Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama with a population of more than 215,000 people. The surrounding metropolitan area is home to more than 1.15 million residents. Birmingham was founded as a hub of iron and steel production, a testament to which can be found in the Vulcan statue that sits atop Red Mountain and overlooks downtown Birmingham. In recent years the city has emerged as a financial, technological and medical industry leader in the Southeast.

The city is home to the University of Alabama at Birmingham and its top-ranked medical school. UAB Hospital is among the largest academic medical centers in the country and is consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the country. Children’s of Alabama, and the new 760,000-square feet Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children, is also located in downtown Birmingham.

Other universities include Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College and Miles College.

Arts and cultural attractions include the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, The Birmingham Museum of Art and the McWane Center.

Birmingham has rapidly become a must-stop destination for foodies from across the country for both fine dining at restaurants like Highlands Bar & Grill and Bottega and another southern staple, BBQ where fans of pork can nosh at the likes of Jim & Nicks, Full Moon and rapidly rising newcomer Saw’s BBQ.

Maynard Cooper’s Birmingham office is centrally-located downtown in the Harbert Plaza. Nearby are several corporate headquarters of Birmingham-based companies as well as local, state and federal court buildings.