Pike County Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

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...

Nathaniel M. Smith is a born again Christian and a member of Salem Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia. Nathaniel is admitted to practice before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate and Magistrate courts of Georgia. Nathaniel became a member of the Georgia Bar Association in 2009. He became a member of the Henry County Bar Association in 2010. He became a member of CLS (Christian Legal Society, www.clsnet.org) and Christianlawyers.com in 2009. Nathaniel graduated in 2009 from Washington and Lee University School of Law. While pursuing his law degree, he...

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 Akil Kenneth Secret is a licensed attorney in the States of Georgia and Nebraska. His practice focuses on Serious Personal Injury Litigation, Wrongful Death Litigation and Major Criminal Defense. Mr. Secret has represented defendants in numerous high profile state and federal cases. He has tried hundreds of cases with extraordinary success. Mr. Secret has represented Lawyers, Doctors, Accountants, Real Estate Brokers and Agents and Corporate Executives. Attorney Akil Secret attended University of Nebraska and transferred to attend Morehouse College where he pursued his undergraduate studies until 1973 with a major in Political Science. He attended Atlanta Law School and earned...

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...

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.

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, ...

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.

Jess Johnson is one of the best young lawyers in Georgia. He has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in criminal defense and civil litigation by Super Lawyers Magazine for the past several years. While only 2.5% of lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40 receive such an honor, Jess was first named to this list after only 3 years of practice.

Jess has been instrumental in our firm’s success in both trials and appeals. In his very first trial, Jess was awarded an Acquittal Award from the Federal Defender Program for helping our firm win a “not guilty” verdict...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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,...

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...

As a partner in one of the largest law firms in North Georgia, Rustin defended insurance companies and large businesses before co-founding Smith Hulsey. He has handled cases in both federal and state courts, appearing in U.S. District Courts and counties throughout Georgia. He has argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia, and litigated appeals in the Georgia Court of Appeals and U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. Rustin graduate magna cum laude from the University of Georgia before attending Emory University School of Law, where he was selected for the Dean’s List, received the Dean’s Award, and was recommended...

We understand that being accused of a crime can be stressful and you have important questions. We can provide easily understandable answers at this critical time.

Through years of experience handling complex and demanding criminal cases, Vic Wiegand has gained a reputation for getting results.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients and fight for their rights. A tough minded and determined litigator.

Morris earned his Juris Doctorate at Georgia State University's College of Law in 2013 and his Bachelor of Science in International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2006. After completing his undergraduate degree, Morris considered a career in academic philosophy. This plan changed after Morris completed the "Philosophy of Law" course at Georgia State University, when he realized that while philosophers typically end their discussions with journal entries, jurists end theirs with court orders backed by the power of the state. Morris has wide-ranging litigation experience, including family law, criminal defense, and personal injury casework, with an overwhelmingly successful...

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...

Arturo Corso is the founder of The Corso Law Center with offices in Atlanta and Gainesville. He is also the founder of The International Law Center in Washington, D.C. His focus is criminal law with an international focus, serving clients in Georgia, Washington, New York, Mexico, and South America whether State or Federal prosecution. He also defends those targeted by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (O.F.A.C.). Focusing his practice primarily on criminal defense matters, he provides representation to clients who have been charged with all manner of felonies, misdemeanors, and other matters. Mr. Corso...

Lisa’s client-centered law practice includes advice, counseling, and litigation in all aspects of labor and employment law as well as general business law advice, document drafting and litigation of business disputes. She also utilizes her expertise in legal research and writing and knowledge of the appellate process to provide top-notch representation in civil appeals in both state and federal courts. Most recently, Lisa became registered through the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution as a mediator and arbitrator, and she brings her wide range of legal experience and her ability to see and understand all sides of a dispute to assist...

After defending insurance companies for over ten years, Laura ("Laurie") Vickery Benesh formed Vickery Benesh Law, P.C. to assist victims and their families who have experienced personal injury or wrongful death as a result of automobile accidents, slip and fall, and premises liability. She also assists businesses in disputes resulting from breach of agreements and other matters. Laurie earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Emory University and is AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell. She has successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and throughout Georgia’s state courts. She serves on the Board...