Ms. Carol V. Clark Related Seminars and Products

The Law Offices of Carol V Clark, LLC

When the dinosaurs were still among us, Ms. Clark was hunting and gathering real property cases to prepare for the Judicial Update from her vibrantly decorated cave.  Caught in a wrinkle in time, she managed to graduate as a Double Dawg from UGA (English and Law), represent hundreds of fellow travelers in fascinating (to them) disputes and collect some lucky awards, the Pindar being especially cherished.   She expresses gratitude for the long standing patience of the Real Property Institute audiences and their feigned laughter at what passes for her idea of wit.

Ms. Kyla Suzanne Lines Related Seminars and Products

Bloom Lines Alexander LLC

Top-Rated Divorce Lawyer in Atlanta

Kyla Lines is a Managing Member of Bloom Lines  Alexander in Atlanta. Kyla has practiced exclusively in the area of Family Law for the entirety of her legal career. She is a Past Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia.  Kyla has been recognized by her peers as a Georgia SuperLawyer since 2015, and she has been selected as one of Georgia’s Top 50 Women Lawyers since 2019.

Prior to her employment with BLA, Kyla spent nine years as the Staff Attorney to the Honorable Cynthia D. Wright in the Superior Court of Fulton County’s Family Division. Kyla’s tenure as a judicial staff attorney provides her with a unique perspective, allowing her to advise her clients effectively and strategically while evaluating potential outcomes.

Kyla’s goal in handling her cases is to make a difficult situation better for her clients. When custody is an issue, she keeps the best interests of the children as her priority. When complex financial issues arise, Kyla strives to provide her clients with strategic, realistic, solution-focused advice.

Kyla handles all aspects of complex divorce cases, including child custody disputes, modification of child support, and modification of custody in Atlanta. She is a mediator and serves as an arbitrator. 

Kyla is certified to practice Collaborative Law and also frequently serves as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem in contested custody cases. She is often invited to speak to peers, other professionals, and law students regarding various Family Law issues. 

Georgia Trend Magazine has recognized Kyla as “Legal Elite” in the area of Family Law, and she has been selected for inclusion as a “Super Lawyer” and a “Rising Star” in Family Law by Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine for the last four consecutive years. Kyla is a Past Chair of the Family Law Section of the DeKalb Bar Association and currently serves on the Board of the State Bar of Georgia’s Family Law Section and on the Board of the DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.

Kyla is a native of Marietta, Ohio. She graduated from Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey with Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Philosophy. She went on to obtain her law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law. While in law school, she was an active member of the Moot Court Board.

Mr. Norman Andrew Crain Related Seminars and Products

Thomas Horstemeyer LLP

Andrew Crain is the Managing Partner of the intellectual property firm of Thomas Horstemeyer, LLP, Andrew leads the firm's litigation practice group but is involved and has experience in all areas of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, and unfair competition, both in litigation and prosecution.

Andrew represents clients in litigations involving all types of intellectual property issues, having appeared in district courts throughout the United States and having represented clients at the appellate court level, particularly the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.   

Mr. Philip Robbins Green Related Seminars and Products

King & Spalding LLP

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 12 multi-week jury trials in the last five years, including first-chairing two trials in the last year in which he secured complete defense verdicts. 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

Mr. Robert C. Port Related Seminars and Products

Gaslowitz Frankel LLC

Robert C. Port is a partner with Gaslowitz Frankel LLC, Atlanta, Georgia. The firm focuses its practice on fiduciary litigation arising from disputes related to trusts, wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, partnerships, closely-held corporations, and securities and investment fraud. 

Robert is a member of the Georgia and Tennessee Bars. He is admitted in the Northern, Middle, and Southern Federal Districts of Georgia, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the Georgia Bar, the Atlanta Bar Association, the American Bar Association (ABA), and the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA).

Robert is the Editor of “Georgia Business Litigation,” a one-volume, comprehensive guide to many of the issue business litigators often encounter, including officer, director, shareholder, partnership and LLC disputes; securities litigation; non-compete and trade secret issues; RICO; intellectual property issues; business torts; insurance liability; fraudulent transfers; employment litigation; and the ever-increasing use of arbitration.

Robert has litigated cases in federal and state courts in Georgia and throughout the country, as well as before NASD, FINRA, and AAA arbitration panels. He also serves as a FINA chair-qualified arbitrator, and has been appointed to the national roster of arbitrators for the Consumer Panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA).

Robert is a frequent speaker on estate and trust litigation, securities litigation,  and securities arbitration before a variety of audiences, including the Georgia Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), the Atlanta Bar Association, The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the Georgia Society of CPAs, and the National Business Institute (NBI), and the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA). He has also published numerous articles on fiduciary litigation, securities law, and other legal topics in the Georgia Bar Journal and other publications.

Robert attended the University of North Carolina, where he obtained a B.A., with Honors, in 1979, and a J.D., with Honors, in 1983. Following law school, he was a Law Clerk for Hon. Eugene N. Gordon, Senior United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina.

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. Brian M. Rickman Related Seminars and Products

Georgia Court of Appeals

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.

Hon. Paige Reese Whitaker Related Seminars and Products

Judge, Fulton Superior Court

JUDICIAL ASSIGNMENT

• 2017 - present: Superior Court of Fulton County

EDUCATION

• Juris Doctor: Duke University School of Law (1992)
• Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Political Science: College of Charleston (1989)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / ASSOCIATIONS

• Deputy District Attorney, Appeals Division, Fulton County District Attorney's Office
• Senior Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Justice Division, Georgia Department of Law
• Board of Governors, State Bar of Georgia
• Chair, Georgia Commission on Family Violence
• Fellow, Georgia Womens' Policy Institute
• Leadership Academy Alumnus, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers
• Master, Bleckley and Weltner Inns of Court
• Treasurer, Lawyers Club of Atlanta
• Executive Committee, Old War Horse Lawyers Club
• Member, Atlanta Bar Association, Federalist Society, St. Thomas More Society, Stonewall Bar Association
• Past Chair, Fulton County Juvenile Court Citizens' Review Committee
• Ambassador, Pink Ribbon Story Foundation
• Sustainer, Junior League of Atlanta

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.

For more info, see Gwinnett Courts bio

Mr. Michael J. Gorby, Founder / Partner Related Seminars and Products

Founder / Partner

Gorby Peters & Associates LLC

FOUNDER / PARTNER

Mike Gorby has tried hundreds of cases and handled thousands of matters for corporations and individuals across the United States throughout his three- decade legal career. Mike’s practice focuses on Insurance Coverage Disputes, Commercial Litigation and Liability for Owners and Managers of Property. He is also a certified mediator.

Mike is a passionate teacher. He’s chaired the Premises Liability Seminar for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education of Georgia (now a Division of the Georgia State Bar) for over twenty years. He is a frequent speaker for state and national legal education programs including ICLE, the National Business Institute and the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), which helps businesses identify, compete for, and win government contracts.

Mike is the author of Premises Liability in Georgia, which was originally published by Thomson-Reuters® in 1998 and which is now in its Second Edition. Mike is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. Before attending law school, Mike served as an Artillery Officer with the U.S. Army.

Mike 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 Lawyers® by the Thomson Reuters® peer review system.

Ms. Mary Donne Peters Related Seminars and Products

Gorby Peters & Associates LLC

FOUNDER / PARTNER

Mary Donne Peters is an accomplished attorney, who frequently works with rapidly growing companies, often serving as their outside general counsel. Her background includes extensive commercial and tort litigation experience across over thirty states. Mary Donne holds licenses to practice law in South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama and has received the peer-reviewed rating of AV-Preeminent® (the highest available) by Martindale-Hubbell and has been honored as a Georgia Super Lawyer®.

Mary Donne is the author of The Admissibility of Expert Testimony in Georgia, which is published by Thomson-Reuters, the world’s largest legal publishing company. Her book has been updated annually since 2005.

Beyond her legal expertise, Mary Donne is an active member of various civic and business organizations, including the prestigious Women President’s Organization, an international business organization open to second-stage companies that are owned and operated by women. Mary Donne also has a strong commitment to philanthropy, notably serving on the Boards of the Red Cross (Metropolitan Atlanta) and Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta.

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