Mr. James Jayson Phillips Related Seminars and Products

Talley Richardson & Cable PA

Jayson is partner with Talley, Richardson & Cable in Dallas, Georgia.  His primary government clients include Paulding County and the City of Hiram.  He began practicing law as a prosecutor in Augusta-Richmond County and thereafter spent seven years at the Georgia Attorney General's Office.  Jayson received his law degree from the University of Georgia and his undergraduate degree from Davidson College.

Mr. David Reid Cook Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Cook & Associates

Construction and Procurement Law - Cook & Associates

David advises local governments regarding their infrastructure and procurement projects, contracts, and disputes. He has represented public owners in a variety of construction and procurement matters, such as bidding documents and contracts, bid protests, selection and award, and resolving disputes and claims, such as defective construction, delay, acceleration, and defective design. With his litigation experience and familiarity with constitutional and statutory provisions that apply to state and local governments, he provides advice trusted by public owners for decades.

Mr. James E. Elliott Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Butler Snow LLP

Jim is a member of Butler Snow’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets group. 

Mr. Matthew Christopher Welch Related Seminars and Products

DeKalb County Law Department

Matthew C. Welch (he/him) has served as Deputy County Attorney with the DeKalb County Law Department since 2018. Mr. Welch came to the DeKalb County Law Department in 2014 as a member of our infrastructure team, primarily assigned to the County’s ongoing Consent Decree related to the County’s sanitary sewer infrastructure. In his role as Deputy County Attorney, Mr. Welch serves as the County’s lead negotiator in the proposed modification of the Consent Decree. Mr. Welch also oversees litigation related to the assessment of real property by the County’s Board of Tax Assessors and manages the legal aspects of transactional matters arising from the County’s infrastructure departments.

Mr. Welch earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and served as a member of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.  Prior to law school, he earned his undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University.  Mr. Welch has dedicated the majority of his career to local government law, having worked in the Fulton County Attorney’s Office for several years before joining the DeKalb County Law Department.  Mr. Welch lives in Atlanta with his family, where he is an active runner and serves as a volunteer in his neighborhood and at his son’s school.

Mr. Ryan Robert Bowersox Related Seminars and Products

Georgia Municipal Association

Ryan Bowersox is the Assistant General Counsel for the Georgia Municipal Association working on behalf of GMA and Georgia’s 536 cities. Ryan previously served as a Governmental Relations Associate for GMA where he advocated in the interest of Georgia’s cities at the state level. Prior to joining the GMA, Ryan worked for the Georgia State Senate Research Office as a Senior Policy Analyst where he assisted and advised in the passage of legislation relating to taxation, economic development, and banking law.

Ryan holds a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law where he served on Moot Court and as an editor of the Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law. Ryan holds degrees in both Political Science and Advertising from the University of Georgia. He has lived in Georgia since 2000 and currently resides in Chamblee, Georgia with his wife, Erica and dog, Riley.

Mr. Blake Alan Travis Related Seminars and Products

Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG)

Blake Travis joined ACCG’s Legal Department in December 2023, after nearly ten years as an attorney in the Office of Legislative Counsel where he advised and drafted legislation for the members of the Georgia General Assembly, primarily in the areas of tax, retirement, and economic development.

Prior to his work with the General Assembly, Blake served as Assistant Regional Counsel for the National Association of Government Employees and as a Staff Attorney for the Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings. 

Blake lives and was raised in the Atlanta metropolitan area.  He attended Wake Forest University for his undergraduate degree, obtained his law degree from the University of Georgia, and earned a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University.

Mr. Roy Edward Hadley Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Morris Manning & Martin LLP

For over three decades, Roy has been a trusted advisor to a diverse clientele, including high-growth businesses, governmental bodies, and family-held enterprises. His international practice focuses on navigating intricate corporate landscapes, especially in areas such as technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, life sciences, economic development, telecommunications, outsourcing, and intellectual property.

In an ever-changing digital landscape, Roy’s experience extends to governments, governmental entities, and companies, aiding them and their boards in addressing data security and privacy concerns effectively.
As independent cybersecurity counsel, Roy plays a pivotal role in educating governmental officials, business leaders, and corporate boards about legal and operational risks in cyberspace. His guidance enables them to safeguard their interests and the entities they represent, ensuring proactive measures and responsive strategies in the face of potential cyber threats.

Roy's rich professional background spans various executive roles, including vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary for a pubically-traded wireless communications firm, as well as vice president, general counsel, and chief privacy officer for an international travel services and technology corporation. He has also provided legal counsel within the telecommunications sector and held esteemed positions such as special counsel to the president of the American Bar Association and special assistant attorney general for the State of Georgia.

As a frequent speaker, lecturer and author, Roy has been featured on USAToday.com, FOXNews.com, Compliance Week, Healthcare Risk Management, Inside Counsel, Homeland Security Today, National Law Review, Sports Page Weekly, Law 360 and many other publications. He has also appeared on Georgia Public Broadcasting, TAG Radio, WXIA-TV (Tech Edge) and WUPA-TV (Focus Atlanta).

Mr. Thomas Monroe Mitchell Related Seminars and Products

Carothers & Mitchell, LLC

Thomas M. Mitchell is a partner of the law firm of Carothers & Mitchell, LLC, located in Buford. He serves as city attorney for Demorest and Hiawassee, while his firm represents several other cities. Mr. Mitchell represents various counties in the areas of civil rights, land use, eminent domain and nuisance. His litigation practice includes representation of numerous cities and counties, as well as several small businesses and individuals. Mr. Mitchell also represents clients with regard to real estate, zoning and permitting, access and boundary disputes, construction, and foreclosure. Another significant part of his practice is representing law enforcement officers and agencies in Section 1983 litigation. Mr. Mitchell earned his undergraduate degree, with distinction, from the University of Virginia and his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia Law School.

Mr. Robert E. Wilson Related Seminars and Products

Wilson Morton & Downs LLC

Bob Wilson is a founding member of Wilson, Morton & Downs, LLC. His

practice focuses on the areas of civil and business litigation and dispute

resolution, education law, municipal law, corporate and government

investigations and church and religious association law.

Bob served three terms as the District Attorney of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit. Prior to this, he served

as an Assistant District Attorney and as Chief Public Defender. While District Attorney, Bob established

Georgia's first Child Abuse Prosecution Unit, first Career Criminal Prosecution Unit, as well as one of Georgia's

first victim Assistance Programs. Bob holds the highest rating possible for legal skills and ethical standards

from the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review ratings system.

Georgia Governors for the past 40 years have relied on Bob for numerous special assignments and

investigative work. The scope of this work has varied, ranging from unfair business practices of Fleet Finance,

Inc. and public corruption to unexplained DFCS child fatalities and the widely publicized Atlanta Public Schools

cheating scandal involving standardized tests.

Bob earned a B.S. degree from the University of North Carolina and a J.D. from Emory University School of

Law. He has also completed Harvard Law School's Mediation program and has served as a court appointed

mediator and special master, and served for nearly ten years as the Hearing Officer for the Georgia Lottery

Corporation. He is licensed to practice in Georgia and North Carolina and is a member of the Atlanta Bar

Association, the Atlanta Lawyers Club and the DeKalb Bar Association. Bob is a graduate of Leadership

DeKalb and Leadership Georgia, as well as a member and past president of the Decatur Rotary Club.

Bob has helped found three non-profit organizations that provide assistance and counseling to sexual assault

victims, abused children, and support for public education, and served as the first chair of the Board of each

entity. He has served on numerous public and private boards, and for the past 25 years has served on the

Board of Trustees for the DeKalb Regional Health System, as chair from 2019 - 2023, an operating unit of

Emory Healthcare, and served for 13 years as chair of the System's Foundation. In November of 2016, at the request of the Board, Bob assumed the position of President and CEO of the System. In that role he helped

stabilize the system while helping to lead it into a partnership with Emory Healthcare as of September 2018.

Bob also currently serves on the Emory Healthcare Board.

During his career, Bob has been the recipient of many distinguished awards and recognitions acknowledging

his leadership and contributions to child welfare, healthcare, education, public safety, government and other

areas that affect the entire community. Over the past 35 years, Bob has been named several times by Georgia

Trend magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians.

Bob and his wife, Lynda, live in Decatur and are the parents of three children, all married, and grandparents of

four grandchildren. He is an active member of the Decatur Presbyterian Church, where he has served as elder

and trustee.

Mr. Brent William Herrin Related Seminars and Products

Small Herrin LLP

Brent Herrin is the managing partner in the law firm Small | Herrin, LLP, with a diverse practice spanning litigation, transactional, and higher education matters.  His litigation practice is concentrated in fiduciary and commercial disputes, with particular emphasis on corporate, probate, trust, and creditors’ rights litigation.  He also represents local governments in litigation matters involving elections, real estate, and governance issues.  In addition to his courtroom experience, Brent advises clients on a range of transactional matters, including estate planning, corporate, and tax matters, and provides counsel to colleges and universities on accreditation, corporate governance, and regulatory issues.

Brent received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Banking and Finance from the University of Georgia.  He obtained his Juris Doctor from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law and his Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Alabama.  Brent previously served as Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary in Washington, D.C.  Brent has previously served as an adjunct instructor at the J. Mack Robinson School of Business at Georgia State University, teaching courses in Business Law and Ethics.

Brent is an active leader in his community, serving as a volunteer and as a member of the board of directors of a number of nonprofits in the Atlanta area.  Additionally, Brent is an avid Bulldog fan and, when not watching his children play sports, spends his Saturdays in the fall with his family “Between the Hedges” or traveling to see the University of Georgia Bulldogs play football.

Mr. Gregory Keith Hecht Related Seminars and Products

Hecht Walker Jordan PC

Greg Hecht is the Managing Partner of Hecht Walker Jordan, P.C., and he is also a longstanding Mediator and Arbitrator for Henning Mediation and Arbitration Services. Greg recently mediated to resolution the Service Delivery Strategy Agreements between Cobb County and the Cities of Cobb related to the end of the transition period for the City of Mableton. Greg applauds the hard work of all County and City Leaders, Staff, Consultants and Attorneys everywhere for their hard work and leadership.

As a 36 year attorney, Greg for multiple years has been designated as a “Legal Elite” attorney by his peers as published in Georgia Trend Magazine and a “Super Lawyer” by his peers as published in Atlanta Magazine, representing the top 5% of Lawyers in Georgia in his area of practice and denoted as an AV-rated attorney, the Top Rating by Martindale Hubbell, for Legal Ability and Ethics. He has been recognized as a Best Lawyer and Hecht Walker Jordan, P.C. has been recognized as a Best Law Firm by U.S. New for multiple years including 2025. Greg has been lead counsel in over 1000 hearings and 300 trials, though the majority of those trials have been bench trials.

His specialties include Zoning/Land Use, Local Government Law, Property Tax Litigation, Construction Litigation, 42 USC § 1983 Civil Rights Litigation, Business and Real Estate Litigation, Contract, Employment & Discrimination Law, Commercial Landlord/Tenant, and Civil Litigation. Greg and his firm has assisted local governments in bond financed transactions and real property transactions related to commercial property also.

A few of Greg’s past or present local government clients include: the Dekalb County Board of Tax Assessors, the Henry County Board of Tax Assessors, Clayton County, the City of East Point, Henry County, the City of College Park, the Clayton County Water Authority, the Downtown Development Authority of the City of Morrow, the Atlanta Housing Authority, the City of Lovejoy, the Kennesaw Development Authority, the Urban Redevelopment Agency of the City of Morrow, the Clayton County Development Authority, the Housing Authority of Clayton County, the City of Hapeville, and the Urban Redevelopment Agency of the City of Morrow.

AWARDS, SERVICE AND FAMILY

Greg served as a State Senator and State Representative for several years. While in the Georgia Legislature, he received outstanding service awards from ACCG and GMA, for his service on authoring legislation related to Georgia’s counties and cities separately. Also, in the General Assembly, Greg authored and passed much legislation to protect children and elders from abuse. He received the Speak Up for Children’s Legislative Service Award from Ga. CASA given to one Ga. Senator and one Ga. Representative in the State, and he received the Ga. Council on Aging’s Legislator of the Year Award for his legislation to protect our seniors in the Senate. Greg was the Democrat Nominee for the State of Georgia for Attorney General in 2014.

Greg also served on the Georgia World Congress Center Oversight Board and assisted in the legislative oversight of a half-billion-dollar expansion of the Georgia World Congress Center. Greg has drafted ordinances and policies for local governments, and Greg has helped to safeguard local governments and citizens for over thirty (30) years in his practice.

Greg was the recipient of Chancellor’s Award-Algernon-Sydney Sullivan Award, “Given to One Male and One Female in the Graduating Class at UNC- Chapel Hill Who Best Demonstrate Unselfish Interest in Human Welfare.”

For Children’s Rights, Greg worked with a great team and Chaired the Southern States Steering Committee and worked on class litigation with a great team to ensure disabled inmates between 17 and 21 years of age received the education required under federal education laws. In October 2022, Greg received the Children's Rights Atlanta Inspiration Award “Given Annually to an individual making extraordinary contributions to children so that they can live free from fear, abuse and exploitation.”

In addition to his work for Children’s Rights, Greg served 16 Years on the Alzheimer’s Services Center Board and 3 Years as Chairperson, 10 Years on the Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity Board including a term as President, 9 Years on the Families First Board (Atlanta’s First Orphanage), and 5 Years on the Prevention Plus Board which works to keep teens off the street and into organized community activities. He has served as a Soup Kitchen volunteer for over 7 Years also.

Greg has also served over 10 years on the Carter Center’s Board of Counselors, and he is a current member of the Board of Counselers for the Carter Center. He and his colleagues mourn the very recent loss of President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalyn Carter.

Greg is most proud of being a father. He is the adoptive father of twin daughters who were born to another family that lost the girls from birth due to a medical problem. The girls started their lives in foster care. At the age of 4, the girls were adopted by Greg and his family. Greg is also the proud father of a 26 year-old son.

Mr. Christopher Dean Balch Related Seminars and Products

Balch Law Group

Chris Balch has more than 30 years of experience bridging gaps and building consensus so local government leaders can navigate complex legal matters, encourage economic development, and foster community investment. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal and the Good Conduct Medal, Chris brings the skills, discipline, and mission focus he learned to the challenges and opportunities your community faces.

Chris is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Mercer University Law School. He clerked for United States District Judge Duross Fitzpatrick in the Middle District of Georgia for 2 years before entering private practice. He moved to Atlanta in 1996.

He is also an acknowledged and sought-after expert and speaker at programs for local government lawyers across the Country. His legal scholarship regularly appears in newsletters and professional journals, including Municipal Lawyer. He is an IMLA Local Government Fellow and former member of the IMLA Board of Directors. He has been the chair or co-chair of the Litigation Committee for IMLA since 2020. He served as City Attorney for the City of Brookhaven for 8 years and has represented local government officials and law enforcement officers throughout his career.  

Mr. Gary Kevin Morris Related Seminars and Products

Judge, Alcovy Circuit Superior Court

G. Kevin Morris serves as a Superior Court Judge for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit (Walton and Newton Counties). He was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp and sworn in on January 30, 2023. In addition to presiding over criminal and civil matters, he serves on the Council of Superior Court Judges Technology Committee and the Georgia Courts Statewide Case Management Project Committee.

Before taking the bench, Judge Morris was a partner at Williams, Morris & Waymire (now Williams & Waymire) for more than two decades, representing cities, counties, and their officials in complex federal litigation. He litigated more than 30 appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, all involving local government matters, and handled numerous appellate cases in Georgia’s state courts. His experience includes claims involving employment, use of force, speech, environmental and zoning issues, as well as related immunity defenses. He also served as Deputy County Attorney for Butts and Henry Counties.

A Georgia native, Judge Morris earned his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Georgia in 1994, taught Business Communications in Shizuoka, Japan, and earned his J.D. from Mercer University School of Law in 1999. These days, Judge Morris and his wife, Heather, proudly call Monroe, Georgia home.

Hon. Andrew Alan Pinson Related Seminars and Products

Supreme Court of Georgia

Justice Andrew A. Pinson was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Governor Brian Kemp and was sworn in on July 20, 2022.

Justice Pinson was born in DeKalb County, Georgia, and grew up in Lithonia and Lawrenceville. In middle school, he moved to Lincolnton, and he graduated from Briarwood Academy in Warrenton.

Justice Pinson is a “Double Dawg” with a Finance Degree from the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business and a law degree from the University of Georgia’s Lumpkin School of Law. He graduated at the top of his class in law school and interned with Governor Sonny Perdue, Jones Day in Atlanta, and Fortson, Bentley, & Griffin in Athens.

After graduating from law school, Justice Pinson served as a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for then-Chief Judge David B. Sentelle, and later served as a law clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Clarence Thomas.

In private practice, Justice Pinson has twice worked for Jones Day, once in Washington D.C., between his two clerkships, and later here in Atlanta, after serving with Justice Clarence Thomas. At Jones Day, he was part of the firm’s Issues and Appeals Practice, and he handled a broad range of matters in both trial and appeals courts.

In 2017, Justice Pinson joined the Office of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, and in 2018, he was appointed Solicitor General of Georgia. As Solicitor General, he led the State’s appellate and multistate litigation practice and served as the Attorney General’s chief constitutional advisor. He personally handled high-profile and complex appeals, including in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and several other courts in Georgia and across the country. And he oversaw matters of special importance to the State in all phases of litigation, including the successful defense of the State’s water resources in the critical “water wars” litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Justice Pinson currently serves as an advisor to the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism. He also serves as a Master of the Clarke-Carley Inn of Court and the Bleckley Inn of Court, and he serves on the Advisory Board for the Atlanta Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society.

Justice Pinson and his wife Sara Beth live just north of Tucker in DeKalb County. Sara Beth earned a Ph.D. in Poultry Science from the University of Georgia and now works for a software company and as a professional dog trainer. They enjoy hiking in the North Georgia mountains and playing dog sports like Frisbee and agility with their three dogs (Nimbus, Goomba, and Elphie). They attend Embry Hills United Methodist Church.

Mr. Richard Read Gignilliat Related Seminars and Products

Fisher & Phillips LLP

For more than three decades, Read Gignilliat has helped private and public sector employers navigate their most challenging workplace issues – both inside and outside the courtroom. A partner in the firm’s Atlanta office, he represents clients in lawsuits, federal and state administrative proceedings, civil service, merit board, and personnel board proceedings and appeals, as well as mediations and arbitrations, and provides practical, day-to-day guidance on the full spectrum of employment law matters. He is known for combining deep legal knowledge with a practical, solutions-oriented approach designed to help clients achieve their business and operational goals while reducing risk.

William A. Bulfer Related Seminars and Products

Bill Bulfer is co-chair of Teague Campbell’s Insurance Coverage Services group.   His practice focuses on complex insurance coverage and municipal law matters in jurisdictions nationwide. He is also the County Attorney for Transylvania County, North Carolina and helps a variety of North Carolina Counties with insurance-related issues, including wrongful imprisonment claims. 

Bill is a fellow in the American College of Coverage Counsel and serves as Chair of the Insurance and Reinsurance Committee for the International Association of Defense Counsel.  He is also an active member of DRI, the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys and is Chambers Band 1 rated in Insurance Law.  

Bill is admitted to practice in North Carolina and Tennessee and The Cherokee Supreme Court (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians).  He has handled insurance related matters in 22 states.

Robert W. Bowcock Related Seminars and Products

Ms. Viviane H. Ernstes Related Seminars and Products

Association of County Commissioners of Georgia

Viviane H. Ernstes (she/her) is the Chief Legal Officer for DeKalb County. She represents and provides legal advice to County departments and elected officials, including the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Commissioners, Sheriff, and Tax Commissioner. She is responsible for the operation of the County's Law Department comprised of over 30 staff members and she supervises and manages all civil litigation handled by the law department and its outside counsel. 

Ms. Ernstes has practiced law for 30 years and has served DeKalb County for the last 20 years. Prior to joining the County's Law Department, she supervised all litigation for the Fulton County Law Department and served as a part-time municipal court judge for the City of Decatur, where she also served as President of the State of Georgia Counseil of Municipal Court Judges. Ms. Ernstes earned her bachelor's degree from Agnes Scott College, having been accepted to the early admissions program at the age of sixteen, and earned her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, where she received the American Jurisprudence Award for Constitutional Litigation. Ms. Ernstes has also received the AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®.