News
10 Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorneys honored in new edition of Best Lawyers in America
September 3, 2026 • Featured, News
It’s another strong showing for Burnette Shutt & McDaniel in Best Lawyers in America®! The just-released 2027 edition of the annual guide and its companion guide, Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch in America highlight 10 attorneys from the firm.
Even better: Firm co-founder Nekki Shutt again earned Lawyer of the Year honors for the Columbia area, this time in Employment Law – Individuals. It’s her seventh Lawyer of the Year award. Overall, she earned honors in nine practice areas, a testament to her versatility across a range of disciplines.
Though employment law, civil rights and litigation account for many of the firm’s awards, the attorneys are recognized across more than a dozen practice areas overall. This includes environmental law, qui tam whistleblower law, personal injury litigation, administrative law, education law, and more.
The attorneys and their practice areas:
Malissa Burnette: Civil Rights Law, Education Law, Employment Law – Individuals, Litigation – Labor and Employment, and Mediation, Columbia.
David E. Rothstein: Employment Law – Individuals and Litigation – Labor and Employment, Greenville.
Nekki Shutt: Employment Law – Individuals Lawyer of the Year, Civil Rights Law, Commercial Litigation, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – ERISA, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, and Qui Tam Law, Columbia.
Kathleen McDaniel: Administrative/Regulatory Law, Food and Beverage Law, Litigation – Environmental, and Real Estate Law, Columbia.
Stuart Andrews: Health Care Law and Qui Tam Law, Columbia.
Ashley Pennington: Criminal Defense: General Practice, Columbia.
Janet Rhodes: Employment Law – Individuals and Litigation – Labor and Employment, Columbia.
Grant Burnette LeFever: Employment Law – Individuals, Columbia.
Lydia Robins Hendrix – Labor and Employment Law – Employee and Litigation – Labor and Employment Law, Ones to Watch, Columbia.
Sarah Cox, who is not practicing currently, was honored in Appellate Practice for the Columbia area.
Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorneys have long histories of success in Best Lawyers. They’ve regularly appeared in the directory for decades: Andrews was first honored in 2003, and Burnette in 2005. The firm’s attorneys have regularly won Lawyer of the Year honors dating back to 2011. Additionally, Burnette Shutt & McDaniel has been cited in every edition of Best Law Firms in America® since the firm was founded. The 2027 edition of Best Law Firms will be released in November.
About Best Lawyers
The Best Lawyers in America selection process includes evaluations from other attorneys in the same cities and practice areas. It also includes independent research. The attorney with the highest overall peer feedback is designated as the Lawyer of the Year. Selection criteria are the same Ones to Watch, which recognizes attorneys who have practiced less than 10 years.
