Matt is a plaintiff’s civil trial attorney with an emphasis on catastrophic injury cases, including product liability, trucking, roadway, railroad, medical malpractice and mass tort cases. Matt was raised in Habersham County, Georgia and received his undergraduate degree cum laude from the University of Georgia. Upon graduation, he attended Georgia State University College of Law where he graduated with honors in litigation. Matt began his professional career working in Atlanta, where he practiced for five years prior coming to Cathey & Strain.

Throughout his legal career Matt has successfully tried numerous jury trials as well as litigating and handling all other aspects of trial practice, including trial preparation, appeals, motions, hearings, Daubert challenges, motions for summary judgment and expert testimony development.

EDUCATION
Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, Georgia
J.D. - 2006
Honors: With Honors

University of Georgia
B.B.A. - 2003
Honors: cum laude

BAR ADMISSIONS
Georgia, 2006
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee, 2010

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT POSITION
Attorney

Dennis T. Cathey is a graduate of the University of Georgia undergraduate and law school. Mr. Cathey was born in Rabun County, Georgia, and has served on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia, as president of the Mountain Circuit Bar Association, is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, has served on the Investigative Panel of the State Bar of Georgia Disciplinary Committee, has been a member of the Federal Bar Council for the Northern District of Georgia and is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a past recipient of the State Bar of Georgia Traditions of Excellence Award and past-president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Cathey was an officer in the United States Army Medical Service Corps, has served as a youth sports coach for the Habersham County Parks and Rec Department, is active in the Cornelia United Methodist Church and serves on the Board of Trustees of Piedmont College.

EDUCATION

• University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, Georgia
  • J.D. - 1970
• University of Georgia
  • A.B. - 1967

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Georgia, 1970
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1982
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 1971
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia, 1973
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Georgia, 1991
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1973

HONORS

• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• Georgia delegate to ATLA
• Selected as “Georgia Super Lawyer” by Atlanta magazine
• Selected as “Georgia Legal Elite’ by Georgia Trend magazine
• Selected as “One of the Most Influential Georgians” by James magazine
• Diplomate of American Board of Trial Advocates
• State Bar Traditions of Excellence Award

PRO-BONO ACTIVITIES

• Cornelia United Methodist Church
• Youth Sports Coach, Habersham County Parks and Rec Department

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, President, 2004 to 2005
• Mountain Circuit Bar, President, 1972 to 1973
• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Georgia
• State Bar of Georgia, Board of Governors, 1985 to 1999
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
• Investigative panel of the State Bar of Georgia Disciplinary Committee, 1992 to 1995
• Federal Bar Council for the Northern District of Georgia, Member, 1993 to 1995
• Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, Board of Trustees
• Piedmont College, Board of Trustees

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT POSITION

• Member

PAST POSITIONS

• United States Army Medical Service Corps, Officer

Philip Green is a partner in King & Spalding's Atlanta office, and he is a trial lawyer specializing in the trial of high exposure product liability cases. He has represented a variety of clients in federal and state courts, and he has tried dozens of multi-million dollar cases to verdict. He has tried dozens of multi-week jury trials. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America’s “Ones to Watch” list and Benchmark Litigation’s “40 and Under Hot List.”

Philip has extensive experience not only at trial, but in coordinating defense team efforts, including leading the management of cases on behalf of industry teams from the filing of the complaint to trial and through the appeal process. His trial experience and knowledge of strategies employed by the plaintiffs’ bar informs his case management and discovery practice. He represents clients in personal injury and products liability litigation in the transportation, consumer products, agricultural, and medical device industries. He also manages litigation in Hawaii, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, and Pennsylvania on behalf of his clients.

Admissions

Georgia

Florida 

Hawaii

Credentials

EDUCATION

J.D., University of Georgia, cum laude

B.A. Political Science, University of Georgia

Tricia L. Hise is 1999 graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Ms. Hise obtained her Juris Doctor degree in 2004 from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles.  Ms. Hise returned to her Georgia roots to zealously represent her clients throughout the state. Ms. Hise's trial experience spans from the state, appellate, and Georgia Supreme Court levels to the Federal Courts as well. Admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 2005, Ms. Hise began her legal career as a Judicial Law Clerk, moved into the mediation sector while maintaining a great amount of trial court experience. Ms. Hise enjoys parlaying her trial and legal expertise into her mediation and arbitration practice, is a certified Guardian ad Litem, and maintains certifications in arbitration, general civil mediation, and domestic mediation. Ms. Hise has served and volunteered on the Family Law Legislative Committee tracking proposed legislation impacting the family law sector. Ms. Hise offers in person mediation with offices in Gainesville, Georgia and Clarkesville, Georgia, as well as virtual/online mediation throughout the state of Georgia and also maintains a family law practice. 

2015 – Present

Chief Judge Brian M. Rickman was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals in November 2015 by Governor Nathan Deal and took office on January 1, 2016.

Born in Madison County, Georgia, Judge Rickman was a jailer working in the Rabun County Detention Center before entering Piedmont College where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in 1998. He earned his Juris Doctor from The University of Georgia School of Law in 2001. While in law school he was a member of the Mock Trial Board and was involved in the Prosecutorial Clinic. Judge Rickman was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia on October 29th, 2001. He began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit and then the Mountain Judicial Circuit. In 2004 he left the District Attorney’s Office to become a partner in a small town law firm in Rabun County, Georgia. He was a partner at Stockton & Rickman. At Stockton & Rickman, in addition to taking on whatever clients came through the door, including several pro bono cases, he was involved in civil litigation and was defense counsel in several cases including murder cases. In 2008, Judge Rickman was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to be the District Attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit and this was the position Judge Rickman held prior to taking office at The Georgia Court of Appeals.

In 2004, Judge Rickman became an adjunct professor at Piedmont College. He has taught several courses, including, American Government, Criminal Law and Procedure, and Courts and Society. He is a member of the Piedmont College Board of Trustees.

Judge Rickman was involved in several Professional Organizations as District Attorney. He was a member of the Georgia Board of Public Safety. The Georgia Board of Public Safety has statutory oversight over the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Department of Public Safety, and the Georgia Public Training Center. He was elected to be Secretary of the Georgia Board of Public Safety. Judge Rickman also served on the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council as the Board of Public Safety representative. Judge Rickman was elected by colleagues to serve on The Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Council has statutory oversight over the State budget and training of Georgia’s District Attorney’s Offices. He served as chairman of the Personnel Committee.

In 2008, Judge Rickman was a recipient of the Piedmont College Alumni Association’s Pacesetter Award. In 2013 he was named by the Fulton Daily Report as a “40 under 40 On the Rise,” selection.

Judge Rickman’s most important role is as husband to his wife, Maggie, and father to his two young children.

Andrew is the Managing Partner of Thomas Horstemeyer, LLP and leads the firm’s intellectual property litigation practice.

Andrew represents clients in litigations involving all types of intellectual property (IP) issues, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition. Andrew’s practice involves both the assertion of clients’ IP rights against accused infringers and the defense of clients accused of infringing the IP rights of others. Over his 25-year-plus career, Andrew has appeared in federal district courts throughout the U.S. and has represented clients at the appellate court level, including the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Andrew has also been appointed to serve as a Special Master in a patent infringement litigation in the Northern District of Georgia. Andrew’s special master appointment was for claim construction proceedings and summary judgment.  

Andrew is also a registered patent attorney at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. His patent prosecution experience includes a wide range of electrical, electromechanical, and mechanical technologies. Additionally, Andrew represents several clients with substantial trademark portfolios and manages the prosecution of clients’ trademarks both in the United States and abroad.

Naveen’s practice focuses on Appeals, Class Actions, and other Complex Litigation.

As one of the leading appellate attorneys in Georgia, Naveen has been sought out by attorneys and clients, both defendants and plaintiffs, to assist trial lawyers with preservation and legal strategy during trial, and to serve as lead counsel for appeals and certiorari proceedings.

As a result, Naveen regularly appears and gives oral argument before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court, and the Georgia Court of Appeals – as well as assisting in jury trials across Georgia.

In addition, Naveen maintains an active class action practice and has been appointed as class counsel by courts in the Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Florida, Western District of Tennessee, and Georgia state courts.