Demorest Lawyers

Joann has been litigating for several decades and has tried cases throughout the country in both State and Federal Court. After having practiced corporate litigation for a number of years, she felt she was in a position to follow her bliss and joined Meriwether & Tharp in June 2013 where she is an equity partner. She attended Emory University for her BA, Auburn University at Montgomery for her Master's in Liberal Arts, and law school at the University of South Carolina. Joann often describes being in court and working on appeals as her chocolate. She has been involved in several high...

Matthew Van Dyke has a service-driven practice with a specific focus of adding value and maximizing efficiencies for the Client. Mr. Van Dyke believes that it takes a cooperative effort in order to accomplish the Client’s goals.

For his business clients, Mr. Van Dyke will work with you to add value to your organization while being efficient and minimizing the risks for litigation. However, if litigation does arise, Mr. Van Dyke will represent your interests zealously, both in the courtroom and in the boardroom. For clients who have been charged with a crime, Matthew will work with you and for you...

Spence is a business attorney who specializes in the representation of small to mid-sized companies in complex disputes, litigation, and transactions. Whether he is helping a closely-held business bring in investors, or litigating contentious partnership breakups, his focus is pragmatic resolution of client issues. When voluntary resolution efforts don't work out, he has a long track record of winning cases for his client in court and arbitration across the U.S. In construction cases, Spence represents owners, contractors, and subcontractors at all phases of the construction process from negotiation of contracts to litigating defect disputes. He also represents clients in disputes...

I began prosecuting felony cases as an Assistant District Attorney in Cherokee County, Georgia, right out of law school. After 10 years in Cherokee County I took over as the Senior Assistant District Attorney in Pickens County, where I prosecuted for 5 years. In 2013, I transitioned into private practice and now represent people who have been charged with committing a crime. After prosecuting for 15 years, I know first-hand that not everyone who has been arrested is guilty, and I work tirelessly to protect my client's rights in court.

Cortney M. Stuart's legal background began with the Superior Court of Athens, Georgia, where she interned while studying as an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, from which she graduated with Bachelors in Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Political Science. She later graduated from the Florida Coastal School of Law, cum laude, receiving her Juris Doctor in May of 2011, subsequently sitting for the Georgia and Tennessee Bars in July of 2011, and being admitted to both in November of 2011. In 2012, she began her career as an associate at the Law Offices of Edwin Marger, LLC. Under Edwin Marger's...

Our clients are innovative 7 and 8 figure companies with national and global reach. They create brands, license software, and distribute content to Fortune 500 enterprises, governmental agencies and strategic partners. The diverse industries we serve include technology, food and beverages, manufacturing, healthcare, finance, consulting and professional services.

We align with middle market business leaders who value agile, responsive legal collaboration, and profit-focused guidance. Many clients are founders, families and friends who've grown their privately held businesses through savvy acumen and faithful perseverance. We commit to your success, and build longstanding relationships as trusted advisors.

Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney with over 20 years of legal experience. Extensive jury trial experience. Experience handling major felony cases such as Murder, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Rape, Robbery, Theft Crimes, and all crimes against persons.

Blaine graduated from Carrollton High School and then attended Vanderbilt University ('90 to '92), before transferring to The University of Georgia, where he received a BA in history, magna cum laude, in 1994. At UGA he was Phi Beta Kappa and a Presidential Scholar (maintaining a 4.0 GPA while at UGA). He received his JD from The University of Georgia School of Law, magna cum laude in 1997. In law school, he was a member of the mock trial board and won four first place trial awards, including the national championship (ATLA) in Denver, CO. He was Order of the...

Lauren practices in the metro-Atlanta and northern Georgia counties as an attorney, mediator, and guardian ad litem. Lauren has exclusively practiced family law since 2007 and is a registered mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. Lauren has been recognized as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2014-2017 and as a Super Lawyer for 2018-2019. For the past 12 years, Lauren has been participated in the Georgia High School Mock Trial Program as an attorney coach and regional competition coordinator. Lauren competed in the High School Mock Trial Program as a student at North Forsyth High School and remains...

Gabriel Bradford, a former member of the Sarasota County Fire Department, is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia. While in law school, Gabe served on the School of Law’s Honor Court. Prior to joining the firm as a partner, Mr. Bradford served as an assistant district attorney in the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, which includes Banks, Barrow, and Jackson Counties. As an assistant district attorney, Gabe received trial training from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia and developed an expertise in domestic violence. Today,...

Philip Stewart is a Partner with Oberman Law Firm in Cumming, Georgia. His extensive experience includes both the acquisition and sale of various companies throughout the country working with strategic, private equity, and venture capital groups as well as representing his clients with other corporate matters. He received his BA in History with a minor in Spanish from Brigham Young University, then graduated magna cum laude from Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University where he received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Legal Writing and was a member of the mock trial team and Dean’s List. Philip...

On the morning of July 3, 2003, I was driving to cover Court for another attorney during a tropical storm, when I was blown off the road by the intense rain and high winds. I was informed by a third party whose judgment and observation I trust that my estimation of time during that period was very wrong. I spent a short time in a medically-induced coma, followed by about three weeks of being unconscious. The accident left me paralyzed on my right side, and I spent approximately four to five months after I awoke re-learning...

Attorney Oliver Ladd represents injured and disabled workers throughout North Georgia with a focus on Worker’s Compensation claims. Oliver and his team will fight on your behalf to get the maximum benefits you are owed under the law.

Too often, injured workers give up the fight for what they are owed because the system is so stressful and confusing. Don’t let it happen to you. Call Oliver today for a free consultation at (770) 534-5265.


Stow, Garvin & Glenn is based in Gainesville, Georgia and has been serving the community for more than 50 years. Our community is important to us...

JD Univ. of Ga. Law School 1986 LLM in Taxation Emory University 1994 Litigated thousands of cases.

Over the years, I've worked in many different areas of the law. Of all legal practice areas, the work I enjoy most is defending against debt collection efforts and and protecting people against unlawful collection practices. The reason is that it's one of the few areas where a lawyer can not only make clients happy, but exceed their expectations. Sometimes, being a lawyer is little more than "mop up" duty. The damage is already done and the lawyers are just there to help with the clean-up. It can also involve high stakes and place attorneys and their clients under enormous...

Ruslyn D. Ruby has practiced law since 2017. She focuses her practice on family law, probate and general civil litigation. She was born and raised in Georgia and has lived in Forsyth County since her childhood. Mrs. Ruby graduated with a bachelors degree in Business Management, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina Aiken. While at USC-Aiken, she was the captain of the cheerleading squad and a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. In 2016, Ruslyn received her Juris Doctorate from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law. While in law school, she was a member of the Association of...

Jennifer D. Patterson opened her first law firm in 1995 in Cumming, Georgia. Since then, she has enjoyed serving clients in the North Georgia area for the last twenty years. Jennifer focuses her practice on all issues related to families including divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence and contempt issues.

She regularly handles matters which may be high conflict, including cases involving psychological custody evaluations, family owned businesses and retirement division.

As the mother of four children, she has a true understanding of the heart wrenching decisions that have to be made in custody and parenting matters and has guided her...

Meghan Ryan Noblett has practiced family law since her admission to the Georgia Bar in 2009. She has experience handling all matters relating to family law in the Magistrate Court, Superior Court and Juvenile Court. Born in Norwalk, Connecticut and raised in Roswell, Georgia, Mrs. Noblett earned her bachelors degree in English, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia in 2006. While at UGA, she was a National Merit Scholar, a United Parcel Service James E. Casey Merit Scholar, a UGA Charter Scholar, and a member of the UGA Honors Program. She also spent a semester studying abroad at Oxford...

Amanda Dean has devoted her practice of law for and on behalf of children. Attorney Dean currently serves as Judge Pro Tem of the Dawson County and Hall County Juvenile Courts. Attorney Dean was previously selected by the Georgia Attorney General to be a Special Assistant Attorney General and represented the Hall County Department of Family and Children Services in Hall County Juvenile Court. Attorney Dean handles dependency cases arising from allegations of abuse or neglect of children. As a lawyer, Attorney Dean is actively involved in all aspects of the court process from the initial...

Attorney Jason R. Manton earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration in 1995 from Furman University in South Carolina, and his Juris Doctorate degree in 1998 from Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia. He is a member of numerous associations including the Forsyth County Bar Association, the Cobb County Bar Association, the Atlanta Bar Association, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice. Mr. Manton has been practicing law for 15 years, and is the founding partner at the Cumming personal injury firm, The Manton Law Firm, LLC. Attorney Manton...

Neena Saxena is a dedicated, honest, and empathetic attorney who focuses on all issues related to families including divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, legitimation, alimony, property division, adoption, modifications and contempt issues. Neena is passionate about her clients and the law and experienced to handle all family law matters.

Neena grew up in Johns Creek and received her Bachelor of Science in Management with a Certificate in Operations Management from Georgia Institute of Technology. She obtained her law degree from Florida State University, College of Law and is a trained mediator. During her spare time, Neena spends her time with...

Chris Fairchild is an Associate at Johnson Marlowe, LLP. His practice focuses on construction, real property, and business litigation matters as well as serious personal injury cases.

Chris’ construction practice focuses on representing owners, developers, and general contractors in litigation involving construction defect actions, payment disputes, and lien foreclosures. He is also experienced representing residential builders and homeowners in matters involving breaches of warranty, construction defect, and fraudulent business practices.

Prior to joining Johnson Marlowe, LLP, Chris worked at a boutique business and real estate firm, as well as at a large insurance defense firm in Atlanta, GA, allowing him to gain...

Athens real estate attorney Monica Lee “Molly” K. Talley joined Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. in 1998 and has been assisting clients with a number of complex legal issues ever since. Molly focuses her practice on residential and commercial real estate, secured transactions, and business law. She is capable of handling everything from real estate-related matters such as acquisitions, development, construction, financing, ownership, management, leasing, and disposition to small business legal matters, lender representation, and commercial closings. She is a U.S. Small Business Administration Designated Attorney, and provides representation for lenders, including banks and Certified Development Corporations (CDCs), in...

Sara Schramm is a skilled Athens personal injury attorney and valuable member of the Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. team. Her legal practice encompasses a broad range of personal injury matters, including products liability and mass tort litigation. Says Sara, “I love my work in this firm because we value the individuality of each case and we don’t cut corners.” At the firm, Sara spends much of her time working directly with clients in a one-on-one setting. She uses her time with clients to gain a better understanding of their unique circumstances which, in turn, allows her to develop...

Attorney Alexandra K. Hughes is a skilled personal injury attorney at Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. Following her graduation from North Oconee High School, Alex attended Vassar College and earned her B.A. in political science in 2013. While in college, she was a member of the Women’s Swim Team, studied abroad in Denmark, and interned with the Corporation Counsel of the City of Poughkeepsie.

Alex went on to earn her J.D. at Georgia State University College of Law. During law school, she served as an Associate Articles Editor of Law Review and published an article related to insurance coverage for...

Brittany Burgess is a devoted Athens personal injury attorney at Blasingame, Burch, Garrard and Ashley, P.C. who takes pride in being a great listener, always striving to treat every client with the dignity and respect they deserve.

She understands that clients want to be heard and understood, which is why she relies on her outstanding communication skills to create powerful and meaningful relationships with each individual that walks through the door. Part of being a good communicator, according to Brittany, is the ability to explain concepts to the firm’s clients using language that they don’t need special knowledge to understand....

Jarrod grew up in Duluth, GA. He is a 2002 graduate of Mercer University and received his Law degree from Mercer Law School in 2005 located in Macon, GA. He is dedicated to remaining in the area to provide professional legal services to the residents in and around his hometown. A highly motivated individual, Jarrod has worked hard to earn the trust and respect of judges, clients, and colleagues. As one of our seasoned and experienced family law attorneys, he is driven to give his all to every case, no matter how simple or complex. Jarrod is a member...

Cody Goff is Senior Counsel at Johnson Marlowe, LLP and focuses on representing business clients handling complex environmental and construction matters. Cody specializes in environmental law, representing commercial property buyers, sellers, and lenders in transactions involving environmentally impacted property.

Family law attorney handling cases involving child support, child custody, legitimation, guardianship, divorce, visitation, child abandonment, modifications & all other domestic cases. Licensed to practice law since 2011 having handled cases in counties such as Cobb, Gwinnett, Dekalb, Fayette, Fulton, Henry, Rockdale, Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Barrow, Clarke, Carroll, Forsyth, Hall, Lumpkin, Netwon, Habersham, Paulding, Putnam, & Walton county. Offering reasonable fees, lower than most of my colleagues, which may include payment plans.

Kevin J. Pratt PC, founded in 2002, provides professional and aggressive legal representation to clients across Georgia. With offices off I85 in Suwanee Georgia, convenient to Gwinnett, DeKalb, Hall, Barrow, Forsyth, Jackson, and Fulton Counties. We take on cases throughout Metro Atlanta and Georgia. We have the real life and legal experience necessary to get the job done right. The focus of our practice is primarily criminal defense and civil litigation defense. Our firm also provides legal representation in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings. In addition to being an attorney, Kevin J. Pratt is a...

We empower people to live a life and leave a legacy of joy, love and abundance through connecting them to their highest potential through thorough estate planning and real estate investment.

* Graduate of Emory University School of Law. Dean's Award for Public Service;
* Former member of the Emory University School of Law Trial Techniques Faculty;
* Practicing primarily in the North Georgia, Metro Atlanta Area for over 25 years as a Solo-Practitioner before the Probate Courts, Juvenile Courts, & Superior Courts in most of the counties of Georgia;
* Former Special Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS) for in their Child & Adult Protective Services cases;
* Primary Focused on:
* Estate Planning which includes the creation & administration of Trusts (all types including Special Needs Trust),...

Chase Ruffin is an attorney in the firm’s personal injury and mass tort practice group. Chase’s practice at the firm is largely focused on representing individuals injured by defective medical devices. Currently, Chase is representing victims injured by defective hernia mesh implants, including Atrium’s C-Qur mesh and Ethicon’s Physiomesh. Chase also represents plaintiffs in cases involving medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, car and truck accidents, and dangerous property conditions. In addition to representing injured plaintiffs, Chase also represents individuals and businesses in business-related lawsuits, including lawsuits involving a breach of contract, shareholder disputes, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty.

Before...