N. Kirkland "Kirk" Pope

Read's practice focuses upon representing employers in connection with lawsuits, charges, claims, arbitrations, grievances, and appeals filed by employees. He also proactively counsels and advises employers regarding various aspects of employment law (including non-competition and trade secret matters); assists employers in designing and implementing personnel policies and procedures, employee handbooks, employment agreements (including non-competition agreements), and employment dispute reso...

Clients can depend on Kerri-Ann Griggs for advice across all areas of immigration law. She has an established track record of obtaining almost 100% approvals for complex business immigration cases that receive RFEs, NOIDs, NOIRs, and audits. Kerri provides corporate clients with strategic solutions for their global workforce, international employment, cross-border transactions, and compliance. Kerri advises clients on various aspects of corporate immigration law, including immigrant and non-i...

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 ...

John Hickman is head of the firm’s Health Benefits Practice, where he leads several attorneys devoted exclusively to health care reform issues under the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA privacy, health savings accounts (HSAs) and consumer-directed health care, flexible benefit plans and related health benefit issues. Mr. Hickman has worked closely with health plans, financial institutions and employers, as well as the IRS, Treasury and DOL, in addressing health benefit issues. Mr. Hickman has...

Sarah Ernst is chair of Alston & Bird’s Health Care Group, an interdisciplinary team of health care corporate, FDA, health policy, and health care compliance lawyers. Sarah focuses her practice on corporate transactions, and she represents public and private companies and private equity clients in complex mergers and acquisitions, carve-out transactions, securities offerings, restructurings, joint ventures, and spinoffs, with an emphasis in the health care industry. Sarah also couns...

William Jordan is co-chair of the Litigation & Trial Practice Group . He concentrates his practice on business litigation, government and internal corporate investigations, corporate ethics and compliance matters, and antitrust law. Bill is a member of the firm's Government Investigations & Special Matters Team and leads its Health Care Litigation Team . He frequently represents hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurers, health care providers, chemical manufacturers, telecommunica...

Alisha F. Gibson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Communications Law. Alisha F., 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 Alisha F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Joyce Gist Lewis is a skilled and tenacious advocate for private companies and governmental entities in and out of the courtroom. Joyce’s two decades of experience includes serving as lead counsel for claims involving professional liability, director and officer liability, business divorce, real estate litigation, employment discrimination defense, and catastrophic injury defense. Her appellate experience includes arguing cases before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and successful...

For over thirty years, Johnna Goodmark has represented clients in the acquisition, sale, and leasing of commercial real estate. As a former Deputy City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, Johnna brings a unique combination of government and private practice experience to her real estate practice that helps clients achieve their goals. With an eye for detail and a creative problem solving approach, Johnna has closed some of the most complex, sophisticated, and high profile real estate deals in t...

John Monroe has represented employers in the litigation and arbitration of virtually every type of claim that may arise out of the employment relationship. These claims include employment discrimination and harassment, breach of contract, unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, claims arising under state and federal wage and hour laws and family medical leave laws, employment/business torts, claims involving minority shareholder rights and business "divorces". John has extensiv...