Shutt named Lawyer of the Year for her ERISA and employee benefits work
August 21, 2023
Nekki Shutt has won Lawyer of the Year honors for her work in Litigation – ERISA in the Columbia area in the just-released 2024 “Best Lawyers in America.”
It’s Shutt’s second consecutive Lawyer of the Year designation and the third time she’s earned top honors in Litigation – ERISA. Shutt has also won Lawyer of the Year awards in Employee Benefits – ERISA and in Employment Law – Individuals.
A South Carolina Supreme Court-certified specialist in employment law, Shutt’s wide-ranging legal practice includes extensive work in ERISA and employee benefits law in federal court. These cases often involve improper denial of short- and long-term disability benefits, denial of group life insurance, and denial of group health insurance claims.
One of the founders of Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, Shutt has been honored in “Best Lawyers” every year since 2010. In the 2024 edition, her impressive showing includes recognition in eight practice areas, from commercial litigation to civil rights.
“All of these awards are a great, and deserving, testimony to Nekki’s reputation in the legal community,” Burnette Shutt & McDaniel co-founder Malissa Burnette said. “It’s been a privilege to work closely with her on a daily basis for over a decade now and to witness first-hand her amazing skills, determination and dedication to righting wrongs for her clients.”
Five others at Burnette Shutt & McDaniel are recognized in “Best Lawyers” across more than a dozen diverse practice areas in this latest edition of the annual guide: Stuart M. Andrews, M. Malissa Burnette, Jack E. Cohoon, Kathleen M. McDaniel, and Amanda S. Mueller. Three additional attorneys are highlighted in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch:” Samantha Albrecht, Sarah J.M. Cox, and Grant Burnette LeFever.
Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorneys have been included in “Best Lawyers in America” every year for two decades. As of 2023, the most recent year that’s been published, the companion piece, “Best Law Firms in America,” also has honored Burnette Shutt & McDaniel every year since the firm was founded. The 2024 edition of “Best Law Firms” will be released in November.
The “Best Lawyers” selection process begins with a nomination, followed by 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 is limited to attorneys with less than 10 years’ practice, is the same. Lawyer of the Year honors go to the attorney with the top peer-review marks in each practice area and each 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, and education law. They also handle employee benefits and ERISA matters, privacy and data protection issues, and government matters such as eminent domain, land use, and zoning. The attorneys’ civil rights work includes discrimination, wrongful termination, and criminal justice civil rights. Additionally, the firm represents LGBTQ+ clients in a range of issues, including family law and name and gender-marker changes. Learn more at burnetteshutt.law.
