ATLANTA (January 16, 2018) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce the addition of Brandon C. Dodd, Perry J. McGuire, Jonathon D. Pressley and Nicholas C. Rueter to its partnership effective January 1, 2018.
“The firm is thrilled to elect four of our attorneys to partnership,” said Stephen Forte, SGR’s chairman and managing partner. “These new partners have contributed to the firm’s success through their outstanding dedication to serving SGR’s clients, and we are proud to formally recognize this achievement in their careers.”
Brandon Dodd is a Partner in the Real Estate Practice of SGR’s Jacksonville office, where his focus is in the area of general business law and commercial real estate law, including real estate acquisitions, sales and development, real estate finance, commercial leasing, condominium law, title insurance, mortgage foreclosures and workouts, homeowners associations, and contracts. He is a member of the Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, the Jacksonville Bar Association, and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
Perry McGuire is a Partner in SGR’s Atlanta Corporate Practice with a focus on franchise, M&A, and governmental affairs. He has successfully counseled businesses at every level of the business cycle, including start-up, distribution agreements, supply agreements, tolling agreements, intellectual property licensing, and merger/divestiture. He has assisted new franchisors starting their business and mature franchise systems evolve their legal infrastructure to continue to grow their system. Mr. McGuire is a member of American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, the Southeast Franchise Forum, the Georgia Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association, and the American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education. He is also the Founding Chairman of the Franchise and Distribution Law Section for the State Bar of Georgia. Mr. McGuire serves on the Legal/Legislative Committee of the International Franchise Association. He is a member of the Georgia Republican Foundation and the Federalist Society. Mr. McGuire is a Foundry Advisory Board Member of GSU’s Franchise Entrepreneur Program. He serves on the Atlanta Board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Advisory Board of Emory’s Winship Cancer Center. Mr. McGuire is a member of the CEO Netweavers, where he serves as a mentor for Kennesaw State University EMBA Students and helps early stage companies as part of CEON’s Inflection Point Panel.
Jonathon Pressley is a Partner in the Litigation and Intellectual Property Practices of SGR’s Jacksonville office. He represents clients in civil litigation matters in state and federal courts, focusing on complex business disputes. His litigation experience includes complex contract disputes, products liability defense, pension plan, executive benefits, and ERISA claims, trust and probate litigation, construction disputes, real property litigation, fraudulent transfer claims, defamation claims, and employment non-compete disputes. In his practice, Mr. Pressley has litigated cases through trial and appellate courts. His published decisions include James v. Leigh, 145 So. 3d 1006 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014), which helped shape the legal landscape of the absolute litigation privilege in Florida, and Kablelink Communications, LLC v. Southern-Owners Insurance Company, 2015 WL 12844399 (M.D. Fla. 2015). He also regularly represents clients in intellectual property matters, such as trademark and copyright infringement disputes, licensing agreement disputes, trademark policing, takedown claims under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, anti-cybersquatting claims, and trademark opposition litigation before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Nick Rueter is a Partner in SGR’s Atlanta Corporate Practice. He represents domestic and international clients in a variety of corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity transactions, emerging company issues, fund formations, private placements, and franchise law. In addition to his transactional work, Mr. Rueter routinely serves as a general business and legal advisor to his clients, counseling on matters such as corporate governance, executive compensation, employment disputes, regulatory compliance and commercial contracts, coordinating, where appropriate, with other attorneys within the firm. Mr. Rueter is involved with numerous community and business organizations, including the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Technology Association of Georgia, and the Southeastern Franchise Forum. He is a regular volunteer with the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta and serves as outside general counsel to the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership. Mr. Rueter is a member of the Advisory Board of ArtsATL, a non-profit organization promoting a healthy and vibrant arts community in metro Atlanta, and serves on the Membership Committee of Ansley Golf Club.
About Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
SGR is a full service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The firm’s more than 220 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 45 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, construction and employment law. Founded in 1893, SGR has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Jacksonville, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Southampton, and Washington, D.C.