ATLANTA (March 25, 2015) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) announced today that J.D. Humphries, III has joined the firm’s construction law practice and Richard (Dick) W. Stephens has joined its real estate practice.
“J.D. and Dick have practiced together and run their own law firm in Atlanta,” said Stephen Forte, SGR’s managing partner. “They are well known to us and highly regarded in the Atlanta legal community. Both add depth and experience to our core construction and real estate practices. We welcome these fine lawyers and their clients to SGR.”
Humphries represents general contractors, architects and designers, subcontractors and owners on projects in Atlanta and throughout the country. Additionally, he handles employment and corporate matters, such as asset acquisition, entity formation, and succession planning. Humphries is active with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and currently serves as chairman of the building committee. He previously served as the organization’s president in 1992 and chair of the 2007 annual fundraising campaign. Humphries is also a past president of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta and the Civil War Roundtable of Atlanta. He received both his Juris Doctor and bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University.
Stephens focuses on commercial real estate and primarily represents institutional lenders and community banks. He’s handled matters for a variety of property types including raw land developments, hotels, office buildings, multifamily housing developments, shopping centers, and industrial facilities. Additionally, he has developed a leasing practice, primarily representing lessees in transactions involving office leases, shopping center leases, ground leases and leases of free-standing buildings. Stephens is the current president and a member of the board of directors of Initiative for Affordable Housing, Inc., a non-profit corporation that provides housing for homeless and low-income families. He received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.