Les Oakes

Janine Brown is an M&A and corporate partner who serves as partner-in-charge of the firm’s Atlanta office. She works with companies in a variety of sectors, including technology, media, telecommunications, renewable energy and manufacturing, and has been involved in a wide variety of domestic and international transactions, including capital raising transactions, corporate governance matters, mergers and acquisitions, information technology transactions, joint ventures/strategic all...

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...

Bill Shaughnessy is a partner on the Construction Team. He focuses exclusively on helping clients in all stages of construction projects, including contract review and negotiation, dispute avoidance and resolution, and litigation and arbitration. Bill’s legal practice focuses on helping clients navigate complex construction projects from beginning to end, throughout the United States and internationally. He represents owners, developers, general contractors, design/build firms, and larg...

Allen D. Altman focuses his practice in the areas of complex estate, gift and GST tax planning for high-net-worth individuals and family units. He is experienced in issues dealing with executive compensation, stockholder agreements and nonqualified deferred compensation. Allen proactively develops and implements tax and estate planning strategies for his clients. In addition, he provides practical recommendations and structures that draw on his experience representing a wide variety of family...

As the managing partner of the Atlanta office, Bert Brannen mentors attorneys in the Atlanta office and helps them serve the Firm’s clients. Bert advises employers on a wide variety of union-related matters and assists them with the administration, negotiation, mediation and arbitration of collective bargaining agreements. He also counsels employers who want to remain union-free with training, preventive strategies and counter-organizing educational campaigns. Bert helps employers avoid...

William J. Ching is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Venture Capital Law. William J., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen “Steve” M. Schatz is a skilled litigator with more than 30 years of experience handling an array of litigation matters that include first- and third-party coverage, construction defects, arson and fraud, bad faith, environmental law, property insurance disputes, products liability, toxic torts and general liability defense. Throughout his career, Steve has handled a multitude of complex coverage issues under commercial general liability, excess and umbrella, reinsurance, a...

Robert Crewdson, Chair of the Atlanta Construction Law Practice, focuses on the litigation and transactional needs of national and international clients in the development and construction industry. Robert’s practice includes disputes for owners and real estate investors around the country and worldwide, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation in both state and federal courts. His cases often involve contractor terminations, extra work claims, delay claims, and substantial cons...

Kevin H. Hudson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Kevin H., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kevin H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeffrey A. Allred is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Jeffrey A., 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 Jeffrey A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.