Sectors
Foley & Lardner LLP partner Jesse Neil and associate Sarah Spangenburg were announced as winners in two categories at Law.com‘s 2026 Southeastern Legal Awards.
The annual award series recognizes leading attorneys across the southeastern United States.
Jesse Neil, managing partner of Foley’s Nashville office, won in the Distinguished Leaders category. He helped launch the firm’s Nashville office in June 2025 and is widely recognized for his deep health care operations and public policy experience which he leverages to advise health care providers, executives, and corporate boards nationwide. With two decades of experience spanning senior in‑house leadership at a major hospital system, federal policy advising, and state government service, Neil has led some of the nation’s most significant health care transactions.
Sarah Spangenburg won in the On the Rise — North Carolina category as one of the state’s most promising attorneys under the age of 40. An accomplished commercial litigator and labor and employment attorney, Spangenburg has prosecuted and defended matters regarding restrictive covenants, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, and other related claims across the country. Equally committed to service and professional development, she devotes pro bono service to nonprofit organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Wake County, and is an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Law.
Honorees will be recognized on May 7, 2026, in Atlanta.
