FIRM NEWS
The firm is pleased to announce that Brian Bojo has joined McRae, Stegall & Peek as an associate. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a tax consultant at Deloitte & Touche LLP in Atlanta, and worked in private practice in Rome. Brian will focus his practice in the areas of estate planning and probate law.
Jo Stegall, a partner, recently defended an Ohio trucking firm against a workers’ compensation claim for a job injury allegedly occurring in Georgia. Jo obtained a complete dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.
Jo Stegall has also been asked to co-chair the annual Workers’ Compensation Law Institute seminar which will be held, as it is traditionally, over a three (3) day period in October on St. Simon’s Island.
Virginia Harman, a partner, recently represented Floyd Healthcare Management, Inc. (FHM) in a declaratory judgment action brought a physician that had worked for FHM, pursuant to which the physician attempted to avoid having to abide by the terms of a covenant not to compete. The judge returned an order in favor of Floyd, thus enforcing the covenant not to compete.
Virginia Harman recently defended a client at a construction arbitration hearing. The client had been sued for over $200,000.00, and Ms. Harman secured a verdict against the plaintiff and for her client.
Rob Monroe, a partner, recently obtained a significant award of attorneys’ fees in two consolidated matters in Fulton County Superior Court. Mr. Monroe represented a developer of a subdivision in Haralson County who was sued by several residents of the subdivision. After obtaining a directed verdict for the developer after three days of trial in September 2007, Rob filed a motion for attorneys’ fees and expenses of litigation under O.C.G.A. § 9-15-14. In a recent hearing, the trial judge found that the plaintiffs’ claims had no basis in law or fact and were frivolous as a matter of law, and awarded Rob and his client over $44,000.00 in attorneys’ fees. The case styles are Ginger Caruso, et. al. v. James L. Firth and Bonnie Firth, and Ginger Caruso, et. Al. v. Beaver Run, LLC.
The firm’s Cedartown office, with the assistance of some of the attorneys in the Rome office, recently closed a significant transaction involving over fifty (50) parcels of real estate in Polk County from an auction in which two investors were dividing their partnership. Rob Monroe coordinated the closing with the assistance of Robert Bersky, Jordan Knight and Andrew Garner.
Jackson Harris, counsel, recently secured summary judgment for a well-known Rome business man and political leader which included statutory attorneys’ fees followed by an award against the opposing parties and their counsel of over $50,000.00 pursuant to O.C.G.A § 9-15-14. Beyond just winning the case, the opposing party and their counsel paid the firm’s client, pursuant to court order, over $64,000.00 in attorneys’ fees and expenses.
Associates Jordan Knight, Emily Smith and Jason Sanker have helped create a Northwest Georgia Chapter of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia. Jordan, Emily and Jason serve as the President, Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.
Andrew Garner, partner, is currently serving as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Rome Bar Association for 2007-2008. He will be serving as the Vice President in 2008-2009 and President in 2009-2010.
Jordan Knight was recently nominated to be a board member of the Heart of the Community in Rome, Georgia.
