Wayne Cartwright

With a background in mechanical engineering and industry experience with aerospace systems integration projects, Chris Lightner practices in Alston & Bird’s Intellectual Property – Mechanical Patents Team. Chris focuses his practice on patent solicitation and counseling, as well as on IP-driven due diligence efforts, licensing agreements, confidentiality considerations, and patent brokerage agreements. Chris prepares and prosecutes U.S. and foreign patent applications for wide...

Justin R. Barnes is office managing principal of the Atlanta, Georgia, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is the co-leader of the Wage and Hour practice group. He represents employers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies on a variety of labor and employment related issues, focusing on collective and class action wage and hour disputes and complex single plaintiff wage and benefit disputes. Justin’s practice is focused primarily on defending complex wage and hour c...

Damon Gunnels is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law. Damon, 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 Damon is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ken Pollock is a public finance attorney with over 25 years of experience in public finance transactions. He regularly serves as bond counsel, as disclosure counsel, and as counsel to underwriters, issuers, borrowers, trustees, banks, and credit enhancers in tax-exempt and taxable financings for governmental and private entities.

Amanda A. Farahany is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Individuals and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Amanda A., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Amanda A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Roger Quillen is the full-time Chairman and Managing Partner of Fisher Phillips. He is effectively the CEO of an organization with 350 attorneys and an additional support staff of more than 300 people. Roger has continuously led the firm for 15 years. The firm has tripled in size under Roger’s leadership and is consistently recognized as one of the country’s elite labor and employment law firms. Fisher Phillips has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report - Best Lawyers as th...

Mark Williamson is a partner and chair of Alston & Bird's Wealth Planning and Exempt Organizations Group. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and practices in the areas of estate planning and federal taxation. Mr. Williamson practiced with the Milwaukee law firm of Foley & Lardner before joining Alston & Bird and has been an adjunct professor of law at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Georgia State University in Atlanta. He was on the facul...

Heather Friedman focuses her practice on the resolution of complex environmental issues from a business and real estate perspective. Her practice includes both transactional and compliance work associated with the acquisition, development, disposition, management and financing of properties and companies with environmental issues throughout the country. Her practice involves both developed and underutilized environmentally impacted properties for use as industrial, retail, hotel, office, resi...

Jared Welsh counsels entertainment and digital media companies, brand owners, and creative individuals on a broad range of entertainment and intellectual property matters. He focuses his practice on complex entertainment, media, technology, and intellectual property transactions, with an emphasis on digital media distribution and the licensing of music, videos, and other entertainment content. Jared also has deep experience in the protection, maintenance, exploitation, and enforcement of copy...

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...