NC Attorneys at Edwards Kirby Make 2020 Best Lawyers List

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Few attorneys are fortunate enough to garner recognition from Best Lawyers, and fewer still earn such a distinction more than once in their legal careers. For several of the attorneys at the Raleigh-based Civil Trial Law Firm of Edwards Kirby, however, it's become the norm. This year, the firm has three attorneys selected yet again to The Best Lawyers in America, as well as one attorney who earned her first year of recognition.

Published annually since 1983, Best Lawyers recognizes top attorneys throughout each state, and across various countries abroad, who have excelled in a particular practice area.

Each year, it sifts through numerous attorneys to distinguish the most accomplished and acclaimed using a methodology centered on peer review and meaningful evaluations. The carefully curated process includes:

• Formal nominations from peers, clients, and law firms;
• Ballot voting from attorneys previously listed in Best Lawyers (based on practice area and geographic region);
• Feedback analysis conducted by Best Lawyers, with nominees given peer ratings between 1-5, as well as additional feedback as needed;
• Editorial team eligibility checks (bar standing, ethics, etc.).

In order to be included in the final list, attorneys must first be nominated by their legal peers, after which they will be subject to the Best Lawyers' rigorous selection process, consisting of a methodology that vets nominees using peer review, independent research, and third party analysis of feedback.

The process is intended to ensure maximum transparency, and capture substantive opinions of leading lawyers who have the insight to effectively gauge their colleague's abilities. Candidates who earn the highest point totals – meaning those most respected for their legal work by peers practicing in the same geographic and / or legal areas – are chosen for inclusion in final guides.

• John R. Edwards: Former U.S. Senator and Vice-Presidential nominee John Edwards has committed his professional career to advocacy, justice, and equal rights. Before being known for his political service, John was, and continues to be, a talented trial attorney who's excelled in complex civil claims, and has recovered millions in compensation for clients. Edwards was recognized by Best Lawyers in Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs; Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs; and Professional Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs. He is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invite-only group of the top 100 plaintiff lawyers in the U.S.
• David F. Kirby: A member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, David Kirby has been named to Best Lawyers every year since 2001, and has received its highest "Lawyer of the Year" recognition in two previous years in Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs (2012), and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs (2014). Kirby has been named to Lawdragon's Top 500 Plaintiff Lawyers, North Carolina Super Lawyers: Top 10, and is a Lifetime Inductee in the William Horn Battle Society of the University of North Carolina School of Law.
• William B. Bystrynski: Bystrynski's career has been dedicated to serving victims of negligence in a range of civil claims, including truck accidents, workplace injuries, fraternity hazing, electrocutions, drownings, and more. In addition to being recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2013 in Personal Injury Litigation, he's been named to Super Lawyers Magazine each year since its inception. His notable cases include high-profile wrongful death cases, nursing home, and malpractice suits, as well as two Supreme Court Cases, one of which resulted in an $8.2M verdict for his client, and the other overturned part of North Carolina's Medicaid law, allowing more aid to go to injured people.
• Kristen Beightol: Beightol earned her first year of recognition in The Best Lawyers in America 2020 for her work in Litigation – Insurance.  While the majority of her career has been focused on representing seriously injured patients and their families in medical malpractice litigation, Beightol has significant experience representing seriously injured individuals and their families in wrongful death, personal injury, trucking, products liability, nursing home, and premises liability litigation. Beightol also has experience representing insurance companies, businesses and/or individuals who have been sued in medical malpractice, nursing home, and trucking litigation.

Edwards Kirby is one of North Carolina's most trusted civil trial practices. Led by former U.S. Senator John Edwards and David Kirby – two of the nation's most acclaimed plaintiffs' lawyers, the firm has recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for clients injured and wronged by others, and has secured record results in a number of challenging, high-profile cases, including the NC state records for the largest personal injury verdict, the largest personal injury settlement, and the largest medical malpractice verdict – as well as the national record for the largest workplace violence verdict. Learn more about the firm's areas of practice by visiting www.edwardskirby.com.

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SOURCE Edwards Kirby, LLP