Mr. Dennis T. Cathey Related Seminars and Products

Cathey & Strain LLC

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

Mr. Matthew Adam Cathey Related Seminars and Products

Cathey & Strain LLC

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

Mr. Johannes S. Kingma Related Seminars and Products

Stites & Harbison PLLC

Joe Kingma represents international, national, and regional accounting and law firms in professional liability litigation. He also represents a variety of business entities in commercial litigation. Joe's practice focuses on cases involving audit, secured lending, real estate, corporate governance and tax. He has substantial involvement in matters involving trusts and estates, conservation easements, mergers and acquisitions, captive insurance companies, local government, and election law contests. He has represented auditors in proceedings before the SEC (Washington, Fort Worth, and Manhattan), the FDIC, and the IRS. Joe has more than 45 appellate decisions reported by Westlaw along with more than 100 more trial court decisions issued in the Bankruptcy and Federal District Courts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Arbitration, Mediation & Alternative Dispute ResolutionLitigation & AppealsProfessional Liability Litigation

Admitted Pro Hac Vice in Florida, Alabama, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina

Georgia

American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow

Professional Liability Underwriting Society, Member

State Bar of Georgia, Member

Atlanta Bar Association, Member

American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Lawyers Professional Liability (2014-18)

Intown Collaborative Ministries, Board Member (2014-18)

Druid Hills Golf Club, Member

University of Pennsylvania Law School

Grinnell College

• Varsity Basketball

Ms. Carol V. Clark Related Seminars and Products

The Law Offices of Carol V Clark, LLC

Carol is founder of Carol Clark Law, is a trial lawyer with more than thirty years of experience, specializing in mortgage banking, construction and lease contracts, and other real estate related matters.  A “Double Dawg” graduate of the Honors Program at the University of Georgia and its law school, Ms. Clark currently serves on the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia and is a Director for the Mortgage Banking Association of Georgia.  She is also Past President of the Atlanta Lawyers Club, served as chairperson of the 2000+ member Real Property Section of the State Bar of Georgia, is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, has presented papers at the Real Property Law Institute, Mortgage Bankers Association Legal Issues Conference, and has made occasional televised appearances, including The Layman’s Lawyer. 

 Her publications include the 4th and 5th Editions of Padrick’s RESPA, TILA HOEPA and ECOA in Real Estate Transactions, and the contribution of several chapters in Pindar's Georgia Real Estate Law and Procedure, Civil Procedure and Georgia Procedure, Property.  She feels the secret to her many blessings is an old fashioned commitment to provide top service to her clients by a practical approach to dispute resolution with minimal expense.  Her faith and philosophy of giving back to the community have been a hallmark of her career, and her awards for leadership and board service are many.  She is proud of her A.V. rating from Martindale-Hubbell but is most proud of her clients’ continuing confidence.  Carol has been named as a Georgia Super Lawyer and repeatedly as one of Georgia’s Fifty Top Female Lawyers by Atlanta Magazine, and also as one of Georgia's Top 100.

 In May, 2008, Carol was awarded the prestigious George A. Pindar Award for lifetime achievement in real estate law.  She was the first woman so honored and also the youngest ever named.

Mr. Arthur H. Glaser Related Seminars and Products

Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service

Arthur Glaser has practiced law for over 26 years and is listed in the “Who’s Who in American Law.” To Henning Mediation, Arthur brings ample expertise in personal injury, insurance law/coverage, product liability, labor and employment, civil rights, libel/slander, construction, consumer law, excess/umbrella insurance, legal negligence, trucking, education and medical negligence.

Education

• Hampden-Sydney College, B.S. (1968)
• University of Virginia, J.D. (1973)

Bar Admission

• Georgia (1973)

Legal Employment & Experience

• Glaser, Currie & Bullman, LLP (Partner, 2003 - 2005)
• Self, Glaser & Davis, LLP (Partner, 1999 - 2005)
• Drew, Eckl & Farnham (Partner, 1983 - 1998)
• Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers (Partner, 1979 - 1983)
• Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers (Associate, 1973 - 1978)

Professional Affiliations

• Atlanta Bar Association
• State Bar of Georgia
• American Bar Association
• Best Lawyers in America - ADR
• Super Lawyers - ADR
• Fellow, American College of Civil Trial Mediators
• Who's Who in America
• AV Rating in Martindale-Hubbell

Mediation/Arbitration Training

• Basic Mediation, Ordover (1999)

Professional Experience

• Over 26 years as trial counsel, predominantly as defense counsel for insurers and self-insureds
• Has tried plaintiff's cases, including 1984 - $1.75 million verdict in three-week gasoline tank truck turnover case
• Tried over 100 jury trials
• Counsel of record in over 45 reported appellate decisions
• Lecturer: Georgia State Patrol Academy, ICLE, Atlanta Bar Association
• Bought, developed, and operated three office buildings which housed law firms

Areas of Expertise

• Personal Injury
• Libel/Slander
• Trucking
• Insurance Law/Coverage
• Construction
• Education
• Product Liability
• Consumer Law
• Medical Negligence
• Labor & Employment
• Excess/Umbrella Insurance
• Civil Rights
• Legal Negligence
• Employment
• Sexual Misconduct
• Church Liability

Mr. Charles B. Lee Related Seminars and Products

Miller & Martin PLLC

Charles (Chuck) Lee, Vice-Chair of the firm's Litigation Practice and Co-Chair of the firm's Labor & Employment Practice, has been with Miller & Martin since 1985 and concentrates his practice primarily on employment law, corporate/commercial litigation and federal agency investigations.

In the employment law practice area, Chuck is lead defense counsel for a number of major companies and other employers in connection with wrongful discharge, discrimination, retaliation, FLSA, ADA, FMLA and whistleblower claims. He has coordinated responses to charges of employment discrimination filed with EEOC and analogous state and local agencies, including on-site investigations by agency investigators. He advises employers with respect to minimizing exposure in connection with reductions-in-force (RIFs), workforce restructurings and day-to-day employment issues. He assists employers in designing, implementing and enforcing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs, including mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements. He also advises clients on conducting corporate and workplace investigations, including federal and state agency investigations.

In connection with commercial litigation, he served as lead counsel for the FDIC as receiver of a number of failed financial institutions in connection with multi-million dollar commercial disputes as well as professional liability investigations, lawsuits and related insurance coverage issues. He has handled insurance coverage disputes pertaining to D&O insurance and fidelity bond claims.

Chuck also is a Rule 31 certified civil mediator and has served as an advocate in over 100 successful mediations. He has been AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and is admitted to practice in Tennessee and Georgia state and federal courts. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Labor and Employment Law since 2010 and was selected in the 2020 Edition of Best Lawyers®  as Labor & Employment Litigation "Lawyer of the Year" for the Chattanooga, Tennessee market.

Experience

• • 34 years of helping clients avoid court but winning if a court battle is necessary.

Education

• J.D., University of Georgia School of Law, 1985
• A.B., University of Georgia, 1982
  • Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Admissions

• Tennessee
• Georgia

Court Admissions

• State Court of Tennessee and its federal district courts
• State Court of Georgia and its federal district courts

Certifications

• Rule 31 Certified Civil Mediator

Accolades

• Martindale-Hubbell® - AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated
• The Best Lawyers in America© - Employment Law-Management; Labor Law-Management; and Litigation-Labor and Employment Law since 2010
• Best Lawyers®  "Lawyer of the Year" (Chattanooga, Tennessee) - Labor Law Management; Employment Law Management, 2023
• Best Lawyers®  "Lawyer of the Year" (Chattanooga, Tennessee) - Labor & Employment Litigation, 2020

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• Chattanooga Bar Association
• Tennessee Bar Association
• National Institute for Trial Advocacy - Advanced Advocate
• Atlanta Bar Association
• State Bar of Georgia

Community

• Metropolitan Ministries - Pro Bono Legal Work
• St. Peter's Episcopal School - Board of Trustees

Hon. Warren P. Davis Related Seminars and Products

Gwinnett County Superior Court

Most lawyers and litigants want to know more about the judge before whom their case is assigned. Judge Davis began his judicial career as a magistrate in 1984 serving in the Gwinnett Magistrate Court. In 1987 he became Chief Magistrate where he served for over twenty-one (21) years supervising 26 magistrates in the court which operated 24 hours/day, 365 days per year. In 2008 he was appointed to the Superior Court. He earned his Master in Judicial Studies Degree from the National Judicial College/University of Nevada. He also earned a B.A. and LL.B. Judge Davis has authored numerous legal articles for training both judges and lawyers. He has received state and national bar association awards for court innovation and public service.
 

• Thomas R. Burnside, Jr., - Excellence in Bar Leadership Award – State Bar of Georgia (2009)
• William R. McMahon Award from the American Bar Association, New York City Annual Convention received the annual award for technical innovation in a court of limited jurisdiction. (2000)
• Georgia Council of Court Administrators, for help creating video warrant system. (1998)
• National Association of Counties, Achievement Award Winner for pioneering court innovation. (1998)

Prior to admittance to the Georgia Bar in 1979, Judge Davis was a Gwinnett County police officer and detective.

Community Service Presentations:
You be the Judge - a series of role playing scenarios based upon common criminal sentencing issues where participants portray the prosecution, defense, defendant culminating with the 'sentence' imposed by the participant judge. Age appropriate for high school or above. 60 min.

Ms. Mary Donne Peters Related Seminars and Products

Gorby Peters & Associates LLC

FOUNDER / PARTNER

Mary Donne Peters represents high-growth, closely held companies, often serving as outside general counsel. Mary Donne has handled litigation matters in over thirty states, taking a proactive, integrated problem solving approach to guide her clients through the challenges that arise with rapid corporate expansion and changing markets. Mary Donne served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, an Honors Attorney for the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Justice Department and a law clerk for a federal appeals court judge (Hon. Emory Sneeden, Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals), before entering private practice.

Mary Donne is a frequent lecturer for legal and business groups. She chairs a litigation seminar for the Institute of Continuing Education in Georgia (now a division of the State Bar of Georgia) and is the author of Expert Testimony in Georgia, published by Thomson Reuters®. A passionate entrepreneur, Mary Donne is a member of the Atlanta chapter of the Women President’s Organization, a non-profit organization for women presidents, CEOs and managing directors of privately held, multimillion dollar companies.

Mary Donne has served on Metropolitan Atlanta Red Cross Boards since 2008. She is a past board member and officer for Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta.

Mary Donne holds licenses to practice law in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. She is rated AV-Preeminent® (the highest level of professional excellence) by the Lexis-Nexis Peer Review Ratings™ System, and has been selected as a Super Lawyer® by the Thomson Reuters® peer review system.

Mr. Christopher Baker Hall Related Seminars and Products

Hall & Lampros LLP

My work focuses on helping people injured in car crashes, trucking accidents, and other incidents causing personal injury; and helping others who have been victimized at work by overtime and wage violations, harassment, and discrimination. I also work in class actions on behalf of thousands of people who have suffered harm from insurance companies and corporations. I have been practicing law in Atlanta, Georgia for over 25 years, but I have litigated matters in 20 states.

I love the practice of law because it allows me to help people in need. I believe that helping people involves more than getting the largest possible recovery. It also includes listening to and responding to your needs, making you as comfortable with the process as possible, and helping you deal with medical bills, creditors, employers, and anything that adds stress to your situation. I also know that delay is one of the most frustrating things about lawsuits for people who have been injured. The firm is dedicated to never be the cause of delay.

In addition to representing people who need our help, I love working with our younger lawyers and staff mentoring them to be the best people and lawyers they can be. I am happy to say that our lawyers and staff are smart and talented but also great people and a lot of fun to be around.

Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife, two children, and dog Lulu. Some of our best family time includes walks, biking, swimming, good food, playing with Lulu, and cheering for the Bulldogs, Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Atlanta United!

Here are some of my successes. Although some of the amounts below are large, I get great satisfaction and work just as hard on any case where someone needs help. It does not matter how big the case is.

• $13 million recovery for construction accident
• $5.1 million recovery for industrial explosion
• $2.9 million trial verdict in personal injury lawsuit for back injury
• $2.6 million recovery for trucking accident
• $1.77 million trial verdict in business tort dispute relating to breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract
• $1.42 million recovery for injuries caused by boat engine explosion
• $1.5 million recovery for construction accident
• $1.25 million recovery for work-related back injury
• $825,000 recovery for pelvic fracture
• $684,000 trial verdict, including punitive damages, on behalf of individual against corporation for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraud
• $675,000 recovery for leg injury
• $550,000 recovery in car crash involving back injuries
• Many personal injury recoveries for car crashes, motorcycle crashes, and trucking cases
• Many recoveries under the Fair Labor Standards Act for unpaid overtime and other wage violations, and employment claims for sexual harassment and racial discrimination
• $180 million class action settlement against Sirius XM radio for antitrust violations
• $53 million class action settlement relating to USAA insurance companies’ failure to pay sales tax
• $30 million settlement of class action against GEICO for title and tag fees on first party total loss auto insurance claims
• $43 million settlement of class action against GEICO for sales tax, title fees, and tag fees on first party total loss auto insurance claims
• $8 million as appointed Special Assistant Attorney General representing state against Wells Fargo alleging antitrust violations relating to insurance practices
• $5.5 million as appointed Special Assistant Attorney General in pharmacy benefits management litigation representing public health insurance agency with approximately 180,000 covered lives
• $6.8 million antitrust settlement against multi-national corporation
• Appearing in state and federal court proceedings in Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Louisiana, West Virginia, Michigan, Virginia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, New York, Oklahoma, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, California, and Minnesota

EDUCATION

• University of Georgia (J.D. 1996, with honors)
• University of Virginia (B.A. 1991) (4-year letterman/team captain, tennis)

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Georgia, 1996

AFFILIATIONS

• State Bar of Georgia
• Atlanta Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• American Association of Justice
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association

Mr. Peter Andrew Lampros Related Seminars and Products

Hall & Lampros LLP

Andrew Lampros has an active trial and litigation practice representing plaintiffs. Andrew has litigated and tried matters in a variety of settings, including Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), products liability, wrongful death, truck accidents, automobile accidents, motorcycle crashes, consumer fraud, civil rights, negligent security, nursing home and assisted living negligence, insurance bad faith, business torts and commercial litigation.

Andrew has experience litigating and trying cases for individuals and small businesses and has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of his clients, which include:

• Confidential 8 figure settlement arising from construction accident
• $7.05 million settlement against a multi-national petrochemical company for product liability arising out of explosion that resulted in worker fatality
• $2.905 million verdict against a major railroad for a trainman injured when thrown from a train due to excessive slack action
• $2.56 million jury verdict against a major railroad for a conductor who suffered a torn rotator cuff and injury-related post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• $1.9 million settlement on behalf of a worker injured as a result of being electrocuted at a paper mill
• $1.5 million settlement for worker injury and wrongful death with multiple construction companies for liability arising out of a construction accident
• $1.4 million jury verdict against a major railroad for a conductor who suffered a back injury as a result of a defective derailer
• $1.4 million for an elderly resident who was assaulted in an assisted living facility that failed to provide adequate security
• $1.25 million settlement for a railroad conductor who injured his back in an accident due to excessive slack action
• $1.0 million verdict for railroad worker who injured knee pulling spikes
• $950,000 settlement for worker injured by forklift
• $900,000 settlement for a railroad worker who injured his back requiring surgery on a slip, trip, fall accident
• $670,000 settlement for client injured by defective chair
• $500,000 for a railroad engineer who was injured in a tractor trailer/automobile accident
• $500,000 for a railroad trainman who injured his foot in an industrial yard accident
• $475,000 for a restaurant supply sales representative injured in a rear-end auto collision
• $450,000 for a railroad engineer who injured his back in a railcar collision
• $400,000 for a railroad conductor who suffered post traumatic stress disorder and related injuries
• $370,000 verdict against MARTA for client injured in bus crash
• $250,000 settlement for nursing home resident who suffered from bed sores
• Numerous car crash verdicts and settlements

EDUCATION

• Wake Forest University School of Law (J.D., 1999)

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Georgia, 2000
• Tennessee, 1999

LICENSED TO PRACTICE

• Supreme Court of Georgia
• Court of Appeals of Georgia
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Georgia
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee
• All Tennessee Trial and Appellate Courts

AFFILIATIONS

• State Bar of Georgia
• American Association of Justice
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
• Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys

John Ellington Related Seminars and Products

In 1991, Justice Ellington became one of the youngest trial court judges in Georgia when he was appointed State Court Judge of Treutlen County. In addition to serving as State Court Judge for more than six years, Justice Ellington served as a Superior Court Judge by designation in five judicial circuits (29 counties) throughout South Georgia. He also served as Municipal Court Judge in Soperton, Lyons, Reidsville, Glenwood, Mt. Vernon, Ailey, and Uvalda, Georgia.

Justice Ellington graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.B.A. in Accounting in 1982, and from the University of Georgia School of Law with a J.D. in 1985. He attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and graduated with degrees in Business and Political Science. At ABAC, Justice Ellington served as President of the Student Government Association, and he received the George P. Donaldson Award as the outstanding graduate in the Class of 1980.

Justice Ellington has served in many capacities in business, professional, civic, and religious organizations in South Georgia and metropolitan Atlanta. An Eagle Scout, Justice Ellington served as Eagle Scout Alumni Chairman for Troop #56, Boy Scouts of America. He is a past President of the Vidalia Rotary Club, and he is a Paul Harris Fellow Rotarian. He is former Chairman of Four Rivers Ducks Unlimited, past President of the Soperton Lions Club, and former President of the Treutlen County Sportsman’s Club. He served as a Director of Swainsboro Technical College. Justice Ellington is a member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, and a fellow of the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia.

In 2000, Justice Ellington was named to Georgia Trend’s “40-Under-40,” recognizing 40 leaders throughout Georgia under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the state. He was a member of the 2001 Class of Leadership Georgia.

In 2001, 2006, and again in 2007, Justice Ellington was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Judicial Service Award by the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, recognizing his outstanding service as a judge and his commitment to improving the practice of law. In 2016, Justice Ellington received the Robert Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia.

Justice Ellington was named the Outstanding Young Alumnus at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 1994. He is a member of the Presidents’ Club at ABAC and serves on the ABAC Foundation. Justice Ellington is a member of the First Baptist Church in Soperton, where he has taught Sunday school and is a former Chairman of the Board of Deacons.

Justice Ellington was born in Vidalia, Toombs County, Georgia, the son of the late Charles E. Ellington, Sr. from Laurens County, Georgia, and Nan Davis Ellington from Johnson County, Georgia.

Beth Reeves Related Seminars and Products

Briefeasy addresses the needs of small to medium sized legal firms who find themselves short on resources and expertise needed for handling unique case-specific issues, discovery and pretrial motions, trial preparation and post-trial motions, including appeals.  Briefeasy also provides assistance with insurance coverage matters, including coverage position letters and responses to coverage denials.  Briefeasy offers affordable and expert legal intelligence, specialty brief development and strategic collaboration that make litigation management and trial preparation much easier and far more efficient.

Briefeasy is led by Beth Reeves, a Georgia attorney with extensive experience in civil litigation, handling both defense and plaintiff work on a broad array of personal injury, insurance coverage, and commercial litigation matters, as well as criminal litigation.  Ms. Reeves offers special expertise on insurance bad faith litigation. She is passionate about researching and developing top-flight legal intelligence and strategy.

Ms. Reeves believes that collaborating early in case development allows firms to arrive at positive results more efficiently, because all efforts are directed towards a strategic goal.

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