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. Norman Andrew Crain Related Seminars and Products

Thomas Horstemeyer LLP

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.

Hon. John J. Ellington Related Seminars and Products

Supreme Court of Georgia

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.

Hon. Paige Reese Whitaker Related Seminars and Products

Judge, Fulton Superior Court

Judge Whitaker is a Fulton County Superior Court judge and a 32 year resident of Fulton County. She has served as a trial judge since 2017, winning election twice since that time.  She currently presides over felony criminal cases, civil suits, equity cases, and other matters.  She served as a Fulton Family Division judge from 2018 – 2020, handling divorce and family matters and presided over the Parental Accountability Court during that time.  Judge Whitaker is a graduate of Duke University School of Law and the College of Charleston. 

Judge Whitaker has practiced as a civil litigator, a prosecutor, and an appellate lawyer. As a Georgia Senior Assistant Attorney General, she practiced extensively in Georgia’s state and federal trial and appellate courts, winning national accolades for her work.  Immediately before being selected as a Superior Court judge, she served as the Deputy Fulton County DA leading the Appeals Division of the State’s largest and busiest district attorney’s office.

Judge Whitaker currently serves as Chair of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, Secretary/Treasurer-Elect of the Council of Superior Court Judges, and Treasurer of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta.  She holds an elected seat on the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia, is a Master with several Georgia Inns of Court, and serves as a board member or committee chair of numerous other bar organizations.  Judge Whitaker has also served as a Committee Chair on the Chief Justice’s Statewide COVID Task Force and on the Chief Justice’s Ad Hoc Committee of Criminal Justice Reform. Judge Whitaker has trained at the prestigious National Judicial College, is a certified neutral/mediator, and is a regular presenter at trainings for fellow judges and practicing lawyers. She was an adjunct law professor at Mercer Law School for several years, where she taught a third-year seminar on Advanced Persuasive Legal Writing.  Judge Whitaker is an alumna of the YWCA’s Georgia Women’s Policy Institute and the Leadership Academy of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers.  

Judge Whitaker has held leadership roles in several civic and charitable organizations as well, including chairing a committee advising Fulton’s Juvenile Court on foster care placements for the County’s youth and serving on the March of Dimes Atlanta Chapter’s Prematurity Prevention Committee. She is a sustainer with the Junior League of Atlanta, an ambassador for breast cancer survivors, and a parishioner at the Cathedral of Christ the King. 

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.

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 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, the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Eleventh and Third Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member of the Georgia Bar, the Atlanta Bar Association, and the American Bar Association (ABA).

Robert is the Editor of “Georgia Business Litigation,” a one-volume, comprehensive guide to many of the issues 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; bankruptcy, and the ever-increasing use of arbitration.  https://www.lawcatalog.com/georgia-business-litigation.html

Robert has litigated cases in federal and state courts in Georgia and throughout the country, as well as arbitrated before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the American Arbitration Association (AAA). He also serves as a FINRA chair-qualified arbitrator, an arbitrator for both the Consumer and Commercial Panels of the AAA, and serves as an arbitrator for the Georgia State Bar’s Fee Arbitration Program.

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, 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.

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

Ms. Kristin Reid Barnhart Related Seminars and Products

Barnhart Family Law

Kristin (Kristy) Barnhart, one of Atlanta’s most prominent Family Law attorneys, practices exclusively in areas the of divorce and family law throughout the greater Atlanta area. Kristy’s well-established experience and expertise is rooted in successfully representing clients across areas of simple and complex actions for divorce, high-net worth divorce, asset division, child custody, child support, alimony, legitimation and paternity, modifications of prior orders, contempt, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. After spending the first 10+ years of her career at a premier boutique Atlanta family law firm, Kristy founded Barnhart Family Law in the Spring of 2023 to better serve clients throughout metro Atlanta. Kristy’s compassionate and personalized approach ensures that her clients are heard and valued throughout the process. Kristy is committed to developing a close working relationship with her clients and providing individualized, high-quality, and cost-efficient legal services. As a client, you will feel empowered to make informed decisions and enter the next chapter of life.

Kristy is trained as a Guardian ad Litem and has considerable experience litigating all elements of complex family law cases. From the initial consult, Kristy approaches cases with a goal of achieving the best outcome for her clients, whether through settlement or trial. Kristy listens to and strategizes with her clients to achieve their desired result. She prides herself on being responsive and providing each client with the personal attention they deserve.

Kristy’s clients rely on her compassion, skill, and respect in the legal community. She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being named a Georgia Super Lawyer in 2024 after having been recognized as a Rising Star in the area of family law from 2017-2023, an honor bestowed on the top 5% of attorneys throughout the State, and as a Legal Elite by Georgia Trend magazine.

In addition to her litigation practice, Kristy is actively involved in several local bar associations.  She has served as the Chair of the Women in the Profession section of the Atlanta Bar Association, where she is also a member of the Family Law and Solo/Small Firm sections. Kristy has served in various roles on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL) for several years and currently serves on the Board for the GAWL Foundation, the charitable arm of the organization.

A native of the Washington, DC metro area, Kristy now lives in North Buckhead with her husband and two daughters. Kristy graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and obtained her Juris Doctor at Charleston School of Law.

Ms. Rachel Leigh Platt Related Seminars and Products

Platt Family Law

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

Founder / Partner

Gorby Peters & Associates LLC

Mike Gorby has tried hundreds of cases and handled thousands of matters for corporations and individuals across the United States throughout his 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 the ICLE.

Mike is the author of Premises Liability in Georgia, which was originally published by Thomson-Reuters® in 1998 and which is updated annually. Mike is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law.

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 Lawyer® by the Thomson Reuters® peer review system.

Ms. Mary Donne Peters Related Seminars and Products

Founder/Partner

Gorby Peters & Associates LLC

Mary Donne Peters’ 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, 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 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 having served on the Boards of the Red Cross (Metropolitan Atlanta) and Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta.

A passionate educator, Mary Donne is also the co-founder of Land of Opportunity Training, LLC, an online, on demand training platform that helps businesses achieve growth through government contracting.

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 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

Mr. Michael Joseph Blakely Jr. Related Seminars and Products

The Blakely Firm LLC

M.J. Blakely, Jr. is a Georgia native. He attended Oxford College and Emory College of Emory University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 2002. M.J. earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2006.

Immediately after law school, M.J. began pursuing his passion for helping individuals and their families address tragedy by developing a specialty in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, and civil rights litigation.  M.J. broadened his practice to include mass torts, class actions and other complex litigation, which has expanded his ability to obtain justice for those harmed by defective products and consumer fraud.  

M.J. has worked at the most preeminent law firms in the nation, where he gained invaluable experience as a litigator and trial lawyer.  He has had the pleasure of representing and providing legal counsel to large corporations and small businesses, as well as individuals and their families.  M.J. founded The Blakely Firm in 2023 with a mission to offer the highest quality legal support, more personalized service to his clients, and a commitment to improving and supporting our community.  

In addition to M.J.’s experience in mass torts, class action and other complex litigation, he and The Blakely Firm are also sought-after for trial expertise.  M.J. has tried numerous cases and secured several multi-million-dollar verdicts as part of some of the most prolific trial teams in the country. 

M.J. is a skilled negotiator who has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement victories and corporate recovery for deserving clients.  When it comes to settling complex cases, The Blakely Firm prides itself not only on achieving favorable outcomes for our clients, but also on creating practical solutions.   

MJ currently serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Georgia. He is a proud member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta and has served on the University of Georgia’s Law School Association Council, where he is a former President of the Council. In addition to helping plaintiffs seek justice, MJ enjoys spending time with his wife and their two children, rooting for the Georgia Bulldogs, coaching youth sports, running, cycling, and all things outdoors.

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.

Mr. Lee Patrick Gutschenritter Related Seminars and Products

Cash Krugler & Fredericks LLC

Lee Gutschenritter is a trial lawyer dedicated to the representation of individuals and families who have suffered serious injuries or death due to the negligence of others. Lee has won numerous jury trials on behalf of his clients.  His most recent trial resulted in a historic $38.6 million jury verdict against one of the largest hospitals systems in the State of Georgia. 

In the past five years alone, Lee has recovered in excess of $100 million in verdicts and settlements. Every year since 2016, Lee has been selected as an Atlanta Magazine Super Lawyers' "Rising Star" & “Super Lawyer”, an award reserved for the top 2.5% of attorneys in Georgia. He has also been named in America's Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys®.

Lee primarily handles cases in the areas of medical malpractice, tractor-trailer accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death cases. He has represented clients in cases throughout Georgia and has successfully litigated over one hundred cases in both state and federal courts. Lee limits his practice to handling a small number of cases at a time. This approach allows him to develop meaningful relationships with his clients and to invest substantial time and resources into every one of his cases.

Mr. Thomas J. Lyman Related Seminars and Products

The Lyman Firm

Thomas Lyman has represented plaintiffs and defendants in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, and Insurance Coverage cases as a civil litigator since 2012. In 2018, Thomas founded The Lyman Firm, which handled Automobile Injuries, Trucking, Premises Liability, and Negligent Security Cases. He also has experience in the areas of Insurance Coverage Disputes, Bad Faith/Extra-Contractual Claims, Coverage, and Subrogation. He joined Bay Mediation in 2019 and has been a registered neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution since 2010. Thomas is a recognized member of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and has mediated thousands of cases across the state of Georgia.

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 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.

Mr. Daniel Denzer Munster Related Seminars and Products

Daniel D Munster P.C.

Daniel D. Munster received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in 1990.  He went on to study law at the University of Detroit where he was published on Law Review and clerked for the Michigan Supreme Court.

Admitted to practice law in Georgia since 1994, Mr. Munster has invested more than twenty-five years assisting Georgians with various eldercare, special needs, and traditional estate planning matters.  Early in his career, Dan had the opportunity to learn a great deal while working with the Senior Citizens Law Project, a division of Atlanta Legal Aid.  In 1999, he founded The Eldercare & Special Needs Law Practice of Daniel D. Munster.  While the firm’s main office is located in Atlanta, Georgia, it represents clients across the state without regard to geographic location.

Mr. Munster often delivers presentations to attorneys, financial professionals and organizations on topics related to his practice.  His writings have appeared in various publications including the Georgia Bar Journal.  A passionate advocate for the elderly, Dan was named to serve on the Georgia Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias State Plan Task Force in 2013.  Dan is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Bar Association, the Atlanta Estate Planning Council, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Mr. Munster's ethical, compassionate, and skilled approach to the practice of law has earned favorable recognition across the legal community.  For example, the Board of Regents of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) elected Mr. Munster to be a Fellow at its December 2022 Fall Meeting in San Francisco.  Additionally, Martindale-Hubbell has awarded Mr. Munster its highest peer review rating (AV Preeminent) every year since 2005.  Atlanta Magazine has recognized Mr. Munster as a Georgia “Super Lawyer” in the category of Elder Law every year since 2007.  Additionally, Dan has earned recognition in rankings compiled by Best Lawyers in America (2019 – 2023) and U.S. News & World Report (2020 – 2023) for his work in the categories of both Elder Law and Trusts & Estates.

Ms. Amanda Kay Seals Related Seminars and Products

Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP

Amanda Kay Seals represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex trial and appellate litigation. Though she has substantial business litigation experience, Amanda Kay currently devotes much of her practice to consumer and business tort cases at both the trial and appellate level, including fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and business and personal injury. She also has extensive experience in class action cases. 

In 2022, Amanda Kay was recognized by the Fulton County Daily Report as a Georgia Lawyer “On The Rise,” an annual listing of the most promising legal minds under 40. From 2019 to 2023, she has been named a Rising Star, an annual honor given to no more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in Georgia under 40 who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Amanda Kay previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joel F. Dubina, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Chief Judge W. Keith Watkins, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.

She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law and was recognized with the institution’s inaugural Young Alumni of Excellence Award in 2017. Amanda Kay holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from South Carolina Honors College at the University of South Carolina.

Outside of the office, Amanda Kay serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Georgia School of Law, where she teaches a course on sexual orientation and gender identity law. Amanda Kay is passionate about her volunteer involvement with Kate’s Club, a nonprofit organization that empowers children and young adults facing life after the death of a parent or sibling. She also serves on the National Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of Chi Omega, the largest women’s fraternal organization in the world.

Shirley Laboy Related Seminars and Products

Director of Administration

Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP

Shirley Laboy is the Director of Administration with Bondurant Mixson & Elmore in Atlanta Georgia.

Shirley has hands-on expertise in Operations Management and HR Management, focusing on streamlining processes, supporting team needs, and ensuring smooth operations across all levels. Her experience includes managing workflow systems, maintaining compliance with regulations, and coordinating docketing and records management to ensure accurate and timely documentation.

A strategic thinker and results-oriented leader, she is passionate about developing innovative solutions that improve productivity and empower teams to achieve their full potential.

She takes pride in balancing long-term planning with the day-to-day demands of managing people and resources, creating an organized and supportive work environment that drives success for the entire organization.