ATLANTA (June 1, 2022) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with a 2021 Patent Pro Bono Law Firm Achievement Certificate for its work with regional patent pro bono program Georgia PATENTS (which stands for Pro bono Assistance & Training for Entrepreneurs and New, Talented, Solo inventors). Additionally, two of SGR’s Intellectual Property Practice professionals, Thomas Wiseman, counsel, and Ram Sabnis, Ph.D., patent agent, have been individually recognized with 2021 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificates for reporting 50 or more hours… Read more

ATLANTA (May 31, 2022) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the firm acted as legal counsel in connection with three transactions that were recently awarded in four categories of the 2022 Aviation 100 “Deals of the Year” by Airline Economics, the leading and largest finance and leasing global publication for the aviation sector. The Aviation 100 were announced in January during the publication’s Growth Frontiers Dublin 2022 conference and published in the February/March issue. The awards celebrate the best companies, individuals and transactions in the aviation finance and leasing sector that have excelled during… Read more

ATLANTA (May 31, 2022) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the firm acted as legal counsel in connection with four transactions that were recently awarded “Deals of the Year” for 2021 by Airfinance Journal, the leading commercial aviation industry publication. The Airfinance Journal Global Awards, announced on May 5 during the Airfinance Dublin 2022 conference, celebrate the best-in-class aviation finance deals to have closed over the past calendar year, while recognizing the organizations and teams that played central roles in these deals. The winning deals on which SGR advised included: Airline Restructuring Deal of… Read more

ATLANTA (May 24, 2022) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Justice Leah Ward Sears (Ret.) has been voted the Best Individual Mediator/Arbitrator in the Daily Report’s 12th Annual “Best Of” survey for her work with SGR and Alterity ADR, an Atlanta-based alternative dispute resolution firm founded in August 2021 that was also voted the Best Mediation & Arbitration Firm. Each year, the Daily Report polls the Georgia legal community on the best products and services for their law office practice and releases the top three ranked in each category. International legal publisher ALM developed… Read more

ATLANTA (May 11, 2022) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce Partner Emily C. Ward has been elected secretary of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 Atlanta Bar year and will be installed during the Annual Meeting Breakfast on May 17. Previously, Ms. Ward was treasurer of the Board of Directors. As a partner in SGR’s Atlanta Litigation Practice, Ms. Ward concentrates on white-collar defense and civil litigation including healthcare, business, and environmental litigation, as well as administrative and regulatory matters. Along with her position on the Board of Directors, Ms. Ward… Read more

ATLANTA (May 3, 2022) – Smith Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Partner Roger Juan Maldonado has been invited to serve as a member of the new “Fareness” Blue-Ribbon Panel which has been created by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to develop fresh approaches to reducing fare evasion across the entire MTA system of subways, buses, commuter rails, bridges, and tunnels. Farebox and toll revenue account for 50% of the MTA’s operating budget, and in recent years, fare evasion has nearly tripled on the subway from about 3% to more than 12%. Members of… Read more

ATLANTA (May 2, 2022) – Smith Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce Partner Emily C. Ward has been recognized by the Daily Report as one of the honorees in the On the Rise category in the publication’s Georgia Legal Awards 2022. The On the Rise category recognizes Georgia’s most promising lawyers under the age of 40 as of June 1, 2022 as selected by the Daily Report with assistance from a panel of esteemed lawyers. The honorees are considered to be innovators in Georgia and are known for developing unique practice niches, amassing robust books of business,… Read more

ATLANTA (April 28, 2022) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce the two attorneys that have been selected to the 2022 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. The SGR attorney in the Washington, D.C. office selected to the 2022 Super Lawyers list and his specified area of practice: Edward A. Pennington (Intellectual Property Litigation) The SGR attorney in the Washington, D.C. office selected to the 2022 Rising Stars list and his specified area of practice: John P. Pennington (Civil Litigation) Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from… Read more

ATLANTA (April 26, 2022) – Smith Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Adrian Beasley has joined the Firm’s Global Transport Practice as a Partner based in the London office. Adrian joins SGR from White & Case LLP where he was a member of the Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance Group in London for more than two decades. Adrian advises clients on international asset finance and leasing transactions with a particular emphasis on the aviation industry, generally spanning multiple jurisdictions. His in-depth knowledge of transactions involving commercial aircraft includes ECA-supported financings, sale and leaseback transactions, operating… Read more

ATLANTA (April 25, 2022) – Smith Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Partner Emily C. Ward has been honored with the 2022 Young Alumnae of Excellence Award by the University of Georgia (UGA) School of Law. The award, given for outstanding dedication and service to the legal profession and the law school, was presented along with the three Distinguished Service Scroll Awards during the school’s Awards Dinner at the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia on April 1. As a partner in SGR’s Atlanta Litigation Practice, Ms. Ward concentrates on white-collar defense and civil litigation including healthcare,… Read more