Patricia Brown Holmes and LaVon M. Johns Named to Forbes Inaugural America’s Best-in-State Top Lawyers List

RSHC Partners Patricia Brown Holmes and LaVon M. Johns have been named to Forbes’ inaugural America’s Best-In-State Top Lawyers list, which recognizes top lawyers from across all 50 states. The Forbes list process was “based on a rigorous, multi-stage process of editorial research and analysis to identify the finest in the profession: lawyers with impressive track records in their specialties, leaders in their fields, and attorneys most respected by peers and clients.”

Patricia Brown Holmes’ profile highlights that she is a formidable force in high-stakes, “bet-the-company” litigation, internal investigations & white collar criminal defense, and ESG-related matters such as diversity audits. Her distinguished career spans every side of the courtroom—prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge—giving her a uniquely holistic perspective on the law. As the first Black woman to lead and have her name on the marquee of a national law firm that is not minority- or women-owned, Holmes has broken barriers while setting new standards in the legal profession. A former state court judge and seasoned trial lawyer, she brings unmatched insight, strategic depth, and unwavering integrity to every matter she handles.

LaVon M. Johns’ profile highlights her complex commercial real estate and finance experience with a particular emphasis on public/private partnerships and the not-for-profit sector. She has been engaged to act as counsel in some of the nation’s largest public/private partnership infrastructure transactions. Adept at handling the challenging crisis situations of her clients over the past 20 years, LaVon M. Johns is an effective crisis management lawyer for public executives, professionals, governmental officials, not-for-profits, and business entities facing challenging circumstances in high-profile settings.