War Stories and Georgia Evidence Update

Hon. Robert W. Chasteen Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Cordele Circuit Superior Court

Judge Chasteen  was elected as a Superior Court Judge of the Cordele Judicial Circuit in 2004 and re-reelected in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. He served as Municipal Court Judge in Ben Hill County from 2000-2004. From 1969-2004, Judge Chasteen was a partner with Mills & Chasteen, P.C. a law firm located in his hometown of Fitzgerald, Georgia. Judge Chasteen served as county attorney for Ben Hill County for thirty-five years and served as President of the State Bar of Georgia from 1995-1996.

Judge Chasteen earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Georgia in 1966 and graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1969 where he was the research and projects editor for the University of Georgia Law Review. Judge Chasteen continues to be a positive influence and role model as he gives of his time and resources to many educational, business, civic, church, and State Bar of Georgia activities. He and his wife, the former Margaret Mills of Fitzgerald, have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Mr. Michael Scott Carlson Related Seminars and Products

Trial and Appellate Attorney; Legal Author

Fulton County District Attorney's Office

Hon. Kellie Stevens Hill Related Seminars and Products

Superior Court of Cobb County

Judge Kellie Hill was elected to serve on the Superior Court of Cobb County, Georgia in June 2020.

Prior to her election to Superior Court, Judge Hill served four years as a full-time Magistrate and Assisting Superior Court Judge in the Cobb Magistrate Court. As a trial attorney in both the public and private sectors, she established “The Kellie Hill Legal Group”, served as the managing attorney for a personal injury practice, an adjunct professor at the John Marshall School of Law, and served as a lead prosecutor on many complex and notable cases in Fulton and DeKalb Counties.

Judge Hill’s work has been featured on national media outlets. She has appeared as a legal expert on nationally and locally aired programs. Judge Hil was recognized by the Georgia House of Representatives for her work as a trial attorney and has been the recipient of numerous other awards and distinctions.

Judge Hill is a member of The State Bar of Georgia, The Council of Superior Court Judges, The Supreme Court's Committee on Interpreters, The Association of Black Women Attorneys, The Gate City Bar Association, The National Bar Association, The Weltner Inn of Court, The Lawyers’ Club of Atlanta, Leadership Cobb Alumni and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Hon. Benjamin Arthur Land Related Seminars and Products

Georgia Court of Appeals

2022 – Present

Benjamin A. Land was appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeals on July 20, 2022.

A lifelong resident of Columbus, Judge Land graduated with Highest Honors as a First Honor Graduate, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Georgia in 1989, finishing with a 4.0 grade point average.  He also graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1992, finishing second in his class of 202 students.  While in Law School, he received numerous academic awards, served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia Law Review, clerked for the Georgia Supreme Court, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Following Law School, Judge Land had a private law practice in Columbus, focusing on civil litigation and trial practice. During his nearly 26 year career as a private practice attorney, he represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases, obtained several record setting verdicts, and played a key role in the defense of numerous nationwide class action lawsuits. During those years, Judge Land engaged in significant complex litigation, tried cases to jury verdicts, earned the respect of his colleagues, and thoroughly enjoyed being in the courtroom.

Judge Land left the private practice of law on February 7, 2018 when Governor Nathan Deal appointed him to serve as a Superior Court judge for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit. Judge Land was elected to continue in that position on June 9, 2020 and continued to serve as a trial judge until his appointment to the Court of Appeals. During his time on the Superior Court bench, Judge Land was known for his fairness and impartiality, his efficiency and work ethic, his courage and compassion, and his unquestioned integrity. While a trial judge, Judge Land served on the Council of Superior Court Judges Budget Committee and Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, and he was asked to speak to his fellow judges at their judicial training conference.

Judge Land has been active in his profession and his community. He has served on numerous community and law-related boards, has spoken on the topic of trial advocacy at statewide continuing legal education seminars, and has spoken to numerous civic groups, bar associations, and legal and judicial conferences. During his law practice, Judge Land was presented with the William B. Spann, Jr. Award for Pro Bono Advocacy for his efforts on behalf of a pro bono client whose case he handled from the trial court level until its successful conclusion in the Georgia Supreme Court. Judge Land is a graduate of Leadership Columbus and has served as the President of the Columbus Bar Association, President of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Bar Association, President of the Columbus Inn of Court, District Representative for the State Bar of Georgia’s Younger Lawyers Division, member of the Clarke-Carley Inn of Court, member of the Bleckley Inn of Court, and member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. He currently serves by appointment of the Governor on the Georgia Child Support Commission and served for four years on the Judicial Nominating Commission, the statewide body responsible for providing recommendations to the Governor concerning judicial appointments. At the Court of Appeals, he chairs the Rules Committee and serves on the Legislative Committee.

In addition to his law-related activities, Judge Land has served as a board member for the Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, a volunteer and board member for the Pine Mountain Trail Association, and a youth sports coach. Judge Land, his wife, and their three children are members of St. Paul Church of Columbus, where Judge Land has served on the Administrative Board, the Finance Committee, and the Staff Parish Relations Committee.

Hon. Robert Charles McBurney Related Seminars and Products

Fulton County Superior Court

Judge McBurney has served on the Superior Court of Fulton County since April 2012.  He handles a split docket of civil and criminal cases.  He is also one of Fulton County’s Accountability Court judges, which means he has the opportunity to work with individuals who are serious about achieving a sustainable recovery from addiction.

Judge McBurney chairs the Mental Health Task Force, a joint city-county collaboration of criminal justice and public service agencies from Atlanta and greater Fulton County.

Before joining the bench, Judge McBurney worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Atlanta.  As a federal prosecutor, he focused on cases involving public corruption, international terrorism, and child exploitation.

Judge McBurney received his B.A. from Harvard College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.  Prior to his years of public service, he worked as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company.  Judge McBurney lives in Atlanta with his wife Courtney, an executive training officer at McDonald’s (yes, the burger place), two wonderful (and exhausting) boys, and two fuzzy dogs.

Hon. J. Stephen Schuster Related Seminars and Products

Cobb Circuit Superior Court

J. STEPHEN SCHUSTER

SENIOR JUDGE, SUPERIOR COURTS OF GEORGIA

J. Stephen (Steve) Schuster is a Senior Judge of the Superior Courts of Georgia.

Judge Schuster was appointed a Senior Judge by Governor Kemp on January 1, 2021 after serving four terms as a Superior Court Judge. In addition to sitting on the bench Judge Schuster serves as a registered neutral. Judge Schuster focuses on complex civil and domestic mediation, arbitration, and private trials.

Judge Schuster is the Chair of the Uniform Rules Committee of the Council of Superior Court Judges. He worked with the Supreme Court on rewriting the Uniform Rules on virtual proceedings and media access to the courts.

Judge Schuster has served in numerous positions in the Business Law Section of the ABA. He is a past chair of the Judicial Initiative and a past chair of the Dispute Resolution subsection. Judge Schuster is a former president of the American College of Business Court Judges. He has also served as a president of the Cobb County Bar Association and seven terms on the State Bar of Georgia Board of Governors.

Judge Schuster may be reached at the following addressed: stephen.schuster@cobbcounty.org or judgeschuster@gmail.com.

Mr. Jeffrey Young Lewis Related Seminars and Products

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

BIOGRAPHY

Jeff is a partner in the Litigation practice and a member of the Entertainment & Sports, Global Commerce, Industrial & Warehouse, and Logistics & Transportation, industry teams. Jeff is a talented lawyer who uses proven dispute resolution devices to help large and small companies as well as individuals. For nearly four decades, Jeff has defended clients through litigation, mediation, and arbitration in the United States and abroad. His widespread experience spans the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical, construction, technology, retail, restaurant, manufacturing, and real estate industries. Clients retain Jeff for his legal acuity and personal attention to detail. He handles matters related to global commerce, business defamation, and tortious interference, class actions, technology sales and licensing, insurance coverage, trade secrets, and Uniform Commercial Code matters. He also manages matters related to estate litigation, family business, logistics, labor and employment, restrictive covenants, non-competition agreements, false labeling, and letters of credit matters.

Jeff serves on the Georgia Governor’s Film, Music, and Digital Entertainment Commission. He was a professional actor from 1985 to 1992 and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He served on the Board of Directors for the Southeast Playwrights’ Project and the Georgia Shakespeare Festival. He has performed in the “A Courthouse Line” charitable productions of the Atlanta Bar Foundation.

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Related Services

• Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation, & Arbitration
• Closely Held & Family Businesses
• Complex Business Disputes

• Construction
• Healthcare Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Related Industries

• Entertainment & Sports
• Franchising
• Global Commerce
• Healthcare Information Technology

• Hospitals & Health Systems
• Industrial & Warehouse/Distribution
• Logistics & Transportation
• Manufacturing

Related Regions

• Germany, Austria, & Switzerland

EXPERIENCE

• Assisted a foreign bicycle manufacturer in a product recall with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

• Defended manufacturers in product liability cases, defective construction products, beer distribution rights, and foreign manufacturing of equipment for the cable television industry.

• Handled a breach of contract for the renovation of a chemical storage tank.

• Handled inter-generational estate litigation over a will.

• Protected a client’s trade secrets for proprietary yeast strains in the ethanol industry.

• Represented a company accused of negligent inspection in wrongful death/personal injury cases arising out of an explosion and fire at a sugar refinery.

• Represented a franchisor in disputes over franchise and guaranty agreements in the fast food industry.

• Resolved a defamation and tortious interference claim arising out of the World Trade Center disaster on Sept. 11, 2001.

• Successfully resolved a claim against a client’s health insurance provider over reimbursement obligations.

• Won a breach of contract dispute for hospital linen services.

CLIENT SUCCESSES

• Oglethorpe Power Corp. – Electronic Discovery Plan Helps Resolve Nuke Plant Dispute
• North American Bioproducts Corp. - AGG's Creative Thinking Leads to a Cost-effective Solution and Trademark Protection Win

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CREDENTIALS

EDUCATION

• University of Georgia School of Law, Juris Doctor, 

  cum laude

  • German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) – Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany, 1978-79
• University of Georgia, Bachelor of Arts - Political Science and German, 

  summa cum laude

ADMISSIONS

• State of Georgia – 1982

COURT ADMISSIONS

• United States Supreme Court – 1998
• Georgia Court of Appeals – 1982
• Superior Courts of Georgia – 1982
• Supreme Court of Georgia – 1982
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit – 1982
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia – 1982
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia – 1982

ASSOCIATIONS

• Professional Activities:

  • American Bar Association, Section of Tort and Insurance Practice
  • Atlanta Bar Association
  • British American Business Council
  • Georgia Film, Music, and Digital Entertainment Commission
  • German American Chamber of Commerce
  • Lawyers Club of Atlanta
  • Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Sound Economy Task Force

   

  Community Activities:

  • First Presbyterian Church, Elder and Sunday School Teacher
  • Gridiron Secret Society
  • Leadership Georgia, 1994
  • Liberty Fund
  • “Neil ‘Hondo’ Williamson and The Georgia Bulldog Allstars” Radio Program, Panelist
  • Northside Youth Organization, Football Coach
  • University of Georgia, Vincent J. Dooley Library Endowment Fund, Committee Member
  • University of Georgia School of Law, Alumni Board
  • Westminster Schools, Alumni Board
  • Wrestlers In Business Network Atlanta Chapter, Board of Directors
  • YMCA Adventure Guides/Princesses

LANGUAGES

• German ( Conversational )

RECOGNITION

• Georgia Super Lawyers, 2004-21
• Recipient of the 2017 Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia
• AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings, 2012-17
• Alumnus Service Award, The Westminster Schools, 2012

NEWS & INSIGHTS

• EVENTS

  AGG Hosted Mannheim Business School MBA Students for Doing Business in the U.S. 2024 Program

  January 31, 2024 | AGG Seminars & Webinars | Atlanta, Georgia

• NEWS

  Jeff Lewis and Matt Wilson Appointed to TCSG Sound Economy Task Force

  February 20, 2023 | News Releases | Rankings & Recognition | Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

• EVENTS

  AGG Hosted Doing Business in the U.S. Program for Mannheim University MBA Students

  January 30, 2023 | AGG Seminars & Webinars | Atlanta, Georgia

Ms. Natalie S. Woodward Related Seminars and Products

Warshauer Woodward Atkins

Anyone who meets Natalie Woodward feels like they have known her their entire life. It is this ability to put people at ease that makes her such an effective trial lawyer. Natalie secured a $77.7 million psychiatric malpractice verdict in September 2022 for the Carusillo family whose son was forced out of a mental health facility without his medication in 2017. Watch the News Nation interview about the case.

In 2010, she tried her first jury trial as lead counsel in a wrongful arrest case and secured a $1 million verdict which is the largest verdict of its kind in Georgia history. In 2021, she was interviewed about this trial. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-e8jnd-101dc94

Her cases have made international and national news including her fight to protect the rights of children on social media. https://youtu.be/cfGYpv8iKIE

In 2014, she argued before the Georgia Court of Appeals to obtain increased protection for children targeted on social media. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ga-court-of-appeals/1680364.html Natalie has also led the fight to secure justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Natalie is a proud native of Powder Springs, Georgia and is a venerable “Double Dawg.” She received undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science from UGA and then graduated from UGA Law in 2002. While in law school, she was a member of the 2001 Champion Intrastate Moot Court Team, President of her Second Year Class and Chair of the Moot Court Board.

Natalie serves on the Executive Committee for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the Bench and Bar Committee of the State Bar of Georgia. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the best lawyers in the State for the past six years and was selected as one of the Best Young Lawyers in Georgia by Atlanta Magazine.