Best Contract Lawyers in Atlanta
Gail M. Walton
Contract Lawyer
Gail M. Walton possesses more than twenty-five years of experience as a lawyer. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the George Washington University Law School, she has licenses to practice law in the states of New York and Georgia and is admitted to the Eastern and Southern United States District and Bankruptcy Courts of New York.
Ms. Walton has extensive legal experience in varied areas of the law. She served as a former Assistant District Attorney in King’s County (Brooklyn) New York; and as an Assistant General Counsel for the New York City Department of Probation and the New York City Housing Authority. She developed her interest and knowledge of Immigration Law initially as a law school student volunteering at the school’s Immigration Law Clinic assisting residents in Washington, D. C., and after her graduation at a law firm in Manhattan that specialized in Immigration Law. She spent several years as a law guardian in the Family Courts of New York City where she was involved in abuse and neglect hearings, custody, guardianship and other related issues and defended youths charged with acts of juvenile delinquency. She provided oversight to children in foster care as a result of proceedings in Juvenile Court in DeKalb County Georgia as a member of the County’s Juvenile Court Citizen Review Panel.
Prior to establishing her law firm, Ms. Walton worked with a not-for-profit legal service provider in Brooklyn, New York that concentrated on assisting individuals with bankruptcy, immigration and family law matters. She has also served as an Administrative Law Judge in New York adjudicating traffic violations.
Toqeer Chouhan
Contract Lawyer
Toqeer Chouhan is the founding partner of The Chouhan Law Firm. Toqeer is a Georgia native who understands local clients’ business and legal needs. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Finance and Marketing from Berry College. Toqeer obtained his law degree from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law and also has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Kennesaw State University.
Attorney Chouhan has represented large corporate and small business clients in all aspects of legal stages, including jury trials to verdict.
Toqeer Chouhan serves as an appointed part-time Cobb County Magistrate Judge, and is honored to serve the local community in this role. In addition, Toqeer is a trained mediator offering dispute resolution services, giving him the chance to assist parties in peacefully resolving their issues in a neutral setting. Toqeer has also been selected as one of 100 Influential Georgia Muslims by the Islamic Speakers Bureau (ISB) of Atlanta.
Clark Karell
Contract Lawyer
Clark’s journey as a dedicated advocate continued after graduating Cum Laude from law school. He exclusively focuses on assisting individuals injured by the negligence of others, emphasizing litigation to ensure the best outcomes for his clients when insurance companies fall short in addressing the severity of their injuries.
Over the years, Clark has handled hundreds of cases, recovering millions of dollars for his clients and participating in numerous bench trials and jury trials to verdict—all with an unwavering commitment to securing proper compensation for his clients.
At Karell Trial Attorneys, Clark’s determination and dedication drive our mission to provide top-quality representation, fighting passionately for the rights of injured individuals and delivering the justice they rightfully deserve.
Alex Meier
Contract Lawyer
Alex represents individuals and companies in employment disputes. Prior to joining Lee Meier, Alex was a Partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of the leading management-side employment law firms in the United States. Alex’s clients looked to him to resolve their most difficult and nuanced employment cases. Alex also maintains an active practice in restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation.
Alex now leverages that experience on behalf of employees and focuses his practice on representing executives and other high-level employees. He knows where and how companies build defenses against employment claims and their playbooks for avoiding the disclosure of unfavorable information, as well as how to leverage pressure points for organizations to maximize value. Alex also maintains a limited practice defending companies in employment claims, which enables him to provide balanced and objective assessments to his clients on both sides of the “v.”
Alex is passionate about using technology and generative artificial intelligence to obtain exceptional results for his clients. Alex enjoys leveraging his fluency with forensic tools and complex data sources to discover information other attorneys miss and develop novel support for his clients’ positions.
Alex regularly publishes and presents about employment and restrictive covenant issues and is a member of The Sedona Conference Working Group 12 on trade secrets and a member of the drafting committee on forensic issues in trade secret litigation. Alex is a former Fellow for Lawyers for Civil Justice, an organization devoted to improving the civil justice system through procedural reform. He was recognized as an outstanding contributor for his work on proposed revisions to district court local rules. Alex is also a member of the ABA Committee on Non-Competes, as well as a member of the Atlanta Bar Association and National Employment Lawyers Association.
Jason McLendon
Contract Lawyer
Philip A. Ordonez, Esq.
Contract Lawyer
Philip Ordonez has been involved in the music industry in a variety of capacities since he was 13, when he began working at a large music festival in South Florida. From artist relations, to production, to performance, Philip has experience interfacing with artists, performing on stage, and working behind the scenes. He is a percussionist who toured regionally for several years and still occasionally plays around his current hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Philip brings his wide range of experience to the table to assist in all aspects of the entertainment industry.
Philip is an honors graduate of the Emory University School of Law, where he served as a class representative and later as the VP of Entertainment for the Sports & Entertainment Law Society and he was also a founding executive board member of the first graduate student performance organization, the Emory Entertainment Alliance, which facilitated the first Emory Law School band, Disorder in the Court. Philip successfully completed the Transactional Law Certificate Program. Philip is proficient in Spanish.
For several years before and during law school, Philip worked at a national law firm as an insurance defense paralegal assisting on a variety of cases including motor-vehicle accidents, premises liability, and construction defect. For his first year out of law school, he worked as a litigator handling several high-profile premises liability cases for a boutique insurance defense firm before joining The Seay Firm.
Philip’s current practice includes assisting artists and businesses navigate the entertainment industry, from album clearances to music festivals.
LAUREN BRIGGS
Contract Lawyer
Lauren joined Downs Law as a Paralegal and has since advanced to the position of Associate Attorney where she focuses on civil litigation and landlord/tenant disputes. She brings to the firm experience as a Deputy Court Clerk with both Clayton and Cobb Counties, as well as experience as a Litigation Legal Assistant in the realm of personal injury.
Born and raised in Atlanta, Lauren also attended Georgia State University in Downtown Atlanta where she received her B.A. in Political Science. She then entered the workforce as a full-time employee by day, and a part-time, evening law student by night. After four long years of balancing work and law school, Lauren earned her J.D. from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Lauren is also a Registered Neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.
In her spare time, she enjoys walks along the Atlanta Beltline and quality time spent with her husband & yorkie, Prince.
Brittanie Allen
Contract Lawyer
Attorney Brittanie E. Allen is from Greenville, South Carolina. She graduated Cum Laude from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, concentration in Pre-Law. Ranked in the top 10% of her class, she earned her Juris Doctor from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Brittanie is an Associate at The Moore Law Group, a full-service law firm. The Moore Law Group has the expertise to handle a wide variety of litigation and transactional matters. Their practice areas include, but are not limited to: Commercial Litigation, Consumer Bankruptcy, Commercial Bankruptcy, and Personal Injury.
Prior to being admitted into the State Bar of Georgia, Brittanie practiced as a Public Defender at the City of Atlanta’s Public Defender’s Office under the Student Practice Act, where she provided representation to clients at preliminary bond hearings. While in law school, Brittanie was awarded Best Appellee Brief in the 2L Oral Advocacy Competition, Cali Excellence for the Future Award for achieving the highest average in her Legal Writing I and II courses, and Top Scoring Appellee in 2L Oral Arguments. She was a Legal Writing Teaching Assistant and a Staff Editor on the Atlanta’s John Marshall Law Review.
Brittanie is a member of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA), the Gate City Bar Association, and the National Bar Association.
Can Your Albany Injury Lawyer Still Sue for Damages if You Were Trespassing?
In Albany, the question of whether an injury lawyer can sue for damages if a person was trespassing is nuanced and depends on several legal principles. While the general rule is that property owners owe no duty of care to trespassers, there are exceptions that may allow a trespasser to pursue a claim for damages. Understanding these exceptions and the implications of comparative negligence is crucial for anyone who finds themselves in such a situation.
Understanding Trespassing and Premises Liability
General Rule
Under New York law, property owners are not required to ensure the safety of individuals who trespass on their land. This principle stems from the idea that individuals should not expect protection when they enter someone else’s property without permission. Therefore, if a person is injured while trespassing, they typically cannot recover damages from the property owner.
Exceptions to the Rule
However, there are specific exceptions where a trespasser might still be able to sue for damages:
- Attractive Nuisance Doctrine: This legal doctrine protects children who may be attracted to hazardous conditions on a property, such as swimming pools or construction sites. If a child is injured because they were drawn to an attractive nuisance, the property owner may be held liable.
- Reckless or Wanton Conduct: If the property owner acted with reckless disregard for the safety of others, even trespassers may have grounds for a lawsuit. For example, if a homeowner knowingly set traps or created dangerous conditions specifically to harm trespassers, they could be held liable.
- Permission Granted: If a trespasser can prove they had permission to be on the property, either explicitly or implicitly (for instance, through past interactions), they may be able to pursue damages.
Proving Your Case
For an Albany injury lawyer to successfully argue that their client was not trespassing or that an exception applies, they must gather substantial evidence. This can include:
- Witness Testimonies: Statements from individuals who can confirm that the trespasser had permission or that dangerous conditions existed.
- Documentation: Text messages or emails showing prior interactions with the property owner can support claims of implied permission.
- Photographic Evidence: Images of hazardous conditions that contributed to the injury can bolster a claim.
Comparative Negligence in New York
Even if a trespasser qualifies under one of the exceptions, their ability to recover damages may still be affected by New York’s comparative negligence laws. Under this framework:
- A plaintiff can recover damages even if they are partially at fault for their injuries.
- However, their compensation will be reduced by their percentage of fault.
- If the plaintiff is found to be more than 50% at fault, they cannot recover any damages.
For instance, if a trespasser was injured while climbing over a fence onto someone’s property and was found to be 30% at fault due to their actions, any awarded damages would be reduced by that percentage.
The Role of an Albany Injury Lawyer
Given these complexities, consulting with an experienced Albany injury lawyer is essential for anyone injured while trespassing. An attorney can help determine whether there is a viable case based on:
- The circumstances surrounding the injury.
- The nature of the property where the injury occurred.
- Any evidence available that supports claims of negligence or exceptions to liability.
Legal Strategy
A skilled attorney will develop a legal strategy tailored to the specifics of the case. This could involve:
- Gathering Evidence: Collecting all necessary documentation and witness statements.
- Negotiating Settlements: Engaging with insurance companies or opposing counsel to negotiate fair compensation.
- Litigation: If negotiations fail, preparing for trial by building a robust case demonstrating liability and minimizing perceived fault.
Conclusion
In summary, while it is generally challenging for individuals injured while trespassing to sue for damages in Albany, exceptions exist that may provide pathways for recovery. The complexities of premises liability law and comparative negligence necessitate professional legal guidance. An adept Albany injury lawyer can navigate these intricacies and advocate effectively on behalf of their clients, ensuring that all potential avenues for compensation are explored and pursued diligently.