ATLANTA (February 27, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to share that in a criminal environmental prosecution in a two-week jury trial defended by SGR, among others, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi granted a judgment of acquittal on the Clean Water Act conspiracy charge and one other substantive Clean Water Act charge at the close of the Government’s case. Before trial, the trial court dismissed a third Clean Water Act charge following a Daubert hearing on a motion in limine. After three days of deliberations, the Jury found SGR’s client… Read more
Press Releases
SGR’s Jim Bikoff, Bruce McDonald and Scott Woldow Recognized on “WTR 1000” List of World’s Leading Trademark Professionals of 2024; SGR Recognized as a Firm in Washington, D.C. Metro
ATLANTA (February 15, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Intellectual Property Partners James Bikoff, Bruce McDonald and Scott Woldow have been recognized on the World Trademark Review 1000 list (WTR 1000) of the world’s leading trademark professionals of 2024. Mr. Bikoff is recognized as a “Recommended Individual” nationally, and Mr. McDonald and Mr. Woldow are recognized as “Recommended Individuals” in the D.C. metro area. SGR also received bronze recognition as a firm for prosecution and strategy and for enforcement and litigation in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Now in its fourteenth edition, the… Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Advises Entek Solutions on Successful Sale to PremiStar
ATLANTA (February 14, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the Firm advised Engineered Technical Services, Inc. and its affiliated entity Engineered Comfort Services, Inc. (collectively referred to as “Entek Solutions”), in a successful sale to PremiStar, a portfolio company of Partners Group. Headquartered in Buford, GA, Entek Solutions provides HVAC and Energy Services to a wide array of commercial clients that include corporate offices, retail facilities, university campuses, healthcare settings, industrial and manufacturing companies throughout the United States. PremiStar is a national industry-leading HVAC, plumbing and building automation service provider headquartered in Deerfield,… Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Advises Heramba on Successful Completion of the Acquisition of Kiepe Electric from Knorr-Bremse
ATLANTA (February 13, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the Firm advised Heramba GmbH on structuring, negotiation and acquisition of Kiepe Electric GmbH, Düsseldorf, and Kiepe Electric, LLC, Alpharetta, GA from Knorr-Bremse. Kiepe Electric GmbH is a German manufacturer of electrical traction equipment for trams, trolleybuses other road and rail transport vehicles, as well as air-conditioning and heating systems, and conveyor device components. The company has 550 employees and revenues of more than 140m EUR. The SGR legal team included Dr. Stefan Buske, a Partner in the Corporate Practice Group located in the… Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Continues Strategic Growth with Third Combination in Last Two Years
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 5, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) today announced the continuation of its aggressive strategic growth initiative through a combination with Jacksonville, Fla.-based ABL Law. The combination expands the firm’s Litigation and Corporate Practices in the Jacksonville market, adding counsel Daniel Bean, Karen Bowden and Stacy Scaldo, and associates Jackie Van Laningham and Tucker Pryor. SGR has expanded strategically in recent years within the U.S. and internationally through multiple firm combinations, the addition of new practices, strategic hires, and the openings of five new offices. Most recently SGR combined with Freeborn & Peters LLP in… Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Named One of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms to Work For
ATLANTA (January 30, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the Firm has been named one of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Companies to Work For: Law Firms”, 2024. “We are extremely proud to be recognized as one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms to Work For,” said Stephen M. Forte, SGR’s managing partner and chair of the executive committee. “SGR’s culture has been the cornerstone of the success and growth of our firm. This recognition is a testament to our people and the commitment each person makes in fulfilling… Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Welcomes Christopher Smith to International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Group
ATLANTA (January 23, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Christopher Smith has joined the Firm as Counsel in the Atlanta office as part of the International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Group. Mr. Smith has over a decade of experience representing businesses in their cross-border commercial and investment disputes. He joins SGR from King & Spalding LLP (K&S), where he practiced for nine years in Atlanta and Paris, France. Fluent in German, Mr. Smith has represented clients in international commercial and investment treaty disputes across North America, Europe, and Asia. Mr. Smith routinely achieves… Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Launches International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Practice
ATLANTA (January 17, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that it has created a new International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Practice, formed by the consolidation of its international arbitration and other international dispute resolution matters under a single umbrella. The move is part of a firmwide effort to provide high-quality, efficient client service following last year’s combination with Freeborn & Peters. SGR combined with Freeborn on April 1, 2023. Prior to that, Freeborn maintained a dedicated international arbitration practice, which had extensive experience representing domestic and international ceding companies and reinsurers in international arbitrations…. Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Elects 6 Attorneys to the Firm’s Partnership
ATLANTA (January 1, 2024) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce the addition of Jason P. Blair, Sarah A. Gottlieb, Heiko Gruenwald, Daniel Q. Horner, Christopher J. Raymond, and Ryan Varnum to its partnership effective January 1, 2024. “SGR is pleased to announce the elevation of six deserving attorneys to partner in 2024,” said Stephen M. Forte, SGR’s chairman and managing partner. “They have each contributed significantly within their respective practice areas, and we look forward to their continued success with the Firm.” Jason Blair is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice in SGR’s Austin… Read more
Smith Gambrell Russell Partner Matthew Clarke Selected as Georgia Trend’s 2023 Legal Elite
ATLANTA (December 28, 2023) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Partner Matthew Clarke has been recognized as Georgia Trend magazine’s 2023 Legal Elite. The Legal Elite, which has been recognizing lawyers for more than two decades, is a list of Georgia’s top attorneys in the state selected from 15 different practice areas, as nominated and chosen by their peers. Mr. Clarke was recognized in Labor & Employment Law. Matt Clarke is a partner in SGR’s Litigation Practice and currently serves as co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice. He also serves as the Firm’s… Read more