Every attorney at Burnette Shutt & McDaniel honored in “Best Lawyers,” including a Lawyer of the Year

Every attorney at Burnette Shutt & McDaniel is listed in the just-released 2026 edition of “Best Lawyers in America” and its companion guide, “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.”

Firm co-founder Nekki Shutt also received Lawyer of the Year honors for the Columbia area in Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. It’s her sixth “Lawyer of the Year” award.

Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorneys were recognized in more than a dozen diverse practice areas, a number that grows every year. Most of the attorneys were cited in multiple practice areas, with Shutt leading the way with nine.

Many honors were in employment and litigation-related fields, though attorneys also are recognized in civil rights law, education law, environmental litigation, administrative law, and qui tam whistleblower law.

The attorneys and their recognized practice areas are:

Stuart M. Andrews, Jr.
• Health Care Law
• Qui Tam Law

M. Malissa Burnette
• Civil Rights Law
• Education Law
• Employment Law – Individuals
• Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Mediation

Jack E. Cohoon
• Employment Law – Individuals
• Litigation – Labor and Employment

Kathleen M. McDaniel
• Administrative / Regulatory Law
• Food and Beverage Law
• Land Use and Zoning Law
• Litigation – Environmental
• Real Estate Law

Ashley Pennington
• Criminal Defense: General Practice

Janet E. Rhodes
• Employment Law – Individuals
• Litigation – Labor and Employment

David E. Rothstein
• Employment Law – Individuals

Nekki Shutt
• Civil Rights Law
• Commercial Litigation
• Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• Employment Law – Individuals
• Employment Law – Management
• Litigation – ERISA
• Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
• Qui Tam Law

Sarah J.M. Cox – Ones to Watch
• Appellate Practice
• Civil Rights Law
• Labor and Employment Law – Employee
• Litigation – Labor and Employment

Lydia Robins Hendrix – Ones to Watch
• Labor and Employment Law – Employee
• Litigation – Labor and Employment

Grant Burnette LeFever – Ones to Watch
• Civil Rights Law
• Education Law
• Family Law
• Labor and Employment Law – Employee
• Labor and Employment Law – Management
• Litigation – Labor and Employment

Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorneys have been included in “Best Lawyers in America” for over 20 years. Andrews was first honored in 2003, while Burnette’s first appearance was in the 2005 edition. A related directory, “Best Law Firms in America,” has honored Burnette Shutt & McDaniel every year since the firm was founded. The 2026 edition of “Best Law Firms” will be released in November.

The “Best Lawyers” selection process includes peer review from attorneys in the same geographic region and practice area. Independent research verifies attorneys’ credentials. The selection process for “Ones to Watch,” which includes attorneys with less than 10 years’ practice, is the same.

 

About Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, PA

Located in Columbia’s historic business district, Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, PA’s attorneys are licensed to practice in all South Carolina courts and at all levels of federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. The firm represents clients in a range of areas, including employment, environmental, education, family, and criminal law. They also handle employee benefits and ERISA matters, civil rights cases, privacy and data protection issues and government matters such as eminent domain, land use and zoning. Learn more at burnetteshutt.law.