Edward J. "Jack" Hardin

Rick Horder has engaged in the practice of environmental law and litigation for nearly forty years. As an Assistant United States Attorney from 1974 to 1977, he represented the U.S. EPA in numerous water and NEPA cases. From 1978 to 1989, he was Regional Counsel, and later Associate General Counsel, for Georgia-Pacific Corporation, where he was responsible for all environmental and toxic tort compliance and litigation company-wide. In 1989, he joined Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, a large Atlanta l...

Darrick McDuffie is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Darrick, who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Darrick is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Christine P. James is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trademark Law. Christine P., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christine P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Lavern was named FordHarrison's first Talent and Recruiting Partner in 2018. In this new role, Lavern is responsible for recruiting and developing lawyers firm-wide. She will oversee the hiring and on-boarding of new lawyers, manage utilization and workflow, and design and implement talent development initiatives to support the career growth of our lawyers. Lavern concentrates her practice on defending employers in discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, whistle-blower, retaliation, employ...

Rick Pilch has over 24 years of experience as a commercial real estate attorney, representing a broad range of clients for projects throughout the country. He has extensive experience representing institutional clients in the development, sale, acquisition, and leasing of industrial warehouses and distribution centers, inpatient and outpatient medical facilities, office buildings, hotels, and manufacturing facilities. Rick has twice been named a “BTI Client Service All-Star,” a se...

Pierrette McCalla is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Pierrette, who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Pierrette is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sarah Mackenzie is a partner in Alston & Bird’s Corporate & Business Transactions Group. Sarah represents private and public companies in complex mergers and acquisitions, carve-out transactions, joint ventures, inbound international business transactions, and securities offerings. Her practice also includes counseling companies on corporate governance, ongoing SEC compliance, and other general corporate matters. Sarah earned her J.D., cum laude, in 2009 from Washington and Lee ...

Ted Blum serves as managing shareholder of the Atlanta office and chair of the firm's Atlanta Corporate and Securities Practice. He leads and advises a team with the strategic business, legal and market experience needed to manage and close complex transactions, as well as to provide counsel on day-to-day operations. Ted concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate and business law, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and corporate finance. He has experience representing buyers ...

For a number of clients, Nicole serves as an extension of their benefits and rewards department, designing compliant total rewards programs that facilitate her clients’ business objectives. For publicly traded and private companies, predominately in the financial services, healthcare and restaurant sectors, as well as tax-exempt entities, Nicole regularly advises on retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, pension plans and government correction programs for fixing plan operational err...

Areas of Concentration Entertainment law Securities Legal malpractice