody •Pre · Post nuptial agreements •Paternity •Appeals

CRIMINAL LAW GROUP

•White Collar Crimes •Death Penalty Offenses •Felonies •Misdemeanors •Appeals

Kirk Drennan Law (205) 803-3500

kdpc@kirkdrennanlaw.com • kirkdrennanlaw.com B-METRO.COM

19

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.

Talk : Personal Space

Cory Bolton, Fancy's on Fifth

A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH CORY BOLTON, CHEF AT THE AVONDALE RESTAURANT, FANCY'S ON FIFTH.

B-Metro: What is one of your first memories that involve the kitchen or cooking?

Bolton: Sitting on the counter in my grandmother's kitchen.

The morning light peeking through the windows, while she made biscuits, country ham and red-eye gravy. The smells are unforgettable. Her kitchen was the beginning for me. She's an atomic wife and mother straight out of 1958, but she never forgot her Southern roots. She would make all these amazing casseroles, jello molds and don't forget pears with mayo and cheese, along with Southern classics like her green-onion fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. That, I think, laid a foundation not just for me but for all of my family. Food is a major theme at family functions and I think that trickled down into many aspects of my life.

B-Metro: Who inspired you to begin and pursue a culinary career?

Bolton: My grandmother laid the foundation, but Emeril was a huge influence on me wanting to take my love of food and become a chef. As a young teenager watching his shows, the food was always amazing but watching him in the white coat doing his thing full of life and energy that was just so cool to me. As a young adult though Anthony Bourdain's books really pushed me into the Birmingham food scene, and kept me there after long hard days. I think he was just such a huge influence on all the chefs I know.

B-Metro: What is your favorite thing to cook and why?

Bolton: This is a tough one. I feel like I have so many different influences. I grew up cooking BBQ and wild game with my dad, he even has a crazy wild game cookbook from the '90s. So I love that stuff but not sure it's my favorite. My time at Ocean gave 20

B-METRO.COM

me a deep appreciation for seafood. So many fish, big and small, oysters, crabs, clams, mussels, lobster and shrimp. I love it all.

The possibilities are endless. As for a singular recipe it has to be my grandmother's secret green-onion fried chicken. It's my favorite to cook and definitely favorite to eat.

B-Metro: What excites you most about the career you've chosen?

Bolton: What a time to be alive. I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to be a chef in Birmingham, Alabama in 2020. From amazing Greek restaurateurs, a powerhouse fine dining scene, the meat and threes and and the rich BBQ culture, I get to be in a dining scene with Stitt, Reis and Hastings. Not to mention the younger guys like J.P. Holland, Brandon Cain and John Hall. So many amazing cooks and restaurants. There is so much talent in this city, I don't take it for granted. All of Birmingham's nooks and crannies are filled with amazing food. It's not lost on me.

Getting to do this in my home city is just amazing.

B-Metro: Tell me more about your cooking show, Chunks?

Bolton: Allrecipes gave me and my boy, Addison Porter, a chance to do a fun Youtube recipe show for all their different media platforms. I'm so fortunate to get to do this wild and funny cooking show with my best friend. It's a ton of fun. We have an amazing producer and a great team that make us look great. It's basically two chubby guys making wild recipes like a 15-pound eggroll stuffed with all the fixing of a game-day tailgate. Or a beef heart and mushroom sandwich topped with a whole wheel of brie for our Valentine's Day special. You can find it on Allrecipes Youtube channel. Follow our Instagram @ Chunks_eat for new releases, cool pictures and food pop-ups around Birmingham.

•

B-METRO.COM

21

Welcome to the Neighborhood 22

B-METRO.COM

AFTER NEARLY A QUARTER CENTURY, HOT AND HOT FISH CLUB HAS A NEW HOME, A NEW GENERATION IN THE WINGS, AND A NEW SENSE OF JUST WHAT A RESTAURANT SHOULD BE. (PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEAU GUSTAFSON) B-METRO.COM

23

Chris Hastings has always had a vision. And the award-winning chef has always carefully followed that vision.

The latest incarnation of that vision is the relocation and re-imagining of Hot and Hot Fish Club. After a quarter-century long residency tucked away off Highland Avenue, Hot and Hot lost its lease to redevelopment and found a new home at Pepper Place.

“I’ve been through a lot of openings over the years with a lot of different restaurants and they have ranged wildly from smooth to ones where the wheels start coming off the wagon and the wagon ends up in the ditch. We worked really tirelessly to make sure that we were as organized as you can possibly be to get ready to open,” Hastings says.

This new restaurant is bigger than the original Hot and Hot. “We can’t see the majority of this restaurant from the kitchen. So we’ve had to add on additional staff and organize what we call the pass and the food runners in a way that makes it more efficient,” he says.

That’s not the only change Hastings and his wife and co-owner Idie Hastings have instituted.

“We don’t want to be just a special occasion restaurant, we want to be a neighborhood restaurant. We want the 2.0 version to also have dishes that are affordable in a small plate format,” Hastings says.

That is the R&D aspect of the menu that has been developed for the new Hot and Hot. While the long-time favorites that kept Birmingham diners coming back again and again over the past decades, the R&D options focus on more affordable small plates.

“It is an expansion of the menu by eight items. How we make that as efficient, as dynamic and as delicious as we want it to be is an integral part of who we are as we evolve into the next 25 years,” Hastings says.

“The R&D piece is a teaching tool for the culinary team, where I work directly with them to help develop my idea or their ideas. I’ve got to teach these young men and women how to think about flavors and textures and techniques and how you take an idea in your head then 24

B-METRO.COM

Above, Chris and Idie Hastings. Below, The Hastings with son Zeb and daughter-in-law Molly.

The culinary team, above. Below, large windows are a major feature of the design of the new restaurant. Bottom, some of Hot and Hot’s food offerings.

work through the particular details, test the recipes, make adjustments, and make it a viable restaurant dish.” he says.

The eight-item R&D $15 menu is arranged in broad categories and has been developed to offer fresh concepts for the new Hot and Hot, as well as aid in the service efficiency for the expanded restaurant, and serve as a teaching tool for the younger people in the kitchen.

But beyond that, the new menu items speak to Hasting’s belief that the relocation of Hot and Hot was a great opportunity to examine the restaurant in terms of changing demographics and the way the restaurant business has been changing.

“I’ve watched this market for 25 years

B-METRO.COM

25

Pictured on this spread: menu choices,the chef’s table, Zeb and Molly Hastings, a next generaation of management.

26

B-METRO.COM

really longer than that if you include my time with Frank Stitt, right? So since 1986 I’ve seen it change a lot over that period of time.

“More recently in the last five years, especially, I see more and more of the Millennium crowd coming into the market and how they eat and how they think and how they approach food. I need and want to capture those young people and I want them to be really energized about both Oven Bird (Hasting’s second restaurant also in Pepper Place) and Hot and Hot. “They’re not a make a reservation a month in advance for a special occasion type. They like to like to come in and have an experience, maybe a couple of courses, maybe a glass of wine or a cool cocktail and boom they’re off to the next thing.

I love that. I think that’s super cool,” Hastings says.

“Moving forward I don’t want to be perceived as just a special occasion restaurant. I want to be a neighborhood restaurant where you can come in and get food that is dynamic, always evolving and on the cutting edge of creativity and thought leadership in food.”

The lesson Chris and Idie Hastings learned from opening Oven Bird a few years ago was that the small plate format really works and they are transferring that knowledge to the new Hot and Hot. “The small plate format gives young people chance to come in and sit at the bar or the chef’s counter and get a couple of $15 items, some wine, and feel like you’re in New York City, right? That’s important because we’re in a neighborhood now and there’s a lots and lots of young people all around here, and we want them to enjoy this restaurant today,” Hastings says.

The new Hot and Hot is about 30 percent larger than the original location, going from 80 to 110 seats, plus the patio when the weather is nice.

Hastings had the design of his new restaurant in his head from the time he looked at the space in the Martin

Biscuit Building at Pepper Place. In his mind he saw a space that was clean, very modern and very functional, the kind of design that would bring calm and happiness to people who are in that space.

“It had to be high energy, you know a place that sets design standards moving forward.”

The light streams through the huge windows in the new space. Highlights include the spacious chef’s counter and open kitchen. Exposed brick walls surround the seating. It features banquettes and tables accented with marble and hackberry wood locally sourced.

Multiple Alabama architects and interior design teams have collaborated on The new Hot and Hot Fish Club space was the work of multiple teams, including Liz Hand Woods Interiors, Rob Walker Architects, Alabama Sawyer Furniture, kitchen designers The Willingham Company and general contractor Rives Construction Company.

While the loss of their lease at the old space was not expected, it also was not out of the realm of possibilities. “We always kind of kept our ears and eyes to the to the future,” Hastings says.

“When the announcement came that we had to go, we paused for a nanosecond and then we said this is great opportunity.”

The opportunity was enhanced by the knowledge that with the new space would come a new generation. The Hasting’s eldest son oldest son, Zeb, will be Hot and Hot’s sous chef and his wife Molly Hastings, will work as manager of operations at the new space.

“I can’t think of a better way to cel-

ebrate 25 years in the restaurant business than being joined by Zeb and Molly as they learn the business, help redefine the restaurant and position themselves to serve the next generation of Hot and Hot and OvenBird guests,” said Idie Hastings in a news release about the re-opening.

“We’re delighted to be working together as a family and appreciate that they love this business as much as Chris and I do,” says Idie Hastings.

B-METRO.COM

27

28

B-METRO.COM

NOSTALGIA AND A FEELING FOR THE RED EARTH OF ALABAMA BECAME THE SEED OF AN IDEA. (TEXT BY BILL CATON)

(red) B-METRO.COM

29

It all begins in the red dirt of northern Alabama near Moulton. Cotton seeds take root there and the fiber they produce is the best in the world. So says Mark Yeager, who started Red Land Farms in 1988.

Yeager can talk with ease about crop rotation (“two consecutive years of cotton and then corn”), and the tough business of farming: “In 2000 we nearly went broke. It will eat you up and spit you out.

Markets go flat, drought, insects…Cotton is traded every day around the world. Selling cotton is based off of that. You can make a good crop and still lose money because prices are no good. The farmer is not the high man on the food chain. It’s not a cake walk.”

But Yeager, who is not on the farm on this cold and blustery January day, knows that more than just cotton germinates in the fertile soil in north Alabama.

Ideas take root there as well.

Looking every bit the farmer, Yeager adjusts the ball cap on his head with hands that have obviously done a lot of hard work. But today he is not sitting in a tractor cab. He is on a stool in a small store in Moulton where two women pack shipping boxes with cotton bed linens and bath towels.

Yeager and his daughter, Anna Brakefield, started Red Land Cotton in 2016 with the idea that they would use some of the cotton grown on Red Land Farms to make sheets, quilts, pillow cases, towels and other cotton products. Everything is made in America.“We do as much locally as possible,” he says. “When we started, we knew it wouldn’t involve another country. Yarn is made in South Carolina.

The cloth is finished in Georgia and returned to Moulton where the sheets are cut and sewn. Towels are made in Griffin, GA. Quilts are made in Kansas City, MO.” “Dad approached me in 2015 with this idea and I quit my job,” says Brakefield, who earned a degree in graphic design from Auburn and worked two years for an advertising agency in New York City. She handles marketing and product development for Red Land Cotton.

“When we were deciding what we were going to create, Dad wanted to make 30

B-METRO.COM

bedsheets…He was nostalgic about his grandmother’s sheets,” she says. “Turns out that was the most difficult thing to create in America.”

But those sheets from Yeager’s childhood turned out to be a key to the entire business.

“That conjured pictures of what I wanted the brand to be,” Brakefield says.

“It’s reminiscent of when things were made right.

“We started with an heirloom bedsheet. The textile engineers in South Carolina created a 1920s-style bedsheet.”

And the Ticking-Stripe pattern (the style my grandmother had), “speaks to nostalgia and heritage.” The same concept applies to newer products, including blankets and bathrobes, all made from 100 percent cotton grown on a farm in north Alabama.

That respect for heritage includes doing as much as possible from the 5,000-acre farm. The cotton is grown and ginned by Red Land Farms and about 10 percent is used to meet the needs of Red Land Cotton.

“We use the best quality of cotton for our products,” Yeager says. “We use

about 10 percent of our crop for our business now.”

Red Land Cotton ships about 100 orders a day and double that during the holidays, Yeager says.

“It’s finally getting to the point where I can see the success of it,” Brakefield says. “When you are building something from scratch, it takes a little while to see where you’re going with it.”

“I’m loving it,” Yeager says. “The popularity is growing. And I love working with Anna.”

“My Dad and I are a lot alike,” Brakefield says, laughing.

“At the end of the day they’re family and they have to love you.”

If you want to buy a set of sheets like I did, go to Redlandcotton.com.

The Red Land retail store in Moulton.

Below, production underway in factory and field.

M U R Y R A N O I T U L O V E R

32

B-METRO.COM

HATTON SMITH CAME BACK FROM THE JUNGLE A RUM REVOLUTIONARY. (PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK ST. JOHN)

B-METRO.COM

33

CAMPESINOS ARE LIKE MAGICIANS WHEN IT COMES TO THRIVING IN THE WILDERNESS, SMITH SAYS. Hatton Smith’s revolution began with a large 125-gallon still, hidden in the jungles of Panama.

Or maybe it began quite a few years before that. It seems Smith, now 26, has always been a bit of a rebel.

“I have always liked doing my own thing,” Smith says. A member of the younger generation of the family that has operated Royal Cup Coffee for more than a century, Smith has an explorer’s nature.

“I’ve always had a sense of adventure. My grandfather on my mother’s side, Phillip Jackson, was an inspiration. A very international person. I have bene traveling ever since I was little.

I would follow my dad around on his trips. I have always been super comfortable traveling. It is relaxing to me.”

He first went to Panama at 19, a few years before he found the still. “I was a hiking guide. I would lead photographers and scientists out into the mountains. I know all the trails. This was

34

B-METRO.COM

after my freshman year in college. I grew up in the coffee business so I have been in and out of Latin America and the coffee growing regions all my life,” Smith says.

He went back to school at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and studies abroad in Costa Rica, splitting his time between there and Panama. “I did a lot of surfing and hiking,” he says.

After graduation, he moved to New York and worked in commodities trading. “I was interested in markets and futures, and traded coffee, sugar cane and cotton. Again I didn’t like working for someone else.”

Smith headed out to California and went to work for a startup in the cannabis industry that was trying to market cannabisinfused coffee. But he was soon on to the next thing. “The marijuana industry was very immature and not where I wanted to be, I was so used to the coffee industry.”

Panama was calling. And the still in the wilderness was about to be discovered.

There was no plan, Smith says. He and a friend ended up on a farm deep in the Panama wilderness. They found an old dome and created a house to live in on this farm, that Smith says was more like a commune.

Smith began selling coffee he roasted there in the wilderness to the locals, the campesinos, and the students. Then he found the still.

So soon his business involved selling both coffee that he roasted himself and rum that he created using the still and a particularly creative approach to fermentation. Like the campesinos that he had come to admire and count as friends, he was thriving in the wilderness.

“Campesinos are like magicians when it comes to thriving in the wilderness,” Smith says.

Smith saw promise in the rum he was learning about and making. “The still experience was great, but it wasn’t a business.

He sought out distilleries throughout the rum region of the Caribbean and worked with them in creating a rum he could market in the states. That rum is Campesino, which you can find in many bars and restaurants throughout the city.

The secret to the flavor of Campesino rum is the blend. “It’s a very specific custom blend, that’s what we bring to market. What we don’t do is add sugar, flavor and coloring. The biggest complaint people have about rum is it is too sweet. We can take the flavors of those countries, extract and create a blend that is clean, pure and true,” Smith says.

“There is a place for the brown spirits drinker (the bourbon fan) in rum: most just don’t realize it,” he says.

“There is potential for Campesino is to be the leader of the rum revolution. I expect to see a rum boom. You will see brown spirits drinkers who like bourbon switch to find out what rum has to offer.”

Hatton Smith in the jungle.

B-METRO.COM

35

CONGRATULATIONS

to our attorneys and their legal teams on a strong decade.

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY KIRBY FARRIS

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY ANASTASIA ALLMON

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY KEN RILEY

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY JD LAWRENCE

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY MEREDITH MAITREJEAN

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY BRETT HOLLETT

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY DARIUS CRAYTON

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY CALLE MENDENHALL

TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY JESSICA ZORN

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.

36

B-METRO.COM

attor neys 2010 - 2020

TOP FLIGHT

Counselors. Leaders.

10 years strong deliveringjustice.com

B-METRO.COM

37

Excellence Is a Team Effort Helping people for 130 years BIRMINGHAM | LEXINGTON

Our people make us great.

Hare Wynn has been fortunate to help many deserving individuals, families and small businesses obtain justice.

Our attorneys treat the practice of law as more than a business model, but as our calling. Every organization is defined by the quality of its people, and we are proud of our team members who have been recognized as Top Flight Attorneys by B-Metro: Leon Ashford

Ashley Peinhardt

Ralph Cook

Scott Powell

Mike Ermert

Chris Randolph

Don McKenna

Shay Samples

Matt Minner

Tempe Smith

Jamie Moncus

Brian Vines

Hughston Nichols

hwnn.com

855-359-6555

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

A good lawyer is a guide through the tricky parts of life, from real estate to business disputes to criminal acts to family upheavals, helping us wade through the weightiest of matters.

The lawyers noted in the following pages have been chosen because of their ability to guide clients to successful outcomes.

Our survey took into account education, professional experience and community involvement. Just what you want in a good attorney.

B-Metro’s

TOP

ATTORNEYS 2020 B-METRO.COM

39

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 Matt Abbott Abbott Law Firm, LLC

Reed Bates Starnes Davis Florie, LLP

John N. Bolus Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

W. Tucker Brown WhatleyKallas, LLP

Scott Abney Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Robert Battle Battle & Winn, LLP

Paul Bolus Bradley

Kitty Rogers Brown White Arnold & Dowd PC

Amy Adams Balch & Bingham

Alan Baty Frohsin & Barger, LLC

Emily Sides Bonds Jones Walker LLP

Mike Brown Bradley

Janell Ahnert Bressler Amery & Ross, PC

Michael K. Beard Marsh Rickard & Bryan, PC

Lindsey Boney Bradley

C. Brandon Browning Maynard, Cooper & Gale, PC

Rosemary Alexander Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Lois Beasley-Carlisle Carlisle & Carlisle, PC

Jess Boone Friedman Dazzio Zulanas & Bowling, PC

Robert P. Bruner Belt & Bruner PC

Elizabeth Beaube Maynard Cooper & Gale

Lisa W. Borden Baker Donelson

William Bryant Dominick Feld Hyde, PC

William Beckum Beckum Law

Paige M. Boshell Privacy Counsel, LLC

Brannon Buck Badham & Buck, LLC

Jenna M. Bedsole Baker Donelson

Brian R. Bostick Ogletree Deakins, P.C.

Thomas W.H. Buck Longshore, Buck & Longshore, P.C.

Rebecca Beers Rumberger Kirk & Caldwell

Bradford Botes Bond, Botes, Reese, & Shinn, PC

J. Carin Burford Ogletree Deakins P.C.

Bobby Bell Hollis Wright Clay & Vail

William K. Bradford Bradford Ladner, LLP

Peter H. Burke Burke Harvey, LLC

Keith T. Belt Jr. Belt & Bruner, P.C.

Jeffrey Bramer Bramer Law

Carl Burkhalter Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Jay Bender Bradley

Michael J. Brandt Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt, LLC

Lee R. Benton Benton & Centeno, LLP

Toni Braxton Braxton Legal Services, LLC

F. Gerald Burnett Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal

Christopher S. Berdy Butler Snow LLP

Thomas Brinkley Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Julia Bernstein Bradley

Barry Brock Southern Environmental Law Center

Lee E. Bains Jr. Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Brandon Bishop Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Greg Brockwell Brockwell Smith LLC

Tammy Baker Jackson Lewis, LLP

Dylan Black Bradley

James F. Barger, Jr. Frohsin, Barger & Walthall

Gordon L. Blair Ogletree Deakins, PC

Joyce Baker Red Mountain Law Group

M. Stanford Blanton Balch & Bingham LLP

Nancy Ball Cabaniss Johnston

Sela Stroud Blanton Bainbridge, Mims, Rogers & Smith, LLP

Stephanie Balzli Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Francois Blaudeau Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Leslie Garrett Allen Balch & Bingham Russell Allison Carr Allison Anastasia Allmon Farris, Riley & Pitt W. R. Rip Andrews Marsh Rickard & Bryan, PC Jim Archibald Bradley D. Leon Ashford Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP Lisa Karen Atkins Ogletree Deakins, PC Annemarie Carney Axon Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff, and Brandt Walker Percy Badham III Badham & Buck, LLC Steve Bailey Elder Law Firm of Steve Bailey

Drew Barnett Belt & Bruner, PC Taylor Bartlett Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

40

B-METRO.COM

Brett Bloomston The Bloomston Firm Howard E. Bogard Burr Forman LLP H. Hampton Boles Boles Holmes Parkman White

Steven Brom Bachus Brom & Taylor LLC William Bross Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC David L. Brown, Jr. Watkins & Eager PLLC Susan M. Brown Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff, and Brandt D. Ty Brown Marsh Rickard & Bryan, PC Whitney R. Brown Lehr Middlebrooks & Vreeland, PC Scott S. Brown Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC H. Lanier Brown II Watkins & Eager PLLC

Kane Burnette Bradley Robin Burrell Najjar Denaburg, PC Richard Burton Law Office of Richard D. Burton Jennifer “Ginger” M. Busby Burr Forman LLP James Bussian Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC Christen Butler Dominick Feld Hyde, PC Thomas Butler Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Leigh Reynolds Byers Nolan Byers, PC Beau Byrd Bradley Tanita Cain The Cain Law Firm Andy Campbell Campbell Partners Thomas Campbell Campbell Law

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

Alabama’s Premier Attorneys Protecting & Defending Birmingham and Beyond

“The lawyers of Sheffield and Lentine, P.C. do not just practice the law, but are devoted to our clients and the betterment of the profession as a whole. Our lawyers have over 50 years of combined actual trial experience. We are dedicated to the zealous and professional representation of those accused of serious felony and misdemeanor offenses in all municipal, state and federal courts of Alabama. Our lawyers are committed to helping those in need and our proven results reflect our dedication.”

Land Title Building, 600 20th St N,Suite 301 • Birmingham, AL 35203 • (205)) 328-1365

sheffieldlentine.com

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.

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 John Caraway Bozeman & Caraway

Martha Reeves Cook Martha Reeves Cook, LLC

Stacey Davis The Law Firm of Stacey A. Davis

Whit Drake Drake Law Firm

Craig Cargile Cargile & Hodnett, LLC

N. Lee Cooper Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Richard T. Davis Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC.

Derek Drennan Kirk Drennan Law

John Richard Carrigan Ogletree Deakins, PC

Ernest Cory Cory Watson Attorneys

Timothy C. Davis Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Jessica Kirk Drennan Kirk Drennan Law

D. Christopher Carson Burr Forman LLP

Buddy Cox Bradley

Yvonne Green Davis Yvonne Green Davis PC

Starr Drum Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C

Elizabeth Chambers Cory Watson Attorneys

Roy Crawford Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal

Alan Deer Bradley

Carter Dukes Scott, Dukes & Geisler, PC

Christopher Deering Ogletree Deakins, PC

John P. Dulin Jr. Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Annesley H. DeGaris DeGaris, Wright, McCall

Burton Dunn Five Points Law Group

Tiffany J. deGruy Bradley

AshLeigh Meyer Dunham Magic City Law

Douglas Dellaccio Cory Watson Attorneys

David Dunkle Cabaniss, Johnston

April DeLuca Magic City Law

Adrian Dunning A. B. Dunning, LLC

Lauren C. Demoss Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Anne Durward Massey Stotser & Nichols, PC

Charles Denaburg Najjar Denaburg

G. John Durward, Jr. Durward & Durward

Gregory T. Denny Powell & Denny

Thomas Dutton Pittman Dutton & Hellums, PC

Heidi DiLorenzo Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Joel DiLorenzo The DiLorenzo Law Firm, LLC

Victoria Dye Fischer & Associates, LLC Nancy Eady Morris, Hayes, Wheeles, Knowles & Nelson LLP

H. Hube Dodd The Dodd Law Firm

Melody Eagan Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLP

William Donovan DonovanFingar, LLC

John Earnhardt Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Richard Dorman Badham & Buck, LLC

Edmond Earle Earle Law Firm

Luther Dorr Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Robert Eckinger Adams and Reese, LLP

Susan Doughton Dominick Feld Hyde, PC

Chelsey Mitchell Edgerly Vernis & Bowling of Birmingham, LLC

Gayle Douglas Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Bing Edwards Edwards + Law LLC

Michael Douglas Leak Douglas Moreno PC

Jennifer Reid Egbe Huie

Augusta Dowd White Arnold & Dowd, PC

Mark Ekonen Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Christie Dowling Baker Donelson

Kathryn Roe Eldridge Maynard Cooper & Gale PC

Rhonda Chambers Taylor & Taylor Pooja Chawla Pooja Chawla P.C. Larry B. Childs Waller Edward R. Christian Burr Forman LLP Jay St. Clair Littler Lee Clanton Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow, & Ireland

Darius Crayton Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP Wendy Brooks Crew The Crew Law Group Judith Crittenden Crittenden Partners, PC Michelle I. Crunk Dodson Gregory, LLP Russell Cunningham Red Mountain Law Group Gregory Curran Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Jennifer Hoover Clark Bradley

David Cybak Over the Mountain Law Center, LLC

William Clark Redden, Mills, Shaw & Clark, LLP

John G. Dana Gordon, Dana & Gilmore

Thomas Clark III Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Christopher Daniel Sheffield & Lentine, PC

Carter Clay Hollis, Wright, Clay, & Vail, PC

Alyssa Daniels Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Kori Clement Hare & Clement, PC Patricia Clotfelter Baker Donelson Brian M. Cloud Cloud Willis & Ellis, LLC Glenda Cochran Glenda Cochran Associates Julia Cochrun Cochrun & Seals Bryan Coleman Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC John David Collins Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC Matt Conn Friedman Dazzio Zulanas & Bowling, PC Ralph Cook Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP

42

B-METRO.COM

C. Fred Daniels Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal Kim Davidson Kim Davidson Law Office Brent Davis Brent W. Davis & Associates, LLC Charity M. Davis Gilchrist Davis Kathy R. Davis Carr Allison Tracy Davis Hand Arendall, LLC Thad Davis The Law Offices of Davis & Davis Thomas A. Davis Jackson Lewis, LLP

SPECIAL PROMOTION

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS John G. Dana, Bruce L. Gordon, and Jason E. Gilmore

Birmingham’s Business Attorney for High-Asset, High-Profile Divorces High-asset and high-profile divorces, particularly those that involve dividing the family business, a large pool of marital assets, and even private matters that require sensitivity, are difficult to navigate and can present a host of issues for those facing the divorce process. Bruce Gordon’s business law career led him to handle high-asset divorces where issues like taxation and asset valuation have arisen.

His uniquely specialized skills are invaluable to his divorce clients who are faced with these difficult situations.

process. Move forward to the next phase of your life without feeling like you lost, or your spouse took, the assets you spent a lifetime building or supporting.

Bruce is experienced in crafting innovative settlements and arguing complex divorce issues. His skills can help protect you, your assets, your business, or your interest in your spouse’s business throughout the divorce

Gordon, Dana & Gilmore, LLC is the preferred law firm for the handling and referral of sensitive business, personal and litigation matters that require “troubleshooting” expertise as well as a pragmatic approach at the highest level.

Gordon, Dana & Gilmore, LLC 600 University Park Place Suite 100, Birmingham, AL 35209 205-874-7950

WWW.GATTORNEY.COM

Gordon, Dana & Gilmore, LLC is well known throughout Alabama as a pragmatic business law firm. Gordon and his partner, John Dana, have often been recognized as some of the best in the field of business litigation. Let that experience and expertise work for you.

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.

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 David A. Elliott Burr Forman LLP

Erby J. Fischer Fischer & Associates LLC

G. Courtney French Fuston, Petway & French, LLP

W. Lewis Garrison Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Mike Ermert Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP

Laura Karns Fischer Fischer & Associates LLC

Jeffrey Friedman Friedman Dazzio Zulanas & Bowling, PC

Honora Gathings Gathings Law

Glenn Estess Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt, LLC

Samuel Fisher Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis, LLC

Linda Friedman Bradley

Lloyd W. Gathings Gathings Law

Dawn Stith Evans Guin, Stokes & Evans, LLC

Linda Flippo White Arnold & Dowd, PC

Rachel Friedman Burr & Forman, LLP

Jonathan Geisen Baker Donelson

G. Daniel Evans The Evans Law Firm, PC

Sara Anne Ford Lightfoot Franklin & White, LLC

Henry I. Frohsin Frohsin, Barger & Walthall

Kimberly Geisler Scott Dukes & Geisler PC

Brooke Everley Red Mountain Law Group

Charlene Ford Whatley Kallas, LLP

Peter Fruin Maynard, Cooper & Gale, PC

Kathryn Crawford Gentle Lloyd & Hogan PC

Heather Fann Five Points Law Group

Robert Fowlkes Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Roger K. Fuston Fuston, Petway & French, LLP

Laura Gibson White Arnold & Dowd, PC

Kirby Farris Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP

Sam Franklin Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLP

Frank Galloway Galloway Scott Moss & Hancock, LLC

Jason E. Gilmore Gordon, Dana & Gilmore

Joseph Fawal Fawal & Spina

Sydney Frazier Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal

Robert Gardner Red Mountain Law Group

Dennis Goldasich Goldasich & Associates LLC

Neki Garrett McClinton Garrett & Associates, LLC

Jon C. Goldfarb Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis, LLC

Carmen Ferguson Slater Ferguson, LLC

Brandi B. Frederick Austill Lewis Pipkin & Maddox PC.

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

Congratulations to all Dominick Feld Hyde Top Flight Attorneys.

William Bryant

Christen Butler

Susan Doughton

Greg Hyde

Sammye Kok

Doug McWhorter

Ashley Neese

Denise Pomeroy

Vincent Schilleci

Judy Shepura

Dale Stone

Kay Wilburn

Brian Williams

Anthony Willoughby

At Dominick Feld Hyde, we approach law differently.

We help our clients navigate through life’s crossroads. Whether personal, family or business legal matters, we develop innovative solutions that help our clients turn challenges into opportunities.

We are personally invested in every client because we understand our work impacts lives.

Let us help you navigate through life’s crossroads by contacting one of our attorneys.

1130 22nd Street South Ridge Park, Suite 4000 Birmingham, AL 35205

dfhlaw.com

205.536.8888

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. dominic feld hyde 20.indd 1 44 B-METRO.COM

3/23/20 6:23 PM

PROMOTION

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

Attorneys from left: Nate VanDerVeer, Joshua Vick, Dennis Goldasich, Justin Owen, and Andrew Fulk.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DENNIS GOLDASICH AND NATE VANDERVEER ON BEING SELECTED AS B-METRO TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEYS Goldasich, Vick & Fulk is a nationally recognized civil litigation firm representing individuals, families, and businesses that have been injured or damaged as a result of the wrongful conduct of others. The firm’s attorneys represent clients throughout Alabama and across the United States, handling a wide spectrum of cases involving catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, product liability, complex business litigation, and class action claims. The firm has developed a reputation for taking on extremely difficult cases and successfully representing individuals and businesses in claims against some of America’s largest corporations.

The attorneys at Goldasich, Vick & Fulk have gained national notoriety by obtaining significant results including a $63,000,000 settlement in a corporate fraud action, a $12,500,000 settlement in a commercial case, a $6,000,000 verdict against a corporation that stole

trade secrets from a local Birmingham-based company, a $9,300,000 verdict in a case involving the wrongful death of a teenage boy, and a $9,000,000 settlement for a young woman who had been paralyzed in a trucking accident. Some of the firm’s recent results include a $7,500,000 settlement involving a deadly trucking accident, multi-million dollar birth injury settlements, and a record setting $10,000,000 medical malpractice verdict. To date, the attorneys at Goldasich, Vick & Fulk have obtained more than $300,000,000 in verdicts and settlements for their clients.

The attorneys at Goldasich, Vick & Fulk currently represent clients in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi and North Carolina. By taking on the toughest legal issues and the largest corporate defendants, the firm has earned a reputation as skilled litigators who consistently obtain significant recoveries in venues across the country.

2100 3rd Avenue North, Suite 400• Birmingham, Alabama 35203 • (205) 731-2566

golaw.net

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.

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 W. Clark Goodwin Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

David Guin Guin Stokes & Evans, LLC

E. B. Harrison Willis Cloud Willis & Ellis, LLC

Katherine W. Haynes The Rose Law Firm, LLC

Bruce L. Gordon Gordon, Dana & Gilmore

Eric Guster Guster Law Firm LLC

Josh Harrison Ogeltree Deakins, PC

Victor L. Hayslip Burr Forman LLP

Lisha Graham White Arnold & Dowd, PC

Susan Han Red Mountain Law Group

Anna L. Hart Hart Law LLC

Wakisha E. Hazzard The Hazzard Law Firm, LLC

Gaile Gratton Sirote & Permutt

William Hancock Galloway Scott Moss & Hancock, LLC

Michael Scott Harwell Harwell Law Firm LLC

Chris Hellums Pittman Dutton & Hellums, PC

James C. Gray III Lloyd Grey Whitehead & Monroe

Jennifer Hanson Bainbridge Mims Rogers & Smith, LLP

W. Todd Harvey Burke Harvey, LLC

Bradley Green King Green & Dobson

Jessie Keating Hardy Kirk Drennan Law

Tripp Haston Bradley

Deborah Hembree Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete, LLP

Paula Greenway Greenway Bankruptcy Law, LLC

Francis Hare Jr. Belt & Bruner, PC

Greg Hawley Hawley & Nicholson, PC.

Richard Greer The Greer Law Firm, PC

John Hargrove Bradley

Alicia Haynes Haynes & Haynes

Wendy Hartley Gregerson Attorney at Law W. Lee Gresham III Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Larry Harper Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow, & Ireland

Kenneth Haynes Haynes & Haynes

Sandi Gregory Sandi Eubank Gregory Attorney at Law

Kathryn Harrington Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Randall Haynes Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles & Nelson LLP

Erik Heninger Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC Stephen Heninger Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC Karen Hennecy White Arnold & Dowd, PC Nina Towle Herring Cory Watson Leigh Anne Hodge Bradley

Estate Plans For Your Family's Future • Estate Planning • Elder Law • VA and Medicaid Planning • Special Needs Trusts • Probate Estates Contact us for a free initial consultation by phone, video conference, or in person.

205-663-0281 | www.bradfordholliman.com 2941 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, AL AL 35124

Melanie Bradford Holliman, JD John R. Holliman, JD

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

46

B-METRO.COM

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

Nicole Saia, Paige Yarbrough, Judith Crittenden, Deborah Gregory, Laura Montgomery Lee and Kathryn Henry.

Family Law Is Our Passion We are Crittenden Partners. Family law is our passion. Integrity is our foundation.

We are partners united by our uncompromising dedication to our clients.

To fight for them. To guide them. To protect them. To represent them with integrity.

We are partners. Herein lies our strength. A strength built on honesty.

A strength built on discipline. A strength built on compassion.

Crittenden Partner’s congratulates Judith Crittenden and Laura Montgomery Lee for being named Top Flight attorneys.

1 Independence Dr. Suite #305 Homewood, AL 35209 4000 Eagle Point Corporate Drive, Birmingham, AL 35242 (205) 874-8680

crittendenpartners.com

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.

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 Cameron L. Hogan Lloyd & Hogan

William Horton Jones Walker

Michael Jackson Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC

Thomas Kendrick Norman, Wood, Kendrick & Turner

Alyson Hood Hogan The Bloomston Firm

Brad Howell Meadows & Howell, LLC

Richard Jaffe Jaffe, Hanle, Whisonant & Knight, PC

Denise Killebrew Baker, Donelson

Mark Hogewood Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt, LLC

Maridi Huggins Maridi Huggins Law

Benita Jenkins The Law Office of Benita Jenkins LLC

Annette Kinderman Cabaniss Johnston

Daisy Holder Daisy M. Holder Attorney at Law

Stephanie Hunter Hunter Law Firm, PC

Brice Johnston Redmont Law Group

Lawrence T. King King Simmons, PC

Brett Hollett Farris Riley & Pitt

Elizabeth Hutchins Sirote & Permutt PC

Keith Johnston Southern Environmental Law

Rachel King Vella & King

John Holliman Bradford & Holliman, LLC

Gregory D. Hyde Dominick Feld Hyde

Albert Jordan Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt, LLC

Donald B. Kirkpatrick II Carr Allison

Melanie Bradford Holliman Bradford & Holliman, LLC

Brett Ialacci Badham & Buck, LLC

Elizabeth Kanter Carr Allison

Leslie Klasing Waldrep Stewart & Kendrick, LLC

Caroline U. Hollingsworth Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Angie H. Ingram Angie Ingram Law

Rod Kanter Bradley

Harry Hopkins Ogletree Deakins PC

Jeffrey Ingram Law Offices of Galese & Ingram, PC

Doug Kauffman Balch & Bingham

Jeremy Knowles Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles & Nelson

Emily Hornsby Morris Haynes

Joel Isenberg Ely & Isenberg LLC

Christopher Keith Wettermark Keith

Sammye Kok Dominick Feld Hyde, PC Joel Kuehnert Bradley

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS Congratulations Annesley H. DeGaris on being named a B-Metro Top Flight Attorney.

As the founding partner of DeGaris Wright McCall, Annesley and his firm are committed to obtaining justice for injured clients while providing victims the personal attention they deserve.

DeGaris Wright McCall lawyers have an impressive record of success for clients in serious personal injury matters including trucking cases, work related injuries and product liability cases.

When someone faces a personal injury crisis, they need the compassionate and effective representation provided by DeGaris Wright McCall.

2 North 20th Street, Suite 1030 Birmingham AL 35203 205-558-9000

www.dwmlawyers.com

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.

Degaris mar 20.indd 1 48 B-METRO.COM

3/23/20 6:29 PM

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS Trust.

In a relationship between an attorney and a client, trust is the most important ingredient to make the relationship flourish. Clients need to trust lawyers to represent their best interests, and attorneys need to trust clients to provide all the information required to litigate a case successfully.

If you need legal help in any of the following areas, turn to the team of highly rated attorneys at Lloyd & Hogan for immediate assistance: Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Slip-and-Falls, Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death.

Trust is something that is earned, and we earn the trust of our clients by putting their needs first.

2871 Acton Road, Suite 201 Birmingham, Alabama 35243 (205) 969-6235

lloydhoganlaw.com

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.

Lloyd Hogan mar 20 option.indd 1

3/23/20 6:34 PM

Celebrating 150 years of providing innovative solutions, dependable responsiveness and a deep commitment to success

bradley.com | ALABAMA | FLORIDA | MISSISSIPPI | NORTH CAROLINA | TENNESSEE | TEXAS | WASHINGTON, D.C. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Contact: John D. Watson, Esq., 205.521.8436, jwatson@bradley.com, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, 1819 Fifth Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203. Š2020

B-METRO.COM

49

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 Peyton Lacy Ogletree Deakins

Jeffrey Leonard Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Robert Maddox Bradley

Jennifer McGahey Bradley

Amber Ladner Bradford Ladner, LLP

Debra Taylor Lewis Balch & Bingham

Meredith Maitrejean Farris, Riley & Pitt

Stuart Maxey Bradley

Jayna Partain Lamar Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C.

Jon Lewis Lewis & Feldman, LLC

Trey Malbrough The Malbrough Firm, LLC

Labella McCallum Christian & Small, LLP

Lyle Larson Balch & Bingham

William B. Lloyd Jr. Lloyd & Hogan

Barry Marks Marks & Associates, PC

Justin McDonald Bradley

JD Lawrence Farris Riley and Pitt

Larry Logsdon Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC

David Marsh Marsh Rickard & Bryan, PC

Yawanna McDonald Campbell Partners

Alex Leath Bradley

William L. Longshore III Longshore, Buck & Longshore, P.C.

Hope Marshall White Arnold & Dowd, P.C.

Gina McDonald Gina H. McDonald & Associates, LLC

Brandy Lee Red Mountain Law Group

Jeremy Love Love Immigration

Melinda Mathews Sirote & Permutt

Angie Godwin McEwen Butler Snow

Matt Lembke Bradley

Margaret Loveman Butler Snow

Deborah A. Mattison Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis, LLC

John Lentine Sheffield & Lentine, PC

Colin H. Luke Waller

Heather Leonard Heather Leonard, PC

Yvonne Norris Maddalena Jackson Lewis, LLP

Diane Maughan Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal, LLP

Crawford McGivaren Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal, LLP Candis McGowan Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis, LLC

Joseph B. Mays Jr. Bradley

Jodi McKelvin Shelby Roden, LLC

Family law is our focus.

It’s all we do.

Celebrating 7 years of providing clients with strong support for what comes next.

Contact us for a consultation.

301 19TH STREET NORTH • BIRMINGHAM, AL 35203 205.314.0638

NOLANBYERS.COM 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.

50

B-METRO.COM

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

Erby J. Fischer and Victoria Dye

Fischer & Associates, LLC

The attorneys at Fischer & Associates, LLC focus exclusively on representing plaintiffs who have suffered serious injuries due to the negligence of another. They take a team approach to representing you. This means tackling each case in a manner that uses the unique skills and talents of each member of the firm. Their team is fully devoted to representing you in an aggressive and zealous manner and seeking justice for victims and loved ones who have been affected by negligence. You will have a team of professionals at your side managing all phases of your case from the opening investigation of your claim to its finality, including settlement, trial or appeal.

2201 Providence Park, #200 • Birmingham, AL 35242 205-423-8504

falawgroup.com

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.

The List

TOPFLIGHT

Top Attorneys 2020

ATTORNEYS

Don McKenna Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP

Amy Myers Tedrow & Myers Immigration Law Group

Ann McMahan Simpson, McMahan, Glick & Burford PLLC

Ashley L. Neese Dominick Feld Hyde, PC

Hobart McWhorter Bradley Douglas McWhorter Dominick Feld Hyde, PC

Big Firm Experience.

Small Firm Service.

Maridi Huggins Law, LLC is a firm that handles solely personal injury matters across the State of Alabama. Bringing the unique experience of having practiced as a defense attorney for a number of years, Maridi now enjoys representing plaintiffs and fighting for her clients’ rights in various types of cases, including auto accidents, trucking accidents and slip-and-falls. Whether the case is large or small, Maridi is dedicated to getting results for her clients in the form of financial compensation. Maridi firmly believes that client communication is of the utmost importance, which is why all of her clients have instant access to her 24/7.

Maridi is honored to be included in B-Metro’s Top Flight Attorneys for 2020. She congratulates her fellow list mates on this great honor.

(205) 616-1786

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.

52

Craig Niedenthal Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Bryance Metheny Burr Forman LLP

Frances Nolan Nolan Byers, PC

Anthony Michel Wrady Michel & King

James L. Noles Jr Barze Taylor Noles Lowther LLC

Tracy Miller Hand Arendall, LLC

Bernard Nomberg The Nomberg Law Firm

Lauren Miller Cory Watson

David Nomberg The Nomberg Law Firm

Shannon Miller Jackson Lewis, LLP

David Norris Norris Injury Lawyers, PC

Derrick Mills Marsh Rickard & Bryan, PC

Brian O’Dell Bradley

William T. Mills II Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow, & Ireland

Lynne Stephens O’Neal Leitman Siegal & Payne, PC

Matt Minner Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP Anne Mitchell Baker, Donelson Andrew Moak Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys James R. Moncus Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP E. Britton Monroe Lloyd Grey Whitehead & Monroe Laura E. Montgomery Crittenden Partners

Britton O’Shields King Simmons, PC Thomas L. Oliver II Carr Allison Lana Olson Lightfoot, Franklin & White Shane Oncale The Oncale Firm Kathryn J. Ottensmeyer Maynard Cooper Gale David Owen Bradley Dennis G. Pantazis Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis, LLC James Parkman Boles Holmes Parkman White

John Morrow Burr & Forman, LLP

K. Mark Parnell Parnell Thompson LLC

Anne Moses Moses & Moses, PC

Lenora Pate Sirote & Permutt

Sylvion Moss Red Mountain Law Group

Virginia Patterson Bradley

William Motlow Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow, & Ireland

Suzanne Paulson Leitman Siegal & Payne, PC

B-METRO.COM

Maridi Huggins Mar 20.indd 1

Randall Nichols Massey Stotser & Nichols, PC

Calle Mendenhall Farris Riley & Pitt

Larry Morris Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles & Nelson LLP

MaridiHugginsLaw.com

S. Hughston Nichols Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP

3/23/20 6:39 PM

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

Fann Law, LLC (the family law division of 5 Points Law Group) is proud that Heather Fann has once again been selected as a Top Flight Attorney.

Heather’s practice remains focused on modern approaches for families in transition – from initial divorce, paternity, family court, support, and adoption cases through modification and enforcement actions.

of mental health professionals, and when carefully tailored litigation may be necessary. The team also provides preventative planning such as prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

Heather and Associate Emily McClendon, who served as a judicial assistant for three Jefferson County domestic relations judges prior to becoming a lawyer, evaluate cases thoughtfully to determine when resolution is possible – whether through well-timed negotiation or mediation, or alternative dispute resolution methods such as collaborative law and/or use

Combining Emily’s training with Heather’s years of experience and leadership in complex matters including novel issues of same-sex marriage and parentage, Fann Law seeks healthy solutions and equal treatment for litigants regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, culture, gender/gender identity, and sexual orientation.

2151 HIGHLAND AVE S, SUITE 205 • BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA 35205 (205) 263-0743 • FAX (205) 238-7129

FIVEPOINTSLAWGROUP.COM • FANNLAW.COM 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.

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 Linda Peacock Baker, Donelson

Jessica Powers Powers Injury Law

Mabry Rogers Bradley

Vincent Schilleci Dominick Feld Hyde, PC

Zachary Peagler Peagler & Hollett, LLC

Harlan I. Prater IV Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLP

Lindsay R. Ronilo The Rose Law Firm

Judy Bateman Shepura Dominick Feld Hyde

Julie Pearce Gaines Gault Hendrix, PC

Honza Prchal Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Jennifer Rose The Rose Law Firm, LLC

Lauren Shine Shine Law Firm

Sean Pearce Harbuck Keith & Holmes, LLC

Gene T. Price Burr Forman LLP

Brett Ross Carr Allison

Tanya Shunnara Sirote & Permutt

Candace Peeples Peeples LAw

Rebecca Pritchett Pritchett Environmental & Property Law, LLC

Stephen Rowe Adams & Reese, LLP

Alexander Shunnarah Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Ashley Reitz Peinhardt Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP James Pennington Ogletree Deakins Mike Pennington Bradley Kathryn Perreault Bressler, Amery & Ross Kenneth Perry Kenneth Perry Law Firm Michael D. Petway Fuston Petway French Wesley Phillips Phillips Law Group, LLC W. Lee Pittman Pittman Dutton & Hellums, PC Adam Plant Battle & Winn, LLP

Whitney Polson Polson & Polson PC

Fran Quarles Quarles Law Firm, LLC Barry Ragsdale Sirote & Permutt Christopher S. Randolph Jr. Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP James J. Ransom III Shockley & Ransom Wendy Reese Law Offices of Wendy A. Reese, LLC Sally Reilly Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt, LLC Sandra Reiss The Reiss Firm, LLC Jeremy Retherford Balch & Bingham Victor Revill The Revill Law Firm Lynn Reynolds Baker, Donelson

Freddy Rubio Rubio Law Firm, PC Ginny Rutledge Sirote & Permutt Andrew Salser Lloyd & Hogan, PC Karen Salter Salter Ferguson, LLC S. Shay Samples Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP Joseph Schreiber Schreiber Law Firm Shane Sears The Sears Firm, PC Jennifer Devereaux Segers Huie Anne Marie Seibel Bradley Michael Shabani Shabani & Associates, PC

Don Siegel Leitman Siegel & Payne, PC Adam J. Sigman Sirote & Permutt, PC Susan Silvernail Marsh Rickard & Bryan, PC Lindsey Simmons King Simmons, PC W. Scott Simpson Simpson, McMahan, Glick & Burford PLLC Derek Simms Simms & Associates Drew Sinor Hand Arendall, LLC Jeanie Sleadd Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC Angela Cameron Smith Burr & Forman, LLP Deborah Alley Smith Christian & Small, LLP

Lea Richmond Carr Allison

Jason Shamblin Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys

Jeffrey Rickard Marsh Rickard & Bryan, PC

Dawn Helms Sharff Bradley

Kenneth Riley Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP

Jackson Sharman Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLC

Elizabeth Ritter Ritter Law Firm

Charles Sharp Friedman Dazzio Zulanas & Bowling, PC

Katie T. Powell Butler Snow

Scott Roberts Burgess Roberts, LLC

Elizabeth Shaw Elizabeth Shaw Attorney at Law

Scott Powell Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP

John Robbins John C. Robbins, Attorney at Law

Jim Shaw Huie

R. Carlton Smyly Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal, LLP

Charles A. Powell IV Littler Mendelson, PC

Brandy Robertson Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Stephen Shaw Redden, Mills, Shaw & Clark, LLP

Natasha Snow Snow & Nichols LLC

William V. Powell Jr Powell & Denny

Brandon Robinson Balch & Bingham

Paul B. Shaw, Jr. Shaw Family Law, LLC

Marc P. Solomon Burr & Forman, LLP

Andrea Powers Baker Donelson

Bruce F. Rogers Bainbridge, Mims, Rogers & Smith, LLP

R. Wendell Sheffield Sheffield & Lentine

J. Callan Sparrow Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Mark Polson Polson & Polson, PC Denise Pomeroy Dominick Feld Hyde, PC Brad Ponder Montgomery Ponder, LLC Jack Porterfield Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow, & Ireland

54

B-METRO.COM

Jennifer Smith Wiggins Childs Pantazis Fisher & Goldfarb, LLC Ralph H. Smith II Jones Walker, LLP T. Shane Smith Steel City Law Tempe Smith Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS

CANDACE B. PEEPLES

HELPING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF DIVORCE Candi Peeples formed PEEPLES LAW as a boutique-styled practice, limited to Matrimonial and Family Law, because helping families with these difficult issues is what she loves.

“We could be practicing other types of law, but we do this because we love it. With us, it’s not a slogan—it’s just the truth,” Candi tells us.

A core belief within the firm is that every case has the potential to settle out of court. “We make it a priority to exhaust all reasonable options for settlement, but we are both absolutely ready for trial when that is what is best for our clients,” Candi says. “While a trial may be difficult for a client, we love to try cases—for us, it is one of the most fulfilling parts of our job; we see all the pieces of our team’s hard work come together.”

Candi receives high praise from clients for her commitment to Matrimonial and Family Law and she is proud to be of service to the community. Candi says, “We feel that by keeping in mind that we are here to be of service to our clients, we can deliver our very best for them.” The AV-rated firm is proud to boast that they have been featured in distinguished publications, such as Vanity Fair, for their excellence in Family Law. Candi is a graduate of The University of Georgia and the Cumberland School of Law, with honors. She is a certified domestic and appellate mediator, and is the publisher of the Birmingham Matrimonial and Family Law Newsletter. She has been named in the 2016 “Best of Birmingham” list by Birmingham Magazine, and named by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of the “Top 40 Under 40.” She has consistently been named a Top Lawyer by B-Metro magazine. She is also a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and a Certified Family Law Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Candi is married to Lloyd Peeples and lives in Vestavia with their two children, Lily and Chandler.

PEEPLES LAW

MATRIMONIAL & FAMILY LAW ATTORNEYS THE HISTORIC A.B. LOVEMAN HOUSE 2956 RHODES CIRCLE SOUTH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA 35205 / 205.403.5577

PEEPLESLAW.COM

B-METRO.COM

55

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.

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 Kristin Waters Sullivan Five Points Law Group

Tommy Spina Criminal Defense Attorney Joseph Spransy Spransy Law William Stewart Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt

John Tally Rumberger Kirk & Caldwell

Matthew Stiles Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC

Will Hill Tankersley Balch & Bingham

Sarah Stokes Southern Environmental Law Center

F. Jerome Tapley Cory Watson Attorneys

Dale Stone Dominick Feld Hyde, PC

Klari Tedrow Tedrow & Myers Immigration Law Group

Garrick Stotser Massey, Stotser & Nichols

Richard Theibert Najjar Denanburg

Sharon Stuart Christian & Small, LLP

Martha Thompson Balch & Bingham LLP

Ted Stuckenschneider Law Offices Ted Stuckenschneider, PC

Mary Thompson Parnell Thompson LLC

Jennifer Fox Swain Littler Mendelson, PC

Appellate Advocacy

Michael Thompson Lehr Middlebrooks & Vreeland, PC

Civil & Complex Litigation

Labor & Employment

Mediation

Divorce

Probate & Elder Law

Emily Tidmore Spotswood Sansom & Sansbury, LLC

Sara Turner Baker, Donelson

Christina Andreen Tidwell Southern Environmental Law Center

Kile Turner Norman Wood Kendrick & Turner

Jay Tidwell Tidwell Law Group, LLC

Tyler Vail Hollis, Wright, Clay, & Vail, PC

Temple Trueblood Wiggins Childs Quinn & Pantazis, LLC

Nate C. VanDerVeer Goldasich & Associates

Tommy Tucker Hall & Tucker

Tracy Owen Vella Vella & King

Joseph L. Tucker Jackson and Tucker, PC

Michael Vercher Christian & Small, LLP

Governmental & Regulatory Affairs

Insurance Defense

White Collar Criminal Defense & Criminal Defense

OUT OF NOWHERE. OUT OF THE BLUE. OUT OF LEFT FIELD. OUT OF THIN AIR. For whatever it is and from wherever it came,

We have a plan for the unplanned.

Attorneys at Law 2025 Third Avenue North, Suite 500, Birmingham, Alabama 35203

205-323-1888 WhiteArnoldDowd.com

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.

56

B-METRO.COM

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS Paul B. Shaw, Jr., has been recognized as a leader in the area of divorce and family law by Birmingham Magazine and “Super Lawyers.” Mr. Shaw, an AV-rated TM attorney, displayed his divorce and financial expertise in his top-selling book on Alabama divorce, Saving Your Assets When You Can’t Save Your Marriage. Paul recognizes that the emotional and financial aspects of divorce and child custody are intertwined. He strives to successfully settle those cases which can be resolved and aggressively litigate those that must be taken to trial.

SHAW FAMILY LAW, LLC 2924 Crescent Avenue • Birmingham, AL 35209 (205) 871-9550

ShawFamilyLawyers.com 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.

THE BLOOMSTON FIRM

TOPFLIGHTATTORNEYS Aggressive, Focused Representation.

The Bloomston Firm is dedicated to defending the rights and freedom of people accused of serious felony and misdemeanor crimes and zealously representing those clients with domestic or family law cases.

The attorneys at the firm have earned a strong reputation for criminal defense, civil litigation and domestic relations in the legal community—across the state of Alabama—as tireless litigators, dynamic trial lawyers and passionate advocates for their clients.

The Bloomston Firm stands ready to put their unique skills to work for you. Our award-winning attorneys are constantly working to aggressively defend and represent our clients in seeking a “win” in their case.

2151 Highland Avenue S, Suite 310 Birmingham AL 35205 205-212-9700

www.thebloomstonfirm.com 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.

Bloomston mar 20 blue.indd 1

3/23/20 6:55 PM

The List

TOPFLIGHT

Top Attorneys 2020

ATTORNEYS

India Vincent Burr Forman LLP Brian Vines Hare Wynn Newell & Newton, LLP Charlie Waldrep Waldrep Stewart & Kendrick, LLC Jennifer Wales Beddow, Erben & Bowen PA Barry Walker Walker Law

SERVING CLIENTS WITH SKILL AND COMPASSION

NOTABLE VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS $58,200,000 Product Defect Case

David Ware Ware Immigration

$15,400,000 Business Fraud Case $11,500,000 Tire Tread Separation Case

David Warren Ogletree Deakins, PC

$10,000,000 Personal Injury Case

Tom Warburton Bradley

$8,000,000 Wrongful Death Case $3,000,000 Wrongful Death Pre-Suit Settlement $2,750,000 Confidential Georgia Wrongful Death Settlement $28,000,000 Jail Sex Abuse Judgment

Morris Haynes represents clients in cases involving trucking accidents car wrecks, wrongful death, product defect, medical malpractice and insurance fraud. We also represent individuals with Legionnaire’s Disease and victims of wrongful gun discharge. Please visit our Legionnaires website at www.legionnaireattorney.com, our gun defect website at www.gundefectattorney.com and our firm website at www.mhhlaw.net

Morris Haynes

Laura Washburn Bradley Michael Waters Jones Walker LLP Leila Watson Cory Watson Attorneys Latanishia Watters Hand Arendall, LLC John Watts Watts & Herring LLC Dennis Rusty Weaver Weaver Law Group Stephanie Weems Massey Stotser & Nichols, PC

Attorneys at Law 3500 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 100 Birmingham, Alabama 35243 • 205 - 324-4008 131 Main Street • Alexander City, Alabama 35010 256 - 329 - 2000

Summer Wells Serious Injury law Group Martin Weinberg Martin Weinberg Attorney at Law Herbert H. West,Jr. Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal, LLP

These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. Furthermore, no representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers 58

Stephen Walsh Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial Jeannie Bugg Walston Starnes Davis Florie, LLP

$240,000,000 Gun Defect Class Action

www.mhhlaw.net www.gundefectattorney.com www.legionnaireattorney.com

Summer Walker Summer G. Walker, PC

Kimberly West Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt, LLC James Wettermark Wettermark & Keith LLC

B-METRO.COM

Morris Haynes Mar 20.indd 1

3/23/20 7:02 PM

Michael Todd Wheeles Morris, Haynes, Wheeles, Knowles & Nelson LLP Amber Whillock Starnes Davis Florie, LLP William White Boles Holmes Parkman White J. Mark White White Arnold & Dowd Steve Whitehead Lloyd Grey Whitehead & Monroe Kay Wilburn Dominick Feld Hyde Turner B. Williams Burr Forman LLP Sara Williams Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys Brian Williams Dominick Feld Hyde, PC Chris J. Williams Maynard Cooper & Gale, PC Mark P. Williams Norman Wood Kendrick & Turner James S. Williams Sirote & Permutt, PC Amanda Williamson Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC Thomas Willingham Pope McGamry Kilpatrick Morrison & Norwood PC. Anthony Willoughby Dominick Feld Hyde, PC E. B. Harrison Willis Cloud Willis & Ellis, LLC Harlan F. Winn III Battle & Winn, LLP James Wright Bradley Josh Wright Hollis, Wright, Clay, & Vail, PC L. Stephen Wright Najjar Denaburg Gregory Yaghmai Rutledge & Yaghmai Attorneys at Law G. Thomas Yearout Law Office of G. Thomas Yearout J. Gusty Yearout Yearout & Traylor, PC

Special Promotion

WE PROUDLY CONGRATULATE JOEL DILORENZO ON HIS SELECTION AS A 2020 TOP FLIGHT ATTORNEY

The List

Top Attorneys 2020 Patrick Yeatts The Yeatts Law Firm, LLC Liz Young Dummier Young LLC Anne Yuengert Bradley Gregory Zarzaur Zarzaur Jessica Zorn Farris, Riley & Pitt Christopher Zulanas Friedman Dazzio Zulanas & Bowling, PC Elizabeth Zwiebel The Zwiebel Law Firm, LLC Melissa Zwilling Carr Allison

TOPFLIGHT ATTORNEYS

Going above and beyond in Birmingham.

A divorce and family law attorney with over 20 years of experience, Sandi is committed to zealously advocating for her clients while doing so with compassion and integrity. She is a graduate of the Cumberland School of Law and is board certified in matrimonial law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Attorney at Law, LLC 1 Independence Plaza • Suite 814 • Homewood, Alabama 35209 ( 205)536-6944

Jones Walker LLP congratulates partners Emily Sides Bonds, William W. Horton, Michael D. Waters, and special counsel Ralph H. Smith II on being named to B-Metro Magazine’s list of “Top Flight Attorneys.”

Henry F. O’Connor, III Alabama Office Head hoconnor@joneswalker.com

420 20th Street North | Suite 1100 Birmingham, AL 35203 205.244.5200

Sandi Eubank Gregory

SandiGregoryLaw.com

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.

60

B-METRO.COM

Sandi Gregory Mar 20.indd 1

3/23/20 7:10 PM

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

joneswalker.com

CAMP GUIDE B-KIDS SUMMER

Summer can be a time to be a kid and have fun, explore new vistas and make new friends. With so many choices, what is the best option for your child? B-Metro is pleased to help you explore these excellent summer programs:

2020

at Springs * Summer summeratsprings.org

Camp VST * Starsvirginiasamfordtheatre.org

Getman Soccer Camp * Mikemikegetmansoccercamp.com

Foundation Summer Camps & Classes * Dance thedancefoundation.org Camp * ADVENTure adventepiscopalschool.org/summer

Scienc Center Summer Camps * McWance mcwane.org

Ballet Summer Ballet Intensives * Birmingham birminghamballet.com

B-METRO.COM

61

Use the summer to explore!

Summer@Springs offers over 20 academic enrichment courses for students in grades 4–12

SUMMERATSPRINGS.ORG

Cindy Free, Director

DEFINE & REFINE

Summer Ballet Intensives

Junior Summer Dance Intensive July 20 - 24, 2020 Build strong classical technique and explore other forms of dance.

Beg. & Inter. Ages 6 - 9 Pre-Pointe & Beginner Pointe Intensive July 20 - 24, 2020 Specialized instruction for dancers in pre-pointe shoes or with less than one year dancing in pointe shoes.

Ages 10 - 14* Senior Ballet Intensive June 1 - 12, 2020 Week 1 June 1 -5 Week 2 June 8 - 12 One or two weeks of rigorous training for serious dancers.

Ages 10 & Up* Summer Bridge July 27 - August 7, 2020 Stay in shape or get back in shape before the school year begins.

Ages 10 & Up*

SUMMER 2020

Birmingham Ballet Academy

62

ADVENTure CAMP SUMMER 2020

Day Camp & Enrichment Programs Rising PreK—8th Grades June 8—July 24 Registration & Information: www.adventurecampbham.org summer@adventepiscopalschool.org

BBA Student Ann Louise Chamoun Age 14

*Evaluation required for placement in this program. Contact the BBA Office to schedule your evaluation.

For additional information call (205) 979-9492, or email info@birminghamballet.com or visit our website www.birminghamballet.com.

2198 Columbiana Road - Suite 100, Birmingham, Al 35216

Untitled-1 1

JOIN US FOR

ADVENT EPISCOPAL SCHOOL 2019 6TH AVE N, BHAM, AL 35203 205-252-2535

B-METRO.COM 2/26/20 2:39 PM

Camps m a e T & l ia t n e id s e R Day, ths Attend the Sou

#1 SOCCER CAMP

Talk: b-curious

The End of the World As We Know It

By Joey Kennedy I’m an optimist. My curious nature ensures that. If I were a pessimist, I certainly wouldn’t want to know more stuff.

I wouldn’t believe in life-long learning. I wouldn’t plan ahead.

Especially in these times. The end times?

No, I’m not making an end–of–the– world prophecy. I’m no prophet—true, false, or whatever. Still, I do think it’s the end of the world as we know it (thank you, R.E.M.).

It’s been the end of the world as we know it for a longer time now than most of us will admit.

Thunderstorms are worse and more frequent, as are tornadoes and hurricanes and snowstorms and droughts. Wildfires, always common, are even more common.

Plagues have been in the world since the world had humans (and animals) to plague. New plagues are finding their way from exotic animal species to humans, then spreading, well, like one of those wildfires. The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has killed thousands and has disrupted life for just about every soul on Earth.

No telling how long the disease has been in Alabama. Even though the coronavirus’ first U.S. case was confirmed way back on Jan. 21, by the time the bug had worked its way to Alabama nearly two months later, the state (and nation) still wasn’t prepared to test people with symptoms. Alabama’s first case was reported, eerily enough, on Friday, March 13.

Naturally, being the most populated area in the state, the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area is at the greatest risk in Alabama of having lots of cases. Over that fast first weekend, 12 cases had been confirmed and the disease took hold.

Still, Birmingham is lucky to have an extensive medical care infrastructure and should be able to absorb the most critical cases.

Nursing and retirement homes were shut to visitors, which makes sense because our older population is most vulnerable to the virus’ life–ending respiratory complications.

64

B-METRO.COM

Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.

That’s because to help contain the virus, most of us are practicing distancing ourselves from others, in some cases even self-isolating.

Public schools and universities were closed; on the college and university level, students and faculty continued classes after extended spring breaks by pivoting to online.

Suddenly, we are in a place we’ve never been before, and it’s not a fun place, either.

March Madness and every other sporting event, including the Masters, were canceled. NBA, NHL, pro soccer, and even entertainment events ceased to exist.

Broadway theaters are shuttered.

As the coronavirus marched through Alabama, it was reported that the state experienced it’s rainiest winter (December-February) on record. In just February, the state had an average of 24.22 inches of rain, and that is 8.70 inches above average. Data goes back to 1895.

This is climate change at work.

Sure, we’ve seen storms our entire lives, just not as so-often severe as we see today. A category 5 hurricane, once rare, is seen on a regular basis.

There was a time when I looked forward to the adventure of storms, especially hurricanes. I grew up on the Gulf Coast, in southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana. I’ve experienced many storms, and I’ve covered many as a journalist.

The adventure of storms ended for me when Hurricane Katrina devastated southern Louisiana and Mississippi. Two weeks after Katrina, I wrote about my memory of a particular storm in a newspaper column: “I loved storms — the lightning, the thunder, the wind, even the rain — and in 1961, Hurricane Carla was the biggest storm yet for me. Like Hurricane Katrina, Carla was a monster, too, at one time a Category 5, and she was headed for us in Texas. We lived in a small town between Beaumont and Houston, a few miles inland from High Island. As the storm started to come in and the winds picked up, my mom sent me outside to chase down a plastic clothes basket that somehow

had escaped and was tumbling across the front yard. The basket eluded me until it got caught on the barbed-wire fence that separated our lot from the cow pasture next door. I grabbed the basket and, now drenched but loving every second of it, ran back inside, making my clearly reckless mother awfully proud.”

The combinations of awful weather and even more awful diseases underscore that the world as we knew it is done.

That sounds depressing, yes, but it’s not pessimistic. That just means we have to adjust, to keep changing, knowing that we may have to disrupt our lives even more regularly than we used to.

What’s as scary as a bad hurricane or wildfire or disease outbreak is that our leadership, on both the national and state levels, is unprepared to manage such change. We need leadership that doesn’t simply react to disasters or epidemics, but who see what’s coming and responds proactively.

We know we’re going to have hurricanes. We know we’re going to have wildfires. We know tornadoes are coming yearround now. We know when a new strain of a deadly virus takes hold in China in late December-early January that it’ll likely break out and come get us.

We know this. So we should prepare.

Better safe than sorry. Today, though, we’re sorry.

A wall won’t stop infections from border-hopping. Ignoring a virus in China and continuing doing the same as usual is reckless.

So from now on, we need act quickly. Decisively. Intentionally. Humanely.

We lost our advantage to intervene as the coronavirus in far-away China grew into a pandemic. We twiddled our thumbs, then looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a coming 18-wheeler.

So, yes, it’s the end of the world as we know it. But, no, I don’t feel fine. Optimistic, but not fine.

Joey is a Pulitzer Prize winner. He writes this curious column each month for B-Metro. He can be reached at joeykennedy@me.com.