MEMBERS OF FIRM
Andrew C. Allen (Shareholder) born New Orleans, Louisiana, September 21, 1962; admitted to bar, 1988, Alabama; 1989, Mississippi and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 1990, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1993, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama; 1997, U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama; 2003, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Birmingham-Southern College (B.A., cum laude, 1984); University of Alabama (J.D., 1988). John A. Campbell Moot Court Board. Law Clerk to Associate Justice Janie L. Shores, Alabama Supreme Court, 1988-1989. Member: Birmingham and American (Member, Sections on: Labor and Employment Law; Litigation) Bar Associations; Alabama Association for Justice; American Association for Justice; Alabama State Bar; Mississippi State Bar. Reported Cases: Mangieri v. DCH Healthcare Authority, 304 F.3d 1072 (11th Cir. 2002); Benson v. Tocco, Inc., 113 F.3d 1203 (11th Cir. 1997); Ex parte Green, 689 So.2d 838 (Ala. 1996); Hardy v. Birmingham Bd. of Educ., 634 So.2d 574 (Ala. Civ. App. 1994); Floyd v. Cullman County Bd. of Educ., 575 So.2d 577 (Ala. Civ. App. 1991); Harris v. Florence City Bd. of Educ., 568 So.2d 827 (Ala. Civ. App. 1990). Practice Areas: Antitrust and Trade Regulation; Labor and Employment; Civil Rights; Discrimination; Complex and Multi-District Litigation; Governmental Litigation; Civil Practice; Securities Fraud; Class Actions; Appellate Practice.Email: Andrew C. Allen
Stephen R. Arnold (Shareholder) born Indianapolis, Indiana, November 4, 1947; admitted to bar, 1974, Alabama and U.S. District Court, Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama. Education: University of Alabama (B.S., 1971); Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (J.D., 1974). Faculty Member, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Institute for Family Law Associates. Co-Founder, Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Member, Supreme Court of Alabama Child Support Guidelines Committee, 1984. Member: Alabama State Bar (Member, Family Law Section, Chairman, 1986-1987); American Bar Association (Member, Family Law Section); American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Member, National Board of Governors, 1999-2005; Past President, Alabama Chapter). Fellow: American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. [Field Artillery, U.S. Army, Fort Sill, OK, 1974; Active Reserves and Discharged Captain, U.S. Army.]. (Certified as a Family Law Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy). Practice Areas: Divorce; Matrimonial Law.Email: Stephen R. Arnold
William M. Bowen, Jr. (Shareholder) born Birmingham, Alabama, December 11, 1947; admitted to bar, 1973, Alabama; U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Eleventh Circuits; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Samford University (B.A., cum laude, 1969); Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (J.D., 1972). Assistant Alabama Attorney General, 1973-1976. Judge, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, 1977-1995. Presiding Judge, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, 1983-1988 and 1992-1995. Member, 1986-1995, Chairman, 1989-1995, Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission. Member: Birmingham Bar Association; Alabama State Bar; National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. [Alabama National Guard, 1969-1975]. Practice Areas: Criminal Litigation; Appellate Practice.Email: William M. Bowen, Jr.
Katherine (Kitty) R. Brown (Member) born Florence, Alabama, February 26, 1979; admitted to bar, 2005, Alabama. Education: Samford University (B.A., summa cum laude, 2001); University of Alabama (J.D., 2005). John H. Campbell Moot Court Board; Order of the Barristers; Bench and Bar. Member and Senior Editor, 2004-2005. Recipient: Order of the Samaritan. Alabama Law Review. Author: "Integrating the City of the Dead: The Integration of Cemeteries and the Evolution of Property Law, 1900-1969," 56 Ala. L. Rev. 1153 (2005). Member: Birmingham Bar Association (Member, Young Lawyers and Women's Division); Alabama State Bar. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Environmental Tort Litigation; Class Action Litigation.Email: Katherine (Kitty) R. Brown
Laura S. Chain (Member) born Pensacola, Florida, August 25, 1961; admitted to bar, 1993, Alabama and U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle and Southern District of Alabama. Education: Florida State University (1979-1982); University of South Alabama (B.A., 1983); United States Sports Academy (M.S.S., 1985); Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (J.D., 1992). Certified Domestic Mediator. Certified Appellate Mediator. Member: Birmingham Bar Association; Alabama State Bar; Alabama State Bar Leadership Forum. Practice Areas: Domestic Relations; Criminal Defense; White Collar Criminal Defense; Personal Injury; Family Mediation; Probate; Civil Litigation.Email: Laura S. Chain
U. W. Clemon (Shareholder) born 1943; admitted to bar, 1968, Alabama. Education: Miles College (B.A.); Columbia University (J.D.).
Rebecca G. DePalma (Shareholder) born Louisville, Kentucky, January 27, 1962; admitted to bar, 1995, Alabama; 1997, District of Columbia; U.S. District Court, Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: Queens College (B.A., 1984); Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (J.D., 1995). Member, Cumberland School of Law of Samford University Law Review. Member: Birmingham (Member, Women Lawyers Section) and American Bar Associations; Alabama State Bar. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Executive Compensation and Severance; Election Law.Email: Rebecca G. DePalma
Augusta S. Dowd (Managing Partner) born Birmingham, Alabama, June 17, 1956; admitted to bar, 1982, Alabama; 1983, U.S. District Court, Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama; 2003, U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. Education: University of the South (B.S., magna cum laude, 1978); Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1982). Phi Beta Kappa. Georgia M. Wilkens Scholar. Staff Member, 1980-1981 and Articles Editor, 1981-1982, Vanderbilt Law Review. Author: "Removal of Public School Library Books: The First Amendment Versus the Local Board," 34 Vand. L. Rev., 1407. Law Clerk to the Honorable Seybourne H. Lynne, United States District Court Judge, Northern District of Alabama, 1982-1983. Member: Birmingham Bar Association (Member, Executive Committee); Alabama State Bar; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Complex and Multi-District Litigation; Civil Litigation; Environmental Litigation; White Collar Crime.Email: Augusta S. Dowd
C. Burton Dunn (Member) admitted to bar, 2005, Alabama. Education: Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1995); Samford University Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 2005). Member: Alabama State Bar, American Bar Association and Birmingham Bar Association. Practice Areas: Probate(100%).Email: C. Burton Dunn
Linda G. Flippo (Shareholder) born Florence, Alabama, July 23, 1961; admitted to bar, 1990, Alabama, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of North Alabama (B.S., 1984); University of Alabama (J.D., 1989). Law Clerk to U.S. District Court Judge E.B. Haltom, Jr., 1989-1990. Member, Task Force on Allied Professions, 2005. Member: Birmingham and American Bar Associations; Alabama State Bar (Member: Alabama Lawyer Editorial Board, 1995; Addendum Committee, 1995). Practice Areas: Appellate Writing; Class Actions; White Collar Crime; Mass Tort Litigation.Email: Linda G. Flippo
Gregory H. Hawley (Shareholder) born Birmingham, Alabama, January 14, 1957; admitted to bar, 1983, Alabama and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama; 1989, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama; 1986, District of Columbia and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1998, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama; 1991, U.S. Supreme Court; 2002, Texas. Education: Harvard College (A.B., cum laude, 1979); Georgetown University (J.D., 1983). Law Clerk to Judge U.W. Clemon, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, 1983-1984. Legislative Assistant to Honorable Howell Heflin, U.S. Senator, 1979-1980. Co-Author, "Standby Letters of Credit: the Myth and the Risk," The Journal of Commercial Bank Lending, 1987; "Introduction to Lender Liability," The Alabama Lawyer, 1987. Co-Chair, Board of Editors, Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force. Co-Chair, Board of Editors, Alabama Lawyers, 1984-1991. Chair, State Law Resources, Inc., 2002-2003. Member, Rules Committee, Democratic National Committee, 1992. Leadership Birmingham, 1996. President, Harvard Alumni Club of Birmingham, 2008. Member: Birmingham Bar Association (Executive Committee, 2004-2007; Member, 2002-2004, Chair, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2001, Grievance Committee); Birmingham Bar Foundation; Alabama Board of Bar Commissioners; Alabama Bar Foundation (Trustee); Alabama State Bar; The District of Columbia Bar; State Bar of Texas. Practice Areas: Complex Litigation; Environmental Tort Litigation; Class Action Litigation; Election Law.Email: Gregory H. Hawley
Karen M. Hennecy (Shareholder) born Huntsville, Alabama, October 3, 1969; admitted to bar, 1997, Alabama. Education: Samford University (B.S., 1991); Samford University Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 1997). Law Clerk, District Attorney's Office and a Criminal Court Judge. Member: Alabama Bar Association (Secretary, Elder Law Section, 1999-2000; President, Elder Law Section, 2000-2001); National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Practice Areas: Probate; Trusts and Estates; Elder Law.Email: Karen M. Hennecy
Hope S. Marshall (Member) born Milford, Delaware, 1979; admitted to bar, 2007, Alabama and U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: Wesley College (B.S., cum laude, 2001); Birmingham School of Law, (J.D., 2005). Member: Magic City Bar Association; Birmingham Bar Association; Alabama State Bar; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Environmental Law; White Collar Crime; Executive Compensation.Email: Hope S. Marshall
Christopher J. Nicholson (Member) born Galveston, Texas, November 27, 1980; admitted to bar, 2006, Alabama. Education: University of Virginia (B.A., 2003); University of Alabama (J.D., 2006). Member: Alabama State Bar. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Environmental Torts.Email: Christopher J. Nicholson
Sidney C. Summey (Shareholder) admitted to bar, 1977, Alabama; 1978, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama; 1982, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 1986, U.S. Tax Court. Education: Young Harris College (A.F.A., 1971); Gardner-Webb College (B.A., cum laude, 1973); Samford University Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 1977); University of Nice. Author: "Handling Lawsuits of Minors, Decedents and the Disabled," ATLA Journal, February of 2008. Faculty, Trusts and Elder Law, Birmingham School of Law. Adjunct Faculty, Residential and Commercial Real Estate Transactions, Cumberland School of Law of Samford University. Appointed Conservator, Guardian, Trustee or Payee, Probate Court, The Circuit Court, Department of Veterans. Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Member: Alabama Bar Association (Charter Member, Elder Law Section; Solo and Small Firm Practitioners Committee); Birmingham Bar Association (Member, CLE and Fee Arbitration Committee); Alabama Trial Lawyers, Board of Advisors. Practice Areas: Probate; Estate Administration; Trusts and Estates; Guardianship and Conservatorship; Probate Litigation.Email: Sidney C. Summey
Lara S. Walters (Member) born Pikeville, Kentucky, August 24, 1972; admitted to bar, 2003, Alabama. Education: Birmingham-Southern College (B.S., 1994); Cumberland Law School (2002). Member, American Journal of Trial Advocacy. Member: Birmingham Bar Association.Email: Lara S. Walters
J. Mark White (Shareholder) born Florence, Alabama, July 7, 1947; admitted to bar, 1974, Alabama and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama; 1983, U.S. District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama, U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Education: Auburn University (B.A., 1969); Samford University, Cumberland School of Law (J.D., 1974). Recipient, National Center for State Courts Distinguished Service Award, 2006. Chairman: Alabama Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Canons and Ethics, 1995-2006; Alabama Supreme Court Judicial Campaign Oversight Committee, 1998-1990. Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission, 2000-2007; President, Cumberland School of Law National Alumni Association, 2007-2009; President, Alabama State Bar, 2008-2009. Member: Birmingham (Secretary/Treasurer, 1983; Member, Executive Committee, 1999; President, 2004) and American (Member, House of Delegates, 1980-1984, 1995-2001) Bar Associations; Alabama State Bar (Law Day Chairman, 1980; Member, Board of Bar Commissioners, 1995-2004; Co-Chair, National Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Judicial Campaign Conduct; President, 2008-2009); National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; International Academy of Trial Lawyers. [U.S. Navy, 1970-1972]. Practice Areas: Complex Litigation; Class Actions; White Collar Crime; Environmental Law; Mass Torts; Personal Injury; Antitrust; Securities Litigation; Election Law; General Civil and Criminal Litigation; Mediation.Email: J. Mark White