Kelly J. Koelker

Natasha L. Wilson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Natasha L., 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 Natasha L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ashley Gillihan is counsel in the Atlanta office and a member of the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation and ERISA Litigation Groups. Ashley focuses his practice exclusively on health and welfare employee benefit compliance and litigation issues for employers, health plan administrators, and other health and welfare benefit plan service providers. He also has extensive experience assisting financial institutions and insurance companies who serve as Health Savings Accou...

Stephen Opler concentrates his practice on the distinctive characteristics of liquidity transactions by and with entrepreneurs. Stephen helps private equity funds, strategic acquirers and entrepreneurial buyers and sellers achieve their goals by leveraging his three decades as an M&A lawyer, entrepreneur, business founder, investment banker, in-house lawyer and CPA. Buying or selling entrepreneur-owned businesses requires a unique focus on the many ways these transactions and the post-clo...

Maren Cave is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Insurance and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Maren, 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 Maren is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

M. Diane Owens specializes in products liability, employment discrimination, premises liability, environmental and toxic torts. Ms. Owens has also handled a significant number of matters involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation. She practices in all state and federal courts in Georgia and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. M. Diane Owens graduated from Mercer University with an A.B. degree, summa cum laude, in 1977, and her J.D. degree, magna cu...

Ben Mathis is the Managing Partner of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP. He also leads the Firm's Labor & Employment National Practice Section. His practice also includes commercial litigation and directors and officers defense. He has practiced throughout the country and has been lead counsel in cases in 45 states. Mr. Mathis has been selected one of the "Premier Top 100 Trial Attorneys in the State of Georgia" by the American Academy of Trial Attorneys. He ‎has been named the "Atlanta ...

Lisa York Bowman, the Managing Member of York Bowman Law, LLC, has over 20 years of experience litigating with a focus on employment law. Lisa’s practice is devoted to helping executives negotiate employment contracts and severance agreements. Lisa also helps small to mid-sized businesses with all employment related matters, including: Wage & Hour Law Litigation Covid-19 compliance for employers; Federal EEO Investigator; Federal court litigation; Severance negotiations; Department ...

Rusty Fleming represents lenders and commercial real estate developers in a variety of transactions across the United States.

Adam structures and negotiates secured financings in commercial lending transactions. His experience ranges from representing lenders in single-bank deals to broadly syndicated investment-grade credit facilities, but his focus is representing banks and financial companies in middle market cash flow acquisition financings. Adam Monich represents banks, direct lenders, borrowers, and sponsors in debt financings. He has experience in structuring and negotiating both secured and unsecured financi...

Richard Hays is the Managing Partner of Alston & Bird. Since 2008, he has led the strategic direction of the firm and played a key role in its growth and performance. Mr. Hays also chairs the firm’s Administrative Committee. The firm has offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, Silicon Valley, Research Triangle and Brussels. Prior to his election as the Managing Partner, Mr. Hays served as the firm’s Financial Partner and also headed the ...