ATLANTA (February 29, 2016) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that three of the firm’s attorneys have been selected as 2016 Super Lawyers and three were named 2016 Rising Stars for Florida. The 2016 Super Lawyers in SGR’s Jacksonville office and their specified areas of practice are: Dana G. Bradford II (Business Litigation) E.K Cottrell (Business Litigation) Alan S. Wachs (Business Litigation) The 2016 Rising Stars in SGR’s Jacksonville office and their specified areas of practice are: James H. Cummings (General Litigation) Yash B. Dave (Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation) Lindsey R. Trowell (Class Action/Mass… Read more

{photo1-left} ATLANTA (February 11, 2016) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that Andrew Patterson has been selected as one of the Men of the Year for the 2016 Law and Justice Awards. The Law and Justice Awards are given annually to attorneys who have devoted their careers to serving the public interest, in their perspective career pursuits of justice. The fruits of their labor have been the catalyst for positive change within the community-at-large, in the state or, indeed, the nation. The 2016 honorees are attorneys who have exemplified the utmost jurisprudence in the workplace,… Read more

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

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