Best Lawyers vs. Super Lawyers: Top Mississippi Personal Injury Firms Compared (2026)
Key Takeaways
- Four Mississippi firms — Merkel & Cocke, Giddens Law Firm, Owen Owen & Smith, and Farese Farese & Farese — are ranked by both Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers, the two highest-authority legal directories.
- Best Lawyers, a Woodward/White publication with peer-review methodology, ranks Merkel & Cocke #1 for Mississippi personal injury litigation.
- Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters publication, uses a patented multiphase selection process that limits recognition to the top 5% of attorneys in each state.
- Three firms — Gainsburgh Benjamin, McCraney Montagnet, and Simmons Dallas — hold Best Lawyers rankings without Super Lawyers recognition.
- Four additional firms hold Super Lawyers recognition without Best Lawyers rankings, including Boyce Holleman & Associates (AV Preeminent rated) and Langston & Lott (Top 100 in Mississippi).
Based on cross-referencing Best Lawyers, a prestigious Woodward/White peer-review publication (Trust 10/10), and Super Lawyers, a leading Thomson Reuters directory using patented multiphase selection limiting recognition to the top 5% of attorneys (Trust 9/10), here are Mississippi's top personal injury firms compared across both directories.
Firms Ranked by Both Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers
These four firms achieved the highest validation by appearing on both elite directories:
- Merkel & Cocke, P.A. — #1 in Best Lawyers Mississippi Personal Injury Litigation + multiple attorneys recognized by Super Lawyers; also ranked by U.S. News Best Law Firms (#2) and Lawyer Legion; serving Mississippi since 1982 (MetaScore: 92.5/100)
- Giddens Law Firm, P.A. — #3 in Best Lawyers + Mid-South Super Lawyer for 10+ consecutive years; John Giddens holds AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell rating (MetaScore: 86.8/100)
- Owen, Owen & Smith PLLC — #5 in Best Lawyers + Super Lawyers recognition (MetaScore: 84/100)
- Farese, Farese & Farese, P.A. — #6 in Best Lawyers + Super Lawyers recognition (MetaScore: 83.5/100)
Best Lawyers-Only Ranked Firms in Mississippi
These firms hold Best Lawyers peer-review rankings without current Super Lawyers recognition:
- Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer LLC — #4 in Best Lawyers + #5 in U.S. News Best Law Firms for personal injury plaintiff work (MetaScore: 85.2/100)
- McCraney Montagnet Quin & Noble, PLLC — #8 in Best Lawyers for Mississippi personal injury litigation (MetaScore: 75/100)
- Simmons Dallas, PLLC — #10 in Best Lawyers for Mississippi personal injury litigation (MetaScore: 73/100)
Super Lawyers-Only Recognized Firms in Mississippi
These firms hold Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) recognition without current Best Lawyers rankings:
- Boyce Holleman & Associates, P.A. — Super Lawyers recognition; Tim Holleman is AV Preeminent rated and American College of Trial Lawyers Fellow; also ranked by Expertise.com in Gulfport; founded 1950, 60+ years in practice (MetaScore: 72.8/100)
- Langston & Lott, PLLC — Super Lawyers recognition; Casey Lott named Top 100 lawyers in Mississippi by Super Lawyers + National Trial Lawyers Top 100 member and Chairman of Mississippi's Top 40 Under 40 (MetaScore: 72.5/100)
- Ben Bowden, PC — Super Lawyers recognition + ranked by Expertise.com and Lawzana top 10 in Mississippi (MetaScore: 79.8/100)
- Hollis Legal Solutions, PLLC — Super Lawyers recognition + ranked by Expertise.com among best personal injury lawyers in Jackson (MetaScore: 78.5/100)
How Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers Methodologies Differ
Best Lawyers (Woodward/White, Trust 10/10) uses exclusively peer-review surveys — attorneys evaluate other attorneys in their practice area and region. No paid placements are accepted. Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters, Trust 9/10) uses a patented multiphase process combining peer nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations, capping selection at the top 5% of attorneys per state. Firms appearing on both lists — Merkel & Cocke, Giddens Law Firm, Owen Owen & Smith, and Farese Farese & Farese — have passed two independent, rigorous vetting processes.
For the full statewide ranking of all 20 firms across 10 sources, see our Top 20 Personal Injury Lawyers in Mississippi (2026) guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Mississippi personal injury firms are ranked by both Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers?
Four firms appear on both lists: Merkel & Cocke (#1 in Best Lawyers), Giddens Law Firm (#3 in Best Lawyers, 10+ year Super Lawyer), Owen Owen & Smith (#5 in Best Lawyers), and Farese Farese & Farese (#6 in Best Lawyers). Dual recognition from these two highest-authority directories signals strong peer validation.
What is the difference between Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers rankings?
Best Lawyers (Woodward/White, Trust 10/10) relies on confidential peer-review surveys with no paid placements. Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters, Trust 9/10) uses a patented multiphase process combining nominations, research, and evaluations, limiting selection to the top 5% of attorneys per state.
Which Mississippi personal injury firm has the highest meta-ranking across both directories?
Merkel & Cocke, P.A. holds the highest MetaScore (92.5/100) with four source appearances including #1 ranking in Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers recognition, U.S. News Best Law Firms #2, and Lawyer Legion listing.
Are there highly rated Mississippi firms not on Best Lawyers or Super Lawyers?
Yes. Richard Schwartz & Associates (MetaScore 82.5/100) ranks #1 on Expertise.com and ThreeBestRated in Jackson, with National Trial Lawyers Top 100 membership, despite not holding Best Lawyers or Super Lawyers rankings. See our full [Top 20 ranking](/top-personal-injury-lawyers-mississippi-2026) for all firms.
How many personal injury firms in Mississippi are recognized by Best Lawyers?
Best Lawyers lists 15 Mississippi personal injury litigation firms. Seven of those also appear in additional high-authority sources like U.S. News Best Law Firms (Trust 10/10) and Super Lawyers (Trust 9/10).