Whitfield County Lawyers

I was born in suburban Chicago, grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and attended Wake Forest University. After working for a large law firm while in college and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics, I attended Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta.

During law school, I interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. There, I was involved in the prosecution of federal drug, fraud, and white collar crime cases. I was also given the rare opportunity as an intern to make arguments and question witnesses in a mail fraud jury trial in which...

Teresa Ross, a South Carolina native, graduated with honors from the College of Charleston with a degree in Communications. While in law school, Teresa clerked for Judge Lana Layton of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and also prosecuted misdemeanor crimes at the Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office. Teresa was a member of the Bleckley Inn of Court and was chosen as a Pupil of the Year in the Weltner Inn of Court. Amongst other distinguished honors, Teresa Ross earned the national Custer-Tuggle Award for excellence in family law. That same year, she earned her Juris Doctor with honors from Georgia State...

Scott understands that businesses approach the legal world from a different perspective than most people do. Having worked for a mutual fund company before attending law school, Scott was able to learn how businesses approach their legal obligations. While in law school, Scott learned the importance of conveying complex ideas in an understandable manner. During law school Scott learned how to speak to diverse audiences. He competed as a member of the Emory Moot Court Society arguing before judges and attorneys from all over Georgia and completed coursework trying cases before real juries. The combination of Scott’s background in business...

Robert S. Horlick of the Horlick Law Firm is an aggressive and accomplished criminal defense attorney with over five years of trial and practice experience in all types of criminal cases. From arrest to disposition and beyond, in Juvenile, State, and Superior Courts throughout the State of Georgia, Atlanta attorney Robert Horlick provides zealous and personalized representation to his clients in matters ranging from traffic offenses and DUIs, to all misdemeanors and felonies, including issues involving bond, probation, appeal, and Habeas Corpus proceedings. Robert Horlick received his B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 2001, and graduated from the Georgia...

I am David Lunel, Esq., an attorney licensed to practice law in the United States as a member of the State Bar of Georgia and in France through the Paris Court of Appeals. My passion lies in helping clients navigate the complexities of U.S. immigration law. I guide current immigration legislation, assist with nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applications, and frequently attend interviews at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). I also represent clients in removal proceedings before immigration courts and advocate for refugees in their asylum applications. Additionally, I litigate cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the United...

I represent both plaintiffs and defendants in a range of cases involving business and employment disputes. My background in the entertainment industry and work with high-profile clients have equipped me with a unique set of skills for managing complex business issues and sensitive workplace disputes. I concentrate on helping creatives, entrepreneurs, and entertainment-focused small and medium-sized businesses, as well as their employees and contractors. My practice covers various matters such as defamation, contractual torts, sexual harassment, discrimination, payment disputes, and breach of contract.

I'm Maha, a Georgia native born to immigrant parents from Egypt. I went to the University of Georgia where I obtained my B.A. in International Affairs and then Georgia State University for law school. I love cooking, international travel, watching the Dawgs play football, and my dog Janet.

Justin Allen Chin founded his first company at the age of 15. Through his success, his law firm is the leading and most specialized family law firm in Georgia, having litigated hundreds of cases and achieving the goals of his clients. Specifically, he helps clients establish custody of child(ren), increased parenting time with child(ren), and child support for child(ren). He has authored the book “Custody and Divorce in Georgia: First Edition”, graduated from Charlotte Christian School as Valedictorian of the Class of 2001 and Student Body President of the High School, graduated from Georgia Tech in Engineering on a full-ride...

Tom is a former federal prosecutor who represents businesses and individuals in government investigations, False Claims Act litigation, complex civil litigation, and white collar criminal defense. Before founding Griffin Durham Tanner and Clarkson, Tom led a nationally recognized Department of Justice unit responsible for prosecuting complex civil and criminal fraud out of the Southern District of Georgia. In addition to his supervisory responsibilities, he led some of the office’s most complex and significant criminal cases in the office. During his tenure with the Department of Justice, he tried cases involving public corruption, health care fraud, pill mills, wire/mail fraud, and violent...

"Business owners are hard-working, innovative, optimistic, and inspiring people. I take pride in helping business owners resolve the legal disputes that stand between them and their success.”

Michael watched a childhood friend’s four-person start-up grow into a multi-million dollar success story, and has been inspired by the power of small business ever since. Unlike most attorneys, Michael listens more than he talks. He understands that every business is different, and he achieves better results for his clients by taking the time to analyze their unique objectives.

Michael won his first breach of contract case a month after he was admitted to the...

Former Medical Association of Georgia Counsel Trish focuses on representing physicians, medical practices and healthcare businesses. She is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a BA in political science and Emory University School of Law. While at Emory Law, Trish focused her degree in health law, authoring several essays on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). She interned with the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) throughout law school and transitioned into the role of Legal Counsel upon graduation.

The granddaughter of two physicians, Trish always has the physician's best interests at heart and has represented over 7,800...

When asked the prominent question, “What do you want to be when you get older?” Essie found it hard to answer because she did not want to choose one career, but wanted to create a unique pathway comprised of many career hats. One thing was certain, she wanted to serve others. Essie is a proud first-generation Nigerian- American born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She has fond memories of attending the annual parade on the boardwalk and watching the 4th of July fireworks adorn the night sky alongside the illuminating casino lights. After over ten years in Georgia, she is now...

SHAUN C. SOUTHWORTH founded Southworth PC. As an employment attorney, his practice focuses on representing employees and former employees in all areas of employment law, nationwide. He carefully selects his clients and aggressively and doggedly represents them. Mr. Southworth is a graduate of the Duke University School of Law, where at graduation he received the "Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Labor and Employment Law," an award not given every year. He was also named the Neill James Blue Scholar. After Duke, Mr. Southworth was a labor and employment associate at an "AmLaw 100" law firm. As an employment...

Julian A. Fortuna is a at Partner Greenspoon Marder LLP where he practices business and tax law with a focus on tax planning and representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and various other tax authorities. He also handles estate and trust tax matters. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Fortuna was Vice President and General Tax Counsel for InterContinental Hotels Group ("IHG"). During his eleven year tenure at IHG, Mr. Fortuna managed a team of tax professionals responsible for structuring the domestic and international tax impacts of numerous mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and other corporate transactions, as...

Mr. Cirino, originally a mechanical engineer, began his career working for a major automaker. He returned to school to pursue a legal education. After successfully completing law school, Mr. Cirino worked in both public service prosecuting patent applications for university professors and at a major law firm. Mr. Cirino has hands-on experience prosecuting patents and securing intellectual property rights across a wide range of technical disciplines. He prides himself on taking a personal interest in his client’s goals, and his ability to quickly understand new inventions.

Having practiced more than 50 years, I now principally serve as an arbitrator through IACPR and AAA and provide services as an expert witness. I retired from Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan and later from King & Spalding.

As a former U.S. Army pilot, special operations soldier, and combat veteran, Tim is a fighter and a steady hand in tumultuous times. His aggressive litigation style has led to client successes in cases ranging from complex multi-party/multi-million-dollar real estate disputes, to disputes with lenders, contractors, and homeowners' associations.

Tim represents real estate investors, developers, private equity, lenders, landlords, homeowner associations, real estate professionals, and small to mid-size businesses throughout Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. His typical disputes include breaches of contract, real estate investor issues, commercial and residential construction issues, homeowner association issues, and commercial collections.

Howard D. Rothbloom began practicing bankruptcy law in 1986. His practice areas include counseling individual and business clients in debt related matters and the representation of clients in cases filed under chapters 7, 13 and 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Mr. Rothbloom earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia in 1981 and a Law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1984. Mr. Rothbloom is a leading authority on consumer bankruptcy law in Georgia and frequently speaks at lawyer seminars. In 2014, he was selected by his...

With a wealth of experience in criminal defense, family law, and mediation, Kristal brings a unique perspective to her practice. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science from Spelman College and later earned her Doctor of Law from Emory University. Kristal's passion for understanding legal systems across borders led her to Sydney, Australia, where she studied comparative international health and environmental law while in law school. Following her graduation, Kristal served as a law clerk for The Honorable Lenwood A. Jackson and worked as a prosecuting attorney before establishing her own successful practice. With a deep...

A native of Thomasville, Georgia, Jesse grew up watching his father and grandfather run a small business on the family farm. Jesse learned at a young age that exceptional quality and a friendly, "service first" approach are the keys to making clients happy; that's why client satisfaction is always the top priority at The Law Office of Jesse Adams.

Jesse earned his law degree from Florida State University in 2010. While in law school, he served in student government, worked in the Florida House of Representatives, interned with the Innocence Project of Florida, clerked for a prominent Tampa attorney, and studied...

I have over twelve years of experience representing injured workers, accident victims, and people seeking social security disability benefits. I have never represented an insurance company because I want to help people rather than corporations.

M. Brandon Smith is a partner with Childers, Schlueter & Smith, LLC where his practice focuses on the rights and interests of individuals seriously injured through the negligence and omissions of others. Brandon’s practice is devoted to pharmaceutical litigation, mass torts, products liability, and serious personal injury. Following law school, Brandon was an assistant district attorney in the Alcovy Circuit, where he gained valuable trial experience and a desire to help individuals harmed by the careless actions of others. Today Brandon utilizes his skills to help injured victims nationwide, and he is a frequent guest speaker at legal seminars all...

Bruce Steinfeld is a shareholder in the Atlanta, Georgia, firm of Steinfeld & Steinfeld, P.C., specializing in family law. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and a Member of the Georgia Chapter of the AAML. He is a Master in the Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law Inn of Court, Past-Chair of the Family Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association, and former Editor of its newsletter, The Family Lawyer. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY, and his J.D. degree from Emory University School of...

Austin Merck Smith is a personal injury attorney with Merck Law, LLC. He is licensed in Georgia and South Carolina.

I represent people and families who have been critically injured or killed because of other’s negligence or wrongful conduct. From the minute you hire me, I’ll dig in. I’ll get out to the scene of the incident to investigate. I’ll hunt for witnesses and physical evidence. I’ll visit nearby businesses to look for camera footage. I’ll start building your case for trial from the very beginning of your case. My hard work adds value to your case. Experience and results matter. I started my career handling catastrophic personal injury cases, complex business cases, and appeals. ...

Alyssa specializes in the practice areas of product liability, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and sexual assault. She has worked on a number of cases tried to verdict since she began practicing, and has experience in every stage of litigation.

During college, Alyssa volunteered as a crisis hotline responder and at the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. It was these experiences and the desire to help individuals suffering through unspeakable tragedies that drew her to plaintiff’s work. Alyssa has built a reputation of working hard, working fast, and always going the extra mile for her clients, and...

Johnny Ramirez Castaneda has been practicing law in the areas of criminal law and family law since 1999. Mr. Castaneda has handled thousands of cases.

Sarah Siedentopf is an estate and probate attorney who helps clients with wills, trusts, end of life planning, probate, and strategies for avoiding probate. She is particularly passionate about helping individuals and families navigate complicated, emotional issues and making the process as easy and stress-free as possible.

Sarah understands how important it is to maintain communication with her clients. They are entrusting her with a very significant part of their lives, and accordingly, they should stay involved with the process. Sarah ensures that clients will always be informed about what is happening in their cases.

Sarah earned her law degree from the...

John W. Chambers, Jr. is a graduate of Emory University and Emory University School of Law. He graduated with distinction from the Emory University School of Law in 1979 with a Doctor of Law degree and was a member of the Order of the Coif. John W. Chambers, Jr. has an AV (R) Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Rating. ("CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies."