Michael J. Smith

At Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C., Athens personal injury attorney Evan W. Jones focuses primarily on catastrophic injury cases, including those resulting from medical malpractice and nursing home negligence and/or abuse . Throughout his years in practice, he has successfully obtained substantial settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of his clients, totaling millions. Evan grew up on St. Simons Island in Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia where he obtained his A.B...

William C. “Bubba” Head is widely regarded as one of the architects of modern DUI defense in the United States. Alongside pioneers such as the late Reese I. Joye, Jr., of North Charleston SC and the late Lawrence E. Taylor, of Long Beach, CA, he helped shape the national movement to formally train and educate defense lawyers in impaired‑driving litigation, laying the groundwork for what would become a nationwide standard of advanced DUI defense practice. The first major “kic...

Ryals Drayton Stone is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Ryals Drayton, who practices law in Rome, Georgia, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ryals Drayton is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Josh B. Wages is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Josh B., who practices law in Athens, Georgia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Josh B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Richard M. Morgan has been practicing law in Georgia since 1987. Richard founded the award-winning Alpharetta law firm of Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C. in 1995 to help individuals and families plan and prepare for the many changes that life brings. Morgan & DiSalvo is recognized as a U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers.com “Best Law Firm” since 2013. Morgan & DiSalvo received the highest “Tier 1” rating in Trusts and Estates Law, a distinction held by on...

Attorney Lee S. Atkinson is a dedicated Athens personal injury lawyer and member of the Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. team. After growing up in Athens, Lee attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1999, before going on to obtain his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2005. After law school, Lee began his law career at one of the largest insurance defense firms in Atlanta. There, he successfully rep...

JOSHUA W. BRANCH MANAGING PARTNER THE ATHENS PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY Joshua W. Branch focuses on personal injury trial work. He has represented clients in the Athens and Atlanta area for 18 years, focusing on catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths as the result of car accidents , truck accidents , and other serious accidents. Josh’s interest in law began at the early age of 16 when he began working in a law firm as a high school student. Attending depositions and being inundated wit...

Henry G. Garrard III is a dedicated personal injury and plaintiffs’ litigation lawyer at Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C. Throughout his extensive career, he has handled a wide variety of complex injury claims, including those involving medical malpractice and products liability, as well as qui tam litigation, tort liability, and class actions. Additionally, he has experience handling very complicated litigation, including multidistrict litigation. Before beginning his prac...

Cory Yager is a criminal defense attorney with Kohn & Yager in Sandy Springs, Georgia. His practice focuses on Criminal Defense: General Practice, including cases involving DUI defense and other criminal charges under Georgia law. Mr. Yager represents individuals throughout the Atlanta area and across the state, drawing on his background in law enforcement and years of courtroom experience in criminal trial proceedings. Mr. Yager has received a 10.0 rating on AVVO, a legal directory that ...

Drew Hill is committed to helping his clients fight for the justice and recovery they deserve after someone else’s negligence leaves them facing serious, long-lasting injuries. While his practice focuses on many different types of personal injury cases , including medical negligence and products liability, Drew also handles complex mass torts and truck accident cases . Over the course of his years in practice, he has successfully fought for and won multimillion-dollar settlements and ju...