Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP Welcomes Real Estate and Litigation Associates to Atlanta and Chicago Offices

Press Release

June 2, 2026

ATLANTA / CHICAGO (June 2, 2026) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (“SGR”) is pleased to announce the arrival of three new associates across its Atlanta and Chicago offices: Eli Awbrey and Preston Ehlers in Atlanta, and Emmanuel Peace in Chicago. The additions continue a period of significant growth for the Firm, which has welcomed more than 25 attorneys since the start of 2026, including 14 to its Intellectual Property practice in Atlanta and three partners to its Bankruptcy, Financial Restructuring, and Creditors’ Rights practice in New York.

Eli Awbrey joins the Firm’s Real Estate Practice in Atlanta, where he focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition, development, financing, leasing, and disposition of real estate. He represents owners, investors, developers, advisors, real estate investment trusts (REITs), timber investment management organizations (TIMOs), and institutional lenders in transactions across all major U.S. markets. In addition to his transactional work, Mr. Awbrey has experience representing property owners and public entities in eminent domain and condemnation matters, bringing experience on both sides of the table. He has handled the full lifecycle of condemnation cases from pre-litigation negotiations through mediations, special master hearings, and jury trials, and has advised Fortune 50 retailers and regional property owners on condemnation exposure across multi-state portfolios.

He earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served as a notes editor for the Georgia Law Review and held judicial internships at the Supreme Court of Georgia, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Preston Ehlers joins the Firm’s Litigation Practice Group in Atlanta, where he focuses on construction and commercial litigation. He brings nearly four years of private practice experience alongside federal court clerkship experience that informs his approach to case strategy and motion practice. Mr. Ehlers combines a business background with courtroom skills developed through trial team participation and judicial externships at both the federal district and state supreme court levels.

He earned his J.D. from Emory University School of Law and his B.S. in Business Administration and Management from Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business.

Emmanuel Peace joins the Firm’s Real Estate Practice in Chicago, where he represents investors, developers, lenders, landlords, and tenants in commercial real estate transactions. His practice encompasses financing, leasing, acquisitions, and dispositions across office, retail, industrial, and multifamily properties. Before joining the Firm, Mr. Peace practiced at a large international law firm and a Chicago-based mid-sized firm, where he developed substantial experience managing sophisticated multijurisdictional transactions.

He earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School, where he was a Dean’s Scholar and recipient of the Weldon B. White Prize, and his B.A., with honors, from the University of Michigan.

SGR’s Real Estate Practice serves clients across the full spectrum of commercial real estate, with broad experience in acquisitions, investments, development, financing, construction, leasing, and dispositions. The Firm’s real estate clients include commercial banks and institutional lenders, investment banks, private lenders, institutional and private investors, public and private companies, landlords and tenants, and developers of office, industrial, residential, hotel, retail, and mixed-use properties. Working closely with attorneys across the Firm’s corporate, tax, litigation, and construction practices, the Real Estate group brings a practical, multidisciplinary approach to transactions of all types and scales. To learn more, please visit: https://www.sgrlaw.com/industries/real-estate-law/

With more than 200 litigators, SGR’s Litigation Practice brings bench strength and deep experience to virtually any client dispute. The group handles cases nationally and often across borders in a variety of subject matters, from antitrust actions to real estate disputes, and from intellectual property cases to product liability claims. The group litigates state and federal trials and appeals, as well as administrative proceedings, in jurisdictions throughout the country. The group also represents clients in arbitration and mediation nationally and internationally. To learn more, please visit: https://www.sgrlaw.com/practices/litigation-trial-practice/

About Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP 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 400 professionals provide legal counsel in more than 50 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, insurance/reinsurance, construction, employment law, international, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, Smith Gambrell has 15 domestic and international offices, including Atlanta; Austin; Charlotte; Chicago; Houston; Jacksonville; London; Los Angeles; Miami; Milan; Munich; New York; Southampton; Tampa; and Washington, D.C.