Blog | Faruki PLL

Faruki+ Partners Named to 2026 Best Lawyers in America

Written by Faruki | August 21, 2025

Jeff Cox takes home prestigious "Lawyer of the Year" award

DAYTON and CINCINNATI, Ohio [August 21, 2025]Faruki PLL Partners Jeff Cox, Erin Rhinehart, Brian Wright, Steve Weigand, and Jeff Ireland have once again been selected for the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers of America®; Partner Jeff Sharkey joins the list of honorees for the first time. In addition, Jeff Cox has been named "Lawyer of the Year" for the second time in his career. Associate Morgan K. Napier is listed again in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Best Lawyers® is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, and its recognition is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor. The publication’s list of outstanding attorneys is compiled by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys, in which over 52,000 leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers listings are now published in almost 70 countries around the world. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."

Jeff Cox was named "Lawyer of the Year" for his work in Intellectual Property Litigation, and is listed by Best Lawyers in America in the following categories:

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Antitrust Litigation
  • Intellectual Property Litigation

Erin Rhinehart is listed by Best Lawyers in America in the following categories:

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants
  • Media Law

Brian Wright is listed by Best Lawyers in America in the following categories:

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Antitrust Litigation

Steve Weigand is listed by Best Lawyers in America in the following category:

  • Commercial Litigation

Jeff Ireland is recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the following categories:

  • Advertising Law
  • Bet-The-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Antitrust Litigation
  • Intellectual Property Litigation

Jeff Sharkey is listed by Best Lawyers in America in the following category:

  • Commercial Litigation

Morgan Napier is listed by Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch in the following categories:

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Labor and Employment Litigation

To learn more about The Best Lawyers in America, please visit www.bestlawyers.com.

 

About Faruki PLL

Faruki PLL is a litigation firm with offices in Dayton and Cincinnati that handles complex disputes, including intellectual property, class actions, competition-based litigation, employment, antitrust, privacy, trust disputes, commercial litigation, media law, and arbitration.  You can find Faruki PLL on LinkedIn and Twitter at @FarukiMediaLaw. The firm also has a robust practice serving as outside general counsel for a number of companies and organizations. Also, visit the firm's business litigation blog site, for the latest developments in business litigation, intellectual property, data security, communications and media, class actions, and employment.