Habersham County Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

Sean A. Black is a trial lawyer focusing on criminal, DUI and traffic defense. He accepts a small number of serious personal injury and wrongful death claims. He is a 1992 graduate of the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia.

He lives in Toccoa, Georgia, with his wife and two children.

He is a member of the Toccoa Elks Lodge.

As a partner in one of the largest law firms in North Georgia, Rustin defended insurance companies and large businesses before co-founding Smith Hulsey. He has handled cases in both federal and state courts, appearing in U.S. District Courts and counties throughout Georgia. He has argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia, and litigated appeals in the Georgia Court of Appeals and U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. Rustin graduate magna cum laude from the University of Georgia before attending Emory University School of Law, where he was selected for the Dean’s List, received the Dean’s Award, and was recommended...

Prior to moving to Blairsville, Daniel was a partner in one of the largest law firms in the State of Florida, with over 400 attorneys. Through his work, Daniel was awarded the AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest ranking for ethics and legal ability.

Daniel earned his Bachelor of Arts from Emory University where he had the honor of interning with a U.S. Representative. Mr. Duello received his Juris Doctor from the Georgia State University School of Law.

Daniel and his wife Katherine moved to Blairsville to raise their children in a supportive, moral, and beautiful environment. Daniel...

Arturo Corso is the founder of The Corso Law Center with offices in Atlanta and Gainesville. He is also the founder of The International Law Center in Washington, D.C. His focus is criminal law with an international focus, serving clients in Georgia, Washington, New York, Mexico, and South America whether State or Federal prosecution. He also defends those targeted by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (O.F.A.C.). Focusing his practice primarily on criminal defense matters, he provides representation to clients who have been charged with all manner of felonies, misdemeanors, and other matters. Mr. Corso...

On the morning of July 3, 2003, I was driving to cover Court for another attorney during a tropical storm, when I was blown off the road by the intense rain and high winds. I was informed by a third party whose judgment and observation I trust that my estimation of time during that period was very wrong. I spent a short time in a medically-induced coma, followed by about three weeks of being unconscious. The accident left me paralyzed on my right side, and I spent approximately four to five months after I awoke re-learning...

With more than 20 years experience as one of metro Atlanta's premier criminal defense lawyers, David S. West has been recognized throughout Georgia and the southeast for his success defending difficult and high-profile criminal cases. Awarded America's coveted Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America award in 2013 and featured on CNN, FoxNews, 48 Hours and numerous other media outlets, Mr. West is now widely recognized as a leading criminal defense lawyer in his field. Mr. West is a Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, as well as the National Organization for the Reform of...

Ryan Locke represents people who have been injured and people who have been unfairly convicted from his office in Atlanta. Formerly a public defender, Ryan uses the same passion and relentless advocacy for his clients today. Ryan is also an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law; hosts a podcast about appellate practice called Georgia Appellate Review; and maintains comprehensive legal resources on his website for lawyers and the public, such as his guide for using the HITECH Act to get cheap medical records and his guide for people to change their name and gender in Georgia government documents.

Saraliene is a criminal defense attorney with over 15 years of experience fighting for her clients in state and federal court. She has argued many times before the federal and state appellate courts. She has appeared on Court TV as a criminal defense expert to discuss high profile cases. Let her use her expertise to help you win your case.

State Bar of Georgia, 1980 Member: State Bar of Georgia (Family Law, Fiduciary Law sections) Gwinnett County Bar Association (Family Law and Elder Law sections) Education: University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., 1980) University of Georgia (B.A., magna cum laude, 1976); Phi Beta Kappa Publications: Domestic Relations, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, 1979-1980, 32 Mercer Law Review 51 (1980). Domestic Relations, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, 1980-1981, 33 Mercer Law Review 109 (1981).

Attorney Jacob Rhein represents people who have been harmed by the negligence, dishonesty, or incompetence of lawyers and other fiduciaries. He also represents individuals who have suffered serious personal injuries, including in slip and fall and auto accident cases. Rhein has a reputation among his peers for novel legal argument and fierce loyalty to his clients. These abilities are best demonstrated in his results as a “second lawyer.” Rhein frequently spots issues in the law that other lawyers have missed, and is able to craft these issues into effective advocacy at trial, in post-judgment proceedings, and on appeal. Rhein's main...

Tyler Carey grew up in Athens, Ohio and moved to Augusta, Georgia for college where he attended and graduated from Augusta University. During his undergraduate studies, Tyler was a member of the Student Conduct Board, as well as awarded the Who’s Who Among American College Students from Universities. After Augusta University, Tyler moved to Loganville to attend Emory University’s School of Law.

During Tyler's first year of law school, he interned for Bryan Frost which sparked his desire to help those overwhelmed by the legal system.

During his time at Emory, Tyler helped write am amicus curie brief to the United States...

Samantha represents individuals and families in a wide range of domestic relations legal issues including divorces, custody and child support issues, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, legitimations and adoptions. She devotes time to understanding her clients' individual and family needs. She then develops strategic solutions to protect your rights and best interests. Samantha is committed to developing a close-working relationship with her clients and providing high quality, caring, and efficient legal services for individuals and families.

Samantha graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and History and a minor in Corporate Strategy. She earned her law degree,...

I am a litigation expert in Georgia estates and trusts, and I represent business clients in corporate, contract and commercial matters. I represent clients all across Georgia in estate and trust disputes such as will contests and breaches of fiduciary duty. I also help clients with standard Georgia probate and administration matters. I am an experienced advocate in Georgia guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, and other Georgia elder law matters. I also represent closely-held companies in business-to-business relations, partner and shareholder issues, and contract and Georgia commercial disputes. In all of these matters, I am an experienced negotiator focused on helping...

I provide legal counsel to small businesses, focusing on their employment matters. Our firm specializes in wage and hour litigation, and I have served as defense counsel in both individual and collective overtime actions, but we also have a strong record defending against discrimination suits and representing corporate interests before administrative agencies and tribunals. I also represent employees in individual and collective actions for minimum wage violations, unpaid overtime, unpaid commissions, and other claims arising under federal wage and hour law. I handle the majority of my firm's misclassification cases involving salaried workers and independent contractors.

Michael is the only all family law attorney to win unanimous decisions before both The Supreme Court of Georgia and The Supreme Court of Georgia. In addition, Michael has won before The Supreme Court of Costa Rica. He is admitted to practice in all Georgia courts and federal courts in the Northern and Middle District of Georgia, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. With over 25 years of experience, he has successfully represented thousands of family members in state, federal and international family law cases including divorce, custody, parental kidnapping, paternity, legitimation,...

Robert Sirianni, Jr. is Managing Partner at Brownstone Law Firm, focusing on Federal appeals nationwide. The attorneys at Brownstone provide aggressive strategies in your industry or business, and exceptional resources and representation to best serve your needs. https://www.brownstonelaw.com

Mr. Huffman’s hallmark is aggressive and effective representation. He excels in the most contentious of cases with proven results in trial. Mr. Huffman practices in the areas of real estate disputes, business disputes, fraud, construction disputes, technology litigation, trade secrets and restrictive covenant litigation. He also does other cases that demand zealous and forceful representation.

Mr. Huffman treats every case like it will go to trial and normally conducts several trials and arbitrations per year. Often, he takes over for other attorneys when it becomes clear that a case will need to be tried.

Recently, after an 8-day jury...

Rebecca Kozycki was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2001 and is a member of the United States Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Georgia Supreme Court. Experience Ms. Kozycki is a founding partner at Kozycki Law, LLC. Previously, she was a Senior Associate at Chestney & Sullivan Law Firm (formerly the Chestney Law Firm). She has devoted 100% of her practice to the vigorous defense of DUI and related traffic charges. She was distinguished as a Georgia Super Lawyer by Atlanta Magazine each year from 2013 to 2017 and as a Georgia Top Woman Attorney...

Known as a fierce advocate, what distinguishes Jill G. Polster from other criminal defense attorneys is her passion for fighting for the underdog along with her extensive experience handling criminal cases.

-Polster has experience on both sides of the courtroom as a prosecutor and a defense attorney giving her a 360-degree view of your case.

-Polster has handled literally thousands of criminal cases from misdemeanors to murders.

-She has extensive jury trial experience with a proven track record of success both as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney.

-Polster thinks outside-the-box when it comes to crafting the most favorable resolution possible...

Attorney Elizabeth Brandenburg has a unique perspective in defending her clients. For over six years, she has worked with a variety of clients from juveniles to adults accused of a variety of crimes from property crimes to violent offenses. Thanks to her extensive preparation and negotiations with district attorneys she has been successful in getting felony charges for both adults and juveniles charges dismissed.

Elizabeth has also successfully appealed cases in both state and federal courts from sentencing and trial issues to forfeitures. She has also been successful in habeas corpus, a unique kind of law where success is sometimes rare.

Due...

Jessica King represents individuals and their family members who have been injured or killed by the negligence of others, as well as individuals who have been injured in work accidents.

Jessica grew up in Marietta, Georgia. She attended Georgia Institute of Technology for her undergraduate degree and earned a B.S. in Management in 2008. After graduating from Georgia Tech, Jessica attended Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, where she graduated with a J.D. in 2011.

Edward D. Buckley is one of the founding partners of Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP. Ed was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, by parents who raised him to make a difference for the better. Ed understands the hardships that working people face and has built his law practice championing their cause, focusing his practice on civil rights and employment discrimination cases. He has represented people from virtually every walk of life, including hotel laundry workers, truckers, secretaries, food industry workers, technicians, salespeople, teachers, professors, stockbrokers, CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, longshoremen, doctors and lawyers. He has represented numerous executives in everything...

Tracy S. Reeves, Jr. graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in both Criminal Justice and Political Science. He then graduated from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in 2010 after taking a year off to work at Hawkins, Parnell & Young, LLC in the Asbestos and Products Liability Litigation Divisions.

Tracy began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Coweta Judicial Circuit. There he helped in establishing the Gang Intelligence Network as well as training prosecutors and law enforcement officers in investigating and prosecuting gang cases. Tracy was also the head of...

Morris earned his Juris Doctorate at Georgia State University's College of Law in 2013 and his Bachelor of Science in International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2006. After completing his undergraduate degree, Morris considered a career in academic philosophy. This plan changed after Morris completed the "Philosophy of Law" course at Georgia State University, when he realized that while philosophers typically end their discussions with journal entries, jurists end theirs with court orders backed by the power of the state. Morris has wide-ranging litigation experience, including family law, criminal defense, and personal injury casework, with an overwhelmingly successful...

Special Master, State of Georgia, 1987-1995 by annual appointment of Governor. Recipient, Younger Federal Lawyer Award, Atlanta Chapter, Federal Bar Association, 1972. President, Walter F. George School of Law Alumni Association, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia, 1976-77. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Georgia, 1966-1974. Legal counsel of record in over 100 state, federal, and military cases reported by legal publishers. Admitted to practice in U. S. Supreme Court, 1965; U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, 1966; U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 1981; U. S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1982. ...

We understand that being accused of a crime can be stressful and you have important questions. We can provide easily understandable answers at this critical time.

Through years of experience handling complex and demanding criminal cases, Vic Wiegand has gained a reputation for getting results.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients and fight for their rights. A tough minded and determined litigator.

Julian A. Fortuna is a at Partner Greenspoon Marder LLP where he practices business and tax law with a focus on tax planning and representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and various other tax authorities. He also handles estate and trust tax matters. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Fortuna was Vice President and General Tax Counsel for InterContinental Hotels Group ("IHG"). During his eleven year tenure at IHG, Mr. Fortuna managed a team of tax professionals responsible for structuring the domestic and international tax impacts of numerous mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and other corporate transactions, as...

The Law Firm of Leipow & Associates, P.C. was formed in the spirit of service and is dedicated to the representation of individuals and businesses that have been harmed by the actions of others.

The firm is focused on representation of businesses and injured individuals in all state and federal trial and appellate courts.

My experiences in business litigation include a variety of contract disputes between business entities, including asset purchase, distribution, service, and sales agreements. Every business dispute is unique and involves a different set of problems to solve for each business entity involved. Therefore I provide a comprehensive approach...

Tom is a former federal prosecutor who represents businesses and individuals in government investigations, False Claims Act litigation, complex civil litigation, and white collar criminal defense. Before founding Griffin Durham Tanner and Clarkson, Tom led a nationally recognized Department of Justice unit responsible for prosecuting complex civil and criminal fraud out of the Southern District of Georgia. In addition to his supervisory responsibilities, he led some of the office’s most complex and significant criminal cases in the office. During his tenure with the Department of Justice, he tried cases involving public corruption, health care fraud, pill mills, wire/mail fraud, and violent...

From the day I started working in the field until today, I have learned the practice of criminal and appellate law from some of the finest attorneys in the country. I respect my clients and their families above all else and am keenly sympathetic to the fact that, when most of them come to me, they have already been through the difficult and emotionally wrenching process that is a criminal trial, only to lose and find themselves or somone they love very much subject to a long term in prison. I never promise anything to my clients other than the...

After defending insurance companies for over ten years, Laura ("Laurie") Vickery Benesh formed Vickery Benesh Law, P.C. to assist victims and their families who have experienced personal injury or wrongful death as a result of automobile accidents, slip and fall, and premises liability. She also assists businesses in disputes resulting from breach of agreements and other matters. Laurie earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Emory University and is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell. She has successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and throughout Georgia’s state courts. She serves on the Board...

In 2011, Jim McKenzie was honored by Martindale Hubbell/Lawyers.com for having maintained an “AV” rating for highest or “pre-eminent” legal skills and ethical standards for thirty consecutive years (1980-2010). He continues to achieve that consistent “AV” rating. The significance of the “AV” Rating by Martindale.com and Lawyers.com is described as follows: “The AV preeminent [rating] is a significant rating accomplishment- a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.” www.martindale.com/products-services-peer-review-rating. (Martindale-Hubbell and Lawyers.com are the national legal locator and ranking service). Atlanta native and a Gwinnett...

Lisa’s client-centered law practice includes advice, counseling, and litigation in all aspects of labor and employment law as well as general business law advice, document drafting and litigation of business disputes. She also utilizes her expertise in legal research and writing and knowledge of the appellate process to provide top-notch representation in civil appeals in both state and federal courts. Most recently, Lisa became registered through the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution as a mediator and arbitrator, and she brings her wide range of legal experience and her ability to see and understand all sides of a dispute to assist...

Nathaniel M. Smith is a born again Christian and a member of Salem Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia. Nathaniel is admitted to practice before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate and Magistrate courts of Georgia. Nathaniel became a member of the Georgia Bar Association in 2009. He became a member of the Henry County Bar Association in 2010. He became a member of CLS (Christian Legal Society, www.clsnet.org) and Christianlawyers.com in 2009. Nathaniel graduated in 2009 from Washington and Lee University School of Law. While pursuing his law degree, he...

Attorney Akil Kenneth Secret is a licensed attorney in the States of Georgia and Nebraska. His practice focuses on Serious Personal Injury Litigation, Wrongful Death Litigation and Major Criminal Defense. Mr. Secret has represented defendants in numerous high profile state and federal cases. He has tried hundreds of cases with extraordinary success. Mr. Secret has represented Lawyers, Doctors, Accountants, Real Estate Brokers and Agents and Corporate Executives. Attorney Akil Secret attended University of Nebraska and transferred to attend Morehouse College where he pursued his undergraduate studies until 1973 with a major in Political Science. He attended Atlanta Law School and earned...