Hand Arendall Harrison Sale Attorneys Cooper and Morrissette Earn 2027 Lawyer of the Year Honors

MOBILE, Ala. — Two attorneys with Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC have each been named a 2027 Lawyer of the Year, a distinction that goes to just one lawyer in each practice area in a given metropolitan market.

The firm announced Friday that Lisa Darnley Cooper was selected as Lawyer of the Year in two areas, Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment, and that Henry Morrissette was selected as Lawyer of the Year in Insurance Law.

A Distinction Limited to One Lawyer Per Practice Area

What makes the Lawyer of the Year title notable is its exclusivity. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area receives the honor, according to the firm.

The designation is part of The Best Lawyers in America recognition program, which relies on peer review, asking attorneys to evaluate other lawyers in their own fields. Being named Lawyer of the Year in a practice area means a lawyer stood out among peers in the same specialty and the same market.

For Cooper, receiving the designation in two separate categories adds to the significance of the recognition.

Lisa Darnley Cooper: Employment Law and Labor Litigation

Cooper is a member of Hand Arendall Harrison Sale’s Mobile office and practices in the firm’s labor and employment group and its litigation group.

Her two Lawyer of the Year designations are:

• Employment Law – Management
• Litigation – Labor and Employment

The “Management” label indicates that the work involves representing employers rather than individual employees. Lawyers in this area typically advise businesses and other organizations on workplace matters, such as hiring and firing, workplace policies, discrimination and harassment issues, wage and hour rules and compliance with federal and state employment laws.

The litigation category covers representing clients when labor and employment disputes end up in court or before government agencies. Holding the designation in both the advisory and litigation sides of the field reflects a practice that spans counseling employers before problems arise and defending them when disputes occur.

Employment lawyers who represent management often work with a range of federal laws that govern the workplace, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination; the Fair Labor Standards Act, which sets minimum wage and overtime rules; the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Employers also must follow applicable state laws and the terms of any employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements.

Much of that work is preventive, such as helping employers draft handbooks and policies, train supervisors and handle sensitive personnel decisions in a way that reduces the risk of later disputes.

Henry Morrissette: Insurance Law

Morrissette, a member of the firm, was named Lawyer of the Year in Insurance Law. He works with clients in both the firm’s Mobile and Birmingham offices.

Over a 35-year career, Morrissette has represented clients in business disputes, construction matters and insurance disputes, according to the firm.

Insurance law covers disagreements over what an insurance policy does or does not cover, how claims are handled and who is responsible for paying a loss. Those questions often overlap with construction and business disputes, where large projects and commercial relationships can involve multiple insurers and complex contracts.

On the Gulf Coast, insurance questions carry particular weight. Hurricanes and other severe weather can lead to large property claims, and disputes over coverage frequently follow major storms. Construction activity across Mobile and Baldwin counties also generates its share of contract and insurance issues.

Insurance disputes can take several forms. Some involve whether a policy covers a particular loss at all, while others turn on how much an insurer must pay, whether an insurer has a duty to defend a policyholder in a lawsuit, or whether a claim was handled properly. Commercial clients, contractors and insurers alike may need counsel when those questions arise.

About Hand Arendall Harrison Sale

Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC is a law firm with deep roots in Mobile and offices in Alabama and Florida, including Mobile and Birmingham. The firm’s current name reflects the combination of Mobile’s Hand Arendall with the Florida Panhandle firm Harrison Sale McCloy.

The firm represents businesses, institutions and individuals in a wide range of legal matters, including litigation, labor and employment, insurance, construction, and business law.

How Lawyer of the Year Selections Work

Lawyer of the Year honorees are drawn from attorneys already recognized in The Best Lawyers in America within their practice areas. Within each practice area and metropolitan region, the attorney with the strongest peer feedback receives the Lawyer of the Year designation, which is why only one lawyer per category and market can earn it in a given year.

The recognitions are published ahead of the year they are designated for, which is why the honors announced this fall carry a 2027 date.

Why Peer Recognition Matters

For businesses and individuals choosing legal counsel, peer recognition programs offer one indication of how attorneys are regarded by others in their fields. Because the Lawyer of the Year designation is limited to one attorney per practice area in each market, it highlights lawyers whose colleagues view them as leaders in their specialties.

Still, any recognition is only one factor. People seeking legal help are generally best served by considering a lawyer’s experience with matters like theirs, their approach to communication and fees, and how well the attorney understands their particular needs.

For Hand Arendall Harrison Sale, the 2027 designations mark recognition for two attorneys whose work spans the firm’s Mobile and Birmingham offices and covers some of the practice areas most closely tied to the region’s employers, builders and insurers.