Stephens County Lawyers

Ms. Hughes is a Partner in the Firm’s General and Business Litigation practice groups. Prior to joining Evins Oliver Hughes, LLC, Ms. Hughes worked for several Atlanta-area law firms where she specialized in representing both plaintiffs and defendants in business disputes and professional liability claims. Ms. Hughes also has experience representing clients in probate, intellectual property, real estate and commercial litigation.

In addition to her courtroom experience, Ms. Hughes frequently serves as a presiding judge in undergraduate mock trial competitions.

Ms. Hughes received her Juris Doctor from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, where she served as President...

Jed Manton is committed to representing individuals and business that have been harmed by the actions of others. With a solid track record, Jed has helped numerous clients who have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one obtain justice, while holding the wrongdoer accountable.

Villard Bastien, licensed in Georgia, New York and New Jersey, has been a Litigation Attorney for more than sixteen years. He was first exposed to the practice of law at the District Attorney's Office in Queens New York. Prior to actively practicing law he worked on the claims side of the insurance industry for three years. He continued to practice for various insurance carriers and various defense firms as an Attorney. The past seven years have been mainly dedicated to the representation of individuals seriously injured as a result of the negligence of others. He also represents individuals for...

Claire Mattson joined Fox+Mattson, P.C. in 1996. Claire develops and implements tax planning and other strategies for individual and business clients, including the coordination of all estate planning and transactional documents. She also handles probate and estate work. Claire graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. degree in International Studies, Soviet Studies and History. She was also named to Phi Beta Kappa while at South Carolina. Claire earned her law degree at Emory University where she was active in the Moot Court Society and coached Emory’s team to a win in the National Moot Court Championship. Claire...

Mark Link is a lawyer that specializes in personal injury cases throughout the Southeastern United States. Mr. Link has successfully litigated automobile and truck wreck cases in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Mark Link has been published on several topics involving personal injury litigation including treatises on Georgia Law of Damages and Punitive Damages in Georgia.

Since starting Rachel Kaufman Law in June of 2015, Rachel has provided top-notch legal representation to hundreds of clients throughout the State of Georgia. In that short time, Rachel has gained a reputation for being a highly passionate and highly effective courtroom advocate. Amongst her colleagues, judges and courtroom personnel, Rachel is known for being a smart fighter, who can see through the tumbleweeds and intuitively zero-in on which strategic routes need to be taken to get to the best outcome possible. No matter the charge (DUI, Murder, Drug Offense, etc.), Rachel approaches each client’s situation with family-like loyalty and...

I joined Parker MacIntyre as an associate attorney in 2025. In my role, I represent investment advisers and broker-dealers in compliance, regulatory matters, investigations, mergers and acquisitions, and general business. I also provide guidance to issuers in private placements and securities offerings, including hedge fund formation, regulation, and compliance. I graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2022. Since then, I have worked exclusively in private practice, representing clients in tax controversy matters, covering every stage from IRS examination to final resolution in Tax Court. Additionally, I have drafted and reviewed a wide range of contracts related to...

Paparella & Associates is a law firm specializing in intellectual Property. Namely, Patents, Trademarks, & Copyrights, and serves the business community nationwide. By structuring the law firm around, and operating the firm under sound business practices, Paparella & Associates has uniquely positioned itself to deliver the highest quality representation, while utilizing a fee structure that is more in line with the business community’s expectations. Representing clients in all intellectual property matters including, Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Infringement Matters, Clearance Opinions, Freedom to Operate Opinions, Trade Secrets, and Litigation.

Steve Lowry is a talented litigator with broad experience across multiple areas of practice. A passionate advocate for parties who have been harmed by the actions of others, Steve has secured numerous top 10 verdicts in Georgia, including the state’s largest judgment on record against a nursing home facility for medical malpractice.

Robert Speer, The Magic Lawyer®, was born in Atlanta GA, and has been a resident of Georgia all of his life. He has been a trial lawyer for almost 22 years. He handles cases in the areas of DUI/DWI, Criminal Law, Juvenile Law, Divorce, and Injury cases. His office is in Woodstock GA, but he also handles cases in Canton GA, Atlanta GA, Marietta GA, Cumming GA, Lawrenceviille GA, Decatur GA, Sandy Springs GA, Roswell GA, Alpharetta GA, and all over Georgia. Call (770) 517-0017 today for fantastic legal representation!

Matt Stoddard worked for years defending the world’s largest appliance manufacturers in serious injury and wrongful death product liability cases, global transportation companies in serious injury and wrongful death tractor-trailer accident cases, and a variety of healthcare providers in serious injury medical malpractice cases.

In 2011, Mr. Stoddard stopped defending corporate interests and began a rewarding career representing those harmed by the negligence of others. Since that time, Matt Stoddard has tried numerous high dollar serious injury and wrongful death cases in the Atlanta metro-area including cases in Fulton County, DeKalb County, Gwinnett County, and Cobb County, and...

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE, PERSONAL INJURY (car wrecks and semi-truck wrecks), FAMILY LAW, CRIMINAL DEFENSE LITIGATION Laura Austin is an AV Preeminent-rated litigator with over 44 years of experience. She is and continues to be a Professional Registered Nurse, certified in correctional healthcare, with multistate licensure, and has combined her 48 years of medical training and 44 years of law in the representation of those who are injured by the negligence and carelessness of others, lending a voice to those who aren't heard. Her best verdict for her clients was $12,000,000.00. Ms. Austin is also certified by the American Arbitration...

Ira D. Gingold has been practicing bankruptcy law since 1971. Mr. Gingold is a 1968 graduate of Emory University Business School with a major in Accounting, and a 1971 graduate of Emory University School of Law. In 1971, Mr. Gingold was admitted to practice in Georgia, the Northern District of Georgia including the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He represents individuals and businesses in filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13. Mr. Gingold specializes in complicated cases involving businesses, real estate, taxes, and higher income individuals, often times receiving referrals from other commercial and consumer bankruptcy...

A founding partner of Goodman & Goodman,LLP. Barry has dedicated his legal career to representing individuals who have been seriously injured. Barry has significant experience helping those individuals who have been injured as a result of a car or motorcycle accident, truck accident, on the job injury (workers’ compensation), defective products, premises liability, and medical malpractice. Barry is an active member in good standing of both the State Bar of Georgia and the State Bar of Florida. He is admitted to practice in numerous state and federal courts in Georgia, including the Georgia Supreme Court. He is a member of the...

Thomas is a registered patent attorney whose practice is focused exclusively on intellectual property law. His practice includes: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, patent prosecution, patent portfolio management, patent infringement, patent litigation, patent licensing, trademark registration, trademark infringement, trademark litigation, copyright registration, copyright litigation, intellectual property licensing, and other intellectual property matters.

I pride myself on a client centered approach to practicing law and focuses my practice on a broad range of civil litigation matters, including personal injury cases, employment issues, and class action work. With litigation experience at both the State and Federal level, I advocate on behalf of my clients with determination and compassion for their individual circumstances. Whether through effective settlement negotiations or aggressive litigation, I will ensure that your issues are resolved with your best long-term interests in mind. When I am not working, I enjoy cooking, golfing, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.

I have represented individuals and businesses as plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts as well as various arbitration forums in such diverse areas of law as banking and finance, labor and employment, professional liability, restrictive covenants, sale of goods, securities, trade secrets and trusts and estates. I focus my practice, however, on franchise and distribution litigation. I have represented clients in various industries, including food and beverage, preschool and daycare and tax consulting services, from the pre-complaint stage through discovery into trial.

Mr. Warncke received his Bachelor of Business Administration, magna cum laude, at Georgia State University in 1988. He graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law cum laude in 1991. Mr. Warncke was one of three students selected to represent UGA Law School in the American College of Trial Lawyers National Moot Court Competition. The team took second place nationwide in brief writing. The team also advanced to the quarter finals in the national oral argument competition in New York,City.

Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Warncke began working as an associate at Dietrick, Evans, Scholz & Williams, and became...

As a former federal prosecutor and a dedicated criminal defense attorney, Attorney Richard Rice fights diligently to safeguard the rights of his clients. As a member of Mensa International, an organization only open to those persons whose IQ is in the top 2% of world’s population, he uses his considerable experience and knowledge of the law to defend his client’s futures

For his dedication, Attorney Richard Rice has been honored to receive numerous accolades, including:
Being named a “Legal Elite” by Georgia Trend Magazine
Inclusion on the Georgia Super Lawyers® list
An Avvo Rating of 10.0 Superb
Being named one of the Top 100 Trial...

As an Associate Attorney with Williams Teusink based in Decatur, GA, Caela Abrams focuses her practice on real estate transactions, real estate litigation, and business law. Caela's expertise includes representing buyers and sellers in commercial real estate transactions, complex real estate litigation, and corporate formation. After receiving her Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Ethics from Emory University in Atlanta, Caela earned her Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law and graduated with a Certificate in Environmental Law and Land Use. Among her accomplishments, Caela was a 2018-19 Urban Fellow with the College of...

Attorney Rahim Dhanani's legal practice has been focused in U.S. Immigration law for almost twenty years. He has extensive experience handling both business and family immigration matters.

Prior to starting The Dhanani Law Firm, LLC, Mr. Dhanani worked for some of the largest business immigration law firms in the world and represented a variety of clients ranging from established Fortune 500 companies to startup companies with limited resources. Mr. Dhanani advises businesses on matters involving the hiring and transfer of international personnel. He routinely advises companies on issues pertaining to business and professional visas, PERM labor certifications,...

Ronald “Ronnie” Jesus Pellitero focuses his practice on the representation of those injured on the job throughout the entire state of Georgia. As a partner at Cruz & Associates Ronnie has had the pleasure of guiding thousands of injured workers through the complex Workers’ Compensation system while always respecting the needs of the injured worker and the obligations that the law requires.

Ronnie has tried numerous cases before the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. In addition, he has argued appeals before the Appellate Division of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation as well as various Superior Courts of Georgia. Ronnie frequently...

JAMIE L. GINGOLD is a 1998 honors scholar graduate of Tulane University, Newcomb College in New Orleans, Louisiana and a 2001 Dean’s Honor List graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law. Ms. Gingold was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in December 2001; and Georgia and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, in April 2002. Ms. Gingold is the founder of Jamie L. Gingold, PC, where she represents individuals in consumer and corporate bankruptcy filings under Chapters 7 and 13 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. In addition, Ms. Gingold counsels individuals and companies on financial management in the...

Former Federal Prosecutor | White Collar Criminal Defense | Government Investigations | Internal Corporate Investigations | Complex Civil Litigation

North American operations counsel for multinational chemical company providing legal advice and guidance relating to the Company's chemical business for matters affecting sales, marketing, product liability, regulatory compliance, etc., and negotiation of all commercial transactions including complex and international contracts. Member of the North American operations senior management team

Joann Brown Williams has been litigating for well over a decade. Joann’s “bread-and-butter” is business litigation, including breach of contract, corporate governance, trade secret, non-compete and non-solicit covenants, employment related disputes in the areas of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Her “chocolate,” however, are claims dealing with First Amendment and defamation. Joann has tried cases throughout Northeast Georgia in both State and Federal Courts and has practiced in State and Federal Courts throughout the country. Joann has been involved in several high profile cases that have been written about in The Los Angeles Times, The National Law...

Brian R. Cahn, North Georgia Bankruptcy Attorney Serving Dallas, Cartersville, Calhoun & Dalton. Attorney Brian R. Cahn devotes a significant portion of his legal practice to helping the people of northwest Georgia obtain relief from debt. He handles consumer bankruptcies under Chapters 7 and 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, as well as business bankruptcies under Chapter 11. He also assists clients in debt settlement, rebuilding credit and foreclosure defense. Creditor harassment is often an immediate concern for those with financial difficulties, and he knows how to stop the calls and collection notices that torment his clients. The bankruptcy law group at...