I was born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia. I have lived in South Georgia for my entire life except for a brief time that I spent in Athens, GA while attending law school. I have practiced law since 1988. I have assisted injured workers in their workers’ compensation claims and have defended people accused of all manner of crimes since 1991. My philosophy about the practice of law is that we cannot be every lawyer to every man for every problem. Because of this our firm specializes in three basic areas.

I only provide legal services for injured workers seeking workers’ compensation benefits in the South Georgia area and I handle all types of criminal cases from serious traffic offenses such as DUI and suspended license charges to more serious offenses such as drug charges, serious property crimes such as burglary, theft or damage to property, and crimes against other persons such as violent crimes, sex crimes and murder. I do not handle any other types of cases. The belief in our firm is that we can best provide services to our clients if we spend our time specializing in a few areas of law and knowing those areas thoroughly and completely.

I believe that an unrepresented person in a court case is in a position similar to that of someone waking up in the dark in an unfamiliar house and trying to find their way without hurting themselves. I also believe that part of my job is to light up that room so my client can see where they are going. I use my experience and expertise to do this.

In criminal cases, a client’s life and liberty are usually at stake. For this reason, those clients need specialized attention from a lawyer who knows the law and the parties involved so that the lawyer can most effectively help the client. I have practiced criminal defense law in South Georgia since 1991 and I possess the knowledge and expertise to best help you through this process after your arrest or charge.

In workers’ compensation cases, people who are unrepresented by an attorney are at an extreme disadvantage. The adjusters and lawyers on the opposite side of a case usually specialize in doing one thing and that is the defense of your claim and claims like yours. These people are not on your side and are not there to help you. The job of the opposing adjuster or lawyer is to get the insurance company out of the case as cheaply as possible. This means providing you with as little as possible. I tell my friends and family that they should call me immediately if they have an injury at work. Our firm is dedicated to getting you all of the benefits you deserve including income benefits, permanent disability benefits and the appropriate medical care under the law. I have over 30 years experience each in getting our clients everything in which they are entitled under the law.

We hope you will place your trust in the skill and expertise in our firm and our areas of practice.

AV Preeminent Rated* by Martindale-Hubbell

*AV Preeminent is a certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.

Year Joined Firm

• 1990

Areas of Practice

• 60% Workers’ Compensation for Injured Workers
• 40% Criminal Defense for those arrested and charged with crimes

Litigation Percentage

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Georgia, 1988
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia, 1991

Education

• University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, Georgia
  J.D. – 1988
• Valdosta State College, Valdosta, Georgia
  B.A. – 1985
  Major: Philosophy

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 1991 – Past area Vice President
• Georgia Workers’ Compensation Claimants’ Lawyers – Past Member
• Valdosta Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 1995 – Founding member and past President
• National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) – Legal Committee Member
• Georgia Injured Workers Advocates since 2013

Past Employment Positions

• Clarke County Solicitor’s Office – Athens, GA, Assistant Solicitor, 1989 – 1991
• Judge’s Clerk – South Georgia Judicial Circuit, Clerk, 1988 – 1989