Shutt named a Lawyer of the Year in Best Lawyers
September 8, 2026
Nekki Shutt has earned her seventh Lawyer of the Year designation in Best Lawyers in America®, this time winning the honor for her work in Employment Law – Individuals for the Columbia area.
One of the firm’s founding partners, Shutt joins nine other Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorneys who are recognized in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers in America and its companion piece, Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch.
Shutt, who currently serves as president of the SC Bar, has been a South Carolina Supreme Court-certified specialist in employment law for 15 years. In addition to employment law, her practice includes ERISA and employee benefits law. These cases include denial of health insurance claims, denial of group life insurance claims, and denial of short- or long-term disability benefits. She has won five Lawyer of the Year awards in Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law for the Columbia area in past editions of Best Lawyers in America.
Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorneys have been included in Best Lawyers in America for more than two decades, with founding partner M. Malissa Burnette appearing every year since 2005. A companion publication, Best Law Firms in America®, has honored Burnette Shutt & McDaniel every year since the firm was founded. The 2027 edition of Best Law Firms will be released in November.
The Best Lawyers selection process includes peer review from attorneys in the same practice area and geographic region. A single Lawyer of the Year is selected based on highest overall feedback in each practice area and geographic location.
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 administrative 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(opens in new tab).
