Griffin Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

Tom joined Pate & Johnson in 2017 after graduating with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law.

While in law school, Tom honed his trial advocacy skills competing as a member of the moot court and mock trial teams. He also earned awards for achieving the highest marks in his Torts and Constitutional Law classes.

In his last year of school, Tom served as a research assistant to Professors Dan T. Coenen and Michael Wells, where his work focused on constitutional law, the early history of the U.S. Constitution, and civil rights litigation. Tom was also one of a few...

Alex Susor is the founder of the Law Offices of Alex Susor in Decatur, Georgia. His practice consists of state and federal criminal defense, post-conviction criminal appeals, petitions for habeas corpus relief, plaintiff’s personal injury claims, and representation of K-12 public school teachers in Georgia Teacher Fair Dismissal Act and Professional Standards Commission administrative hearings. Alex was a co-recipient of the 2009 Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers "Case of the Year" Award for his successful appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court of the state’s kidnapping statute and has been invited to testify as an expert before the Georgia Senate and...

From the day I started working in the field until today, I have learned the practice of criminal and appellate law from some of the finest attorneys in the country. I respect my clients and their families above all else and am keenly sympathetic to the fact that, when most of them come to me, they have already been through the difficult and emotionally wrenching process that is a criminal trial, only to lose and find themselves or somone they love very much subject to a long term in prison. I never promise anything to my clients other than the...

Kate fiercely believes that everyone has the right to a fair trial and an excellent lawyer. She brings an unmatched passion for justice and a discerning academic eye to every case she works on. Beginning her career as a public defender, Kate gained significant experience representing the poor in the State and Superior Courts of Clarke and DeKalb County, Georgia. During her time in public defense, she handled hundreds of cases and spent thousands of hours in the courtroom fighting for her clients. She has argued dozens of pre-trial motions and successfully kept the prosecution from being able to introduce illegally-collected...

Born and raised in Macon, I am a lifelong member of the Middle Georgia community where I live with my wife and family. After attending Mckibben Lane Elementary School, I graduated as valedictorian from Tattnall Square Academy. I then attended Furman University and graduated in 1983 with a double major in History and Political Science. In 1986, I graduated from The University of Georgia School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia that same year. To the practice of law, I bring the values of hard work, fair play and respect for others that I learned...

Yasha Heidari is a founding member of Heidari Power Law Group LLC (H&P). He is well known both for his litigation focus and for his versatility. Yasha has given lectures and presided over seminars in many areas of the law, including ethics law, administrative and regulatory law, best business practices, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and the role of Intellectual Property in the age of digital media. Moreover, Yasha has presented numerous papers with topics ranging from modern day questions concerning technology to complex game-theory models at the London School of Economics. Yasha holds a juris doctor...

Albert Wan is an attorney based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in criminal defense and civil rights litigation. He is admitted to practice in Georgia and New York courts. To learn more about Mr. Wan and his law practice please visit his website at: http://www.albertwanlaw.com

State prosecutor for over 11 years; have tried over 100 felony cases, including 2 death penalty cases. As a defense attorney since then, I have specialized in appeals of criminal convictions, achieving a very high reversal rate. Currently actively engaged in a death penalty appeal, awaiting the docketing notice from the Georgia Supreme Court. Criminal law is all that I have done in my career, and I have a passion for the work I do. I also have a deep commitment to my clients. As I tell all of my clients and potential...

I have been specializing in criminal law for 20 years, the first 7 years as a prosecutor. For the last 13 years, I have been defending individuals charged with crimes ranging from misdemeanors and traffic offenses to serious violent felonies.

I have years of experience writing appellate briefs. I have written over 40 briefs and litigated over 200 habeas cases. I also have tried many cases including jury and bench trials. I appply this experience when representing my clients. I have an understanding of the justice system from both sides. I will aagressively fight to get my clients' wrongful convictions overturned.

Sydney received her law degree from the University of Alabama after completing her undergraduate studies at Ole Miss. While at the University of Alabama School of Law, Sydney studied criminal law and criminal defense under the current Executive Director and Attorney-in-Chief of the Federal Defenders of New York, and earned top honors for her work in Alabama’s criminal defense clinic. She also served as the Ethics Opinions Editor for Volume 35 of the Journal of the Legal Profession. After graduating from law school, Sydney worked as a Staff Attorney at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Sydney...

Charles R. Beans is a partner in the Atlanta office of Goodman McGuffey Lindsey & Johnson, LLP who defends corporations in general, product liability, toxic tort and appellate litigation. He also speaks on, and has published in these areas. Charles has been named to "Georgia Super Lawyers" by Atlanta Magazine(2004-present). Charles became a member of the State Bar of Georgia in 1988. He is also a member of the American Bar Association (has co-chaired: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, Warnings, and Membership Subcommittees), the Defense Research Institute, the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, ...

Jon Schwartz has environmental litigation experience in state and federal courts. He has represented clients on matters involving the Clean Water Act, storm water runoff, protection of wildlife and habitat, land use, historic preservation, and injuries caused by exposure to toxic substances. Jon was selected to the Georgia Super Lawyers list and Atlanta Magazine recognized him as a “rising star” in environmental litigation.

Jonathan Marcus Woods is a board certified Attorney with years of experience in trial and appellate law. He is a native of New York City, graduated from Princeton University and the Florida State University College of Law. Before entering law school, Jon enjoyed a successful first career as a local government official in South Florida and then as a political consultant. After law school, Jon served as an electronic discovery consultant to Fortune 500 companies. Before joining Hunker Appeals, Jon distinguished himself as a trial attorney in the state courts of Georgia with a focus on business litigation, residential and commercial...

Attorney Jacob Rhein represents people who have been harmed by the negligence, dishonesty, or incompetence of lawyers and other fiduciaries. He also represents individuals who have suffered serious personal injuries, including in slip and fall and auto accident cases. Rhein has a reputation among his peers for novel legal argument and fierce loyalty to his clients. These abilities are best demonstrated in his results as a “second lawyer.” Rhein frequently spots issues in the law that other lawyers have missed, and is able to craft these issues into effective advocacy at trial, in post-judgment proceedings, and on appeal. Rhein's main...

With more than 20 years experience as one of metro Atlanta's premier criminal defense lawyers, David S. West has been recognized throughout Georgia and the southeast for his success defending difficult and high-profile criminal cases. Awarded America's coveted Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America award in 2013 and featured on CNN, FoxNews, 48 Hours and numerous other media outlets, Mr. West is now widely recognized as a leading criminal defense lawyer in his field. Mr. West is a Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, as well as the National Organization for the Reform of...

Brandon L. Peak is a partner at Peak Wooten McDaniel & Colwell LLP, where he has successfully litigated trucking, personal injury, product liability, and class action cases in courts throughout the nation. In 2019, he was lead counsel in a $280 million wrongful death trucking verdict, the largest verdict in a trucking case in American history. Brandon has personally been involved in cases with verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 billion. He enjoys helping clients get their lives back together and, if necessary, trying cases to juries. After graduating summa cum laude from The Citadel and magna...

State Bar of Georgia, 1980 Member: State Bar of Georgia (Family Law, Fiduciary Law sections) Gwinnett County Bar Association (Family Law and Elder Law sections) Education: University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., 1980) University of Georgia (B.A., magna cum laude, 1976); Phi Beta Kappa Publications: Domestic Relations, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, 1979-1980, 32 Mercer Law Review 51 (1980). Domestic Relations, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, 1980-1981, 33 Mercer Law Review 109 (1981).

Stewart Bratcher is a trial attorney with over a decade of experience in Georgia courtrooms. Upon graduation from law school in 2005 he accepted a position as an Assistant District Attorney in the Cherokee Judicial Circuit (Bartow and Gordon Counties) where he remained employed until founding The Bratcher Firm. While employed as a prosecutor, Stewart handled thousands of criminal cases ranging from traffic violations to capital murder and tried over 100 cases to verdict before a jury or judge in Superior Court. As the office appellate specialist, Stewart served as appellate counsel in more than 20 cases and orally argued...

Michael is the only all family law attorney to win unanimous decisions before both The Supreme Court of Georgia and The Supreme Court of Georgia. In addition, Michael has won before The Supreme Court of Costa Rica. He is admitted to practice in all Georgia courts and federal courts in the Northern and Middle District of Georgia, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. With over 25 years of experience, he has successfully represented thousands of family members in state, federal and international family law cases including divorce, custody, parental kidnapping, paternity, legitimation,...