The 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America lists six attorneys from Mitchell, McNutt & Sams as outstanding lawyers in their respective fields of practice. Andy Phillips, a shareholder in the Oxford office of the firm, was selected for his work in the area of bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law. All other selectees are shareholders in the Tupelo office. Bill Murphree and Billy Spencer were chosen for product liability litigation, and Dennis Voge was selected for workers’ compensation. John Wheeler and Sandy Sams were both honored for their expertise in medical malpractice and other professional malpractice law. Additionally, Sandy Sams, who has been listed in this publication for at least 20 years, was also associated with the areas of commercial litigation, personal injury litigation, and product liability litigation. Best Lawyers is the oldest peer-review directory of its type in the legal profession and currently includes 29,575 attorneys in 78 specialties, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Ronald L. Roberts,shareholder in the Columbus office of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams, P.A. has been named a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. The Mississippi Bar Foundation is a non-profit organization created to improve the administration of justice in the state. Its membership comes from the bench and bar and is by invitation only, the “fellows” distinction being the Foundation’s highest honor. Only 10% of the lawyers of Mississippi are eligible for membership and only fifteen attorneys may be selected per year. Their selection is recognition by their peers that they possess the highest level of professionalism, competence, ethical standards and leadership ability as evidenced not only by their legal skills but also by their dedication and service to the public and the profession.


Ronny practices in the firm’s litigation section focusing on commercial, business, environmental, and personal injury matters. He also maintains an active alternative dispute resolution practice. He received his law degree from The University of Mississippi School of Law in 1977, with distinction. Other Mitchell, McNutt & Sams attorneys previously inducted as Fellows of the Mississippi Bar Foundation are: Michael D. Ferris Guy W. Mitchell, III L.F. (Sandy) Sams, Jr. William C. Spencer, Sr. Wendell H. Trapp, Jr.

Alison Ketner Goodman, an associate in the Tupelo office of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams, practices in the general business, corporate and finance section. Goodman’s fluency in Japanese brings a unique talent to the firm and enhances its ability to serve a new type of client for Northeast Mississippi. Toyota’s choice of Blue Springs as the site of its manufacturing facility for the Highlander sport-utility vehicle opens the doors not only to a new industry and its major suppliers but to new cultures and customs as well. Ms. Goodman’s undergraduate education includes a major in Japanese Studies and she has lived, worked, and studied in Japan. She clerked for a Japanese law firm in Tokyo before receiving her law degree from The University of Mississippi School of Law in 2003. Goodman also participated in a Japanese exchange teaching program for Japanese teachers of English, and it is this unique blend of the legal and the linguistic that will benefit the firm’s current and future clients in this particular arena. Goodman also brings a background in workers’ compensation matters to the firm.

John G. Wheeler, shareholder in the Tupelo office of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams, joins his colleagues L.F. Sams, Jr. and Wendell H. Trapp, Jr. (currently a member of the Mississippi state committee) as a fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. ACTL membership is by invitation only, after careful investigation, and is extended to those experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Widely considered the premier professional trial organization in America, the ACTL membership can never be more than 1% of the total lawyer population of any state. Wheeler received his law degree from The University of Mississippi School of Law , magna cum laude, in 1989. He serves as the firm’s litigation section chair and practices exclusively in litigation, focusing upon the defense of medical and other professional liability claims, pharmaceutical and other product liability litigation, and other personal injury and general litigation matters.

L.F. “Sandy” Sams, Wendell H. Trapp, Jr. and John G. Wheeler have been featured in the 2007 edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers, a supplement of Memphis magazine. The publication covers Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee and is published as a guide to the top 5 percent of attorneys in each state as nominated by their peers and independent research conducted by Law & Politics magazine. Ballots were sent to more than 24,000 attorneys in the tri-state area to determine this year’s selections.