Birmingham Bar Association Bulletin Spring 2024

From the President

President Sharon Stuart shares her plans for 2024. 08

Get to Know These Members

Meet the winners of our 2023 awards: Judge Tamara Harris Johnson and James F. “Jimmy” Walsh. 12

“I

Message from the Executive Director

As we begin 2024, I am thrilled to be stepping into the Birmingham Bar Association Executive Director’s position and am looking forward to the upcoming year and all of the exciting things that our Bar Association has to offer its members. To the Executive and Search Committees, I want to extend a sincere “thank you” for the confidence you have placed in me, and I look forward to learning from and working with all of you. To all the other members, I am eager to get to know you better and want to extend an open invitation to all to stop by the Bar Association’s offices anytime to say “hello.” Let me know what the Bar Association and I can do to help you be the very best lawyers you can be. Finally, a huge “thank you” to our outgoing Executive Director Jennifer Buettner Bates for her unwavering dedication to the lawyers of Birmingham and our Bar Association — I have big shoes to fill.

Jim H. Wilson, Executive Director

Cheers to an awesome 2024 and beyond!

Jim H. Wilson Executive Director

Published for the Birmingham Bar Association by Starnes Media

2024 Officers of the BBA

Sharon D. Stuart, President

Robert E. “Bob” Battle, President-Elect

Rebecca A. Beers, Secretary/Treasurer

Marcus M. Maples, Immediate Past President

Jim H. Wilson, Executive Director

2024 BBA Executive Committee

Stanley Blackmon

Anna M. Carroll

A. David Fawal

Susan N. Han

Tina Lam

Julie E. Mcmakin

Virginia E. Miller

Janine L. Smith

Tripp Watson

Laura S. Winston

Emily B. Davey, ADR Section

J. Benjamin Cooper, Bankruptcy/Commercial Law Section

Katie M. Kimbrell, Business Law Section

Ashley M. Ogles, Criminal Justice Section

Bryan A. Coleman, Federal Practice Section

Christen D. Butler, Probate Section

Jennifer Tombrello, Solo/Small Firm Section

Brandy L. Robertson, Women Lawyers Section

Karen Berhow, Workers Compensation Section

Howard G. “Trey” Perdue III, Young Lawyers Section

Christopher Burrell, Magic City Bar Association

Lisha L. Graham, ASB Commissioner

Birmingham Bar Association

P.O. Box 37 Birmingham, AL 35201 205-251-8006 birminghambar.org

jwilson@birminghambar.org

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2024 Executive Committee.

In This Issue

08 From the President

President Sharon Stuart shares her plans for 2024.

12 Get to Know these Members

Meet the winners of our 2023 awards: Judge Tamara Harris Johnson and James F. “Jimmy” Walsh.

16 Annual Meeting 2023

Celebrating 2023 and looking ahead to 2024

20 2024 Sections

22 What Advice Would I Give My 21-Year-Old Self

24 Magic City Bar Association

26 Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham

28 Save the Dates

Add Law Day 2024 and the Annual Picnic to your calendar

30 Birmingham Bar Foundation Grants Awarded

32 Birmingham Bar Foundation Appellate Court Oral Arguments

34 Networking Events

Don’t miss out on the great BBA events and programs planned for 2024!

35 Memorial Scholarship Winners

36 Attorneys in the News

On

The Lyric Theatre and Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham on Jan. 31. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.

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From the President

Thank you for the honor of serving this extraordinary organization. I am thrilled at the opportunities that await us.

2024 will be a year of change and opportunity for our Bar. This is a perfect time for us to focus on the future, with perspective from the past

The Birmingham Bar Association will celebrate its 140th Anniversary in 2025. We will begin planning in 2024 for this momentous event. As we prepare, we will use 2024 to engage in strategic planning with a goal of developing a Strategic Plan to take the Bar into its next 5, 10, and ultimately 140 years.

We will continue to reach out to underserved students in Birmingham City Schools through the Students Today/Lawyers Tomorrow student trial advocacy program that immediate past president Marcus Maples created and launched. This program has been personally rewarding to me, and I encourage each of you to get involved in 2024. What better way to focus on our future than to

coach and mentor future lawyers?

Understanding that our past is critically important to inform our future, we will reinvigorate the Oral History Project started several years ago. This project will ensure that we remember and honor the leaders that have made this Bar Association so strong over the years.

In keeping with our theme, this February we welcomed a talented new Executive Director, Jim Wilson. We have said au revoir, but not goodbye, to Jennifer Buettner Bates, who retired as Executive Director after 6 years of dedicated service. Jennifer leaves the Birmingham Bar stronger than she found it, and Jim will build on the success of recent years.

2024 will again provide members with the opportunity to earn far more than 12 hours of free CLE credit. Please be on the lookout for email updates about CLEs and continue to check the

2023 President Marcus Maples passes the gavel to 2024 President Sharon Stuart.

BBA calendar for live in-person and Zoom CLEs on a range of topics.

As a lawyer, building networks and strengthening relationships with colleagues is essential to having a successful career. The BBA offers many ways for you to connect with other lawyers and Judges — people you already know and others who are new to you.

For example, in February we hosted two Coffee with the Judges events where members socialized while enjoying coffee and breakfast. Events like these make us better at our jobs because we gain a stronger working relationship with our colleagues and a greater respect for one another. These events will continue throughout the year — please join us!

Likewise, our Happy Hour Social events provide a setting conducive to networking and building professional relationships. Our socials are an easy and relaxing way to connect with fellow bar

members, whether at a local brewery, dog park or ice cream shop.

Our popular Get to Know Birmingham series will continue in 2024. This series of 1-hour events around the city will introduce you to local businesses and nonprofits to help you become more knowledgeable about our community. I look forward to seeing you at all of our Get to Know Birmingham events. Thank you to Tiara Hudson, Sydney Everett, Kathy Collier and Matthew Penfield for their work in making these events happen.

On Wednesday, May 1, we will host our annual Law Day celebration, this year focusing on the theme of “Voices of Democracy.” Kim Bell and Meredith Maitrejean will serve as the chairs of Law Day 2024. They are planning a signature event that you won’t want to miss.

I want to encourage you to join one or more of the BBA’s Sections this year. Our Sections are led by exceptionally talented and devoted members, and I am very proud to have the privilege of working with them. Participating in a Section is an excellent way to develop your network, make long-term friendships, take on leadership roles, earn CLE credit, serve the community, and enjoy so many more benefits.

Bankruptcy Adversary Proceedings

Business/Commercial Litigation

Construction/Engineering

Litigation Fraud

Professional Liability

Railroad Accidents

Warranty/Lemon Law

James F. Walsh

Registered on the Alabama State Court Mediator Roster

Extensive civil and criminal jury trials to verdict representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants before federal and state juries in multiple state jurisdictions.

Park Place, Birmingham 205.572.4925

jwalsh@rumberger.com

Downtown Conference & Virtual Capabilities

Andrew Nix, Sharon Stuart, Greg Ritchey, Leila Watson, Brandon Prince.

This year’s Section Chairs are:

► ADR Section: Emily Davey

► Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section: Ben Cooper

► Business Law Section: Katie Kimbrell

► Criminal Justice Section: Ashley Ogles

► Federal Practice Section: Brian Coleman

► Probate Section: Christen Butler

► Solo/Small Firm Section: Jennifer Tombrello

► Workers Compensation Section: Brandy Robertson

► Women Lawyers Section: Karen Berhow

► Young Lawyers Section: Trey Perdue

The leaders of our Sections are featured on pages 20-21 of this issue. Please reach out to these BBA leaders and let them know that you want to get involved.

Also, we have a number of committees that are

Above: Sharon and her husband Tom on vacation. Right: Sharon was a mentor to Steve Palmer in the BBA’s Mentoring Program.

Sharon with her family — husband Tom and children

Matt and Gracie.

planning great programs and events for our members. Joining a committee is a great way to stay involved even when you do not have much time to commit.

As you can see, we have a busy and productive year ahead, with much to offer each of our

members I hope you will get involved and stay active throughout the year and into the future.

Finally, as we start this year, I owe a huge shout out to my precious family, without whom my ability to serve would not be possible. My husband Tom, and our children, Gracie and Matt, support

me in every way and are my great encouragers, to whom I am so grateful.

Thank you for your membership in the BBA. Every day, I will work to ensure that your membership will be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. I look forward to seeing you at Bar events this year!

Get to Know These Birmingham Bar Association Members

Judge Tamara Harris Johnson, Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award

Q: What do you believe are your most significant accomplishments in life?

A: My most significant accomplishment in life is assisting in molding my two daughters into responsible, law-abiding, and kind women. Their father, Raymond L. Johnson Jr., and I encouraged them to dream big, work hard, establish boundaries, and be kind to others. I believe kindness is one of the greatest character traits a person may possess.

My daughter Erica Nicole Parker is an Emergency Medicine Physician, as is her husband, Joel Parker. Even as a child, she was nurturing by nature. She has always been and continues to be kind to others, which has served as just one of the many qualities that make her an excellent physician and an outstanding mother to my two grandsons, Caden and Harrison.

My daughter Ashley Noelle Johnson is an attorney in the Air Force. Before commissioning, she served in the Peace Corps, where she was stationed in The Kyrgyz Republic; she worked at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria with the Department of State; she studied abroad in Jerusalem to learn more about the Arab/Israeli conflict; she volunteered in Senegal with an organization focused on developing solutions to better girls’ education; and she completed her clinical work in international and humanitarian law while in law school by working for a nonprofit legal aid center in Namibia.

Q: Please share some of the highlights from your many career accomplishments.

A: I graduated from Howard University Law School in 1977. After graduation, I worked as an Assistant for Judge William S. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of the World Peace Through Law Center, until assuming my position as his Law Clerk later that same year. I passed the D.C., Michigan, and California Bar exams before returning home to

Alabama where I worked at EEOC, and then passed the Alabama Bar.

I worked significant legal jobs in each of those jurisdictions, including as a prosecutor in Los Angeles and Jefferson County. I taught Basic Skills in Trial Advocacy at Cumberland Law School, and I was a Bar Examiner for the State of Alabama from 2000-2004. I was the first female City Attorney for the City of Birmingham, the first In-House Counsel for the Birmingham Public School System, and the first African American and the first female Assistant General Counsel for three labor unions in the D.C. area. Throughout my 37-year career before assuming the Bench, I litigated approximately 600 jury trials and thousands of Motions and Bench trials. Giving proper due to the decades of work I put into honing my expertise and mastering my craft, I was elected to my position because I was able to convey to voters that I am highly qualified for this position.

Q: During your time as a Judge, what have been some of your most significant challenges?

A: When I was elected to the Bench in 2016, I did not immediately receive the respect worthy of my new position from many lawyers who initially appeared before me. I knew I was completely qualified for my position, but I felt as though my actual qualifications were being overlooked.

I could have been offended by the apparent lack of respect I was initially afforded as a Judge, but I wasn’t. I know that each of us is a product of our environment. My challenge has always been to ensure that the lawyers who come before me know the following: 1) While I consider myself knowledgeable of the law, I am always learning;

2) Because I sincerely understand the harm of unfairness, I will do everything possible to make all Parties feel they are getting a fair trial with me, because they will get a fair trial with me; 3) If something is important enough for lawyers to write, I will read it;

4) Even if a lawyer is disrespectful to me as a Judge, I will not hold it against his or her client; and 5) I will respect the fact that lawyers have families and more cases than the one(s) in front of me, and I will work with them and their schedules to resolve the disputes before me.

Q: Tell us about some of your philanthropic work and why it’s important to you.

A: Of all the types of volunteer work I’ve done, helping youth get excited about education has felt the most personally rewarding — either by spending a weekend guiding them on an adventure through stories or by raising funds to help them finance higher education without the burden of student loans. While I try to make them feel special — by reading them a book, telling them a story, or taking an interest in their dreams

Major Ashley Noelle Johnson with Judge Tamara Harris Johnson.

and aspirations — their excitement and appreciation make me feel special and as if I’m making a genuine impact towards their development. I truly believe that our children are our future. We owe it to them to give them hope, love, and the tools to succeed.

Q: Who was the most influential person in your life?

A: My parents and broader family were extraordinarily influential in my life. Of my non-blood relations, the most influential person in my life was my Professor and Dean of Howard University Law School, Herbert O. Reid, Sr.

I was reluctant to attend law school, but my parents persisted. They saw something in me that I did not see in myself. Professor Reid saw the same thing, and he pushed me to do better, to excel. He was friends with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and they worked together on the Brown v. Board of Education cases.

Professor Reid along with Attorney J. Clay Smith, former Commissioner for the EEOC, were commissioned by the National Medical Association to write an Amicus Curiae Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Regents of the University of California v. Allan Bakke (1978), which involved a dispute over whether preferential treatment for

minorities could reduce educational opportunities for white students without violating the U.S. Constitution. I was a third-year law student at the time, and he asked me to co-author this brief. It was my first legal publication for which I was credited as an author.

Professor Reid asked me to co-author an Appellate Brief in the case of U.S. v. William Christian in which he represented William Christian, on appeal, to have his murder conviction overturned (it was not) in the D.C. case that was referred to as the Hanafi Murder Trials.

Professor Reid was instrumental in my hiring by D.C. Superior Court Judge William S. Thompson as his law clerk. Judge Thompson took me under his wing as a mentor, as well. Professor Reid’s attention to detail and emphasis on the importance of reading the “full” case, not just the headnotes, has been significantly impactful on my professional career and development. His mantra was that when you are dealing with people’s lives, there are no shortcuts.

Q: Where is the best place you have

ever traveled?

A: The best place I ever traveled to was New York City during my younger years. I loved visiting New York and my experiences made my visits unbelievably fascinating. I visited my mother’s sister, Elizabeth Jenkins, her husband Ed and their daughter Carol during my high school summers and when I was in college and law school. My cousin, Carol, was a TV anchor for NBC, and I would accompany her to work in Rockefeller Plaza. This was during the beginning years of Saturday Night Live with Eddie Murphy and Jim Belushi. I used to sit in on the live shows while Carol did the news. Carol and my Aunt Liz would take me to Broadway and off-Broadway shows and to amazing restaurants. I always felt rejuvenated when I visited.

Above: Major Ashley Noelle Johnson with her father, Atty. Raymond L Johnson, Jr. Right: Judge Harris Johnson with her grandchildren.

Below: Dr. Erica Nicole Parker and her husband Dr. Joel Parker and children.

Get to Know These Birmingham Bar Association Members

James F. “Jimmy” Walsh, Recipient of the L. Burton Barnes III Public Service Award

Q: Tell us about one of the many organizations that you are currently involved with. How is that organization making an important impact in the community?

A: The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is an organization I am very involved with. I give back by providing education, advocacy, and other support through NAMI. Mental illness is a disease that challenges one in five individuals.

Aside from NAMI family education programs and our outstanding outreach to families and individuals facing crisis, NAMI Alabama and its local affiliates throughout the state seek to modernize mental health law and upgrade care for a significant portion of our population. Members have worked hard to teach and help legislate a program called Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for first responders, especially police.

Mark Pettway, Jefferson County Sheriff, believes in the value of CIT and has implemented it by training his entire force, creating a much safer environment for both his officers and the citizenry of Jefferson County when responding to crisis calls. Our Sheriff has made significant efforts to direct individuals in crisis to hospitals, rather than to jail, so that they can receive more appropriate treatment. I am very proud that Sheriff Pettway and I continue to work together on the NAMI Alabama Board of Directors.

Q: Who was the most influential person in your life? Why did they have such a significant impact on you?

A: Scoutmaster Harry Williams led my Boy Scout troop. As a Citadel graduate and Korean War combat veteran, he was a real example for kids. He was a devoted husband

and father, an outdoorsman, a true leader, and an incredibly kind, but firm mentor. He pushed me to realize my potential and achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. When he learned of my desire to attend West Point, he supported me unwaveringly and connected me with my Eagle Sponsor who was the Commander of the nearby 101st Airborne Division. With Harry’s support, I worked very hard at West Point where I was taught by then Major H. Norman Schwarzkopf and later took over his Battalion Recon Platoon and served as a combat leader under his supervision. Harry’s influence led me to serve as an instructor in Ranger School and later to attend law school. The road I traveled would have been very different without Harry. Harry Williams was then, and remains, a giant in my mind’s eye.

Q: What is one example of how

your legal career has helped you in your public service.

A: I am very familiar with mental health laws, medicine, procedures, and key people involved with the daily processes of a critically important system of care. I have had the privilege and honor to represent many individuals dealing with severe mental illness, and many of their families trying to survive the experience and to take proper care of their loved one.

One young client facing serious criminal charges that arose as a result of his mental health crisis stands out. Slowly, I was able to convince him of his need for hospitalization, treatment, and a lengthy process of working his way back to a reasonably normal existence requiring continuous therapy, treatment, and medication. As a result, today he

Judge Smitherman, Jimmy Walsh, Marcus Maples.

is an incredibly fine man providing similar services to others.

Q: Why is public service so important to you?

A: I first learned the importance of service from my mother who was a tough, but caring and determined, high school English Teacher. When the star tailback failed a test in her class, he could not play. Instead of yielding to the pressure to change his grade, she tutored him. After a week of after-school tutoring and no football practice, the player took the test, passed, and played in the winning game that Friday night. In addition to showing me what it meant to stand up for principles, I also got a grand lesson from watching my mother serve one of her students in need. I saw first-hand what service to others could accomplish.

I have served in many organizations including fourteen years as a Scoutmaster and many more as a leader in various scouting groups. I have learned and benefited far more from those experiences than I was ever able to impart to others. By my mother’s example, I have tried to ensure that our children and grandchildren understood the meaning and benefit of service to others, and I take great pride that they continue to serve.

Q: What are a couple of your favorite books and why are they your favorites?

A: My favorite book has always been my third-grade reader, “If I Were Going.” That book toured the world in its pages and opened my eyes, created a lasting desire for

adventure and firmly made me a lifelong reader. It led me to “Swiss Family Robinson” and “Treasure Island,” through many biographies of famous Americans, and years later to the works of Herman Wouk, Tom Clancy, and John Grisham. Around seventh grade, I discovered Col. Red Reeder’s four book series about the experiences of Cadet Clint Lane at West Point which irrevocably launched my life as a soldier.

Q: Where is the best place you have ever traveled?

A: The trip Peggy and I took to the Soviet Union in February 1978 is a standout. I loved Russian books and music, had studied both the French and German invasion, and I wanted to experience those things in the dead of winter to view a communist government on the ground to determine myself why the tension, weather, and fierce love of “Mother Russia” led to the defeat of Napoleon and Hitler.

Security limited us to Leningrad, Moscow, and environs, but the incredible beauty of the Winter Palace, Kremlin, and St. Basil’s Cathedral stood in stark contrast to long lines and empty windows in stores, the playing of the National Anthem in every hotel room at 6:00 am, and the constant awareness of KGB and other security operatives lurking nearby. The coexistence of a beautiful ancient country, a proud people, and a communist dictatorship could not have been more jarring. It was an incredible trip which we still talk

about to this day.

Q: If you were to have pursued a different career, what would it have been and why?

A: Law is my second career. I loved serving as a soldier, even on the toughest training or combat day. As the Vietnam War ended, we began to hear that our chance to command again over the next ten years was slim to none. I began to seriously consider leaving the Army. During a family visit to Washington D.C., I decided to visit Infantry HQ. Upon learning I was considering leaving the Army, Schwarzkopf (then Coloniel) escorted Peggy and me to his office for a talk. After hours of discussion, now retired General Schwarzkopf suggested law school. I thought he was kidding. He assured me he was not and replied, “I don’t know anyone who likes to argue like you do; you’re a natural.”

After graduation from law school, I served as the prosecutor of the largest Divisional Brigade in the Army. I was hooked on law and had turned down offers to command. When asked by my Commander how I, as a soldier, could turn down offers to command, I replied, “Sir, I love a good fight. In the Infantry, I got to fight now and then, and sometimes I could control the outcome. In the JAG Corps, I get to fight every day, and I am responsible for controlling the outcome.” I cannot imagine being so lucky as to approach every morning doing what I absolutely love to do. But I have been that lucky.

Jimmy in Vietnam.

Jimmy and his wife Peggy.

Annual Meeting: Celebrating our 2023 accomplishments; previewing 2024

Every year on the second Friday of December, the Birmingham Bar Association hosts our Annual Membership Meeting where we look back on the many accomplishments of that year and look ahead to the key initiatives of the coming year.

At the Annual Meeting, we learn the much-anticipated results of the Executive Committee election, and we hear from the leaders of Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham, the Legal Aid Society of Birmingham, the Birmingham Bar Foundation, the Alabama State Bar, and the Tenth Judicial Circuit.

We hope you were able to attend the Annual Meeting and the Holiday Party that followed. These much-anticipated events to mark the end of the Bar year bring together colleagues in a spirit of camaraderie that is the hallmark of the Birmingham Bar.

Sharon Stuart - 2024 President - and Marcus Maples - 2023 President.

Speakers at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

Sharon Stuart and Presiding Judge Elisabeth French.

BBF’s 2023 President Christi Graham passes the gavel to BBF’s 2024 President Alicia Jett.

John Durward, past Election Official, and Ruby Jackson, current Election Official.

Janine Smith delivered the invocation and Denzel Okinedo reported on the 50-year members.

Gaile Gratton Greene recognized the BBA members who passed in 2023.

Presiding Judge Elisabeth French reported on the 10th Judicial Circuit.

Brannon Buck, ASB President, delivered remarks.

Ashley Peinhardt, 2023 Secretary-Treasurer, delivered her report at the Annual Meeting.

Susan McAlister was 2023 President of Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham and delivered the annual report

Thank you to our judiciary.

Sharon Stuart, Marcus Maples, Presiding Judge Elisabeth French.

BBA Staff and Legal Aid Society Staff packing up after the Annual Meeting.

Annual Meeting 2023.

Kevin Butler, as 2023 President of the Legal Aid Society, delivered the agency’s annual report.

Our 10 Active Sections provide so many membership benefits!

A.D.R. SECTION

This year, the ADR Section plans to reignite its Resolve2Solve conflict resolution program in the Tarrant School System. We are also planning a joint CLE with the Alabama State Bar ADR Section and a social for this Spring.

BANKRUPTCY AND COMMERCIAL LAW SECTION

This year, the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section will host our annual free half-day of CLEs in August covering a number of topics affecting bankruptcy law. The Section will also host a social in August and our annual holiday party in December.

BUSINESS LAW SECTION

The Section is reinvigorated and has an active year planned, including a summer social and a CLE. In addition, the Section will support the Southeast Business Law Institute.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION

The Section will host a social for Section members, interns, and law clerks to network and socialize. The Section is also planning to hast several CLEs focused on criminal law topics. In November, the Section will host the very popular “Appointed Counsel CLE” that is required for attorneys who wish to serve as appointed counsel in

Jefferson County. This CLE includes the basic structure of the District, Circuit, Municipal, and Specialty Courts and provides tips for representing clients with mental health and immigration issues.

FEDERAL PRACTICE SECTION

This year, the Section will host a family friendly social event at a Baron’s game and will provide a lunchtime CLE focused on issues relevant to federal practitioners.

PROBATE SECTION

In early December, the Section will host its annual full-day CLE (open to all BBA members) featuring practice tips, judicial and case law updates, and an ethics

component. This is always a well-attended day of networking and education. In addition, the Section will hold our annual Day of the Dead celebration and several other socials throughout the year.

SOLO/SMALL FIRM SECTION

The Solo / Small Firm Section event that we are most excited for in 2024 is the Membership Drive. It will be held on March 14, and is one of our most well attended events. This year, we will be focusing on partnering with law schools in the area to expand our Section. The other favorite event is the Cornhole Tournament. This year, it will be held on May 9 at one of Birmingham’s breweries or other outdoor space. We are able to play 30 teams, and trophies are awarded for both first place and last place. The membership drive is sponsored by Marsh, Richard, Bryan, and the Cornhole Tournament will also be sponsored by a law firm. that our Section members belong to.

WOMEN LAWYERS SECTION

This year the Women Lawyers Sections celebrates its 30th Anniversary! This will be an exciting year for the WLS as we will host

Emily Davey, ADR Section Chair

Ben Cooper, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section Chair

Katie Kimbrell, Business Law Section Chair

Ashley Ogles, Criminal Justice Section Chair

Bryan Coleman, Federal Practice Section Chair

Christen Butler, Probate Section Chair

Jennifer Tombrello, Solo Small Firm Section Chair

several events surrounding our 30th Anniversary celebration. Our first event was a Female Legislative Power Lunch where we had a panel discussion with our female Senators and Representatives. Be on the lookout for announcements about other events we are planning. We will also do many of our usual events throughout the year — for example, we co-sponsored Coffee with the Judges on February 2 and we hosted two service projects in February.

WORKERS COMPENSATION SECTION

The Section kicked off the year by co-sponsoring Coffee with the Judges on February 2, where BBA members re-engaged after the holiday break and enjoyed breakfast and camaraderie with fellow attorneys and Judges. Throughout the year, the Section plans to host CLEs and a social for its members.

YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

The Section will host its annual Charity Trivia Competition again this year. The Section is proud of this event because it raises money to support charitable organizations in the Birmingham community. The Section’s annual Golf Tournament will be held in June, with a happy hour to follow after the golf is over. Throughout the year, the Section will offer some CLEs and there will be several socials at local bars.

We invite you to join one or more of our 10 Sections to gain even greater benefits from your Birmingham Bar membership. Our Sections provide outstanding opportunities to network with your colleagues, earn CLE credits, gain leadership experience, and much more. To join a Section, simply log-in to your profile at birmingham bar.org, and select the “Join one or more Sections” link.

Brandy Robertson, Women Lawyers Section Chair

Karen Berhow, Workers Compensation Section Chair

Trey Perdue, Young Lawyers Section Chair

What advice I would give my 21-year-old self

We all have some words of wisdom that we would like to share with ourselves at the age of 21. If we could live that year of life again knowing what we know now, we might embark on an entirely different path, or we might undertake different challenges that would change how we view the world. Here, a few BBA members share what they would tell themselves if they could turn back time. It’s never too late to take good advice like that imparted here.

April Collins Collins Law, LLC

There were many times my 21-year-old self wanted to give up. Life was extremely hard as a single mother trying to survive, while also trying to make a way for the future. Now, I would say to this resilient young woman:

I am proud of you. Continue to trust yourself. Although you are making very hard decisions in this moment, you are doing what is best. You are preparing to live the life that you now just dream about. Over the next several years, you will be in many spaces that may feel too big for you, but know you have earned your place and you deserve to be there. Hold your head high and keep moving forward.

Dana Thrasher

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP

My advice to my 21-year-old self would be to always be surrounded by people who make you want to be your best. Learn from everyone and every situation. Remember that being happy and true to yourself is key to your success. Work hard but have fun and enjoy life!

Tomi Adediji Sanders & Williams LLC

When I was 21 years old, I was in my senior year of college, and I always knew I wanted to practice law. Looking back, I would tell my 21-year-old self to embrace the journey with patience and an open mind. Understand that every challenge is a stepping stone towards becoming a better lawyer and individual. Cultivate relationships and seek mentors actively, as their wisdom is invaluable. Success in this field is as much about understanding people as it is about understanding the law. Lastly, never underestimate the power of self-care; it’s essential for sustaining a long and fulfilling career.

Temple Trueblood

Wiggins Childs Pantazis Fisher & Goldfarb LLC

What advice would I give to 21-year-old me? Just a few simple life lessons like these: 1. Accept, embrace, and be your true self unapologetically. 2. Life is not a dress rehearsal — drink from the good crystal, wear those amazing shoes, take that cross-country trip, and order the dessert. 3. Friends. You need them. Find your people and hold onto them with love and appreciation. 4. Keep your word. In this line of work your work ethic and reputation go a very, very long way. 5. And lastly. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

Magic City Bar Association 2023 Scholarship Banquet

The Magic City Bar Association, also known as MCBA, was formed in 1984 as a response to the need to promote the professional advancement of African American attorneys, to foster improvement of economic conditions, to protect the civil and political rights of all citizens, and to uphold the integrity and honor of the legal profession.

In 2023, the MCBA celebrated its 39th year of service. Led by President Joel Caldwell, the MCBA continued its valued relationship with the Birmingham Bar Association by collaborating on several events throughout the year.

On November 16, 2023, the MCBA completed its monumental year with its Annual Scholarship Banquet, at which scholarships totaling $22,500 were awarded to various law students across the state. This year’s banquet was held at the Harbert Event Center with the theme for the evening being Lifting as We

Climb. A Judicial Council Reception preceded the event. Then, Larry D. Thornton, a McDonald’s Franchisee, author, artist, former teacher,

MCBA leadership.

Left: 2024 MCBA President Janine Smith. Middle: 2023 President Joel Caldwell with President’s Award recipient Gaile Pugh Gratton Greene. Right: Larry Thornton was the Keynote Speaker at the 2023 Scholarship Banquet.

and servant leader was the evening’s keynote speaker. Thornton gave an address themed, Why Not Win?

The impactful address was themed around Thornton’s book by the same name, which follows Thornton on his fifty-year journey from the Jim Crow South to some of America’s most influential boardrooms.

The MCBA also awarded the Honorable Judge Houston Brown with the “Medallion of Merit Award” and induction into the MCBA Hall of Fame. Additionally, the extraordinary Attorney Gail Pugh Gratton Greene was awarded the “President’s Award” at the event. Next law students from each of the five state law schools were awarded scholarships, ranging from $1,250 to $4,000.

2023 MCBA Scholarship Recipient:

► Rolanda Tina Turner (Cumberland): 3L Award, $4,000

► Suleida Brown (Cumberland): 2L Award, $3,000

► Tionna Taite (Alabama): 2L Award, $3,000

► R. Jordan Davis (Alabama):1L Award, $1,250

► Jade Hill (Birmingham): 1L Award, $1,250

► Lucy Chen (Birmingham): $2,500

► Treona J. Brown (Cumberland): $2,500

► Tiffany Turner (Miles): $2,500

► Camdyn E. Neal (Alabama): $2,500

Sincerely,

Janine L. Smith President, Magic City Bar Association

Scholarship Awards

Judge Martha Cook, Judge Alisha Ruffin-May, Rodney Barganier.

Attorney Ed Berry and Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame indectee, Daniel Jose Carr.

Scholarship Recipient Rolanda Turner, Banquet Chair Tanita Cain, 2023 President Joel Caldwell.

VLB: Volunteer argues historic landmark case before United States Supreme Court

Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham has developed relationships and partnerships with a dynamic and diverse group of volunteer attorneys that contribute to our mission of providing equal access to justice to the underserved residents of Jefferson County. Last year, one of our volunteers served as co-counsel in a historic case involving Ala-bama’s congressional redistricting maps.

This is where Sidney M. Jackson enters the conversation. Sidney is a member of Wiggins Childs Pantazis Fisher Goldfarb, and his primary areas of practice include wrongful death and civil rights cases. Most recently, Sidney played a significant role in the landmark case of Allen v. Milligan. In June 2023, Sidney became a part of history when the United States Supreme Court ruled the Alabama state legislature’s congressional districting map likely violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The 5-4 decision is considered a major victory for voting rights.

The State of Alabama announced its intention to redraw the maps of various counties. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund knew the redrawing of the maps was discriminatory in nature, so they contacted Sidney about joining their team as co-counsel for Mr. Evan Milligan and other plaintiffs. Sidney had an ongoing relationship with the Legal Defense Fund because of his involvement in a wrongful death case in 2014. He represented a mother whose son died from being tased 15 times by a police officer.

Sidney immediately met with senior partners and board members at his firm to obtain approval because of the high-profile nature of the case. Once he received their seal of approval, he began meeting with Deuel Ross of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Upon receipt of the initial

redrawing, they jumped in! They noticed the State of Alabama was attempting to do what’s called “packing and cracking.” This is when you attempt to redraw the maps to either group (in this case, African Americans) in a particular district to minimize and dilute their voting power. Even though African Americans make up a significant portion of Alabama, there were areas where

Sidney Jackson

they tried to literally draw a line through the middle of the county if they felt there was significant voting power among African Americans.

“Evan Milligan (Executive Director of Alabama Forward, a nonprofit that focuses on civic engagement and civil rights) was there and prepared to step forward. It takes a brave person to sort of lead the pack and

he was fully prepared to do so.”

Additionally, the ACLU was involved as co-counsel and Davin Rosborough, ACLU Senior Staff Member, played a significant role in this historic fight as they filed the initial injunction to prevent them from putting the map into law. The three-judge panel composed of a United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals judge as well as two Federal District Court judges, agreed with them and stated there would be an injunction. There was a petition to the United States Supreme Court and the rest is history.

All attorneys dream of having the opportunity to have a case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court and only 1% of cases ever make it before the Court. When asked if he was surprised this case was included in this small margin, Sidney stated, “we were not shocked because this was a challenge against the State of Alabama and once the three-judge panel ruled in our favor, the State’s only option was to petition the United States Supreme Court for a different outcome.”

Sidney explains, “When [the Supreme Court] provided a date for oral arguments, we were certainly excited because the Supreme Court hears less than 1% of the cases presented to it. It was pretty amazing. I’m not the lead attorney, but my name is certainly going to be forever attached to this historic case. I’m blessed to learn from some heavyweights at my firm and those I have had the opportunity to partner with on different cases. We’ve had a few cases heard by the Supreme Court. Wiggins Childs was also counsel in the Lilly Ledbetter case in which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote one of her most historic dissents. It was so powerful that many believe it helped to catch the attention of President Obama and ultimately became the first law he signed when he took office. I definitely stand on their shoulders.”

Sidney states he always knew he wanted to become a civil rights attorney. He was first introduced to serving the community as a child by his stepfather, who was a minister. The church was always serving the community by feeding the homeless, etc. As he became older, he started volunteering on his own. However, Sidney’s community involvement expanded when he became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. “That’s when I really started getting

super involved again. I always felt individual people needed my help more than companies and businesses, even though as a law student, it’s typically more attractive to go for the defense firms. However, I really wanted to practice civil rights law. I sat down and spoke with a Cumberland Professor at the time and former partner of Wiggins Childs, named Herman “Rusty” Johnson, now Judge Johnson, and he introduced me to this firm. I started clerking there after my first year of law school and they have not been able to get rid of me since.”

As a frequent VLB, Magic City Bar Association, Birmingham Bar Association and Alabama Lawyers Association volunteer, Sidney receives a certain amount of satisfaction and gratification when he’s sitting across from someone and he’s truly able to help them while volunteering. “There’s not going to be any sort of financial transaction between you. But, they’re trusting you, looking at you, ready to open up to you and you’re there in a position where you can potentially help them. How can you not do that? You know, you have to be intentional. That feeling you get helping other people in need, with no business relationship, they’re going through some significant issue, and helping them get back on track. I think that gratification, knowing that you helped that person, goes a long way. Especially when you see these people in person. Being in the community is huge! Not only does it make you feel good, but you get out there and meet other attorneys.”

Sidney explains, “Volunteering with VLB, I always see judges there. Volunteering helps you get to know many people, and the good networking opportunities can help you in your career. But, it certainly helps you get familiar with other members of the bar. When I volunteer, I sometimes work side by side with defense counsel that I may be on the other side of in a case. But, when it’s time to volunteer, we can put all that aside, we’re sitting up here laughing, having a good time and helping each other help people that actually need us.”

He sums up the volunteer experiences in this way: “Volunteering helps you spiritually and you feel good not only for yourself, but for other people, and it can also help you professionally. By getting to know members of the defense bar, plaintiffs bar, and judges while you are working side by

side with them to help a VLB client, strong relationships are built.”

“People are busy, attorneys have crazy schedules. If you throw in all the other things, including parenting, your spouse and all the other stuff, it’s difficult. But, I think that once you go out and help people and you see the impact that you can have, it’s like a natural high. I feel great about it, and it literally can de-stress me if I’m stressed out at work. If I go out and volunteer with VLB and help people at a clinic, I just feel good for the rest of the weekend. I encourage everyone to volunteer as much as possible.”

“Honestly, I’ve got to give Ruby (Sidney’s wife) credit cause she’s a volunteer champ. I mean, I’ve never met someone that volunteers as much as my wife. And, I would say that she’s certainly one that really pushed me to do more. Especially with volunteering with the Magic City Bar Association and VLB. You know, Ruby is there, and I know how busy she is too! Obviously. I took a lot of inspiration from her. I also piggy backed, you know she was the Magic City Bar President before me. I couldn’t let her one up me! We drive each other, so it’s good. She leads the way on a lot of things, I’m just trying to catch up.”

Even though Sidney is a civil rights attorney and volunteer extraordinaire, he states he is quite boring at home. He claims that he is actually a homebody and enjoys going home after a long day and spending time with Ruby, their two children and Barry, their goldendoodle. Sidney states his children have kept him grounded. They aren’t too concerned about his legal career. However, he let them in on one of the best kept secrets in Birmingham. He met the late Chadwick Bozeman and worked with him as an extra in the film 42 (which was shot on location in Birmingham). Sidney played an umpire. They were ecstatic to find out their dad knew the Black Panther.

One might marvel at the historical accomplishments of this local attorney who humbly navigates throughout the legal community. Sidney is currently involved with several major cases that could potentially garner national attention. His passion for serving the community and civil rights is forging full steam ahead.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

SAVE THE DATE:

MAY

Birmingham Bar Foundation Grants Awarded

Birmingham Bar Foundation Awards Grants Supporting Youth and Citizenship Programs

Through various fundraising efforts, public donations, and the Fellows Program, the Birmingham Bar Foundation can award grants to law-related charitable activities in Birmingham and the surrounding area. During its last grant cycle, the Foundation received Grant applications from 11 organizations. The following three grants awarded highlight the Foundation’s mission to support civics education in the community and equal access to justice.

The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!) is a community development and advocacy organization that champions economic equality, civic engagement, and social justice for Hispanic/Latino families in Alabama through culturally specific, bilingual Spanish/ English programing. They provide services to integrate families through education and community engagement to help move families out of poverty. Education is the

centerpiece of all ¡HICA!’s programs. They provide workshops and presentations for low-income Hispanic/Latino families living and working in Central Alabama to help them merge into their community. Its Citizenship and Immigration Program (CIP) provides legal immigration services with information, guidance, and benefits, assisting those on the path to citizenship and other immigration needs.

The Birmingham Bar Foundation gave ¡HICA! a $15,000 grant to support the enhancement of Naturalization clinics and webinars, including supplies, small technology accessories that facilitate in-person and online educational and informational activities focused on increasing the number of Naturalization applications. In addition, the Foundation funded the cost of the books needed to sustain the Department of Justice accreditations for the staff and ESL books and materials which are vital to the

success of its Citizenship and Immigration Program.

YouthServe is a nonprofit organization that plays a vital role in the civic education of young people in the Birmingham community by providing unique experiences for youth of all backgrounds and academic performance levels to engage in civic and leadership development. Through workshops, discussions, and interactive service projects, student participants become aware of the challenges in their communities and learn how to collaborate to make positive change.

Over its history, YouthServe has matched over 10,000 young volunteers to local organizations based on the needs of the organization and the student volunteers’ interests. These initiatives resulted in more than 50,000 community service hours, worth $1.45 million in labor investment to hundreds of community organizations. To

Left: Director Cindy Anderson presents a check to HICA’s Director and program staff. Right: YouthServe students hard at work.

help YouthServe expand its collaborations with schools and provide bridge connections to local organizations that they may serve, the Birmingham Bar Foundation awarded them a $7,500 grant.

The Upward Bound Academy is a federally funded college-preparatory program that focuses on enhancing the intellectual, emotional, and motivational development of each of its participants by offering rigorous academic instruction, personal counseling, and support services. They do so in an environment that recognizes individual differences and academic potential while also offering the cultural exposure necessary for potential first-generation college students and economically disadvantaged youth to complete both secondary and postsecondary education. Its objectives are to motivate its participants to complete postsecondary education and become leaders in their careers and professions, improve their communities, and change the world. The Upward Bound Academy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has four separate grant programs, serving 240 high school students in the Birmingham Metro area.

The Birmingham Bar Foundation awarded Upward Bound $4,000 to help

fund conflict resolution and “pre-law” classes during its intensive six-week summer program. Their students generally come from backgrounds that have increased amounts of conflict with very little knowledge of how to effectively navigate these potentially stressful situations. The summer program will help students

improve their knowledge of the law and learn how to manage conflict successfully and effectively.

If you know of a law-related charitable activity the Birmingham Bar Foundation should support, please reach out to Executive Director, Cindy Anderson at cindy.anderson@bbfound.org.

Above: Director Cindy Anderson, far left, and Foundation Vice-President Alicia Jett, far right, award a grant to Youth Serve. Below: Upward Bound director and staff receive grant funds.

Birmingham Bar Foundation Oral Arguments

Birmingham Bar Foundation Brings Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to Samford

The Birmingham Bar Foundation partnered with Cumberland School of Law to bring the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals judges to Birmingham to hold oral arguments. The Foundation’s Programs Committee Chair, Marlena Shipp, was instrumental in coordinating the event with the assistance of Executive Director, Cindy Anderson. Prior to the November 16th event, multiple members of the BBA volunteered to visit schools and explain the appellate court system and cases to be heard.

Twenty-one local schools and organizations brought an estimated 1,100 students to observe the hearings. The Foundation approved transportation grants to eleven schools totaling over $7,000. The United States District Court of the Northern District of Alabama made a generous grant to the Foundation to cover half that cost. Without these grants, many schools would not have been able to participate.

Court Marshal Earl Marsh, Jr. called the hearings to order. Dean Blake Hudson of Cumberland School of Law, Mrs. Christi Graham, President of the Birmingham Bar Foundation, Presiding Judge Elisabeth French of 10th Judicial Circuit (Jefferson County), and Presiding Judge Mary B. Windom of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals each gave opening remarks. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals heard two very interesting cases. Nicholas Noelani D. Smith v. State of Alabama involved the abduction and murder of an elementary school teacher. Brandon Dewayne Sykes v. State of Alabama involved a murder case where the body was never found. Both defendants were represented by attorneys of the Equal

Justice Initiative.

Professor Brandon L. Blankenship, Director of UAB’s Pre-Law Program, wrote about the event, “[E]ach year, I’m impressed with the student conversation after the event. Without any prodding from me, they often look up the cases that were cited and have robust conversations about how the court should rule. It must be a lot of work to put the event together. From an educator’s point of view, it is worth it.”

Jennifer W. Gilbert, Career Academy Coordinator at Ramsay High School, emailed the Foundation, “I would like to

express my gratitude for your hospitality yesterday and for creating an engaging and informative experience for students in the Academy of Law at Ramsay. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and left with a new excitement about court procedures and the legal profession in general. I’m already looking forward to bringing a new group of students again next year.”

If you know an organization that would like to attend this event in the future, please contact Executive Director, Cindy Anderson at cindy.anderson@bbfound.org.

Above: Students await the start of the Oral Arguments. Left: UAB pre-law students were excited to attend Oral Arguments.

Networking Events

Don’t miss out on the great BBA events and programs planned for 2024!

Although the Birmingham Bar turns 139 this year, the events and programs we host are fresh and new and offer great opportunities for attorneys to network with colleagues and develop new business relationships.

Be a part of all that we have planned for 2024 — renew your membership today if you have not done so already!

Attorneys in the News

Marsh, Rickard & Bryan LLC announces that the firm has moved offices to 2222 Arlington Ave. S. in Birmingham.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP welcomes Joe Wilson and J. Graham “Gray” Gilmore to the firm’s Banking & Financial Services Practice Group.

Miller, Christie & Kinney, PC is pleased to announce that Cornelious D. Warren Sr. has joined the firm as an associate.

Huie welcomes associate Meredith Maitrejean to the firm where she practices in the areas of automotive litigation and medical malpractice.

Cory Watson Attorneys has elected two new principals — Andy Jones and Mitchell Theodore — to its nationally recognized practice.

Patrick Schach has been named a shareholder at Littler Mendelson PC. Patrick serves clients in the area of Labor and Employment Law.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that partner Jason R. Bushby has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys.

Marsh, Rickard & Bryan LLC announces that J. Ben Ford has been named the firm’s Managing Partner, and Joseph Callaway has joined the firm as an associate practicing appellate work.

Rebecca Young has been named a partner of Wilson Elser. She is a litigator who defends product liability, toxic exposure, complex mass actions, construction defect and design claims, premises liability, trucking and transportation cases, and general liability and casualty claims.

Lindsey Cochran has been named a partner with Burr & Forman LLP. She is a member of Burr’s lending practice group, and her practice focuses on representing lenders in commercial loan transactions.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP welcomes litigator and former federal prosecutor William C. Athanas to the firm as a partner in the government enforcement and investigations practice group.

Maynard Nexsen elevated 5 attorneys to shareholder to start the new year: Seth Capper, who specializes in executive compensation and employee benefits; Kyle Heslop, who specializes in public finance; Claire Martin, who specializes in executive compensation and employee benefits; Eric Nanfito, who specializes in corporate and business transactions; and

Wilson

Gilmore

Maitrejean

Jones Theodore

Schach

Bushby

Ford

Callaway

Young

Cochran

Athanas

Capper Heslop

Martin Nanfito

Wheeler

Jennifer Wheeler, who specializes in labor and employment.

Robert Baxley was named a partner at Balch & Bingham where he specializes in commercial and business disputes, complex litigation, class actions, and appeals.

The Birmingham office of Bressler, Amery & Ross celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2024. The firm’s representation of businesses, employers, financial institutions, and insurance carriers has gained a strong reputation, and the firm has experienced significant growth over the decade.

Hall Booth Smith is proud to welcome associate Erin Lyon, whose practice focuses on medical malpractice, health care, dental, and general liability law. She has experience managing complex medical malpractice litigation through to trial and extensive mediation and alternative dispute resolution experience.

Baker Donelson has added Boston Topping as a new associate in the financial services transactions practice area.

Beasley Allen is proud to announce the promotion of 2 of its attorneys to principals, Sydney Everett and Clinton Richards. Both attorneys work in the firm's mass torts section.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that 14 attorneys have joined the firm as fall associates, making it the largest fall associate class in the firm’s 153-year history: Sarah Atkinson, Samuel E. Bartz, Nicolas E. Briscoe,

William P. Burgess III, C. Reed Cowart, Caroline Kerr, Danner Kline, Marianna Nichols, Jack Pease, Benjamin H. Pollock, Rachel M. Sims, Clytisha G. Smith, DeMario Thornton, and Jack Tucker

Fish Nelson & Holden, LLC, is pleased to announce that its senior partner, Mike Fish, has joined the faculty at Work CompCollege. com and will teach courses for students in pursuit of a Workers’ Recovery Professional (WRP) certification.

Huie is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Davis McCoy and Woods Parker were recently promoted to partners in the firm.

Swift Currie McGhee & Hiers LLP elected Brandon Clapp and Murray Flint as partners with the firm.

Baxley

Lyon

Cowart Kerr

Kline Nichols

Pease

Pollock

Sims Smith

Thornton Tucker

Topping

Everett Richards

Fish McCoy Parker

Atkinson Bartz

Briscoe Burgess

Retired attorney Rob Hunter has been elected chair of the 21-person Board of Trustees of The National Judicial College, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most widely attended school for judges.

Jennifer Powers has been named a partner with Phelps Dunbar LLP. She is experienced in structuring and closing large commercial finance transactions in the firm’s business, real estate, and finance areas of practice.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP named four new partners in Birmingham: Chandler Combest, who is a member of the firm’s corporate and securities practice group; T. Brooks Proctor, who handles a broad range of litigation matters; Thomas L. Oliver III, whose practice is focused on litigating business matters; and

Emily M. Ruzic, who practices infrastructure and energy law.

Maynard Nexsen added Philip Boyd, Zach Gillespie, Ben Grimes, Josh Holmes, Mollie Hughes, Price McGiffert, Amy Rodenberger, and Whitt Watts as associates in its office.

Attorney Chris Burrell and his wife Robin have opened a new co-working space, GreaterWorx, located at 4701 Avenue V, Birmingham, AL 35208.

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC has elevated Amaobi J. Enyinnia, Benjamin P.

Harmon, and Rachelle E. Sanchez to the firm’s partnership.

The law firm of Baker Donelson has named two of its shareholders to leadership roles within the firm. Jeffrey M. Pomeroy has been named chair of the Firm’s Real Estate Group, and Marcus M. Maples has been named chair of the Firm’s Commercial Litigation Group.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Stanley E. Blackmon has been named among the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s inaugural 2023 Fellows Atlas Award winners. Additionally, he is a recipient of the 2024 Alabama Law Alumni Society’s Alabama Rising Young Attorney Award.

Clapp Flint

Burrell

Oliver

Gillespie Holmes Grimes

Hughes Ruzic

Powers

Boyd

Combest

Proctor

McGiffert

Rodenberger Watts

Enyinnia

Harmon Sanchez

Pomeroy

Maples

Blackmon