PARTNERS OF FIRM
Harmon W. Caldwell, Jr. (Partner) born Athens, Georgia, September 2, 1948; admitted to bar, 1977, Georgia. Education: Georgia State University (B.V.A., cum laude, 1973); University of Georgia (J.D., cum laude, 1977). Member: Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia. Reported Cases: Abrams v. Massell, 262 App. 761, 586 SE, 435 (2003); Shepherd Interiors v. City of Atlanta, 263 Ga. App. 869, 589 SE 2d 640 (2003); Sims v. Heath, 258 Ga. App. 681, 577 SE 2d 789 (2002); White v. Regions Bank, 275 Ga. 38, 561 S.E.2d 806 (2002); West v. West, 825 F.Supp 1033 (ND Ga. 1992); Fidelity National Bank v. Jeffrey M. Kneller, P.C., 194 Ga. App. 55, 390 SE 2d 55, 11 NCC Rep.Serv. 2d 905 (1989); First United Bank etc. v. First National Bank etc., 255 Ga. 505, 340 SE2d 597 (1986). Practice Areas: Estate Litigation; Trust Litigation; Business Litigation; Real Estate Litigation; Family Law.Email: Harmon W. Caldwell, Jr.
Wade H. Watson, III (Partner) born Macon, Georgia, August 1, 1957; admitted to bar, 1982, Georgia. Education: Emory University (B.A., 1979); University of Georgia (J.D., cum laude, 1982). Phi Beta Kappa; Omicron Delta Kappa. Author: "Will Contests, Litigating the Trillion Dollar Inheritance of the Baby Boomers," The Journal of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Fall 1997; "The Development of the Shareholder's Direct Action Damage Remedy," 28 Ga. Bar J. 195, May 1992. Member: Atlanta Bar Association (Member, Board of Directors, 2004-2006); State Bar of Georgia; Lawyers Club of Atlanta. Reported Cases: Kothari v. Patel, 262 Ga. App. 168, 585 SE 2d 197 (2003); Gilmore v. Bell, 223 Ga. App. 513, 478 S.E. 2d 609 (1997); West v. West, 825 F.Supp 1033 (ND Ga. 1992); Ford Motor Co. v. Stubblefield, 171 Ga. App. 331, 319 S.E. 2d 470 (1984). Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Corporate Litigation; Trust Litigation; Estate Litigation; Real Estate Litigation; Family Law.Email: Wade H. Watson, III
Cullen Christie Wilkerson, Jr. (Partner) born Atlanta, Georgia, September 8, 1960; admitted to bar, 1987, Georgia. Education: University of Virginia (B.S., 1982); Emory University (J.D., 1987). Managing Editor, Emory Law Journal, 1986-1987. Author: "Just Compensation for Temporary Regulatory Takings: A Discussion of Factors Influencing Damage Awards," 35 Emory Law Journal 729, Summer, 1986. Member: State Bar of Georgia; Atlanta and American Bar Associations. Reported Cases: Michaels v. Gordon, 211 Ga. App. 490, 439 S.E. 2d 722 (1993); Brooks v. Dime Savings Bank, 217 Ga. App. 441, 451 S.E. 2d 706 (1995); McKinney et al v. DeKalb County et al, 997 F.2d 1440 (11th Cir. 1993). Practice Areas: Estate Litigation; Trust Litigation; Fiduciary Law.Email: Cullen Christie Wilkerson, Jr.
Floyd E. Propst (Partner) born Winsboro, South Carolina, February 23, 1942; admitted to bar, 1970, Georgia. Education: Princeton University (A.B., cum laude, 1964); Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1969). Recipient: Chaffin Career Service Award, awarded by the Fiduciary Law Section, State Bar of Georgia, 2002; Treat Award, awarded by the National College of Probate Judges, 1995; Distinguished Service Award, awarded by the National Center for State Courts, 1994; Franklin N. Flaschner Judicial Award from ABA National Conference of Special Court Judges as "the outstanding judge in the United States on a trial court with special jurisdiction," August 4, 1990. Editor: Georgia Probate Court Benchbook, 2nd Ed., 1997; Georgia Probate Notes, 1983-2003. Author: Handbook for Probate Judges of Georgia, 2nd Ed., 1997. Instructor, Probate Specialty Course, National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999. Adjunct Professor, basic wills and trusts course, Emory University School of Law, 1979. Judge of the Probate Court of Fulton County, Georgia, 1977-2002. President, 1983-1985, Member, Executive Committee, 1977-1986 and Member, 1977, National College of Probate Judges. Member: Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia (Member, Fiduciary Law Section); Atlanta Estate Planning Council; Georgia Courts Automation Commission (former Probate Court representative). [Lt., U.S. Navy Reserve; Active Duty, 1964-1966]. Practice Areas: Estate Litigation; Trust Litigation; Fiduciary; Dispute Resolution.Email: Floyd E. Propst
Robert S. Carlson (Partner) born Youngstown, Ohio, June 8, 1968; admitted to bar, 1996, Georgia. Education: Indiana University (B.A., 1991); University of Missouri-Columbia (J.D., 1996). Member: American Bar Association, Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. Reported Cases: Sims v. Heath, 258 Ga. App. 681, 577 S.E.2d 789 (2002); Kothari v. Patel 262 Ga. App. 168, 585 S.E.2d 97 (2003); Shepherd Interiors v. City of Atlanta, 263 Ga. App. 869, 589 S.E.2d 640 (2003); In re Estate of Sims, 246 Ga. App. 451, 540 S.E.2d 650 (2000). Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Estate Litigation; Trust Litigation; Fiduciary Law.Email: Robert S. Carlson
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Christopher H. Elliott (Associate) born Morganton, North Carolina, December 5, 1971; admitted to bar, 1999, Georgia. Education: Oklahoma State University (B.S., 1996); University of Mississippi, School of Law (J.D., 1999). Formerly with King & Spalding, Atlanta. Member: Atlanta (Member, Family Law Section) Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Family Law; Estate Litigation; Trust Litigation; Business Litigation.Email: Christopher H. Elliott
COUNSEL
Bridget Bobick James (Counsel) admitted to bar, 1996, Georgia; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia; Georgia Court of Appeals; U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Education: University of Notre Dame (B.A., with honors, 1993); University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1996). Order of the Coif; Phi Kappa Phi. Member, University of Georgia Law Review. Member: Atlanta Bar Association, Family Law Section; State Bar of Georgia. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Family Law; Trust Litigation; Estate Litigation.
Laura K. Bonander (Counsel) born Fort Lauderdale, Florida; admitted to bar, 1997, Georgia; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. Education: University of Cincinnati (B.A., summa cum laude, with honors, English and Literature, 1993); University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1996). Phi Beta Kappa; Order of the Coif. Editorial Board and Articles Editor, University of Georgia Law Review. Law Clerk to the Honorable John F. Nangle, United States District Judge, 1996-1998. Member: Atlanta Bar Association (Litigation and Women in the Profession Sections); Georgia Association of Women Lawyers. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Trust Litigation; Estate Litigation.
OF COUNSEL
Thomas E. Gould (Of Counsel) born Tampa, Florida, 1950; admitted to bar, 1978, Georgia. Education: Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S.I.M., 1972); Georgia State University (M.B.A., Finance, 1973); Emory University School of Law (J.D., 1978). Author and Speaker, Estate Planning, Charitable Gifts and Probate. Vice Chair, Business and Corporate Committee of the DeKalb Medical Foundation. Member: Finance Committee, Dekalb Medical Foundation; Planned Gifts Advisory Committee of the Georgia State University Foundation. Certified Financial Planner. Board Member, Financial Planning Association of Georgia. Committee Chair, Professional Liaison Committee. Instructor, Estate Planning section of the CFP Certification program at Emory University Center for Lifelong Learning. Graduate, Leadership DeKalb, 1994. Member: Atlanta Bar Association (Estate Planning and Probate Section); State Bar of Georgia (Member, Fiduciary Law Section, Legislative Committee); Atlanta Estate Planning Council. Practice Areas: Wills; Trusts and Estates; Estate Planning; Probate Administration.
Harry W. MacDougald (Of Counsel) born Atlanta, Georgia, August 12, 1958; admitted to bar, 1985, Georgia; 1997, U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia; Georgia Court of Appeals; U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits. Education: Brown University (A.B., 1980); University of Georgia (J.D., cum laude, 1985). Member, Federalist Society, 1985. Member: Legal Advisory Board, Atlanta Chapter, 2000; Southeastern Legal Foundation, Legal Advisory Board, 2000. Member: Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia. Reported Cases: Grecaa, Inc. v. Omni Title Services, Inc, 277 Ga. 312, 588 S.E.2d 709, (2003); Johnson v. Board of Regents of University of Georgia, 263 F.3d 1234 (11th Cir. 2001) (amicus); Bankhead v. Lucas Aerospace, Inc. 878 F.Supp. 221 (N.D. Ga. 1994); affid. Sub nom. McLeroy v. Lucas Aerospace, Inc., 98 F.3d 1351 (11th Cir. 1996), certified question answered sum. nom. Wausau Inc. Co. v. McLeroy, 266 GA. 794, 471 S.E.2d 504 (1996); Alford v. Osei-Kwasi, 203 Ga.App. 716, 418 S.E. 2d 79 (1992); Schmidt v. Adams, 211 Ga.App. 156, 438 S.E.2d 659 (1993); McLendon v. Priest, 259 Ga. 59, 376 S.E. 2d 679 (1989); Franklyn Gesner Fine Paintings, Inc. v. Ketcham, 259 Ga. 3, 375 S.E., 2d 848 (1989); First United Bank of Mississippi v. First Natl. Bank of Atlanta, 255 Ga. 505; 340 S.E.2d 597 (1986). Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Fiduciary Litigation; Civil Rights.Email: Harry W. MacDougald