Torts Trial Practice

Mr. Jarome Emile Gautreaux Related Seminars and Products

Gautreaux Law, LLC

Jarome Gautreaux is an attorney, professor and author.  He has practiced in the area of torts and personal injury for 23 years, and he teaches Georgia Civil Practice and Procedure at Mercer Law School, where he has also taught Advanced Torts and Pretrial Advocacy.  He is also the co-author of Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation and Practice.  

Jarome has tried numerous cases to verdict, and has obtained multi- million dollar verdicts and settlements. He has also authored numerous publications covering such topics as trial practice, evidence, torts, and persuasion. He served as a federal law clerk in Illinois prior to starting his private practice of law.  

Mr. John David Hadden Related Seminars and Products

Penn Law LLC

John D. Hadden is a trial and appellate litigator with Penn Law in Atlanta, where he handles catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases across the state. He is author of Georgia Law of Torts - Trial Preparation and Practice and Green's Georgia Law of Evidence, both published by Thomson Reuters. He is also a registered mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. John is president of the Atlanta Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the Atlanta Bar Association Board of Directors and past chair of the Atlanta Bar’s Litigation Section, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Atlanta Bar Lawyer Referral and Information Service, and a past chair of the Litigation Committee of the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyers Division. John is a graduate of Emory University and the University of Georgia School of Law, where he was a member of the Georgia Law Review. John has been named one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite” by Georgia Trend, recognized by Atlanta Magazine in its annual list of Top 100 Georgia Super Lawyers, and holds an AV/Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell. He has also been recognized by the Fulton County Daily Report as one of its “On the Rise — Top 40 Under 40.”

Ms. Alexandra Catherine Cole Related Seminars and Products

Cannella Snyder LLC

Alexandra "Sachi" Cole is a partner at Cannella Snyder where she specializes in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, childhood sexual abuse and whistleblower/qui tam cases. Since beginning her practice in the public sector, she has represented victims throughout Georgia and practiced in Savannah and Atlanta. With over a decade of experience, Sachi routinely handles complex civil cases in both state and federal court.

She is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, Dekalb Bar Association, and the Atlanta Bar Association. Sachi currently serves on GTLA’s Executive Committee on the Judicial Liaison Committee and was recently selected for Leadership Dekalb’s class of 2024-2025. Sachi has earned several honors and awards throughout her career, including being named the On the Rise recipient by the Daily Report. She was also selected to the Rising Stars list by Georgia Super Lawyers.

Originally from Brookhaven, N.Y., Sachi attended Bates College in Maine, double majoring in Philosophy and Rhetoric. She earned her J.D. from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta and is a Master of the Cooper Inn of Court.

Mr. Jesse Alvan Davis III Related Seminars and Products

Davis Adams LLC

Jess Davis is an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer; he’s represented people catastrophically injured by medical negligence in Georgia and almost every other state. Jess has received nearly every award and honor available to Georgia trial attorneys, has led numerous legal and community organizations, and is regularly called upon by the media for comment on complex or high-profile legal matters. His law firm has recovered more than $100,000,000 for its clients, including multiple eight-figure verdicts and settlements.

Before founding Davis Adams, LLC, Jess was a member of the Litigation & Trial Practice Group at Alston & Bird, a leading international law firm, where he focused primarily on antitrust litigation. He has published articles on the subject of predatory bidding and was a contributor to the preeminent antitrust law treatise, Antitrust Advisor, as well as the American Bar Association’s seven-volume In-House Counsel’s Essential Toolkit. Although his antitrust days are behind him, the complexity involved in those cases was ideal training for medical malpractice litigation.

Jess maintains a highly active and wide-ranging pro bono practice. He helped spearhead a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. government related to the illegal detention of Vietnamese refugees; he’s successfully represented detainees at ICE’s Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga., through the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative; and he’s provided free legal services to animal welfare organizations through the Animal Rescue Legal Society, which he founded in 2005 after participating in the emergency evacuation of animals from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Outside of his legal work, Jess has served on the Board of Directors for The Community School and Druid Hills Youth Sports, where he’s coached more than 30 seasons of youth baseball.

Before attending law school, Jess spent nearly a decade as a political aide and operative in Washington, DC, and in Georgia, including stints with the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and numerous political campaigns at every level, including presidential, congressional, state and mayoral races. He remains active in national, state, and local politics.

Mr. Jack J. Helms Jr. Related Seminars and Products

The Helms Law Firm PC

Education
University of Georgia (B.A., summa cum laude, 1983; J.D., 1986)(Double Dawg), Phi Beta Kappa.

Law School
Member, The Order of Barristers, Jessup Moot Court Team, Gray's Inn Moot Court Team, National Moot Court Team; Legal Studies Teaching Assistant, UGA Terry School of Business, 1985-86.

Other Honors
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers 2023 – Present; A-V Rating Martindale-Hubble since 2006; Best Lawyers in America since 2008 - Present (General Personal Injury); Georgia Super Lawyer 2007- Present (Nursing Home and Medical Malpractice); Barrister, Joseph Henry Lumpkin American Inn of Court, 1987-89.

Bar Memberships
State Bar of Georgia; American Association for Justice; Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Champion Member.

Practice Areas
Nursing Home Abuse; Medical Malpractice; General Personal Injury.

Personal
Jeff is active in the United Methodist Church as Chair of the Finance Committee. He has also served as Scoutmaster of the local Scout Troop and is now Trustee of the Local Scout Hut and Camp. His Wife is Cathy Helms, who is a senior assistant district attorney for the Southern Circuit.

Ms. Lisa Renee Richardson Related Seminars and Products

Drew Eckl & Farnham LLP

Lisa Richardson practices in the firm’s Atlanta office. She received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University in 1992 and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1997. Since law school, Lisa has engaged in a general litigation practice, representing insurers, self-insureds and insured companies with regard to third-party tort claims including general negligence, products liability, premises liability, negligent design, negligent construction, and toxic torts, as well as commercial and contract litigation, including employment contract/non-competition clause enforcement, complex commercial contract disputes, telecommunications litigation, employee benefits litigation, insurance coverage litigation. She has received an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale Hubbell for her high ethical standards and professionalism.   

Ms. Robin Frazer Clark Related Seminars and Products

Robin Frazer Clark PC

Robin Frazer Clark is the owner and founder of the law firm of Robin Frazer Clark, P.C., and has practiced law in Georgia for 36 years. Ms. Clark devotes her practice exclusively to plaintiff’s personal injury.  Her motto is “A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats.” Ms. Clark is the co-host of the podcast “See You In Court.”

Ms. Clark was sworn in as the Fiftieth President of the State Bar of Georgia on June 2, 2012, only the second woman ever to serve as President of the State Bar of Georgia and served as President of the (then) 45,000-member association in 2012-2013.  One of Ms. Clark’s initiatives she created while President is the State Bar of Georgia’s Suicide Prevention Campaign, “How to Save a Life.”   Ms. Clark is a Past President of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA), also only the second woman in the organization’s history to lead GTLA.  

Ms. Clark has testified extensively before the Georgia General Assembly on issues as far ranging as the discriminatory effect of caps on damages, the detrimental impact of the proposed elimination of vicarious liability in Georgia, the Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation, signed into law in 2013 by Governor Deal, and the elimination of the assignability of legal malpractice claims.  Through her advocacy on behalf of Georgia citizens with the Georgia Legislature, she has built strong relationships with numerous Legislators and has worked to promote the cause of justice and protect the constitutional rights of all Georgia citizens.

Ms. Clark received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Vanderbilt University in 1985 and received her Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in 1988. Ms. Clark has been extensively published.  As President of the State Bar of Georgia she had 162 articles published in 84 different publications, with a total circulation of 3,122,569. Ms. Clark has tried over 75 jury trials and has argued before Georgia appellate courts over 40 times. 

Ms. Clark is married to Georgia lawyer William T. Clark. They have two children. Ms. Clark is a member of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the beautiful Emory University Campus.  Ms. Clark is an avid golfer.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Website: www.gatriallawyers.net

Blog: www.atlantainjurylawyerblog.com

Email: robinclark@gatriallawyers.net

Twitter: @robinfclark

Podcast: See You In Court https://seeyouincourtpodcast.org/

Ms. Paula J. Frederick Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

State Bar of Georgia

Paula Frederick is General Counsel for the State Bar of Georgia, a unified bar organization with 54,000 members. As general counsel, Frederick is responsible for interpreting the ethics rules for lawyers, prosecuting lawyer discipline cases, and providing legal advice to the officers and directors of the organization. She has served in the Office of the General Counsel for 35 years, and was Deputy General Counsel for Discipline before assuming the General Counsel role.

Frederick is a 1982 graduate of the Vanderbilt University School of Law and a 1979 graduate of Duke University. Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, she spent six years as a staff attorney with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society handling civil legal matters for low-income people.

Frederick is a past president of the Atlanta Bar Association and the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. She is also an active member of the American Bar Association, where she is chair of the Center for Professional Responsibility.  In the past she has served the ABA as chair of its Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, chair of the Standing Committee on Lawyer Regulation, as a member of the Board of Governors, and as chair of the Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity. 

Ms. Madeleine Norine Simmons Related Seminars and Products

Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys

Madeleine Simmons is an equity partner with Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys, City Councilwoman in the City of Brookhaven and President of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. She is dedicated to representing individuals who have been injured due to the negligence of others and holding wrongdoers accountable for their actions.  Mrs. Simmons has tried over 30 personal injury jury trials as lead counsel in 11 different counties within the State of Georgia.  She focuses her trial practice on premises liability, sexual assault, motor vehicle and trucking cases. She is consistently selected to the Georgia Rising Stars list, an honor reserved for only 2.5% of attorneys in Georgia.

Mrs. Simmons assists in the management, training, and mentorship of lawyers within her office and early in her career, at Georgia State University College of law, by coaching mock trial for the law school.  She is a board member of Georgia’s Civil Justice Political Action Committee and a fellow of the American Board of Trial Attorneys.  Through her involvement with the trial bar and the State Bar, she often speaks at and is featured in Statewide broadcasts, educational seminars and conferences on topics ranging from leadership and management to trial strategy and complex motions and evidentiary practice.  Mrs. Simmons truly believes that helping others is her professional and spiritual calling, and she is proud to call herself a trial lawyer on the side of justice.

Mr. Nathaniel Kevin Hofman Related Seminars and Products

Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Law

Nathaniel Hofman is an associate attorney with Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys and is a GTLA LEAD program alumnus.  Nathaniel has tried cases to verdict as both plaintiff and defense counsel, and has worked on several trials that resulted in multi-million dollar results for his clients. His work takes him across the country, litigating cases nationwide in both state and federal courts. Nathaniel’s trial practice focuses on premises liability (primarily negligent security), motor vehicle and trucking cases, and general negligence cases such as dog-bites and equipment failure cases.