ATLANTA (January 12, 2016) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce the addition of 13 new attorneys to the firm. New partners include Joseph C. Mandarino and Bruce A. McDonald with the following new associates Quinn D. Baker, Mitchel E. Blanchard, Vickie B. Chung, Emily C. Cook, Lance T. Davies, L. Alyson Graham, Ian M. Jones, Holly B. Lance, Jennifer S. Pruden, Benjamin E. Reed and Bryan J. Wolin. “We are committed to the enhancement of our legal services and expertise at Smith, Gambrell & Russell,” said Stephen Forte, SGR’s managing partner. “The recent expansion of… Read more

ATLANTA (January 1, 2016) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce the addition of Eugene D. Bryant, Julie A. Sebastian, John F. Weeks IV, James H. Cummings and Michael P. Regan to its partnership effective January 1, 2016. “We are pleased to elect such a talented group of attorneys to partnership within the firm,” said Stephen Forte, SGR’s managing partner. “Our new partners demonstrate the highest level of dedication to the firm and their practices, as well as the utmost commitment to servicing their clients.” Mr. Bryant is located in the firm’s Atlanta office. His main… Read more

{photo1-left}ATLANTA (December 15, 2015) –  John Saunders, a partner and head of one of SGR’s corporate practice groups, was bestowed the honor of Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland, for his work as Honorary Consul of Finland for the State of Georgia. The recognition was presented by Ambassador Jukka Pietikainen, Consul General of Finland at the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce’s Independence Day celebration in Atlanta earlier this month. “John has served as a true cultural ambassador,” said Stephen Forte, SGR’s managing partner. “He has been relentless in promoting and representing Finnish interests in the… Read more

{photo1-left}Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce Steve O’Day has been elected to the board of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA).  SEEA is an Atlanta-based, independent, nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to promotion of energy efficiency as a catalyst for economic growth, workforce development and energy security across 11 southeastern states.  The organization drives market transformation in the Southeast’s energy efficiency sector through collaborative public policy, thought leadership, programs and technical advisory services.  Other members of the board come from many of the Southeast’s leading energy companies and institutions, including TVA, Duke Energy, Gulf Power Company, Opower, Nexant,… Read more

ATLANTA (November 16, 2015) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) announced today that it has added four new associates in its Jacksonville office. Lance Davies, Ian Jones and Jennifer Pruden have joined the firm’s labor and employment practice, and Quinn Baker has joined the firm’s executive compensation and employee benefits practice. Quinn D. Baker’s practice focuses on a variety of employee benefit issues, including drafting and reviewing compliance on qualified plans and welfare plans. He also handles matters related to deferred and executive compensation, specifically compliance with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. Additionally, Baker has experience navigating… Read more

ATLANTA (November 10, 2015) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) has been named among the “Best Law Firms” for 2016 by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in 31 practice areas including six “Tier 1” rankings. The rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and attorney evaluations and peer review from leading attorneys in their field. Clients were asked to provide feedback on firm practice groups, addressing expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether they would refer another client to the firm. Attorneys voted on similar criteria… Read more

ATLANTA (November 4, 2015) – Smith, Gambrell and Russell, LLP (SGR) announced today that Joseph C. Mandarino has joined the firm as a partner in its tax practice. “Joe is an outstanding addition to our tax group,” said Stephen Forte, SGR’s managing partner. “As a highly regarded practitioner, he brings the professional maturity and experience necessary to support our thriving M&A, international and tax consulting practice areas.“ Mandarino’s practice focuses on tax and finance. He is involved with a wide variety of businesses and transactions, and has extensive experience in structuring M&A transactions from both the buyer and seller sides, as… Read more

Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that  Laura Miller Andrew has been appointed chair of the Resource Management Health Committee for the United Way of Northeast Florida. Her two-year term began earlier this month. Previously, Ms. Andrew served as vice chair of the committee. The Health Committee directs and monitors the investment of  Community Impact Fund dollars for health-related programs in Northeast Florida. This includes programs designed  to ensure people of all ages maintain healthy nutrition and fitness, receive required hearing and speech services, receive assistance in overcoming barriers to accessing health and wellness services, and preparing… Read more

{photo1-left}John G. McCarthy, the head of the firm’s New York litigation practice, will serve as a panelist at the inaugural Federal Bar Association (FBA) Federal Litigation Conference in Washington, D.C. on October 27.  The conference will feature federal judges, federal court practitioners and in-house counsel from across the country to discuss the latest issues in federal practice including jurisdictional and venue traps, admissibility of electronic and social media evidence, and recent trends impacting federal litigators with respect to cyber security and data breaches. McCarthy will serve as a panelist for the session entitled “New ‘Magic Tricks’ for Federal Practice,” that… Read more

SGR’s Marsha Ajhar, New York counsel in the firm’s intellectual property practice, recently began her second term as president of the International Intellectual Property Society (IIPS). The IIPS is an organization of intellectual property lawyers with the mission of educating its members on a wide-range of laws, issues and trends that affect intellectual property. Formed in the 1960s in New York by a handful of patent attorneys, the IIPS has grown exponentially over the years and now holds monthly meetings on a wide range of subjects including best practices for computer based patent claims, academic tech transfer, 3D printing, advertising,… Read more