Thomas County Lawyers

Brian is the supervising partner for HMT's criminal law practice. Brian has significant experience in all aspects of criminal law.

Brian is one of a handful of attorneys in the Nation to hold a Masters of Law (LLM) in Federal Criminal Practice and Procedure.

Brian has experience from every angle in the courtroom. A few of the positions he has held throughout his career include:

Judicial Law Clerk to Five Superior Court Judges (serving eight counties in Georgia)
Special Assistant United States Attorney
Senior Prosecutor for Parris Island and Marine Corps Eastern Recruiting Region
Deputy Director of Marine Corps Trial Counsel Assistance Program
Appellate Defense Attorney
Additionally, Brian...

U S Army Veteran, having served 4 years, first as a Military Police Officer (2Lt), then as Judge Advocate Trial Attorney (Captain). Graduated from Mercer University in Macon GA with an AB degree in 1968, from Mercer Law with a JD in 1970.

After honorable discharge from the military, returned to Savannah to practice law. From 1984-1993 was partner in the number one Plaintiffs' firm in Savannah. Since 1993 has been in private practice either solo or as Senior Partner, since 2012 as Phillips Carson & Phillips.

Served in the Georgia Legislature 1979-1984; Jaycee Man of the Year 1982; graduate of...

Mark is a native of Savannah having graduated from Benedictine Military School in 1990. After high school, Mark attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. In 2001 Mark graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law. In addition to his education, Mark has taught in the finance department at SDA Bocconi in Milan, Italy, clerked on Capitol Hill for former Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston and worked as an analyst in corporate finance for Stephens, Inc., one of the largest investment banks off Wall...

Founder and managing partner of Vaught Law Firm, John L. Vaught is a Vanderbilt Alumnus earning his degree in 1994 with majors in history and political science. He earned his Juris Doctor from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law in 1997. John Vaught is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and is active in a number of national, state and local bar organizations. He has served as a member of the American Bar Association Advisory Panel and has served in positions for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the American Trial Lawyers Association....

Bankruptcy Attorney Chapter 13 Chapter 7 Stop Garnishments Repossesions Foreclosures

I, Johnny Felan Castaneda Sr., have been a proud member of the Georgia Bar since 1990, consistently in good standing. Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to assisting those who require legal help and advocating for victims of wrongdoing. My firm is equipped with a wide range of experience, having handled a multitude of cases successfully. Call us for a free office consultation. I am fluent in both Spanish and English. You can reach out to us via email at officejfc@aol.com or jfcastanedalawfirm@gmail.com.

J.V. Dell, Jr. (“Jay”): J.D., cum laude, Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, Macon, Georgia, 1994. B.S., cooperative plan, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 1990. Member of: State Bar of Georgia; Court of Appeals of Georgia; Supreme Court of Georgia; U.S. District Court of Georgia (Northern and Middle Districts); Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Bar Association; and Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. Board Member of Executive Committee of Real Property Law Section of the State of Georgia (2006 – 2012). President of Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Bar Association (2008 –...

Philip S. Coe is a trial lawyer and counselor with more than 30 years of litigation experience. Mr. Coe's practice over the years has been wide-ranging, but with major focus on family law, including contested divorce, custody and support modification actions. Although he remains first and foremost a trial lawyer, Mr. Coe is also a registered Mediator and Arbitrator and Neutral Case Evaluator. Most recently, Mr. Coe has become a passionate advocate for and practitioner of Collaborative Divorce Practice.

With a unique focus on real estate and business law, Matt Horne is an attorney with valuable and varied legal practice experience. Having joined the firm in 2001, Matt is charged with representing clients in a variety of areas including debtor and creditor bankruptcy, wills and estate matters. His extensive background in all forms of litigation has Matt often in court handling business matters and domestic cases. As the head of our Newnan firm’s well-established real estate department, Matt and his closing team regularly handle residential and commercial real estate closings, representing buyers, sellers, lenders and developers.

Ivan is the son of a U.S. Marine Major General, and grew up in an environment in which one’s word is sacred, and duty and honor are prized values. Ivan carries these values in to his practice and in to the courtroom and is frequently complimented by opposing counsel for his ability to press a vigorous position while being faithful to his core values of candor and trustworthiness.

Admitted to the Bars of West Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas Ivan received his Juris Doctor from the University Of Virginia School Of Law and his focus has been products liability and...

What is zealous advocacy? I come from a family of attorneys and judges, so the study of law is something I grew up appreciating. I believe in defending the Constitution and zealously advocating for my clients. Sometimes clients misunderstand what zealous advocacy means. It does not mean we do anything the client wants. It means we apply the law to the facts of a case and advise based on our understanding of that application. The feelings a client has about his or her case add to the facts of the case, so they are always being considered. Difficult decisions may need...

Catherine Jenkins believes that each client needs time to tell their story and she designed her practice so she could take the time with her clients to do that. Catherine believes that the key to finding the best solution involves fully understanding the problem. And Catherine enjoys the process of meeting and talking with clients. Catherine developed a knack for problem solving while serving over a decade in the U.S. Army. She brings that outside-the-box thinking into facilitating simple solutions such as a sending a request or email on behalf of a client so that issues can be...

Jay Mccurdy is a personal injury attorney at Farah & Farah and is eligible to practice law in Georgia and Tennessee. Jay McCurdy has been licensed for 18 years and works in Brunswick, GA. He attended Washington & Lee University - School of Law and handles cases in Employment & Labor, Elder Law, Administrative Law, Personal Injury.

15 years in the banking industry, then law school, 8.5 years in the District Attorney's Office, now in private practice. A history that shows my knowledge of Criminal Law, and experience with estates, real estate, and banking law.

Jess Johnson is one of the best young lawyers in Georgia. He has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in criminal defense and civil litigation by Super Lawyers Magazine for the past several years. While only 2.5% of lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40 receive such an honor, Jess was first named to this list after only 3 years of practice.

Jess has been instrumental in our firm’s success in both trials and appeals. In his very first trial, Jess was awarded an Acquittal Award from the Federal Defender Program for helping our firm win a “not guilty” verdict...

Michael Lemon has been representing clients all over Georgia for 15 years. He handles workers’ compensation claims, auto accidents, insurance disputes, wrongful death, and premises liability. He also drafts wills, power of attorney, and advanced health directives, and he is certified as a mediator for general civil cases.

Mr. Lemon graduated from Mercer University and Stetson University College of Law. He has lived in Georgia for over 20 years with his wife and two sons.

My brother needed a bone marrow transplant. But, he made about $25 too much from Social Security disability benefits, his only source of income, to qualify for Medicaid. That was 1989. I was successful in helping him and have gone on to represent many, many people succesfully before the Social Security Administration.

We used to hear stories of alcoholics and drug addicts getting monthly checks just because of their alcoholism or drug addiction. We still see ridiculous stories of people getting benefits that seem unworthy, but the rules have changed. It's tougher to get benefits now. Today,...

Mariel Smith’s primary practice is Labor & Employment Law. She has years of experience defending companies in lawsuits and prelitigation investigations involving the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, Georgia Department of Labor, and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Her litigation experience in Employment and Labor Law include defending employers in wage and hour, discrimination and harassment claims. She also has experience in representing clients in mediation. She assists clients in workplace internal investigations and workforce reductions.

Mrs. Smith originally joined the Columbus office of HBS in 2011 after she worked for several years as...

Founding Partner of Walker Hulbert Gray & Moore, LLP, born Macon, Georgia, 1942; admitted to bar, 1965, Georgia. Education: University of Georgia (J.D., 1965). Phi Delta Phi (Magister of Wilson Inn, 1965). Associate Justice, University of Georgia Honor Court, 1963-1965. Judge, Perry Municipal Court, 1966-1972. Deputy Assistant Attorney General, State of Georgia, 1969-1976. Attorney for City of Perry, 1972-1986. State Representative, Georgia General Assembly, 1973-2004. Majority Leader, House of Representatives, 1986-2004. 1984 International Business Fellow. Chairman, State Legislative Leaders Foundation, 1998-2001. Member, Georgia Department of Transportation Board, January 2007 – June 2009, representing Georgia s Eighth Congressional District. ...

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...

David A. Stevens is an attorney at the Atlanta veterans disability legal office, McElreath & Stevens, LLC. He has been practicing law since 2002, and is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Dekalb Bar Association, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives. At the firm, Mr. Stevens is committed to helping veterans obtain the benefits they deserve. To find out about retaining the representation of Attorney Stevens, contact the firm today!

A law practice specializing in civil and criminal litigation. Rabb offers experienced, aggressive and compassionate representation. Rabb has been representing clients in courts throughout middle Georgia for over 15 years. Call him today at 478-971-4886 for a consultation.

In 2023, David was part of the trial team that obtained a $38.6 million verdict in a complex medical malpractice case. In 2022, he was lead counsel in two medical malpractice jury trials and obtained jury verdicts for his clients in each. In addition to trial work, David is routinely retained to represent clients in complex appellate matters with outstanding results. David has argued, and won, cases at the Georgia Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Georgia Court of Appeals. Before forming starting his own firm, David practiced for a decade at the premier medical malpractice...

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...

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...

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.

Brandon strives to be a great listener, counselor, and advocate, in that order. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University, magna cum laude, and then went on to graduate in the top half of his class at the University of Georgia School of Law.

Prior to graduation from law school Brandon excelled in his externship which landed him a job as an Assistant District Attorney for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit. While at the DA’s office, Brandon grew comfortable in the courtroom, successfully obtaining winning jury verdicts in all but his very first trial.

After departing the DA’s office, Brandon spent...

Attorney Jeff Fouts’ family has been living in North Georgia since 1860. Jeff and his wife, Laura, have two children, Alex and Eden. Jeff is a member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia (since 1993), the State Bar of Atlanta, and the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and has attended the Investment Training Institute and has received financial planning training. He formerly held a license as a registered investment advisor to assist clients with financial planning. When not working on his clients’ behalf, Jeff...

David N. Soloway is a principal in Frazier, Soloway & Kennedy, P.C. He graduated from Emory University School of Law (’82) and Duke University (’79). His immigration law experience includes arguing Ardestani v. INS before the U.S. Supreme Court (1991), a case of national importance addressing the applicability of the Equal Access to Justice Act to certain types of immigration cases. He currently is Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Chapter covering Georgia and Alabama, has served on the Chapter’s Executive Committee since 2008, and has served as Chair of the Chapter’s Liaison Committee with the U.S. Citizenship...