Two Dayton attorneys who represent injured Ohio workers have landed spots on the 2027 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists, the Dayton firm Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal announced Tuesday.
Emily A. Port, a workers’ compensation attorney at the firm, was named to the 2027 Ohio Rising Stars list in her first selection. Partner L. Fred Sommer III was named to the 2027 Ohio Super Lawyers list for the sixth consecutive year. Both attorneys are recognized in workers’ compensation law and practice from the firm’s Dayton office.
The two lists recognize attorneys at different stages of a career. Rising Stars is limited to lawyers who are 40 or younger or who have practiced for 10 years or less, and no more than 2.5 percent of Ohio lawyers make the list. Port was admitted to practice in 2021 after graduating from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Sommer’s selection continues a six-year run on the Super Lawyers list, giving the firm recognized counsel at both the partner level and among its newer attorneys in the same practice area — workers’ compensation claims for Ohioans hurt on the job.
“Every injured worker deserves to be treated with dignity and fairness,” Port said. “Being able to guide clients through such a difficult time and help them get the medical care, benefits, and peace of mind they need to move forward is deeply rewarding. I take pride in standing up for hardworking people and making sure their rights are protected.”
Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal handles Social Security disability, workers’ compensation, and injury claims across Ohio from its Dayton base. Workers’ compensation cases typically turn on medical care approvals, wage-loss benefits, and deadlines inside Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation system, making experienced local counsel a practical need for injured workers across the Miami Valley.
The firm said the dual recognition reflects the depth of its bench in the practice area. For Dayton-area workers weighing an injury claim, the selections offer one more data point — peer recognition, published statewide — as they choose who will handle a case that can decide how quickly they get treatment and back to work.
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