SPECIAL TO THE REPORTER

Best Lawyers in America selected 22 Sirote & Permutt attorneys for inclusion in the 2007 edition of the legal reference guide, with five of the firm&8217;s attorneys cited for their inclusion in the publication for over 10 years.

Attorneys Harold Apolinsky and Joel A. Mendler have been selected by their peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers for over 20 years.

Apolinsky is listed in the Tax Law and Trusts and Estates sections and Mendler is named among the Elder Law, Non-Profit/Charity Law, and Trusts and Estates sections.

Firm attorneys listed in Best Lawyers for over 10 years are Shirley M. Justice in the Trusts and Estates Section, David M. Wooldridge and Ronald A. Levitt, both listed in the Tax Law Section.

Other Sirote & Permutt attorneys listed in the publication and the sections they are listed in are:

George M. Van Tassel Jr., Alternative Dispute Resolution; Maurice L. Shevin, Banking Law and Corporate Law;

Julian D. Butler, Commercial Litigation; J. Mason Davis Jr., Municipal and Public Authority Financing and Corporate Law;

Richard J. Cohn, Corporate Law; Joseph S. Bluestein, Employee Benefits Law;

Lenora W. Pate and Joseph T. Ritchey, Health Care Law; Robert R. Baugh, Personal Injury Litigation; Steven A. Brickman, Real Estate Law;

John H. Cooper and Bradley J. Sklar, Tax Law; James Sturdivant, White-Collar Criminal Defense; Elizabeth H. Hutchins, Melinda M. Matthews, J. Sanford Mullins and Judith F. Todd in Trusts and Estates Law.

Best Lawyers is widely regarded by legal professionals and the general public as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States.

The current edition is based on 1.8 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country.

Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers &8220;the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.&8221;

As one of Alabama&8217;s largest and most respected law firms, the attorneys of Sirote & Permutt, P.C. provide expertise in virtually every field of law &045; from litigation and corporate law to estate planning and domestic relations.

With offices in Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile, the firm has over 300 employees, consisting of attorneys and support staff. Every member share in Sirote & Permutt&8217;s long-standing commitment to providing the highest quality legal services