Michael McNamara and Kirsten Spira Recognized Among Top Professional Responsibility Lawyers Fourth Year in a Row

For the fourth year in a row, Partners Michael McNamara and Kirsten Hicks Spira have been recognized as 2025 Top Professional Responsibility Lawyers by the Daily Journal. The annual award highlights the “top performing attorneys in legal malpractice matters and ethics.”

Mike’s profile highlights his 42-year legal career handling numerous high-stakes cases on behalf of lawyers and law firms, including a notable recent case involved representing trial counsel in a derivative demand by shareholders of a public company.

"After engaging in an evidentiary process, we were able to persuade the special committee to not agree with the shareholders' demand to bring a malpractice claim, which allowed us to block the derivative action before it was even filed. This was a significant result because the magnitude of the alleged damages made it a bet your firm type of case,” Mike said.

Kirsten’s profile highlights her nearly 40 years of legal experience handling malpractice actions, disqualification motions, employment disputes and fraud actions. She transitioned to her current specialization 15 years ago and now serves as a co-chair of Jenner’s Law Firms and Professional Services Defense Practice.

"Over time, some of my cases began to involve law firms as clients, and my practice in this area grew from there. I truly love this practice area -- it's incredibly varied, covering everything from securities and probate to corporate and entertainment law. Plus, my clients, who are fellow lawyers, are highly sophisticated, which makes the work both challenging and rewarding,” Kirsten said.

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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

Michael McNamara and Kirsten Spira Recognized Among Top Professional Responsibility Lawyers Fourth Year in a Row

For the fourth year in a row, Partners Michael McNamara and Kirsten Hicks Spira have been recognized as 2025 Top Professional Responsibility Lawyers by the Daily Journal. The annual award highlights the “top performing attorneys in legal malpractice matters and ethics.”

Mike’s profile highlights his 42-year legal career handling numerous high-stakes cases on behalf of lawyers and law firms, including a notable recent case involved representing trial counsel in a derivative demand by shareholders of a public company.

"After engaging in an evidentiary process, we were able to persuade the special committee to not agree with the shareholders' demand to bring a malpractice claim, which allowed us to block the derivative action before it was even filed. This was a significant result because the magnitude of the alleged damages made it a bet your firm type of case,” Mike said.

Kirsten’s profile highlights her nearly 40 years of legal experience handling malpractice actions, disqualification motions, employment disputes and fraud actions. She transitioned to her current specialization 15 years ago and now serves as a co-chair of Jenner’s Law Firms and Professional Services Defense Practice.

"Over time, some of my cases began to involve law firms as clients, and my practice in this area grew from there. I truly love this practice area -- it's incredibly varied, covering everything from securities and probate to corporate and entertainment law. Plus, my clients, who are fellow lawyers, are highly sophisticated, which makes the work both challenging and rewarding,” Kirsten said.

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

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