PARTNERS OF FIRM
Harvey S. Gray (Partner) born Savannah, Georgia, January 30, 1951; admitted to bar, 1976, Georgia. Education: Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S., 1972); University of Georgia (J.D., cum laude, 1976). Phi Kappa Phi; Order of the Coif. Member: Georgia Law Review, 1974-1975. Member: Atlanta and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Georgia; Federal Bar Association; Defense Research Institute; Conflict Counsel, State of Georgia. Practice Areas: Civil Rights; Governmental Liability; Insurance Coverage; Products Liability.Email: Harvey S. Gray
Michael J. Rust (Partner) born Clarksville, Tennessee, May 1, 1958; admitted to bar, 1983, Georgia. Education: Emory University (B.A., 1980; J.D., 1983). Notes and Comments Editor, Emory Law Journal, 1982-1983. Author: "Expansion of the Feres Doctrine," 32 Emory Law Journal, Winter, 1983. Co-Author: "Defenses To Punitive Damages Claims and Judgments In Georgia: What's Left?" Journal of the Georgia Defense Lawyers' Association, 1994. Co-Author: "Agency Section of Georgia Jurisprudence, Employment Law," Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Co., 1995. Instructor, Emory University Trial Practice Program, 1996. Member: Atlanta, Federal and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Georgia; Georgia Defense Lawyers Association; Defense Research Institute; Georgia Self Insurers' Association; Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Products Liability; Trial Practice.Email: Michael J. Rust
Michael D. St. Amand (Partner) born Quantico, Virginia, September 11, 1964; admitted to bar, 1988, Georgia and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. Education: Trinity University (B.A., cum laude, 1985); University of Georgia (J.D., cum laude, 1988). Pi Sigma Alpha; Phi Delta Phi. Bryant T. Castellow Scholar; National Merit Scholar; Special Presidential Scholar. First Graduate of Trinity University Honors Program. Member, Mortar Board. Recipient: American Jurisprudence Trusts and Estates Award; Russell Best Brief Award. Speaker: National Business Institute Seminar, 1997: "Winning Ways with Direct and Cross-Examination: Guiding Principles for the Civil Litigator in Georgia." Atlanta Claims Association, 1998: "Independent Medical and Psychiatric Examinations." ICLE Seminar 1998: "Closing Arguments in Punitive Damage Trials." Chair, Atlanta Claims Association Convention Seminar, 1998. CLE Instructor, "Conducting an Effective Cross-Examination in Georgia," Lorman Educational Services, 2001. Member: Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; Atlanta Claims Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Products Liability; Trial Practice; Life Insurance; Insurance Coverage; ERISA Litigation.Email: Michael D. St. Amand
Matthew G. Moffett (Partner) born Atlanta, Georgia, September 5, 1965; admitted to bar, 1990, Georgia. Education: University of Georgia (A.B.J., cum laude, 1987); Emory University School of Law (J.D., 1990). Order of the Barristers. Emory Moot Court Society, Outstanding Member, 1990. Best Oralist, Regional Rounds, Fortieth Annual National Moot Court Competition, 1989. Winner and Best Advocate, Fortieth Annual National Moot Court Competition, 1990. Recipient, International Academy of Trial Lawyers Litigation Award. Georgia Super Lawyer in Atlanta Magazine, 2005 and 2006. Author: "Winning At Moot Court, Sum and Substance," 1992. Co-Author: "Agency, Georgia Jurisprudence, Employment and Labor," Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, 1995. CLE Instructor, "Conducting an Effective Cross-Examination in Georgia," Lorman Educational Services, 2001. Adjunct Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law, 1992-1998. Civic Chairman, Administrative Board, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, 1996. Chairman, Committee on Pastor Parish Relations, 2003-2005; Outreach Advisory Counsel, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, 2007. Member, Board of Directors, Global Health Action, 1999-2000. Member: Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; Atlanta Bar Foundation (Charter Lifetime Fellow); Atlanta Claims Association; Defense Research Institute; The Lawyers Club of Atlanta; American Board of Trial Advocates; American Academy of Trial Counsel (Charter Fellow); Silver Lake Civic Association (Board of Directors); Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (Director). Reported Cases: Jennings v. Moss, 235 Ga.App. 357, 509 S.E.2d 655 (1998) Appellate Procedure; Carroll v. Americal Corp., 207 Ga.App. 651, 428 S.E.2d 811 (1993) Automobile/Employer Liability; Dupree v. Goodrum, 201 Ga.App. 114, 410 S.E. 2d 332, 70 Educ. L. Rep. 1281 (1991) Automobile/Negligence; Duffy v. Lyles, A06A1377, Georgia Court of Appeals (2006) Civil Procedure; Christian v. Cartersville City Schools Bd. of Educ., 167 Fed.Appx. 89, 2006 WL 72998, 208 Ed. Law Rep. 211 (11th Cir. 2006) Civil Rights, 1981 and 1983 and Title VII; Palmer v. Stewart County School Dist. , slip copy, 2006 WL 1876928 Civil Rights/Discrimination/1981 (MDGa. 2006); Pryor v. CCEC, Inc., 257 Ga.App. 450, 571 S.E.2d 454 (2002) Contract/Deceptive Trade Practices; Hampton v. Norred & Associates, Inc., 216 Ga.App. 367, 454 S.E.2d 222 (1995) False Imprisonment; Parrish v. Jones, Ga. App. 645, 629 S.E.2d 468 (2006) Fraud/Contract; Larkins v. Cobb County School Dist., 225 Ga.App. 387, 484 S.E.2d 10, 117 Educ. L. Rep. 792 (1997) Governmental Immunity; AEW #2 Corporation et. al. v. Federal Insurance Company, 2004 WL 1505473 (GA Ct of Appeals Case No. A04A0576, Decided July 7, 2004) Insurance Subrogation, Indemnification, Insurance Risk Shifting Provisions; Cook v. Partain, 224 Ga.App. 251 480 S.E.2d 279 (1997) Intentional Torts; Parks v. Norred & Associates, Inc., 206 Ga.App. 494, 426 S.E.2d 12 (1992) Malicious Prosecution; Myers v. Texaco Refining & Marketing, Inc., 205 Ga.App. 292, 422 S.E.2d 216 (1992) Premises Liability/Third Party Indemnification; Gay v. Woodward Academy, (not published) Sexual Harassment; Cochran v. E.I. duPont de Nemours, 933 F.2d 1533, 1992 A.M.C. 2599, Prod.Liab.Rep. (CCH) P 12, 838 11th Cir.(Ga.) (1991) Toxic Tort/Products Liability. Practice Areas: Accidents; Personal Injury; Insurance Defense; Products Liability; Premises Liability; Toxic Torts; Business Litigation; Automobile Liability; Insurance; Constitutional Law; Government Immunity.Email: Matthew G. Moffett
James T. Brieske (Partner) born Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 1, 1964; admitted to bar, 1990, Georgia. Education: Georgia State University (B.A., 1987); University of Georgia (J.D, cum laude, 1990). Faculty, National Business Institute Seminar, Adjusting the Automobile Injury Claim in Georgia, 1999. Member: Atlanta, Decatur-Dekalb and American Bar Associations; State Bar of Georgia; Atlanta Claims Association; Lawyers Club of Atlanta; Defense Research Institute; Insurance Professionals of Atlanta; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Automobile Liability; Construction Law; Personal Injury; Premises Liability; Insurance Coverage; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Workers Compensation Defense.Email: James T. Brieske
Todd M. Yates (Member) born Camilla, Georgia, April 12, 1964; admitted to bar, 1990, Georgia. Education: University of Georgia (B.A., 1987); Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University (J.D., cum laude, 1990). Phi Delta Phi. Member, Mercer Law Review, 1988-1990. Member: Atlanta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense Law; Premises Liability; Motor Carrier Liability; Products Liability; Personal Injury.Email: Todd M. Yates
Christopher M. Ziegler (Member) born Garland, Texas, February 16, 1965; admitted to bar, 1992, Georgia. Education: University of Georgia (A.B., 1987; J.D., 1992). Winner, First Year Mock Trial/Closing Argument Competition. Co-Author, "Defenses To Punitive Damages, Claims and Judgments In Georgia: What's Left?" Journal of the Georgia Defense Lawyers' Association, 1994. Member: State Bar of Georgia. Practice Areas: Litigation; Insurance Coverage.Email: Christopher M. Ziegler
ASSOCIATES
Laura M. Forrest (Associate) born Charlotte, North Carolina, January 27, 1971; admitted to bar, 1999, Georgia; 2006, Illinois. Education: University of North Carolina at Wilmington (B.A., 1993); Loyola University (J.D., 1999). Managing Editor, Loyola Poverty Law Journal, 1998-1999. Member, Board of Advocates, Loyola Mock Trial Teams, 1997-1999. Member: State Bar of Georgia; Illinois State Bar Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Insurance Coverage Defense; Civil Litigation; Commercial Litigation.
Monica Wingler (Associate) born Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, September 23, 1971; admitted to bar, 1996, Georgia. Education: Auburn University (B.A., 1992); Georgia State University (J.D., 1996). Practice Areas: Litigation; Insurance Defense; Products Liability; Personal Injury.Email: Monica Wingler
Jeffrey M. Wasick (Associate) born Akron, Ohio; admitted to bar, 2006, Georgia; 2007, Supreme Court of Georgia. Education: Kent State University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1998); Emory University School of Law (J.D., 2005). Member: State Bar of Georgia. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Trial Practice; Products Liability.Email: Jeffrey M. Wasick
Samuel I. Moss (Associate) born Winston-Salem, North Carolina, June 7, 1979; admitted to bar, 2007, Georgia. Education: University of the South (B.A., 2001); Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (J.D., 2007). Board Member, Henry Upson Sims Moot Court.Email: Samuel I. Moss
Althea Prince (Associate) born Georgetown, Guyana, July 26, 1974; admitted to bar, 2001, Georgia. Education: University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1996); University of Illinois (J.D., 2001). Practice Areas: Business Law; Civil Rights; Constitutional Law; Litigation.Email: Althea Prince
Debra K. Haan (Associate) born Kalamazoo, Michigan, January 16, 1967; admitted to bar, 1992, Georgia. Education: Kalamazoo College (B.A., 1989); Washington University (J.D., 1992). Member: State Bar of Georgia; American Bar Association. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Products Liability; Civil Litigation.Email: Debra K. Haan
Wayne S. Melnick (Associate) born Southampton, New York, June 20, 1969; admitted to bar, 1993, Georgia; 1994, Florida; 1998, Georgia Supreme Court; 2002, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia; 2004, U.S. Supreme Court; 2005, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; 2006, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia. Education: Emory University (B.A, Political Science and Philosophy, 1990); Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia (J.D., 1993). Dean's List. Phi Alpha Delta; Pi Sigma Alpha; National Political Science Honor Society; National Philosophy Honor Society. Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award for Contracts and Entertainment Law. Listed, Atlanta Magazine's Rising Stars among Super Lawyers, 2006. Notes and Comments Editor, Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal, 1991-1993. Law Clerk, Northern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Court. Law Clerk to: Honorable W. Homer Drake, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge; Honorable A. David Kahn, Chief Bankruptcy Judge. Comments Editor, Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal. Author, "Suppression of Identity: Has the Supreme Court Carved Yet Another Exception to the Exclusionary Rule?" 9 Florida Defender 24 (1997) (cited in State v. Perkins, 760 So. 2d 85 (Fla.2000). Instructor, Kessler-Eidson Trial Techniques Program, Emory University School of Law, 1998. Member: State Bar of Georgia; Florida Bar Association; Defense Research Institute; Georgia Defense Lawyers Association. Reported Cases: Palmer v. Stewart County School District, 215 Fed. Appx. 822 (11th Cir, 2007); Dennis v. Putnam County Board of Education, 260 Fed. Appx. 171 (11th Cir, 2007); Duffy v. Lyles, 281 Ga. App. 377, 636 S.E. 2d 91 (2006); AEW #2 Corporation et. al v. Federal Insurance Company, 268 Ga. App. 740, 603 S.E. 2d 22 (2004); McPherson v. State, 688 So. 2d 403 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997); Rodriguez v. State, 684 So. 2d 864 (Fla. 2d DCA 1996); Presley v. State, 682 So. 2d 601 (Fla. 2d DCA 1996); Rodriguez v. State, 678 So. 2d 454 (Fla. 2d DCA 1996); Richardson v. State, 666 So. 2d 223 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995); Delaughter v. State, 664 So. 2d 1156 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Personal Injury; Products Liability; Professional Liability; Medical Law; Premises Liability; Civil Rights Defense.Email: Wayne S. Melnick
Korey M. Carter (Associate) born Wayne, Michigan, July 16, 1977; admitted to bar, 2002, Georgia. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., 1999); Emory University School of Law (J.D., 2002). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Civil Litigation.Email: Korey M. Carter
Marcus W. Wisehart (Associate) born St. Louis, Missouri, October 2, 1973; admitted to bar, 2000, Georgia. Education: Wake Forest University (B.A., cum laude, 1996); University of Georgia (J.D., 2000). Member: State Bar of Georgia. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Insurance Coverage; Personal Injury.Email: Marcus W. Wisehart
Pamela Sue Webb (Associate) born Atlanta, Georgia, 1967; admitted to bar, 2001, Georgia. Education: Auburn University (B.A., 1989); Georgia State University (J.D., 2001). Member: State Bar of Georgia. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Insurance Coverage; Premises Liability.Email: Pamela Sue Webb