SAN DIEGO, CA, August 20, 2026 — National insurance defense trial firm Tyson & Mendes, LLP announced that 16 of its attorneys have been recognized for the third consecutive year in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. These prestigious honors highlight the firm’s exceptional talent and commitment to delivering outstanding legal services to clients nationwide.

The following Tyson & Mendes attorneys are included in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027:

• Margaret M. Holm (Partner, Costa Mesa, CA) – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
• David J. Frankenberger, Jr. (Partner, Fresno, CA) – Litigation – Construction
• Kevin P. McNamara (Partner, Los Angeles, CA) – Insurance Law
• Daniel Fallon (Partner, San Diego, CA) – Commercial Litigation
• Patrick Mendes (Founding Partner, San Diego, CA) – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Susan L. Oliver (Partner, San Diego, CA) – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Robert Tyson, Jr. (Founding Partner, San Diego, CA) – Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Stefani N. Cogsdale (Senior Counsel, Jacksonville, FL) – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• E. Holland Howanitz (Partner, Jacksonville, FL) – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Charles E. Reynolds (Partner, Tampa, FL) – Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; Litigation – Insurance
• Griffith H. Hayes (Partner, Henderson, NV) – Litigation – Construction
• Cathleen Kelly Rebar (Partner, Radnor, PA) – Insurance Law
• Gordon Klug (Partner, Seattle, WA) – Commercial Litigation

Additionally, three of the firm’s partners have been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2027, which honors early-career attorneys for outstanding professional excellence in private practice:

• Keith T. Bostwick (Partner, Jersey City, NJ) – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants; Professional Malpractice Law; Transportation Law
• Thera A. Cooper (Partner, Houston, TX) – Insurance Law
• Amanda N. James (Partner, San Antonio, TX) – Insurance Law; Litigation – Construction; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

“This prestigious recognition by Best Lawyers reflects the growing depth of talent, skill, and dedication to client service that defines Tyson & Mendes,” said Founding Partner Robert Tyson.

“These awards reflect the power and success of The Apex℠, our trial-tested blueprint that gives our attorneys the framework for defending clients at every stage of litigation – from pre-trial to closing arguments,” added National Managing Partner Cayce Lynch. “These 16 attorneys represent practice groups across the country that put this framework into practice with one goal in mind – break the pattern on Nuclear Verdicts®.”

For more information and to view career opportunities, visit tysonmendes.com.

About Tyson & Mendes LLP

Tyson & Mendes LLP is a nationwide, AV-rated litigation and trial firm specializing in insurance defense and protecting its clients from Nuclear Verdicts®. Founded in 2002 by Robert Tyson and Patrick Mendes, the firm has experienced tremendous growth, with offices across the United States. Tyson & Mendes is known for its expertise in defending corporations, insurance companies, and their clients against Nuclear Verdicts®.

Serving 22 states with 28 offices nationwide, Tyson & Mendes is one of the fastest-growing civil defense firms in the U.S. and is proud to offer one of the fastest and clearest paths to partnership for its attorneys of any mid-sized law firm in the U.S. The firm is honored to be recognized as a 2024 and 2025 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers, named a 2026 Best Company to Work For: Law Firms edition by U.S. News & World Report, shortlisted for PropertyCasualty360 2026 Insurance Luminaries Award, and have an extensive trial bench of attorneys who have been recognized by Best Lawyers 2026, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2026, and Super Lawyers. The firm has also developed a spinoff consulting firm, Apex Defense Consulting, aimed at equipping carriers and counsel with the education, collaboration, and expertise needed to stop Nuclear Verdicts® and slow social inflation.

For more information, visit www.tysonmendes.com.

About Apex Defense Consulting

Apex Defense Consulting is a specialized insurance defense consulting firm, offering educational, community, and consulting services via a slate of experienced trial lawyers and Nuclear Verdict® experts. Founded in 2025, Apex Defense Consulting is the first of its kind within the insurance defense industry and is poised to revolutionize the industry with The Apex℠, the first and only data-backed and trial-tested blueprint for the defense to stop outsized and unjust Nuclear Verdicts®.

For more information, visit www.apexdefenseconsulting.com.

For press inquiries, contact:

Debbie Caldwell

Plat4orm PR

debbie@plat4form.com

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