Austell Lawyers

Jeffrey Daxe joined Moore Ingram Johnson & Steele in 1997 and is a partner in the firm’s Litigation and Employment Departments. His prime areas of concentration are in employment law and business litigation, as well as HR Consulting.

Born in Augusta, Georgia, Jeff was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1997 after receiving his J.D. degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Jeff graduated in 1994 from the University of Virginia with a major in History. He took a Judicial Clerkship in 1996 for Chief United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, Judge David...

Frank W. Hicks III, Esq., after graduating from Mercer Law School in 2002, began working as a prosecutor where he oversaw the traffic division. He then moved over to the Public Defender’s office where he worked for over a decade. He has resolved thousands of criminal cases, ranging from traffic tickets to murder and has over 100 jury trials. Frank draws upon his past experience as a deputy sheriff to assist his clients. Frank is admitted to practice in state and federal trial and appellate courts, including the Georgia Supreme Court.

Deborah H. Harris is an experienced litigator who has practiced law in Atlanta, Georgia for over thirty-eight years. Ms. Harris has represented hundreds of employers and their insurance companies all over the state. Ms. Harris earned her law degree from Emory University in May 1985, and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in June 1985. During her first twenty-two years of practice she was an insurance-defense attorney, first in a downtown Atlanta law firm and later as in-house litigation counsel for a group of insurance companies. Harris opened her private law practice in...

As a named partner in Ney Hoffecker Peacock & Hayle, William Ney has nearly twenty years of experience handling major professional liability, business, family law and injury cases. Mr. Ney's practice focuses on each of these areas with an emphasis on legal malpractice matters. Mr. Ney is widely recognized as one of the foremost attorneys in the Atlanta, Georgia legal market in the handling of legal malp0ractice cases for plaintiffs. These cases include matters involving missed statutes of limitation, conflicts of interests, mis-drafted wills and other documents, and a variety of other cases.

Yasha Heidari is a founding member of Heidari Power Law Group LLC (H&P). He is well known both for his litigation focus and for his versatility. Yasha has given lectures and presided over seminars in many areas of the law, including ethics law, administrative and regulatory law, best business practices, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and the role of Intellectual Property in the age of digital media. Moreover, Yasha has presented numerous papers with topics ranging from modern day questions concerning technology to complex game-theory models at the London School of Economics. Yasha holds a juris doctor...

State prosecutor for over 11 years; have tried over 100 felony cases, including 2 death penalty cases. As a defense attorney since then, I have specialized in appeals of criminal convictions, achieving a very high reversal rate. Currently actively engaged in a death penalty appeal, awaiting the docketing notice from the Georgia Supreme Court. Criminal law is all that I have done in my career, and I have a passion for the work I do. I also have a deep commitment to my clients. As I tell all of my clients and potential...

28 years experience in full range of civil litigation; 70% Plaintiff and 30% defense. Originally PI, consumer law, divorce and real estae law; Currently representing business and partnership owners and real estate investors. Handling full range of real estate matters including title disputes, partnership dissolutions, negotiations, land trusts, construction issues and litigation and legal malpractice as well as general business law and PI cases.

Jon Schwartz has environmental litigation experience in state and federal courts. He has represented clients on matters involving the Clean Water Act, storm water runoff, protection of wildlife and habitat, land use, historic preservation, and injuries caused by exposure to toxic substances. Jon was selected to the Georgia Super Lawyers list and Atlanta Magazine recognized him as a “rising star” in environmental litigation.

Kate fiercely believes that everyone has the right to a fair trial and an excellent lawyer. She brings an unmatched passion for justice and a discerning academic eye to every case she works on. Beginning her career as a public defender, Kate gained significant experience representing the poor in the State and Superior Courts of Clarke and DeKalb County, Georgia. During her time in public defense, she handled hundreds of cases and spent thousands of hours in the courtroom fighting for her clients. She has argued dozens of pre-trial motions and successfully kept the prosecution from being able to introduce illegally-collected...

J. Michael Bishop is a partner in the Atlanta firm of Smiley Bishop & Porter LLP. For over 25 years, Mike has practiced extensively in the areas of securities arbitration and litigation, representing investors with securities claims of all types and sizes. Mike and his firm have obtained numerous seven-figure arbitration awards which have included punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs. Many of Mr. Bishop’s clients are elderly investors who have been victims of investment and financial fraud. Mike has successfully represented clients with claims against virtually every major Wall Street firm, including: Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, UBS/PaineWebber, Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter,...

Caroline C. Kresky is the founding member of KRESKY LAW that specializes in family law matters for high net worth individuals. Ms. Kresky is one of the premier lawyers in the Southeast and has a statewide practice. Prior to forming KRESKY LAW, Ms. Kresky practiced with national law firms for more than 30 years. She currently represents high net worth individuals in contested and complex family law matters (divorce, alimony, equitable division/separate property, child support, custody; modification actions; contested paternity, legitimation and adoption; grandparent rights; domestic violence; contempts; disputed pre and postnuptial agreements) as well as complex trusts, estate and...

We understand that making the decision to contact an attorney can be a difficult one. We know that clients want their attorney to be available, diligent, caring, knowledgeable, and work hard to resolve to resolve their matter successfully no matter what it may be. We know clients want their attorney to provide honest and open assessments of their matters and cases. We know clients are concerned about fees and costs. Each case and each client is important to us. It has always been our objective to do our best and to be as efficient as possible.

A native of Covington, Georgia, Amanda graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with a degree in Political Science in 2008. In 2011, Amanda graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law, where she served as Notes Editor of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law. Amanda has practiced workers' compensation and personal injury law in the Atlanta area since 2012. She became a founding Partner of Bronsted, Blazevic, & Winders, LLP in 2023. Amanda currently resides in Marietta, Georgia, where she enjoys spending her free time with her husband and daughter.