Underberg & Kessler LLP is proud to announce that Paul F. Keneally and Thomas F. Knab were recognized by Best Lawyers as recipients of the 2027 “Lawyer of the Year” award. “Lawyer of the Year” accolades are reserved for one individual per practice area in each metropolitan region, based on the highest aggregate peer feedback. This designation represents a rare and distinguished honor.
Paul F. Keneally was selected for “Lawyer of the Year” honors in two specialty areas: Litigation – Municipal and Municipal Law in Rochester, NY. He is a partner in the Labor & Employment, Litigation, and Municipal practice groups, and he serves as chair of Underberg & Kessler’s Labor & Employment practice group. Paul advises clients on a wide range of day-to-day labor and employment matters, helps resolve complex commercial, construction, and labor and employment disputes, and defends municipalities and public entities.
Thomas F. Knab, named the Best Lawyers® 2027 Litigation – Construction “Lawyer of the Year” in Buffalo, NY, served as Underberg & Kessler’s Managing Partner from 2022-2023 and is the past chair of the firm’s Litigation practice group. Tom has experience negotiating and litigating contracts; construction and real estate disputes; drafting and litigating restrictive covenants and employment agreements; representing founders, owners, and executives in partnership, LLC, and corporate disputes; constitutional challenges to governmental actions; and defense of legal malpractice claims.
Each year, millions of confidential evaluations are collected worldwide by Best Lawyers, contributing to one of the legal industry’s most rigorous vetting processes. Only about 5% of lawyers in the United States and 3% globally are recognized, reflecting the selectivity and credibility of the results. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review, not marketing influence or paid listings.
