Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC is proud to announce that Erik S. Heninger, Stephen D. Heninger and W. Lewis Garrison Jr. have each been selected to the 2026 Mid-South Super Lawyers list.
The Mid-South Super Lawyers publication recognizes attorneys across Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. For attorneys practicing in Alabama, the annual list serves as an important regional distinction reflecting peer recognition, professional achievement and sustained excellence in the practice of law.
For HGD, this recognition is meaningful because it honors three attorneys whose careers have been built around representing people and families facing serious injuries, wrongful death, complex litigation and powerful corporate defendants.
It also reflects the standard HGD works to uphold in every client relationship: prepare thoroughly, communicate honestly, serve with respect and remain fully committed to achieving the best possible outcome.
What Does It Mean to Be Named to the Mid-South Super Lawyers List?
Super Lawyers is a research-driven attorney-rating service that recognizes lawyers across more than 70 practice areas. Attorneys are selected through a patented, multiphase process that includes peer nominations, independent research and evaluations by other lawyers.
Candidates are reviewed using 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. These may include experience, verdicts and settlements, representative clients, honors, professional activity, community service, scholarly work, education and other accomplishments.
No more than 5% of attorneys in each state are selected to a Super Lawyers list.
Attorneys do not pay to be selected, and advertising does not affect the selection process. A new evaluation is conducted each year, which makes repeated inclusion a reflection of continued professional recognition rather than a one-time honor.
The Mid-South publication includes attorneys from several states, while individual attorney profiles may also identify the state or local market in which the lawyer practices. For HGD’s attorneys, the correct regional designation is the Mid-South Super Lawyers list.
Erik S. Heninger: 14 Consecutive Years of Super Lawyers Recognition
Erik S. Heninger has been selected to the Super Lawyers list every year from 2013 through 2026, representing 14 consecutive years of recognition. He was also named to the Rising Stars list in 2012.
Erik represents people who have suffered catastrophic injuries and other serious harm. His practice includes cases involving brain and spinal injuries, trucking and motor-vehicle collisions, sexual abuse and assault, nursing-home litigation and medical negligence.
His approach to the law was shaped early by watching his father, Steve Heninger, use the legal system to help people during difficult moments. That foundation developed into a career focused on standing beside clients as they confront insurance companies, corporations and other powerful institutions.
Erik has also held leadership positions within the legal profession, including serving as president of the Alabama Association for Justice and as a commissioner on the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners. He regularly teaches and speaks on trial advocacy and plaintiff litigation.
His 2026 selection reflects continued recognition of the preparation, judgment and commitment he brings to clients whose lives have been changed by serious injuries.
Stephen D. Heninger: 19 Consecutive Years of Super Lawyers Recognition
Stephen D. “Steve” Heninger has been selected to the Super Lawyers list every year from 2008 through 2026, marking 19 consecutive years of recognition.
Steve has spent decades representing plaintiffs in complex civil litigation. His work includes medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, insurance disputes, trucking collisions and business litigation.
His trial experience began before law school. While serving in the U.S. Army, Steve was appointed as a brigade legal officer and tried more than 100 special courts-martial. He later graduated summa cum laude from Cumberland School of Law and clerked for U.S. District Judge James H. Hancock.
Throughout his career, Steve has also helped train other trial lawyers. He has taught through the American Association for Justice at law schools across the country, including Harvard, Georgetown, Stanford, the University of Wisconsin, the University of North Carolina and the University of Alabama.
His continued selection to the Mid-South Super Lawyers list reflects a career defined by courtroom experience, careful preparation and a deep sense of responsibility to the people he represents.
W. Lewis Garrison Jr.: 18 Consecutive Years of Super Lawyers Recognition
W. Lewis “Lew” Garrison Jr. has been selected to the Super Lawyers list every year from 2009 through 2026, representing 18 consecutive years of recognition.
Lew is one of HGD’s founders and focuses primarily on class actions, mass torts, pharmaceutical product liability, medical-device litigation and other complex civil matters.
His work often involves cases in which individuals are required to stand against large corporations, national defendants and well-funded legal teams. Those cases may involve extensive scientific evidence, coordinated litigation across several jurisdictions and years of sustained legal work.
Lew has served in leadership roles in significant multidistrict litigation and has handled complex cases throughout the country. He is also a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs, where he shares his experience with other attorneys.
His 2026 selection reflects sustained professional achievement in some of the most demanding areas of civil litigation.
More Than Five Decades of Combined Recognition
Together, Erik, Steve and Lew account for 51 annual Super Lawyers selections, not including Erik’s earlier Rising Stars recognition.
Those numbers are significant, but they tell only part of the story.
Behind each year of recognition are clients who needed someone to listen, investigate what happened, explain a complicated legal process and stand beside them through uncertainty.
They include families dealing with the loss of a loved one, individuals facing life-changing injuries and clients attempting to hold powerful companies accountable.
That responsibility remains central to HGD’s work.
Awards do not decide cases, and professional honors do not guarantee a particular outcome. Every legal matter depends on its facts, applicable law, available evidence and individual circumstances.
Recognition does, however, provide an opportunity to acknowledge sustained legal achievement and the level of commitment attorneys bring to the people they serve.
How HGD Works to Meet and Exceed Client Expectations
Clients often contact HGD during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
They may be dealing with physical pain, lost income, medical bills, grief or unanswered questions about the future. They may also be facing an insurance company or corporate defendant with substantial resources and an experienced legal team.
HGD believes clients deserve more than capable legal representation. They deserve a team that understands what is at stake personally, communicates clearly and treats their case with urgency and respect.
The firm strives not only to meet client expectations, but to exceed them through the entire client journey.
That means listening before offering solutions. It means explaining the legal process in clear language, responding to questions, preparing every case thoroughly and making sure clients understand what is happening and why.
It also means recognizing that every client brings a different set of concerns, responsibilities and goals to the legal process. HGD builds its approach around the person—not simply the claim.
Exceeding expectations does not mean making promises no responsible attorney can guarantee. It means doing the work, maintaining high standards and making sure clients never have to question whether their legal team is fully invested in their case.
A Culture Focused on Service, Trust and Excellence
HGD’s culture is built around the belief that strong legal results begin with strong relationships.
The firm’s shared values shape how team members work together, approach challenges and support clients. Those values are reflected in a workplace that prioritizes trust, accountability, collaboration, professional growth and a commitment to doing the right thing.
Rather than treating culture as a collection of statements, HGD works to make those principles visible in everyday decisions.
Team members are encouraged to communicate openly, take ownership of their work, support one another and remain focused on the people the firm serves.
That approach creates an environment where employees understand both the importance of their individual roles and the impact of working as one team. It also strengthens the connection between a healthy workplace culture and the white-glove service HGD strives to provide every client.
Recognition Supported by the Entire HGD Team
The selection of Erik, Steve and Lew also reflects the collaborative environment behind their work.
HGD’s 14 attorneys and 30 support professionals bring different skills and perspectives to every stage of a case. Attorneys, paralegals, case managers, investigators, intake professionals and administrative team members work together to gather evidence, communicate with clients, coordinate expert review and prepare cases for negotiation or trial.
Complex litigation is rarely the product of one person’s effort.
It requires communication, accountability and a shared willingness to take ownership of the client’s experience.
Every member of the firm contributes to the larger goal of delivering outstanding service and pursuing the best possible result for the client.
White-Glove Service Means Seeing the Person Behind the Case
At HGD, white-glove service is not defined by polished language or surface-level gestures.
It means understanding that every case belongs to a real person whose life may have been permanently changed.
It means remembering that a client may be learning unfamiliar medical terminology while trying to support a family. It means recognizing that delayed communication can create unnecessary stress. It means answering questions with patience and making sure clients feel informed rather than left in the dark.
The goal is to provide an experience in which clients feel known, supported and prepared—not passed from person to person or treated like a file number.
That standard requires legal ability, but it also requires empathy, consistency and respect.
Continuing to Earn the Trust Behind the Recognition
HGD is honored that Erik S. Heninger, Stephen D. Heninger and W. Lewis Garrison Jr. have been named to the 2026 Mid-South Super Lawyers list.
Their combined decades of recognition reflect careers devoted to representing plaintiffs, developing the legal profession and helping people face difficult circumstances with a strong advocate beside them.
The firm is proud of that achievement, but HGD also understands that a reputation must be earned again with every client, every conversation and every case.
The responsibility is not simply to live up to an award.
It is to live up to the trust clients place in the firm—and to work every day to exceed the level of service they expected when they first called HGD.
