Helena, Montana – Four attorneys in the firm of Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, P.C.’s (BKBH) were honored by being selected by Lawdragon, Inc. as being among the best 3,000 lawyers in America.

Lawdragon is based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded a year ago by a group of veteran legal journalists who wanted to provide free legal news while helping clients get better information about lawyers.

Lawdragon, Inc. is an online and print legal-services information company headed by a group of renowned legal journalists and lawyers. In addition to its quarterly magazine, first published in October 2005, the company offers a searchable database of the nation’s lawyers and other interactive online services.

The four BKBH attorneys who are being honored are Leo Berry, Stan Kaleczyc, Steve Wade and Leo Ward.

There were only twenty-four Montana attorneys listed by Lawdragon as being among the top 3,000 attorneys in America.

Montana has more than 2,000 attorneys licensed to practice law. Thus, the 24 honored attorneys constitute the top 1% of Montana’s lawyers.

There are only three Montana law firms that have more than one lawyer listed in America’s top 3,000 lawyers. The Browning Firm, with four honorees has the most Montana lawyers listed [Leo Berry, Stan Kaleczyc, Steve Wade and Leo Ward]; The Crowley Firm in Billings has three lawyers [John Lee, Lou Moore and Steve Ruffatto]; and The Garlington Firm has two lawyers [Bill Jones and Bill Wagner].

The 24 Montana lawyers who rank in America’s top 3,000 attorneys, according to Lawdragon, work in eight Montana cities. The Montana cities with the most attorneys so ranked are as follows: Billings has six lawyers [Richard Cebull, Wm Cashmore, Cliff Edwards, John Lee, Lou Moore and Steve Ruffatto]; Helena has five lawyers [Leo Berry, Stan Kaleczyc, Steve Wade, Leo Ward and Gordon Bennett]; Missoula has four lawyers [Wm. Jones, Randy Cox, John Schulte and Wm Wagner]; Great Falls has three lawyers [Alexander Blewett, Dennis Connor and Robert James]; Bozeman has two lawyers [Monte Beck and Jim Goetz]; Butte has two lawyers [Mike McKeon and Don Robinson]; and Kalispell and Whitefish have one lawyer each [Dana Christiansen and Michael Viscomi, respectively].

Lawdragon creates its guides to the best lawyers in the United States through a unique combination of online balloting and independent research. Lawdragon’s reporters and editors interview thousands of lawyers to get their input on the top "Dragons" in any region or practice field. Lawdragon also collect votes through our online ballot, which democratizes such lists, allowing lawyers who might be overlooked through traditional surveying techniques, to be identified. Those submissions are then researched and vetted by Lawdragon’s editorial staff. Lawdragon’s final report honoring America’s top 3,000 lawyers will be formally released on September 30, 2006.