Ms. R. Javoyne Hicks Related Seminars and Products

Secretary

Magnifying Synergy, LLC

Javoyne Hicks, The Velvet Hammer
Executive Leadership/Life/Mindset Trainer, Speaker, Coach & Mediator
Magnifying Synergy, LLC

Meet Javoyne Hicks, the dynamic owner and CEO of Magnifying Synergy. As a certified executive leadership, life, and mindset coach, experienced speaker, trainer and a certified mediator with a distinguished legal background, Javoyne brings a wealth of experience in leadership roles and a steadfast commitment to wellbeing. She also holds certification in the Tree of Humanity coaching program, aimed at helping individuals attain the life they desire and deserve.

Formerly an Acting District Attorney and Chief Assistant District Attorney for DeKalb County, Javoyne has a profound understanding of the legal system and an unshakeable dedication to justice. Her executive journey extends to roles such as Chief of Staff in the federal government, Associate Magistrate, and Clerk of Court. Throughout these positions, she has spearheaded high-level policy decisions, initiated community engagement projects, and optimized organizational processes to enhance technical, financial, legal, and administrative performance.
Javoyne also chairs the State Bar of Georgia Wellness Committee and recently elected to serve as the Secretary for the State Bar of Georgia as such she is a member of the Executive Committee for the Board of Governors. Her leadership journey has been marked by resilience through personal challenges, including overcoming a husband’s suicide, divorce, the death of a parent, and career transitions, all while raising two exceptional children.

Inspired by her experiences, Javoyne has been a passionate advocate for incorporating wellness—encompassing physical, mental, social, and financial dimensions—into everyday life. Her expertise makes her a highly sought-after speaker, panelist, and keynote presenter at numerous organizations, legal education sessions, and conferences. She has also provided executive leadership training and individual coaching for C-suite executives and staff. In addition to chairing a committee for the State Bar of Georgia, she holds the position of Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Institute for Lawyer Well-Being (IWIL) and serves on the board of the Georgia Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

These roles have honed her management skills, enabling her to guide individuals and teams toward success. With a genuine passion for people and deep insights into human dynamics, Javoyne empowers a diverse range of clients, fostering growth and unlocking their full potential. Her unique combination of legal acumen, leadership experience, and personal resilience sets her apart as a trusted coach for attorneys, executives and staff striving to excel in today's complex business environment while maintaining holistic wellness.

Mr. Paul Enrique Knowlton Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Stanton Law, LLC

PAUL E. KNOWLTON, J.D., M.DIV.
Partner – Stanton Law LLC, Atlanta, GA
Fractional CEO – Institute for Better Capitalism, Inc, Decatur, GA

Paul brings a unique and hard-fought perspective to the issues of attorney wellbeing and profitability. 

Prior to law school, he managed a busy corporate career as an engineer and construction manager with national builders in the metro-Atlanta and metro-Philadelphia markets, and then as a forensic engineer with a national footprint at Georgia-Pacific. After law school his legal career highlights include six years in BigLaw; co-founding, co-managing, and selling his shares in an IP boutique; being turn-around director for another law firm; being turn-around CEO for a residential foster care agency; and, currently being a partner at Stanton Law. From law clerk to partner, he is no stranger to the stresses of the practice and business of law. 

Co-author of the 2021 Amazon No. 1 new release business ethics book, Better Capitalism: Jesus, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand, and MLK Jr. on Moving from Plantation to Partnership Economics, Paul is now also the fractional CEO of the emerging 501(c)(3) think-tank, Institute for Better Capitalism, Inc.

In addition to being licensed in GA and the 11th Circuit, a registered patent attorney, a Henning trained mediator and arbitrator, a Martindale Hubbell Distinguished attorney, and Georgia Trend Legal Elite, Paul has co-chaired the wellbeing CLE programs for the State Bar of Georgia’s Attorney Wellness Committee since its inception. 

Paul’s earned his Bachelor of Science in engineering from Temple University, his Juris Doctorate from Georgia State College of Law, and most recently his Master of Divinity from Mercer University.  

Hon. Shondeana Crews Morris Related Seminars and Products

Judge

DeKalb County Superior Court

Judge Shondeana Morris was appointed to the DeKalb County Superior Court on June 17, 2019. Prior to Judge Morris’ appointment, she served as a DeKalb County State Court Judge.

Judge Morris earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Georgia and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Albany State University. She graduated from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in 1997 and was admitted to the Georgia Bar that same year.

After graduating from law school, Judge Morris served as an Assistant Solicitor in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1999, she joined the Fulton County Office of the District Attorney and was promoted to Deputy District Attorney. As Deputy District Attorney, Judge Morris provided leadership to the Public Integrity Unit, where she worked to ensure public trust in local government and law enforcement; the Crimes Against Women and Children Unit, where she worked to protect families and children; and the Community Prosecution Unit, where she worked with communities and criminal justice partners to provide safe neighborhoods. In recognition of her outstanding trial expertise, Judge Morris received the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation Trial Advocacy Award in 2009.

Judge Morris is involved with many professional, civic, and religious organizations. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the American Bar Association, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, the DeKalb Bar Association, the DeKalb Lawyers Association, the Gate City Bar Association, and the Lawyers Club of Georgia. She serves on several committees for the State Bar of Georgia. Judge Morris also served on the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission, and she is the former chair of the Gate City Bar Association Judicial Section. Judge Morris serves as a proud member of the University of Georgia Alumni Board of Directors and Mercer University Law School Alumni BALSA Council.

An alumnus of Leadership DeKalb, Judge Morris served for nearly a decade as an Executive Board Member of the International Women’s House, a non-profit domestic violence shelter, a member of the Stone Mountain-Lithonia chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and a member of the Lions Club. Committed to the development of young people, she is a member of the Criminal Justice Advisory Board for Atlanta Technical College and frequently serves as a mentor and speaker on topics ranging from law and ethics to mental and physical wellness. Judge Morris is the State Bar of Georgia Suicide Awareness and Prevention committee chairperson and travels the country providing education and awareness to end deaths by suicide. Judge Morris also serves as the past chairperson of DeKalb County CASA.

Mr. Ivy Neal Cadle Related Seminars and Products

President

Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC

As a business-focused lawyer, Ivy partners with clients to solve complex, high-exposure disputes involving multiple parties, representing companies of all sizes across various industries in complex business litigation. From the outset, his approach is guided by his extensive jury trial experience. As a licensed certified public accountant, he also understands his clients' financial metrics and the risks to their bottom lines. Ivy takes ownership of his clients' legal concerns and counsels them with the heart of a teacher. By taking ownership of their legal risks, Ivy allows his clients to get back to their core business sooner so they can do what they do best.

Ivy cut his litigation teeth as a leading "dirt lawyer," becoming a skilled problem solver who provides business solutions to clients at every stage of a dispute from risk assessment through appeal. Having managed hundreds of cases through the litigation life cycle, he capably handles early resolution and dismissal of actions, complex motions practice, and trial in state and federal courts. Ivy also brings his litigation experience to the table when he negotiates and implements real estate solutions concerning land use plans, real property appraisals, business valuations, and conservation easements.

He represents clients from a wide variety of industries. They include oil and gas interests; fast food franchisors and franchisees; hotel investors; private medical practices; hospitals; insurance companies; cellular service providers; banks; mortgage servicers; commercial shopping center and office developers; national drugstore chains; residential real estate developers; convenience store chains and a variety of individually owned enterprises; and business operations.

Additionally, Ivy is experienced in real estate and property litigation matters, including eminent domain, land use, zoning issues, and conservation easements across Georgia, with a focus on the Atlanta-metro, its outlying towns, including Marietta, Alpharetta, Lawrenceville, McDonough, Douglasville, and Cumming, as well as other metropolitan areas such as Macon, Savannah, Columbus, and Augusta.

Hon. Kenneth Bryant Hodges III Related Seminars and Products

Judge

Georgia Court of Appeals

Kenneth (Ken) Bryant Hodges, III was elected to the Court of Appeals by the citizens of Georgia in 2018, winning every county in the state with wide bipartisan support in a contested election for a rare open seat on the Court. Judge Hodges took office on Jan. 1, 2019. With deep experience in diverse practice areas, Judge Hodges has served as a prosecutor, defended criminal cases, and been on both sides of a dispute in civil matters. He has been a court appointed receiver and a mediator. Judge Hodges is applying this experience on the bench to uphold the rule of law and ensure justice for all.

Judge Hodges was born and raised in Albany, GA. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, and earned his B.A. from Emory University in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in English in 1988. While at the University of Georgia Law School, he participated in a clinical program with a public defender and was sworn in under the Third Year Student Practice Act to try cases. He earned his J.D. from UGA Law in 1991 and set out to become a litigator. After working with a litigation firm in Atlanta, he returned to Albany as an Assistant District Attorney.

Judge Hodges was elected District Attorney of the Dougherty Judicial Circuit in 1996 at the age of 30. Within the first two years, he cleared out a backlog of eight death penalty cases and took them to trial. He formed trial teams which effectively ended unnecessary delays in moving cases forward, and focused on laws and programs to better protect children in the county. This included a child prosecution unit, a child advocacy center, a truancy program to target unauthorized school absences, and he also established a sexual assault unit. In his second term, he was named District Attorney of the Year for the State of Georgia. During his 12 years as District Attorney, Ken was committed to managing an efficient office, which operated under budget every year. He was elected President of the DA’s Association and also served as Chairman of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council; he was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes as Chairman of the Legal Loan Forgiveness Task Force and as a member of the Certainty in Sentencing Commission.

In 2008, he returned to private practice, working in transactional law and then litigation. In 2015, Ken started his own law firm, Ken Hodges Law, based in Albany and Atlanta with a focus on commercial litigation. Judge Hodges was elected President of the State Bar of Georgia (2018-2019), the first judge to lead the organization in its history. He currently serves on the State Bar’s Office of General Counsel Oversight Committee, is Chairman of the Advisory Board for Truist-Albany, and is Vice-Chairman of the Albany-Dougherty Airport Commission. Ken also serves on the Board of Advisors of University of Georgia’s State Botanical Garden and the Board of Directors of the Southwest Georgia Legal Self-Help Center, a non-profit that works to improve access to justice for low-income people in the region. Ken is a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club, the Emory Board of Visitors, and is a member and past-President of the Dougherty County Bar Association.

Judge Hodges has published articles in various legal and main stream media outlets, he has been a legal commentator on local and national television and radio programs, and has lectured at every law school in Georgia. He is a frequent presenter at legal education courses for practicing attorneys, and teaches classes for law enforcement personnel across the state. He has been named a Legal Elite, a Super Lawyer, and has earned the highest possible rankings with AVVO and Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent attorney rating organization. He is a past Trustee and graduate of Leadership Georgia, a graduate of Leadership Albany, past Secretary and board member of The Urban League of Greater Atlanta, past President of the Artesian City Sertoma Club, former member of the Albany Rotary Club, past Chairman of the Easter Seals of Southwest Georgia, past Chairman of the Southwest Georgia Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, past board member of the Albany Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the boards of the American Heart Association and the Albany Civil Rights Institute. Ken was named a “40 under 40” by Georgia Trend.

As an attorney, he was admitted to practice with the United States Supreme Court, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Northern and Middle Federal District Courts of Georgia, the Georgia Supreme Court, and the Georgia Court of Appeals. He is a Master with the Bleckly Inn of Court and the W. Louis Sands American Inn of Court, and is a Fellow with the Lawyer’s Foundation of Georgia. Judge Hodges has been widely recognized for his legal and civic accomplishments during his more than 27 years as a practicing attorney, including as the recipient of the State Bar’s Commitment to Equality Award, the Justice Benham Award for Community Service, and The Eagle Award from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for his work on behalf of crime victims.

Ken and his wife, Melissa, married in 2004 and have two children, Margaret and Jack, and a field spaniel, Buzzy. They are parishioners at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Albany and remain active in their community. The family cherishes time together and enjoy being active, whether it’s time spent in the beautiful southwest Georgia outdoors or exploring the state, visiting friends and family. An avid pilot, Judge Hodges is commerical, instrument, and multi-engine rated and enjoys being up in the air, like his father and grandfather, a Naval aviator, before him.

Stacey Tidwell Related Seminars and Products

Founder

KnotFree Living LLC

Dr. Stacey L. Tidwell is not your average coach or speaker. With her extensive background in coaching, ministry, and authorship, she brings a unique perspective to the table – one that is focused on freedom and liberation.
As the President and CEO of KnotFree Living, Dr. Stacey is on a mission to empower individuals in all aspects of their lives – from the workplace to the home and society at
 
large. Her powerful message resonates with people from all walks of life, making her a highly sought after coach and speaker.

Stacey's impact extends beyond individual transformations. She has been recognized for her exemplary service, receiving the Distinguished Service award for her police training program and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. She has earned multiple awards, recognitions, and accolades for her work and accomplishments in business.

But what sets Dr. Stacey apart is her ability to bring comfort to those she works with. She truly understands the struggles and challenges that individuals face, and through her Multi- Discipline Tree of Humanity System, she provides a roadmap for living a knot-free life.
Her ability to connect, personally and professionally, has earned her the respect and attention of high-profile clientele. “Dr. Stacey generously shares her wisdom and the lessons she has acquired though diligence and hard work over the years.”

Dr. Stacey’s success story is rooted in her courage to be vulnerable and authentic with her clients. As people learn of her humble beginnings and see her remarkable transformation, they feel compelled to apply the teachings from her workshops, masterclasses and women empowerment events and inevitably find success of their own.

Murray Gottheil Related Seminars and Products

Founder

Pallett Valo LLP

Murray Gottheil practiced business law for 39 years, primarily in a medium-sized law firm in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. He was the practice head for the corporate department for much of that time and the managing partner of the firm for 5 years.

Although Murray enjoyed working with clients to help them build and protect their businesses and enjoyed teaching and mentoring younger lawyers, he hated the relentless pressure of the legal profession and its impact on family life and physical and mental health.

In 2020, Murray retired to a small town a few hours away from Toronto and bought a pick-up truck.
From the safety of retirement, he writes about the legal profession to encourage law students and lawyers to plan their careers with their eyes wide open and a view to their families and health, and publishes his musings on Law 360 (Canada), LinkedIn and his website at www.lawanddisorderinc.com.

He also teaches business law, mentors law students and lawyers, and speaks about various topics of interest to members of the legal profession.

He can be reached at murray@murraygottheil.com.

Ms. Tara Rice Simkins Related Seminars and Products

Founder

Soul Shine Lab

Heather McCullough, MBA Related Seminars and Products

Co-Founder & CGO

Society 54

Society 54 Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer Heather McCullough is two parts wit and one part tenacity, with heaping doses of creativity and intellect on the side. Heather represents the power of hard work, strategy and collaboration. For more than 20 years, she has brought game-changing results to professional services firms across the country. In addition to her Society 54 work, Heather is also co-founder and Partner of Society Tech, a technology company that utilizes the proprietary software INform to help law firms track and analyze their business development efforts.

As the director of business and practice development at one of the most well-respected law firms in the Carolinas, Heather oversaw all aspects of firm and attorney business development, including client relations, communications, events and marketing – all while keeping a keen eye on budgets and ROI. Heather has led and restructured operational changes while working inside law firms, as well as in a consulting capacity. This experience, combined with her MBA from University of South Carolina, makes her an ideal advisor for firms that want to challenge the status quo and lead change. Previously, Heather also utilized her experience and expertise as co-founder and Principal at The Chiral Project which focused on Leadership Development for Professional Services.

Heather has been recognized as a Legal Innovator (ALM/Law.com, 2023), one of the “50 Most Influential Women” (The Mecklenburg Times, 2021), and a Phenom (“Icons & Phenoms,” The Mecklenburg Times, 2018). She was inducted as a Fellow into the College of Law Practice Management in 2024 and, in 2023, Society 54 was recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal as part of its “Fast 50 Awards,” ranked as the 8th fastest growing private company in the Charlotte region.

In the consulting realm, Heather never says no to a challenge. She knows that insincere outreach and marketing can fall flat, and operates as a tireless advocate for her clients to ensure that efforts are anything but hollow. She is well known in the legal marketing industry and her wheels never stop turning when it comes to generating profit, rapport and direction for her clients.

Mr. Brian David Poe Related Seminars and Products

Chairman

Brian Poe & Associates Attorneys at Law

Attorney Brian Poe is Chairman of Georgia Injury Attorneys and Brian Poe & Associates, Attorneys, PC "The People’s Champs." He is a well-known lawyer and businessperson in metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia, with over 25 years of experience practicing law and is also the Chairman of a national legal recruiting firm (Esquire Connect).

Attorney Poe is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, has an M.B.A. from the University of Georgia and a B.S. from Florida State University. Attorney Poe is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and spent many years as a Senior Attorney with a Fortune 500 corporation and major national law firms based in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

For over a decade, Attorney Poe wrote a popular column, the monthly "Attorney’s Corner" feature, for the award-winning Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine. Attorney Poe serves on the Board of Directors of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc., and was its first General Counsel.

Mr. George W. Martin Jr., M.Div., M.A. Related Seminars and Products

Founder

CorpCare Associates, Inc.

George W. Martin, Jr., M.Div., M.A., is CEO/Founder of CorpCare Associates, Inc. which conducts Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for corporations, manufacturing, professional services, governments, associations, and hospitality since 1991.  CorpCare Associates serves over 600,000 lives throughout the United States.  He entered the EAP field in 1984.  Before CorpCare, Mr. Martin served as a United Methodist Minister in the Florida and Louisiana United Methodist Conferences. 

Mr. Martin attended Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida earning his BS degree in 1974; Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, receiving his Master of Divinity degree in 1977; and Louisiana Tech University receiving his Masters in Counseling degree in 1983. 

He is past-president on the national board of the Employee Assistance Society of North America. Mr. Martin has clinically practiced as a Marriage and Family Therapist, instructed at the college level in Adolescent and Abnormal psychology, provided counseling programs in hospitals and prisons, and conducted training on various subjects. 

He is married with four children, eight grandchildren, and two miniature schnauzers residing in Atlanta, Georgia.  

Jessica Bednarz Related Seminars and Products

Director of Legal Services and the Profession

Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System

Jessica Bednarz is the Director of Legal Services and the Profession at IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver. In this role, Jessica is responsible for leading the vision and strategy of IAALS’ work around innovation, regulation, reform, and evolution in the areas of the delivery of legal services and the legal profession more generally. 

Jessica joined IAALS in 2023 after working at The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF). During her eight years with the CBF, Jessica worked on a wide range of access to justice issues. Her most recent work includes overseeing the CBF’s legal incubator program called the Justice Entrepreneurs Project, launching Legal Entrepreneurs for Justice in Colorado, staffing the Chicago Bar Association & Chicago Bar Foundation Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law and Innovation focused on regulatory reform, and creating practice resources such as the CBF Pricing and Limited Scope Representation Toolkits.

Prior to working at the CBF, Jessica was in private practice specializing in family law, both as a solo practitioner and as an associate at O’Connor Family Law, P.C. She later served as the MCLE Coordinator for The Chicago Bar Association and served as a consultant for the Colorado Bar Association.

Jessica received her JD and family law certificate, cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law and a BS from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Jessica is originally from Fishers, Indiana. In her free time, she enjoys exploring, traveling, and community gardening.

Lauren Lester Related Seminars and Products

Founder

A Different Practice

Lauren Lester is a solopreneur who helps clients protect their peace with her firm Lester Law (mylifelawyer.com). She graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and earned her law degree from Georgia State University. Lauren is passionate about helping lawyers build profitable practices they love. She founded A Different Practice, where you can find practical resources for optimizing your law firm for profit and efficiency. Learn more at adifferentpractice.com.

Cody Teague Related Seminars and Products

Director of Student Life

Georgia State University

Cody Teague serves as the Director of Student Life at Georgia State University’s College of Law. In this role he oversees law student organizations, orientation programs, wellness initiatives, implementation of disability-related accommodations, and general student support at the college level. He is passionate about student well-being in legal education. Previously, he served as Assistant Director of Student Support at Emory University’s School of Law and Director of Residence Life at Oglethorpe University. He earned a Masters of Education in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia.

Mrs. Mariette Lynn Clardy-Davis Related Seminars and Products

AVP & AGC

Primerica- Office of General Counsel

Mariette Lynn Clardy-Davis is a lawyer, mental health advocate and educator with emerging technology solutions (i.e. Web3, Generative AI) .
Mariette serves as the Assistant Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Primerica where she provides strategic business guidance to support their broker-dealer and registered investment advisory business lines. 

Mariette saw the lack of representation in the legal community for women of color who openly share their story of mental health, so she became the change she longed for in her own mental health journey through writing for various publications including her own newsletter, speaking and sharing personal tools for change as a lawyer with a diagnosis of bi-polar depression. She is a former mental healthcare attorney, and currently serves as a board member of NAMI Central Georgia as well as a member of the Georgia State Bar Wellness Committee.

Mariette's understands that technology competence is not optional; it's a professional duty for lawyers. She saw the challenge and thus the opportunity to provide value to lawyers through interactive, hands on learning aimed to ensure that no lawyer is left behind due to a lack of simple, accessible instruction in emerging technology. She is the creative consultant and lead trainer of educational and practical and accessible AI insights, workshops and resources tailored to lawyers and law firms.
Finally, she is an active contributor and volunteer to Web3 & Tech focused projects, nonprofits and businesses including WIT (Women in Technology),  Association of Corporate Counsel Georgia Chapter- Georgia, SheFi, Third Academy Metaverse Foundations, Bankless Consulting (Bankless DAO), and a board member of Anuu Way.

Social Media 
Linktree: sleek.bio/mlclardy 
Email: mariette@mlclardy.com 

Mr. James Oliver Hodges VI Related Seminars and Products

Of Counsel

Fowler, Hein, Cheatwood & Williams, PA

Jason Hodges is a dynamic landlord-tenant attorney and personal coach (coachjason.me), with a deep commitment to mental health advocacy. As a member of the State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Wellbeing Committee over the past two years, Jason has drawn from his personal experiences and specialized coach and breathwork training to champion better mental health practices, particularly within the legal profession. As a passionate speaker, Jason aims to use coaching to guide younger lawyers in balancing their careers with fulfilling personal lives, helping them keep their work in perspective.

Mr. Todd H. Stanton Related Seminars and Products

Founder & Principal

Stanton Law LLC

Todd Stanton, founder of Stanton Law, has focused on management representation in employment matters since graduating from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2002. Starting with labor and employment boutique Fisher Phillips, he eventually moved to Powell Goldstein (later Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner), where he represented some of the largest companies in the country. A litigator by training, he’s well-versed in the slate of employment law shorthand — EEOC, DOL, NLRB, OSHA, ADA, FMLA, ADEA, FLSA, and Title VII — and knows first-hand how much sloppy human resources practices can end up costing.

Todd’s refreshing approach to his legal practice seeps into the firm’s employee-first operations. He’s most proud of the platform Stanton Law provides for other entrepreneurial and ownership-minded lawyers to build their respective practices while keeping an eye on what’s most important.

A native Atlantan and Marist alum, Todd graduated from Washington & Lee University with Honors in 1995, majoring in Psychology and with a 4-year letter in baseball. He married Ashley in 1999 and they have two sons.

Tracy Kepler Related Seminars and Products

Risk Control Consulting Director, Global Specialty, Lawyers Professional Liability

CNA Insurance

Tracy L. Kepler is the Risk Control Consulting Director for CNA’s Lawyers Insurance Program. In this role, she designs and develops content and distribution of risk control initiatives relevant to the practice of law. She collaborates with the underwriting and claims teams to develop and execute strategies for the profitable growth of the program.  Tracy lectures frequently at CNA-sponsored events and at state and local bar associations and national seminars hosted by industry-leading organizations.  She also writes articles focusing on law firm risk control and professional responsibility issues. 
 
Prior to joining CNA, Tracy served as the Director of the American Bar Association’s Center for Professional Responsibility (CPR), providing national leadership in developing and interpreting standards and scholarly resources in legal and judicial ethics, professional regulation, professionalism, client protection, professional liability and attorney well-being.  Ms. Kepler has nearly 20 years of experience in attorney regulation as she served as an Associate Solicitor in the Office of General Counsel for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), where she concentrated her practice in the investigation, prosecution and appeal of patent/trademark practitioner disciplinary matters before the Agency, U.S. District Courts and Federal Circuit, provided policy advice on ethics and discipline related matters to senior management, and drafted and revised Agency regulations.  She also served as Senior Litigation Counsel for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), where she investigated and prosecuted cases of attorney misconduct.  
 
Ms. Kepler has served in various volunteer capacities, including as President, on the Board of the National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC), a non-profit organization of legal professionals whose members enforce ethics rules that regulate the professional conduct of lawyers who practice law in the United States and abroad.  Ms. Kepler is currently an Adjunct Professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, Georgetown University Law Center and Loyola School of Law (Chicago) teaching Legal Ethics.  Committed to the promotion and encouragement of professional responsibility and attorney well-being throughout her career, Ms. Kepler has served on the ABA’s Commission on Lawyers Assistance Programs, is an Advisory Board member of the Institute for Well-Being in Law and is an author of its Well-Being Report.  She is also a Board Member of the Mindfulness in Law Society, the Chair of the ABA IPL Section’s Attorney Well-Being Committee and a Commissioner on the International Bar Association’s Professional Wellbeing Commission.  She is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and received her law degree from New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ms. Paula J. Frederick Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

State Bar of Georgia

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

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

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

Ms. Melanie McCrorey Bell Related Seminars and Products

Chief Magistrate Judge

Newton County Probate Court

Melanie M. Bell is the Probate Judge of Newton County.  She was elected to office in 2017, and also serves as the Chief Magistrate of Newton County.  Melanie began her legal career as a law clerk to Chief Judge John M. Ott in 2000.  She became an assistant district attorney in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit in 2003 and was promoted to Chief Assistant District Attorney in 2013.  As a prosecutor she specialized in the prosecution of crimes against women and children and major felony cases.  Judge Bell received her B.A. in History and Sociology from Duke University in 1997 and received her law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in 2000.

Hon. Erica Leigh Tisinger Related Seminars and Products

Judge

Superior Court Judge - Coweta Circuit

Appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp today to the Superior Court of the Coweta Judicial Circuit in 2022. She filled the vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable Bill Hamrick to the Georgia State-wide Business Court. The Coweta Judicial Circuit is comprised of Coweta, Carroll, Heard, Meriwether, and Troup counties.

Erica L. Tisinger was a State Court Judge for Carroll County, having previously been a partner at Greer Tisinger, LLC for nearly 10 years. Prior to her appointment to the State Court, she clerked for the Honorable Charles S. Wynne and Honorable B. E. Roberts, III. She also served as an administrative law judge in Tennessee and worked as in-house defense counsel for an international insurance company.
Judge Tisinger attended the University of North Carolina where she graduated with a bachelor’s in American history. She then continued her studies at Mercer University at the Walter F. George School of Law.

Judge Tisinger, her husband, and two children live in Carrollton and are members of Carrollton First Baptist Church, where she serves as a Deacon. She has also held numerous leadership positions in her community, including as a board member of Open Hands Christian Ministry, as a committee member of Circles Designer Showcase, and as a volunteer with the Tanner Medical Foundation.
 

Related Seminars and Products

Executive Coach & Consultant

Stanton Law LLC

William has spent the last seven years as an executive coach, business consultant and peer advisory facilitator.  Much of his work is through the auspices of The Alternative Board (TAB), an organization created 30 plus years ago specifically to fill the vacuum in small- and medium-sized businesses for a “board of directors”.  

William’s current focus areas are leadership development, operational and financial excellence, and succession/exit planning for small businesses.  He works with individuals as well as organizations and emphasizes flexibility, emotional intelligence and unique solutions.  He is particularly enamored of the EOS program and will preach far and wide the simplicity mantra that EOS espouses. He particularly enjoys the rigors of facilitation and individual coaching with a particular emphasis on tailored goals and results-orientation built around time blocks and accountability.   He is also CEPA certified and is dedicated to successful and holistic exit planning for business owners.

In a previous life, he was a founding partner of what is now MOSAIC Design/Build, a design-driven residential remodeling firm now in its 37th year of success.  William’s commitment to sustainable construction practices and an employee-centric workplace are hallmarks of his time with MOSAIC.

William graduated from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with an English concentration and remains a loyal Tar Heel.

Personally, William splits his time between home in Western NC and business in Atlanta, knows golf far better than he plays golf, and, surrounded by world class trout streams, dreams of becoming a competent fly fisherman.  Travel and RV camping are always on the calendar.