Meet the Best Lawyers in WV: Lewis Gianola PLLC’s 2026 Honorees
Eight attorneys at Lewis Gianola PLLC have been named to the 2026 Best Lawyers list, the firm announced, with recognition spanning corporate law, energy, health care, real estate, bankruptcy, and litigation.
The honorees represent both the Charleston and Morgantown offices and reflect the firm’s range across West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Best Lawyers rankings are determined through confidential peer evaluations rather than paid submissions, a distinction that has made the list a widely cited benchmark for lawyers in WV and beyond.
Corporate, Commercial, and Real Estate
Four attorneys were recognized for their work guiding businesses through formation, transactions, and property matters:
- Ann R. Starcher – Corporate Law, Mining Law
- Mark A. Sadd – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law
- Matt Kingery – Commercial Finance Law, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, Project Finance Law, Real Estate Law
- Matthew R. Bowles – Corporate Governance Law, Technology Law, Health Care Law
Kingery’s listing comes as the firm continues to expand its Kentucky practice. He’s licensed in both West Virginia and Kentucky, and he handles the firm’s Kentucky matters directly, giving clients with operations in both states access to consistent representation.
Energy, Health Care, and Bankruptcy
Three additional honorees were recognized in practice areas tied closely to the region’s economy:
- Richard L. Gottlieb – Energy Law, Oil and Gas Law
- Thomas G. Casto – Health Care Law
- Spencer D. Elliott – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Gottlieb’s dual recognition in energy and oil and gas law tracks with the firm’s longstanding roster of coal, oil, and gas industry clients. Elliott’s listing in bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights reflects the firm’s work representing both businesses and creditors through financial distress and reorganization.
Litigation and Labor
Rounding out the list is:
- Webster J. Arceneaux III – Litigation – Labor and Employment, Mediation
Arceneaux was recognized in both litigation and mediation, categories that often intersect in employment disputes. According to the firm, that dual standing allows clients facing workplace claims to weigh trial and alternative dispute resolution as parallel options rather than a single fixed path.
Work With a Best Lawyers-Recognized Attorney at Lewis Gianola PLLC
Lewis Gianola PLLC’s eight honorees span practice areas across corporate law, energy, health care, real estate, bankruptcy, and litigation, underscoring the firm’s reach across West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Formed through the merger of Gianola Barnum & Jecklin P.C. and Lewis Glasser PLLC, the firm draws on a combined history spanning over 70 years of legal practice in the region.
To speak with one of the firm’s Best Lawyers-recognized attorneys, contact the Charleston or Morgantown office to schedule a consultation.