Dean Omar Branham Shirley Expands its Footprint on Lawdragon 500 X List

Three Dean Omar Branham Shirley (DOBS) trial attorneys, including two first-time honorees, have been selected to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation legal guide, which recognizes the nation’s top young legal talent.

Partner Aaron D. Chapman, who has been named to the Lawdragon 500 X list the last two years, is joined on the 2026 list by attorneys Anthony J. Bianco and Leydyluz “Luz” Symphorien-Restrepo.

In the guide’s fourth edition of the Lawdragon 500 X it describes the honorees as lawyers who “are the future of the law. And, in many respects, the now.”

“Our firm is fortunate to have outstanding rising talent along with our established attorneys,” said DOBS partner Trey Branham. “We’re very pleased that Luz and Anthony have joined Aaron on the Lawdragon 500 X honors list.”

Mr. Chapman, who has been part of the DOBS trial team that has won several asbestos-related personal injury cases nationwide, also was named by Lawdragon to its Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list for 2026.

Ms. Symphorien-Restrepo, who was named to the Lawdragon 500 X list in 2023, also has been honored by The Best Lawyers in America on its “Ones to Watch” list. Mr. Bianco is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Lawdragon uses nominations, independent research and peer recommendations to select what the publication describes as the emerging generation of top lawyers. The editor says this list is a “mash up of those who sue and those who defend; those who are brought together to help companies find a way forward; and those who parse technological developments to ensure they are safe and create pathways to the future.”

View the full list here.

The recognition adds to a growing list of national honors for DOBS and its attorneys. The firm was recently named a finalist for Plaintiff Law Firm of the Year in the Products Liability section in the National Law Journal’s Elite Trial Lawyers awards, reflecting the impact of its trial work nationwide.

Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, is a nationally recognized trial firm that handles cases across the country for individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries or have died as a result of the irresponsible conduct of others. For more information, visit www.dobslegal.com.

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