Birmingham Bar Association Bulletin Spring 2022

Bulletin BIRMINGHAM BAR ASSOCIATION

Members Who Motivate Us Meet the recipients of the BBA’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award and Public Service Award. 12

Vol. 43, Issue 1 | Spring 2022

MLK Day of Service Area organizations team up to work in Bush Hills Community Garden. 20

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Message from the

Executive Director Thank you for being a member of the Birmingham Bar Association! I hope you are taking advantage of the many benefits that we have to offer, such as networking socials, opportunities to interact with judges, leadership opportunities, free CLE seminars and so much more.

What can you expect in 2022? Lots of events: ► We will celebrate Law Day 2022 on Thursday, May 5, with a special CLE program and a band party Jennifer with 2022 President Allison Skinner. featuring the band Nationwide Coverage. you to the community will be This won’t be your ordinary Law available.

Day — it’s going to be exceptional! ► Our 10 active Sections and 20 ► We plan to have the Annual Committees will be planning lots of Picnic on Friday, June 10, so get events that you will not want to miss. ready to enjoy all of your favorite ► Plus lots more! traditions at this beloved event!

I look forward to seeing you soon! ► Continuing the practice started at the beginning of the pandemic, we will again offer our members free Jennifer B. Buettner online CLEs. Executive Director ► Service projects that connect

Published for the Birmingham Bar Association

by Starnes Media

2022 Officers of the BBA Allison O. Skinner, President Marcus M. Maples, President-Elect J. Price Evans IV, Secretary/Treasurer H. Lanier Brown II, Immediate Past President Jennifer B. Bates, Executive Director

2022 BBA Executive Committee Robert E. Battle Rebecca A. Beers Pooja Chawla Starr Turner Drum Susan N. Han

Tina Lam Hope S. Marshall D.G. Pantazis Jr. Ryan P. Robichaux Tripp Watson

Virginia E. Miller, ADR Section Hanna Lahr, Bankruptcy/Commercial Law Section J. Jack Kubiszyn, Business Law Section Brock Brett, Criminal Justice Section Robin Robertson, Federal Practice Section Christopher S. Hamer, Probate Section April H. Deluca, Solo Practice/Small Firm Section Laura S. Winston, Women Lawyers Section Jud C. Stanford, Workers Compensation Section Anna M. Carroll, Young Lawyers Section Ruby B. Jackson, Magic City Bar Association Freddy Rubio, ASB Commissioner

Birmingham Bar Association 2021 Second Avenue North Birmingham, AL 35203 205-251-8006 birminghambar.org jbuettner@birminghambar.org To advertise in the Bulletin, contact Dan Starnes at dan@starnesmedia.com.

BIRMINGHAM BAR ASSOCIATION

Save the Date to Celebrate Law Day 2022 with a CLE Program and Band Party!

For information about this publication and/or advertising rates, call 205-313-1780. Starnes Media produces seven monthly newspapers in the Birmingham metro area: 280 Living, Cahaba Sun (Trussville), Homewood Star, Hoover Sun, Iron City Ink (downtown Birmingham), Vestavia Voice and Village Living (Mountain Brook). Starnes Media also produces chamber membership directories, quality-of-life magazines and business marketing materials.

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Thursday, May 5, 2022

Law Day Chair Beth McElroy James

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2022 BBA President Allison Skinner

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MORE. I F YO U ’ R E R E A D Y

ONBOARDSEARCH.COM

In This Issue 08 President’s Message

16 Marking a Successful Year

26 Vision for 2022 Magic City Bar Association President Richard Rice shares leadership themes for the year.

Allison O. Skinner: It is an honor to be president of the BBA this year, and I appreciate your entrusting this role to me.

BBA, Birmingham Bar Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham, Legal Aid Society of Birmingham close out 2021 with the Annual Membership Meeting.

20 MLK Day of Service

28 Paying It Forward Volunteer lawyers share stories of getting back as much as they give to others.

30 Extraordinary Advocacy Judge Scott Vowell receives Legal Aid Society’s 2021 Susan Bevill Livingston Award.

31 Remembering Suzanne D. Paulson Area’s legal organizations team up to work in the Bush Hills Community Garden.

12 Members Who Motivate Us Meet the recipients of the Birmingham Bar Association’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award and Public Service Award.

22 Remembering Mike Ermert BBF honors its 2015 President Michael Dwayne “Mike” Ermert.

Leitman, Siegal & Payne, P.C., memorializes its partner Suzanne Paulson.

33 Memorial Scholarship Contributions 34 Upcoming CLEs 36 Attorneys in the News

On the cover: The lights at the new Protective Stadium in Birmingham shine bright during a University of Alabama at Birmingham football game against Liberty University. Photo by Erin Nelson.

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BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

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From the President It is an honor to be president of the Birmingham Bar Association this year, and I appreciate your entrusting this role to me.

When I started practicing law almost three decades ago, I never dreamed that I would have the privilege of leading this prestigious and extraordinary legal organization.

Despite the hardships of the past two years, together we are moving ahead into the future with resiliency and optimism.

Our Bar Association is beginning “The Next Chapter” in our history, and this next phase is bright for all Birmingham Bar members and also for all attorneys and Judges in our geographic footprint.

Let me tell you what I see as hallmarks of “The Next Chapter” in the Birmingham Bar’s lifespan:

RELATIONSHIPS, COLLABORATION TO FOSTER INCLUSION AND EQUITY

Above: 2022 Birmingham Bar Association President Allison O. Skinner with her family at the 2021 Annual Meeting. Below left: Allison and David Skinner. Below right: Allison with 2020 BBA President Andrew Nix.

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As the sixth woman President in the Birmingham Bar Association’s 137-year history, one of my goals is to take advantage of any opportunities that I may have to break down institutional and structural barriers to access for all attorneys. One way that I believe that I can accomplish this is by continuing to foster the collaborations and build the relationships that recent presidents have established and by expanding the BBA’s collaborations with new and different organizations.

For example, partnering with the Magic City Bar Association, the Bessemer Bar Association, our Sections, local bar associations across the state, and the Alabama State Bar, we will offer benefits and engage with attorneys who might not know about all that the Birmingham Bar has to offer.

We can be better and stronger together with others.

Continuing our partnerships with the Birmingham Bar Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham and the Legal Aid Society of Birmingham is also important. Our deep respect and gratitude for

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Diana S. Knight, CPA, CVA Jeff W. Maze, CPA, MA Jason Lybrand, CPA, MBA

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GOVERNANCE AND OVERSIGHT OF OUR ORGANIZATION

Allison with Chris Christie and Allen Howell.

the work of those “sister” organizations is reflected in the pages of each Bulletin magazine where we feature the great work they do. We hope to join forces with them in other ways this year as well.

YOUR BAR ASSOCIATION HOME

If you’ve been to the Bar Association Center on Second Avenue North, you know what a great asset our home is. But our building is aging, and it needs repairs and

upgrades to keep it in good working order and make it more functional for the types of meetings and social events that we are now hosting.

In that regard, we hope to embark on a project to address some structural issues and make the building more inviting to our members and to other organizations that want to rent space from us. A refresh of our physical space will be a tangible manifestation of “The Next Chapter” in the Bar Association’s lifecycle.

All healthy, forward-looking entities must continually examine their governance functions to be certain that their processes and procedures are effective and up to date. Reviewing by-laws, long-range plans and sustainability strategies are all on my agenda for our Executive Committee and special task forces to evaluate and, as needed, update.

It is important for “The Next Chapter” of our Bar Association to be introspective so that we can be ready for what might come in the future. As the pandemic has revealed, resiliency is critical and adaptability will be necessary as we move forward. We need to be poised and ready to help our current members and all future members excel in their professional lives throughout their careers.

MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY IMPACT

Without you, the Birmingham Bar Association does not exist. You are the most

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Members of a high-performing high-performing team go above above and beyond because their In order toof have a high performing team, not must you because have the their right role, team, manager and culture engages and inspires them.

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BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

important part of everything we do, so we want to be sure that you all feel included and invested and that you find value in what we have to offer. You are the key element of “The Next Chapter.”

We will have lots of events this year and have already gotten started with a Day of Service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as some Happy Hour Meet-Ups at local hot spots. Also, don’t miss out on what will be a huge Law Day celebration May 5 with the band party that my predecessor, President Lanier Brown, had hoped to host in 2021.

We plan to take advantage of the historic moment our city will experience as it hosts The World Games 2022 by scheduling some fun activities associated with that momentous event. Our city has so much to offer and so many new initiatives underway, and we want to educate you on some of them, so we are implementing a “Get to Know

Birmingham” series that I hope you have heard about and are taking advantage of.

I am pleased that you have chosen to be a member of the Birmingham Bar Association and hope that you will continue to maintain your membership for many years to come. I invite you to be a part of “The Next Chapter” of our history by taking part in some activities and events this year.

The BBA is an excellent place to forge meaningful and lifelong connections to attorneys and judges who will be instrumental and supportive throughout your career.

I am grateful for the relationships and opportunities that I have had through my involvement, and I want you to have that same experience.

Again, thank you for allowing me to serve as your 2022 president.

Please reach out to me any time if I can be of service to you.

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Members Who Motivate Us Meet the recipients of the Birmingham Bar Association’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award and Public Service Award.

The Honorable Houston L. Brown

Members Who Motivate Us

The Birmingham Bar Association was pleased to bestow the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award to The Honorable Houston L. Brown. This award honors a member who has demonstrated service to the Bar, engaged in service to the community, state and nation, and reached professional achievements as a practicing attorney. Judge Brown’s leadership throughout his life and legal career is legendary, and we are hopeful that he is working on his autobiography to share his story with the world. In the meantime, a terrific article about Judge Brown can be found here at al.com/news/birmingham/ 2015/06/youre_going_to_have_to_shoot_ m.html.

The Honorable Houston L. Brown accepts his 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from Kathy Collier, as his proud son, 2021 President Lanier Brown, looks on.

Q. What do you believe are your most significant accomplishments in life?

A. I have been fortunate that there have

been many occasions in my life where I could pursue and attain achievements that I am very proud of. But the most pivotal event in my life — the one that opened the door to many of those opportunities — came early in my marriage and career.

My wife, Betty, and I were in New York City where I was considering attending law school, and we realized that deciding whether I should attend school in Alabama or New York would ultimately determine where we would establish a life together and raise our family.

As a young couple sitting on the floor of a cousin’s NYC apartment, Betty and I talked through our options. We were both born and raised in Alabama, and both her parents and mine still lived in Alabama. We each had a sibling in Alabama. We knew that our families would need us and we wanted to be close to them. So we decided

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that we would come back to Birmingham so that I could attend Cumberland School of Law. That was a decisive moment in our life together and one that led to many great opportunities. It also enabled us to take care of our parents and siblings as they aged. In addition, because we were in Birmingham, I was privileged to assume the responsibility for providing end-of-life care for my second grade teacher, who was like a second mother to Betty and me and who had no family at all to care for her. We were also fortunate to raise our two sons here — we are proud of them and the wonderful human beings they have become.

Certainly, the conditions in Birmingham were challenging and truly awful at

the time Betty and I made our decision to return here, and it was a difficult life. But it turned out to be the correct decision to return home and be able to touch and be touched by so many lives.

Q. What were some of your favorite aspects of your tenure as Presiding Judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit?

A. I enjoyed the administrative role that

the Presiding Judge performs: managing dockets, assigning case responsibilities to judges, and handling the relationships between the circuit and the state and local governmental entities, such as the Legislature and the County Commission,

BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

fortunate to always have a wide variety of people who were helpful and offered assistance and support to me and my family.

The Honorable Houston L. Brown with his son, BBA Immediate Past President Lanier Brown.

were all about relationship building and working harmoniously with many different stakeholders. I enjoyed working within the bounds of my statutory authority as the Presiding Judge to gain cooperation among a wide range of groups, and I was proud of the consensus building that I did in my role. I worked hard to earn trust and build mutually respectful relationships with so many diverse entities and individuals.

Q. Tell us about one of the many organizations that you have been involved with. What has been the impact of that organization on the community and on you?

A. On and off since the 1970s, I have been

a trustee on the board of my church, the First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ. Our church was started in 1881 by some Talladega College graduates who were eager to provide educational opportunities for African Americans in the South, and we have a number of outreach programs. I am serving as a trustee, but my current tenure expires soon.

I continue to maintain my Bar memberships and am pleased to continue to have connections to the legal community through these organizations.

From early in my life, I have been a member of and involved in the work of Sigma Pi Phi fraternity. Founded in 1904, the fraternity is devoted to advancing the education of African Americans in all professions and awards many scholarships each year. We provide such a positive impact on the community by advancing the African American community through

SPRING 2022

Q. What are a couple of your favorite books and why are they your favorites?

A. There are so many books that have

equity, mutual respect and commitment to leadership.

Q. Who was the most influential person in your life when you were just starting out as an attorney?

A. As a brand new lawyer just staring out

in my practice, J. Mason Davis was a very influential person in my life. Mason and I were close in age so, while he was my senior and had more experience than me as an attorney, he was not of an age that he seemed like a parent figure. I could identify with him and our business relationship grew and deepened quickly with his excellent teaching skills. I learned not only how to be a great attorney but also how to develop relationships and form connections with Judges and other attorneys.

In addition, Arthur Shores was always a strong influence in my life. As my across-the-street neighbor, Arthur was always available to talk with me, and he too helped me develop not only my legal proficiencies, but also my relational skills.

I was fortunate to meet Justice Thurgood Marshall through Arthur.

Both of these outstanding attorneys and dear friends were always there for me when I had a problem. They never said “no” or “I’m too busy” when I came to them. They never told me what to do or solved the problem on their own. They talked through situations with me and together we figured out what to do.

There were many other influential lawyers in my life, particularly through my involvement in bar activities. Birmingham has so many fine attorneys and I was

been impactful to me throughout my life that it is difficult to pinpoint just a couple.

But two books that really stayed with me from my very early years are “The Souls of Black Folk,” written in 1903 by W.E.B. DuBois, and the multiple autobiographies of Frederick Douglass, written between 1845-92. I read these books at a time when I needed some kernel in my life to give me a strong foundation to make a productive life for myself. These books gave me incredible strength to grow and learn and develop into a person who could work toward change and a better life for all African Americans. These books were my roots.

I was fortunate because my high school teachers were exceptionally gifted. That was at a time when African Americans had very few professional options, and the brightest ones became teachers, so you can imagine what an excellent education I received. They taught the history of the African American people and they believed that reading about history as it was written during the time it was happening (not hundreds of years later filtered through lenses) was the way to learn.

Q. Where is the best place you have ever traveled?

A. My first trip to Africa was the best

travel experience I have ever had. After an 18-hour flight from Atlanta to South Africa, when I stepped off the plane and my foot hit the ground, it was a spiritual moment for me. I was overcome with a clear and definite understanding that this country was a part of me and I was a part of it. I knew instantly, “This is where I came from, this is my spiritual home.”

Africa is a beautiful country, and I connected deeply with it and the people there.

Through my travels, I have learned one essential lesson ... every place has its own unique customs, habits, foods, and traditions, but people are the same everywhere.

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J. Mason Davis Jr.

Members Who Motivate Us

J. Mason Davis Jr. was the 2021 recipient of the Birmingham Bar Association’s L. Burton Barnes III Public Service Award, which recognizes a member who has demonstrated exemplary service to the public through participation in charitable, service and community organizations and who has sacrificed time and effort for the betterment of others. Mason has been a leader in the Birmingham community his entire adult life, serving on dozens of boards of nonprofit organizations, giving generously of his time, talents and funds to many charitable causes, acting as a mentor to countless numbers of attorneys, and advancing the rights of all African Americans. We are grateful that Mason is not only a long-term member of the Birmingham Bar, but also a past president, having been our leader in 1985.

Q. Tell us about one of the many organizations that you are currently involved with.

A. The United Way of Central Alabama

recently established the J. Mason Davis Leadership Society in my honor, which is a tremendous privilege. I accepted this honor on the condition that the UWCA have the Society’s primary goal to be the teaching of underprivileged children to read beginning at age 3.

Without question, the principal problem in public schools today is that children entering first grade entirely lack a firm ability to read, to know the alphabet, and to learn through reading. If they wait to gain these skills in elementary school at 6 years old, they are already behind and never catch up.

In my work with the director of this Society, I help to implement this mission.

I am proud that there are about 400 to 500 members of this Leadership Society.

Q. Who was the most influential person in your life? Why did he/she have such a significant impact on you?

A. My mother was a great influence on me

as I was growing up. Although my father died from pneumonia when I was 2-and-ahalf years old, there are ways that he was

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J. Mason Davis Jr., the 2021 recipient of the Birmingham Bar Association’s L. Burton Barnes III Public Service Award, educates an audience about the early days of Birmingham. an influence on me even after his passing.

He was a high school teacher then became principal of Thomas Elementary School near the Sloss Sheffield Steel Plant on First Avenue. His strong work ethic has stuck with me throughout my life. His passing left my mother to raise my sister and me and put us through college, and she worked hard to enable us to have a great education and many opportunities throughout our lives.

But by far the most influential person in my life was my late wife, June Carolyn Fox Davis. We met when we were both 18 years old at Talladega College — she was a freshman, and I was a sophomore. We were married Aug. 11, 1957, in her hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama. I am proud to say that we were married for 61 very happy years.

June always guided me in the right way to go and the best decisions to make. From her, I learned the importance of thinking rationally through situations rather than just reacting in anger or frustration. I became successful in my law practice because she

taught me to keep an even keel with clients, other lawyers, and the public. June is always with me in spirit, even today when she is not physically with me. I think about her often throughout every day.

June and I have two children: our daughter, Karen Madeline Davis, is just like June.

Our son, Julian Mason Davis III is more like me.

Q. What is one example of how your legal career has helped you in your public service.

A. The law is the basis for everything. If

you go into the law, you learn to deal with people and their problems. So early on in my career, I was exposed to all types of problems and, as a result of the law, I quickly and vividly saw all of the ways that the community needs to be improved and helped.

One of the most impactful ways I have used my law degree to serve the community was through my service in the Birmingham Bar Association. I became a member in the

BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

Q. What are a couple of your favorite books and why are they your favorites?

A. Two books that I read in high school still

Mason with Jennifer Buettner Bates and Judge Martha Reeves Cook.

early 1970s when the BBA was finally open to Black lawyers. I served on the Executive Committee, then as secretary/treasurer, then president-elect and president.

Early in my career, before I became a Birmingham Bar Association member, a task force was appointed to investigate a change to the form of government in the city of Birmingham, which was instrumental in adopting the current mayor/ council system of government. Our task force recommended that the city change from a three-person City Commission to seven-person City Council with a strong mayor. (The City Council later became a nine-member entity).

This change was the turning point in changing the image of our city from one of bombings and segregation to one that was more business and community friendly.

Businesses like the steel companies were beginning to move away from Birmingham because segregating the workforce was ineffective and costly. The governmental change helped to facilitate the removal of certain individuals who were the forces behind segregation.

Also, the University of Alabama at Birmingham would not have grown into the economic, social and civic engine that it is for our city if the city government had not changed.

That change — and the population growth it precipitated — allowed Jefferson County to have more representatives in the state legislature and, with greater legislative representation, we were able to advocate for the growth of the University’s Birmingham campus.

The Birmingham Bar’s task force report was the prime mover in the decision to change the structure of the city government.

So it was lawyers who helped to make

SPRING 2022

Birmingham a vital and viable city.

Q. What changes would you like to see in the city of Birmingham?

A. The U.S. District Court just made a

change regarding redistricting that will be good for the city. It found that the redistricting done on the basis of the 2020 Census was racially motivated and that the Black population growth requires an additional majority Black district. The census also demonstrated that, based on the growth rates of Alabama population, people of color in our region will outnumber white people by 2045, so congressional representation should reflect the actual population.

The restrictive voting laws that we have in our state reduce the number of votes from people of color — similar to the post-Civil War period of reducing the voices of the people of color through restrictive voting laws. White flight seems to have ended.

Q. What do you believe are your most significant accomplishments in life?

A. Living to be 86 years old is something

that I am proud of. I have outlived all of my peers in my family, on both the Harris and the Davis sides.

I am also extremely proud of my work in the area of early childhood literacy. As I have mentioned before, children need to be able to read before first grade so that they can keep up in school. Reading is the foundation for a person’s entire future ... if you cannot read, you cannot graduate and you cannot get a decent job, which often forces people to turn to crime or drugs.

resonate with me. The first is “From Slavery to Freedom” by John Hope Franklin, and the second is “Black Reconstruction”

by W.E.B DeBois. These books are both accurate, in-the-moment accounts of slavery and racism in America. Everything that occurs in this country goes back to slavery, and this fundamental sin of our country affects everything that happens in this country even today. The legacy of slavery and its lingering institutions affect both foreign policy and domestic policy.

Diane McWhorter’s “Carry Me Home” and J. Mills Thornton’s “Dividing Line” also show the condition of our country and why we have so many problems.

Q. Where is the best place you have ever traveled?

A. June and I were fortunate to have so

many memorable travels together. We took a cruise in the Caribbean and a river cruise down the Rhone River from Lyon to Marseilles in France. We have traveled to Spain, Germany, France, Austria, England and Italy. Also, after attending a legal convention in London during my tenure as Birmingham Bar Association president, June and I took the opportunity to travel extensively through France and Germany, where we saw the Holocaust’s effects firsthand.

Q. If you were to have pursued a different career, what would it have been and why?

A. If I were not a lawyer, I probably would

have followed in the footsteps of the Davis family and been a teacher. Teaching is in my genes, and I taught at the University of Alabama School of Law for over 25 years.

Or I might have entered the Harris family business of life insurance. At that time, it was only one of 51 Black-owned life insurance companies in the country. Our family sold the insurance company in 2004 because Black insurance agents were leaving Blackowned insurance businesses to work for White-owned insurance businesses that could offer higher face value policies.

I have enjoyed every minute of my legal career, and I have no regrets for choosing this career path.

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Celebrating a Successful 2021 The Birmingham Bar Association, the Birmingham Bar Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham and the Legal Aid Society of Birmingham closed out 2021 with our traditional jointly held Annual Membership Meeting. Here are a few of the highlights from the meeting: ► The Birmingham Bar Association honored Judge Houston L. Brown with the Lifetime Achievement Award and J. Mason Davis Jr. with the L. Burton Barnes III Public Service Award. ► The Legal Aid Society’s Susan B. Livingston Award was bestowed upon Former Presiding Judge J. Scott Vowell. ► John Durward, the Bar Association’s Election Official, revealed the winners of the Executive Committee election.

► We honored the memories of those Birmingham Bar Association members who passed in 2021. ► We celebrated the attorneys who have been Birmingham Bar Association members for 50 years. ► Taze Shepard, Alabama State Bar President, delivered remarks about the initiatives that he has implemented. ► We heard a recap of 2021 from Outgoing

President H. Lanier Brown II and a preview of 2022 from Incoming President Allison O. Skinner. ► The presidents of the Birmingham Bar Association, the Birmingham Bar Foundation and Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham each passed the gavel to their incoming presidents.

Please make plans to join us Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, to celebrate what we promise to be a great 2022!

John Lentine, Lanier Brown, Allison Skinner and Andrew Salser.

Fathers and sons: Julian Davis, Mason Davis, Judge Houston Brown and Lanier Brown.

Lanier Brown with Deborah Byrd Walker, who delivered the invocation at the Annual Membership Meeting.

Presidents of the Birmingham Bar Association.

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2021 President Lanier Brown with his family.

Sharon Stuart and Leslie Rubio.

2021 President Lanier Brown and 2022 President-Elect Marcus Maples.

Alabama State Bar President Taze Shepard greets attendees and shares an update about State Bar initiatives.

2022 BBA President Allison Skinner and 2022 BBF President Andrew Salser.

SPRING 2022

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Holiday Party Preparations Thank you to the Birmingham Bar Association Entertainment Committee for a great Holiday Party!

We couldn’t host the Holiday Party in 2020, so it was a fun return to tradition to be able to hold it in 2021. The Entertainment Committee worked hard to prepare all of your favorite foods and we hope everyone had a wonderful time.

Members of the Entertainm

Judge Javan Patton, Nick Ca

Above: Walter McArdle, Owen Roberts, Maggie Boohaker and Pam Roberts.

Right: Candis McGowan and Sonny Resha.

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llahan and Beth McElroy.

ent Committee preparing

for the party.

Maggie, Sonny and Candis rolling grape leaves for the party.

Beth McElroy and Walter McArdle.

BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

BIRMINGHAM BAR ASSOCIATION

Save the Date to Celebrate Law Day 2022 with a CLE Program and Band Party!

BBA 2022 resident Allison Skinner Law Day Chair Beth McElroy James Thursday, May 5, 2022 Details are coming soon

SPRING 2022

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MLK Day of Service The Birmingham Bar Association, the Magic City Bar Association and the Birmingham Bar Foundation recently teamed up to work in the Bush Hills Community Garden.

Despite the mud and near-freezing temperatures, our three organizations joined forces to volunteer in the garden, spreading mulch and winterizing the soil to prepare it for planting in the spring.

Jan. 17, 2022, the day we celebrated the life and service of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was a day of teamwork, unity and service. We are so grateful for all of the people pictured here and listed to the right.

ity Garden. Right: The Above: Bush Hills Commun and Jess. Below: FriedMark family: Robin, Ladd Linda Friedman, Doug man family and law firm: and Cierra Ferrell.

Friedman, Jessica Friedman

Above: Carla Morton and her family. atson. awla and Leila W Above: Pooja Ch ions. ct ru gather for inst Left: Volunteers

Above: Ruby Jackson, Pooja Chawla, Kecia Chapman. Right: Joel Caldwell, Todd Engelhardt and Tanja Jones.

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Above: April Williams, the skillful leader of the Bush Hills Community Garden. Left: Judge Madeline Haikala and Robin Mark.

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2022 Day of Service to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ernest Bates Rebecca Beers Christopher Burrell Joel Caldwell Rhonda Chambers Kecia Chapman Pooja Chawla Kathy Collier Judge Anne Durward Todd Engelhardt Cierra Ferrell Doug Friedman Jessica Friedman Linda Friedman Georgia Haggerty Judge Madeline Haikala Chris Hamer

SPRING 2022

Susan Han Ruby Jackson Tanja Jones Margaret Loveman Jessica Mark Ladd Mark Robin Mark Carla Morton and Family Breauna Peterson Andrew Salser Lauren Shine Abby van Alstyne Deborah Walker Ellise Washington Leila Watson Tripp Watson

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In Memoriam

Michael Dwayne ‘Mike’ Ermert It is with great sadness that the Birmingham Bar Foundation acknowledges the passing of our 2015 President Michael Dwayne “Mike” Ermert on Jan. 12, 2022.

Born on June 17, 1961, in Fort Worth, Texas, Mike was a renowned lawyer throughout the state of Alabama, respected and admired for his brilliance in the courtroom, his countless legal achievements and his compassionate heart.

Raised in Athens, Alabama, Mike earned his undergraduate degree in communications from the University of Alabama in 1983. After serving the United States as an Army officer for four years, he returned to The University of Alabama for law school, graduating from the School of Law in 1990 and becoming the first lawyer in his family.

Mike has been recognized as one of the most highly decorated students in the history of The University of Alabama School of Law, serving as a member of the Alabama Law Review, the National Trial Advocacy team and the John A. Campbell Moot Court Board — all at the same time.

He was selected for membership in the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society, as well as the Order of Barristers and the Farrah Law Society.

In addition to these accomplishments, Mike was a Hugo Black Scholar and earned admission to the Order of the Coif — an honor reserved for those who graduate in the top 10% of their class. He also received the Neal C. Newell Scholarship during his third year of law school, gaining him an introduction to the firm which led him to his career path after graduation.

In 1990, Mike joined the Birmingham law firm of Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, LLP and was a practicing attorney there for more than 30 years. During his career, he was widely known for his dedication to his clients and his diligence in his work.

He served in leadership roles for numerous organizations including the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners, the Jefferson County Judicial Commission, the Birmingham Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Jefferson County

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Left: 2015 Birmingham Bar Foundation President Mike Ermert with 2016 BBF President Debbie Smith.

Below: Beth McElroy, Leslie Barineau and Mike Ermert.

Differential Case Management Committee, the Alabama Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice, the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation and Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham.

The Birmingham Bar Foundation was proud that Mike was our President in 2015.

It is well known that Mike loved being a lawyer, and he loved helping people throughout his legal career, but also through his faith. While he was respected and admired for his many outstanding legal achievements, he was enthusiastic about his many interests outside of his legal career, especially those that involved his church family.

For more than 38 years, Mike enjoyed a happy marriage with his high school sweetheart, Lori Ann Gordon Ermert. He is the proud father of two beautiful daughters, Margaret Alice and Anne Lauren.

For many years, Mike was active in various community and civic organizations, including the Monday Morning Quarterback Club and the Downtown YMCA, where he served on the Board of Management.

As a faithful Christian, Mike was a member of the Homewood Church of Christ for more than 30 years. For over a decade, he served on the Missions Committee. He taught Bible classes and served as leader of a major capital campaign. For more than 27 years, Mike met on Friday mornings with a close group of men for Bible study, prayer and encouragement.

We will all miss Mike, and we will remember him for his humanity, honor and faithfulness, leadership, knowledge, legal expertise and compassion.

He was a legend of our Bar and a true servant leader of his community.

– Andrew R. Salser, Birmingham Bar Foundation President

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2021 and 2022 Classes of Fellows William R. Andrews Roger L. Bates William C. Athanas Kevin E. Clark Jennifer M. Busby C. Burton Dunn Jr. Wendy B. Crew Gaile Pugh Gratton Greene Honorable Kechia S. Davis Marcus M. Maples Diandra Debrosse Zimmermann April M. Mason Benjamin S. Goldman Stephanie H. Mays Susan N. Han Lenora W. Pate* Honorable Clyde E. Jones Honorable Javan J. Patton Robert G. Methvin Jr. Ashley R. Peinhardt Honorable Charles Price II Denise J. Pomeroy Owen E. Roberts Jr. Andrew R. Salser Abigail P. van Alstyne J. Houston Smith III Lane H. Woodke James S. Williams *Posthumous

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MCBA’s vision for 2022

By President Richard Rice Greetings! I am humbled and honored to serve as the 2022 president of the Magic City Bar Association. Our organization has a rich history rooted in service to our community, engagement with our membership and cultivating the future generation of lawyers. I am excited about the opportunities this year will bring, and I am committed to expounding upon the legacy of the Magic City Bar. Members of the Nominating Committee presented a slate of diverse and dynamic leaders to serve as members of the Executive Committee for 2022. I am pleased to announce the following attorneys who have graciously agreed to offer their time and talents to serve in a leadership capacity with our organization: ► President: Richard Rice ► President Elect: Joel Caldwell ► Vice President: Janine Smith ► Parliamentarian: Johnathan Austin ► Treasurer: Neena Speer ► Recording Secretary: Frederick Effinger ► Corresponding Secretary: Jilisa Milton ► Judicial Relations Committee

Braxton

Gochett

Chair: Leroy Maxwell Jr. ► Member Relations Committee Chair: Rodney Dillard ► Community Relations Committee Chair: Ronnie Rice/Joi Travis ► Long Range Planning Committee Chair: Chris Burrell ► Birmingham Bar Representative: Ruby Jackson ► Birmingham Bar Foundation: Judge Chuck Price Our theme for 2022 is simple: Purpose.

Vision. Community. Our purpose, as members of the MCBA and as members of the Executive Committee, is firm on the foundation of the history which necessitated the formation of our organization. Our vision is focused on purposeful progress, and we will reconnect and expand our ties to the

Griggs

Johnson

Lee

Locke

community in innovative ways. I encourage you to get to know our leadership team and join us in our efforts to make 2022 a successful year for the Magic City Bar Association.

In closing, I would like to express our appreciation to our 2021 Sponsors of the Magic City Bar Association Annual Scholarship Banquet. It is because of your generosity and consistent support, that we are able to provide scholarships to law students from each law school within the State of Alabama. In addition to our sponsors, we are excited about the numerous partnerships that have been forged to continue the work of increasing diverse representation in our field. If you are interested in learning more about the MCBA Partnership Program, please feel free to contact me.

Richard Rice is the 2022 President of the Magic City Bar Association

Pruitt

Savage

Congratulations 2021 MCBA Scholarship Recipients! ○ Ronesha Braxton University of Alabama School of Law ○ Kristen Gochett Cumberland School of Law Thomas

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○ Tiyonna Griggs University of Alabama School of Law

○ Jalen Johnson Cumberland School of Law

○ BJ Savage Birmingham School of Law

○ Latrice Lee Birmingham School of Law

○ Xavier Thomas Thomas Goode Jones School of Law

○ Aaliyah Locke University of Alabama School of Law

○ Tyler Yarbrough Cumberland School of Law

Yarbrough

○ Antionette Pruitt Cumberland School of Law

BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

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Paying It Forward Volunteer lawyers share stories of getting back as much as they give When Kathie Weber (Maynard Cooper & Gale) first looked at a recent pro bono case she had accepted through Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham (VLB), she knew it could be an uphill battle. The client had a long-standing default judgment against her and was seeking help to stop her wages from being garnished.

But Weber was willing to try. The client insisted she had never been served with the lawsuit, and the judge agreed to hold a hearing on Weber’s motion to set aside the default and ordered the process server to appear and testify about service. Weber appeared with the client via Zoom.

“From the plaintiff’s direct exam of the process server, I realized that maybe the independent process server hadn’t personally served her — maybe he had left it on the doorstep,” she said. “It turned out that my hunch was correct. On cross examination, the process server had to admit that while he could see her through the window inside her home, she didn’t open the door.

So he left it on the front steps. I realized that although he had tried, he hadn’t personally served her, and he hadn’t taken any extra steps to do so. We argued that this was not sufficient under the rules of civil procedure. The judge agreed and set aside the default judgment, which I was very pleased with.

“We’re not talking millions of dollars,” Weber continued, “but to this client it was a lot of money. So I was happy to be able to help in that small way.”

While most VLB clients receive help from volunteers at a one-time Help Desk engagement, with minor follow-up help as needed, Weber stands out as a volunteer who regularly makes court appearances with clients when she can. She also encourages younger lawyers at Maynard Cooper to participate in VLB’s programs, not only for the help they can offer low-income clients but for the courtroom experience.

“It’s a win-win for a client who has a

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“ “ ” ”

From left: Kathie Weber (Maynard Cooper & Gale) and Shalyn McKitt (Balch).

Volunteering is a great opportunity to give back in response to the many blessings that we Birmingham lawyers have received.

For me, even just providing educational opportunities for landlords or tenants is a positive experience.

SHALYN MCKITT

KATHIE WEBER

lawyer representing them in court, which they otherwise wouldn’t have, as well as the lawyers who are representing them,” Weber explained. “It’s a chance to make legal arguments, experience how a court works, learn how judges work, make some motions and gain experience.”

For VLB volunteer Shalyn McKitt (Balch), one rewarding experience involved helping a client whose apartment was infested with mold.

“She had young children, and she didn’t know really how to get help by herself,” McKitt said. “Her youngest child, who was

an infant, ended up contracting asthma and was having a lot of respiratory issues as a result. And while most people think you call a lawyer to file a lawsuit, really it was just a matter of me communicating with the leasing agency and being a conduit of information for both parties that allowed us to get her into a new unit and get her old unit taken care of and fixed up.”

McKitt explained: “It was really fulfilling to know that even if I wasn’t necessarily practicing law in the traditional way that I’m used to, I was able to help negotiate and explain issues that were really

BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

important to someone’s life.”

McKitt describes it as an example of how her gift of volunteering often goes beyond bringing her legal skills to bear. Like many volunteers who have stepped up to take eviction cases — which have reached a near-crisis level now that the eviction moratorium has expired — McKitt has worked with many clients at risk of losing the roofs over their heads. While often landlords need an extra push to cooperate with clients who are going through rent-relief programs, sometimes tenants and landlords just need someone to help sort through the facts.

“For me, even just providing educational opportunities for landlords or tenants is a positive experience,” she said. “Most low-income people don’t have access to attorneys. And next time they’ll know more on the front-end about how things work, because someone took the time to explain it to them.

“The most important thing for me to remember is that I went to law school to help people, so it doesn’t matter if someone’s paying me $5,000 or not paying at all. I want to provide them with the most assistance I can and do my job to the best

of my ability. So to the extent that someone just needs a little push to help them understand what’s happening around them, I’m more than happy to volunteer my time.”

Weber agreed.

“Volunteering is a great opportunity to give back in response to the many blessings that we Birmingham lawyers have received,” she said. “I think VLB is a great program and very much needed, especially with the pandemic that has been so terrible for many in our community. We lawyers sometimes forget how important and helpful it is to have lawyers in our court system for the underrepresented. So, the more of us who can participate, the better for the program, for the community and the better for us lawyers. It’s a chance to pay it forward.”

To volunteer for Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham or to inquire about volunteer training opportunities, email Michelle Horn Brown at mbrown@vlbham.org or call 205-250-5198.

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Judge Scott Vowell honored with Legal Aid Society’s 2021 Livingston Award Each year, the Legal Aid Society of Birmingham’s Board of Trustees bestows the honor of the Susan Bevill Livingston Award to someone in the legal profession who has provided extraordinary advocacy and council in the areas of indigent defense and pro bono legal representation.

The 2021 recipient needs no lengthy introduction, and his service to the community stands far above most: The Honorable J. Scott Vowell.

Judge Vowell practiced law in Birmingham for approximately 30 years as a general practitioner and litigator. In 1994, he was elected to the Circuit Court in the Birmingham Division of Jefferson County, where he served in the Civil Division for three, six-year terms. He was elected to serve as Presiding Judge from 2003 until his retirement from the bench in 2013.

Since retiring, Judge Vowell has engaged in a full-time ADR practice in Birmingham, conducting mediations, arbitrations and private judging.

The Livingston Award was established in 2014 to honor the life and memory of Susan Bevill Livingston, a wonderful wife, mother, friend, lawyer, leader, public servant, mentor and law colleague who, at the time of her death, served as the vice-chair of the Board of Trustees for the Legal Aid Society of Birmingham.

Legal Aid Board President Charles Fry Jr. presented the award to Judge Vowell at the Birmingham Bar Association Annual Membership Meeting in December.

Past Recipients ○ William N. Clark (2015) ○ Lisa W. Borden (2016) ○ Hon. Sandra Storm (2017) ○ Hon. Raymond Chambliss (2018) ○ Joyce W. Vance (2019) ○ Nick Gaede (2020)

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2021 Legal Aid Society President Charles Fry and Judge Scott Vowell, the recipient of the Society’s 2021 Susan B. Livingston Award.

BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

In Memoriam

Suzanne D. Paulson

By Leitman, Siegal & Payne, P.C. Words generally fail us as we try to convey the essence of this life lost on Sept.

9, 2021. Born Dec. 17, 1950, in Detroit, Michigan, Suzanne D. Paulson was the epitome of grace and compassion in all aspects of her life and was always the consummate professional in her practice of law.

After graduating from Michigan State University in 1973, Suzanne moved to Birmingham to attend Cumberland School of Law, where, in 1974, she was recruited as a law clerk by the Estate and Gift Tax Division of the Internal Revenue Service. After earning her Juris Doctor from Cumberland, Suzanne was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1976. She then served as Estate Tax Attorney in the Birmingham office of the IRS until 1980, when she was promoted to Senior Estate Tax Attorney. Suzanne would remain in that position at the IRS for the next 20 years until 2000, when she left for private practice and joined the law firm of Leitman, Siegal & Payne, P.C., where she practiced in estate planning and administration for the remainder of her life.

During her long and accomplished career, Suzanne was a well-known member of the estate-planning and administration bar and became the go-to professional for many accountants whose clients needed her help planning and administering their estates and the estates of their loved ones.

The law was Suzanne’s constant as she worked long and diligent hours for her clients and cared deeply about providing the best outcomes for them. As her relationships grew, more often than not, clients would refer to Suzanne not only as their lawyer, but also as their friend. She was an empathetic listener, and lawyers, accountants, and financial planners from all around Alabama also sought her advice and counsel. Suzanne had a warm heart and inviting spirit, and it was the blending of her technical knowledge with these “down-to-earth” qualities that made Suzanne invaluable to many of her clients, colleagues, and friends.

Suzanne’s contributions to the bar and community were also extensive, including

SPRING 2022

Suzanne D. Paulson, always the consummate professional in her practice of law. leadership in some of the most effective Law Day celebrations of the Birmingham Bar Association and important roles on the Alabama Planned Giving Council and Samford University Professional Advisors Council. She was also a dedicated member of Birmingham’s Estate Planning Council and the Women’s Section of the Birmingham Bar Association.

When Suzanne wasn’t practicing law, it was a safe bet that she was either reading a good book, enjoying one of her favorite television series, or socializing with her friends and colleagues at one of her favored haunts, where one could often find her stationed at her usual seat at the bar, waiting for her take-out while toiling over a client’s file. Never shy about her political views, Suzanne was a keen student of current events and, until the end, was passionate about the future of this country. Suzanne often mourned the loss of civility in political discourse and was always willing to

engage in a congenial debate. Even during these deliberations, however, Suzanne’s quick wit, good humor and infectious laugh charmed even her most ardent opponents.

Suzanne truly cared for others, and her compassion was reflected in the way she treated her clients, friends and colleagues.

Suzanne was kind to everyone, and her humanity was blind to gender, race, orientation and all the other diverse individualities that she felt made this world a more interesting place.

To all who knew her, we lost a dear friend, confidant and valuable collaborator.

She will be greatly missed, and we are all fortunate and very thankful that our lives crossed paths with Suzanne’s life, because it was a blessing to know her.

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Memorial Scholarship Contributions We invite you to honor the life of a colleague or loved one through a gift to the Birmingham Bar Association Memorial Scholarship Fund. Your tax-deductible gift is used to award scholarships to second-year and third-year law students at Birmingham School of Law, Cumberland School of Law, Miles Law School and The University of Alabama School of Law. Donations may be sent to the Birmingham Bar Foundation, 2021 Second Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. For more information, please contact Jennifer Buettner Bates at 205-251-8006, ext. 3, or jbuettner@ birminghambar.org. We are thankful to the following generous donors for supporting this important scholarship program and carrying on a legacy of justice in future attorneys: ► In memory of Anthony Cicio ○ Massey, Stotser & Nichols

► In memory of Carol Ann McCoy ○ Frances King Quick

► In memory of Michael D. Ermert ○ Rhonda P. Chambers ○ Christina A. Graham ○ Massey, Stotser & Nichols

► In memory of James Michael McMullan ○ Lee T. Clanton

► In memory of Tommy Foster ○ Leila H. Watson

► In memory of Lenora Walker Pate ○ Barineau & Barineau ○ Massey, Stotser & Nichols

► In memory of Hugh A. Locke Jr. ○ Dawn I. McDonald

► In memory of Steve Moon ○ The Nomberg Law Firm

► In memory of Joe Sides

○ The Honorable Quentin Q. Brown ○ George M. Neal Jr. ○ Jackson M. Neal ► In memory of James Manley “Buddy” Tingle ○ Barineau & Barineau ○ The Honorable Quentin Q. Brown ► In memory of Jenny Whitmire ○ Barineau & Barineau ► In memory of James Stanley Witcher Jr. ○ The Honorable Quentin Q. Brown

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Attorneys in the News Jaffe, Hanle, Whisonant & Knight, PC is pleased to announce that former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael “Mike” Whisonant Sr. has joined the firm as of counsel. He will focus his practice on federal criminal defense with an emphasis on white-collar crime and tax matters.

Dillard

McCracken

Dodd

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that J. David Pugh, a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, has been elected to a second two-year term as the Southeast Region chair on the Associated Builders and Contractors Executive Committee.

The law firm of Gaines Gault Hendrix, P.C. is pleased to announce the association of Wilson Law, P.C. and to welcome David M. Wilson as a partner in the firm. The firm is also pleased to announce that Marie T. Prine has joined the firm as a partner, Devona J. Segrest has joined the firm as of counsel, and Jonathan B. Metz has joined the firm as an associate.

Pickell

Baker Donelson has added 4 new associates to the Firm: Rodney Dillard, Katelyn Dodd, Mary Parrish McCracken, and Lindsay Pickell.

Miya Moore has joined Maynard Cooper & Gale LLP as an associate in the labor and employment and immigration practice groups. She assists businesses across a broad range of immigration, labor and employment, and compliance-related matters.

Mazie Bryant has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate in the health care practice group. Bryant, who previously worked at Dentons Sirote, represents health care providers, practices, associations and other entities in various business and legal matters, 36

including state and federal regulatory compliance issues.

Hawkins

B ra d l ey A ra n t Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Christopher L .

Hawkins, a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, has been selected for inclusion in the American College of Bankruptcy.

Jennifer Powell Decker, an attorney who represents clients in real estate, leasing and commercial lending Decker transactions, has joined Baker Donelson as a member of the Firm’s Real Estate Group.

Balch & Bingham is pleased to welcome nine new associates to the firm: John Banks, Avery Burns, Mitch Fucetola, Robert Humphrey, Demarcus McGee, Melanie Mitchell, Madison Tucker, Matt

Banks

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Tucker

Warren

Warren and Jace Williams. These attorneys will work in the firm’s nationally recognized Banking & Financial Services, Energy, Corporate, and Litigation practices.

Williams BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

Dentons Sirote is pleased to announce that Tanya K. Shunnara, a shareholder in the Trusts, Estates and Wealth Preservation pracShunnara tice, has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Bruce P. Ely has been selected as the recipient of the Franklin C. Latcham Ely Award for Distinguished Service to the State and Local Tax Profession on behalf of Bloomberg Tax and Bloomberg’s State Tax Advisory Board.

Balch & Bingham is pleased to announce Elizabeth Flachsbart’s election to the firm’s partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2022.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is delighted to announce that the firm scored a 90 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

Flachsbart

Swift Currie McGhee & Hiers LLP has added Amanda Goozée as a partner in Birmingham, the civil law and litigation firm.

Goozée

Brandy Robertson, Caroline Hollingsworth and Mark Ekonen

The Heninger, Garrison, Davis, LLC team is starting the year off with some exciting news, as the firm begins the year with three new partners. The partnership committee has endorsed Mark Ekonen, Caroline Hollingsworth, and Brandy Robertson for partnership.

Ryan Hawks has joined the corporate group at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP. Hawks, who previously worked in the corporate practice at Dentons Sirote, focuses his practice on complex transactions and general corporate matters in the health care industry.

SPRING 2022

Williams

Boyd, Fernambucq & Dunn, P.C. is pleased to announce that Kirsten E. Williams has been promoted at the firm to associate attorney.

Clinton T. Speegle, a law leader who has defended multiple major universities in NCAA compliance investigations, has been promoted to partner at Lightfoot Franklin & White LLC.

Billings

Fordice

Golson

Hobbs

Kain

Wright

C. Wright have joined the firm’s offices in Birmingham.

Real Estate attorney Michael Odom is now a partner with McGlinchey Stafford.

Odom

Speegle

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Beryl Newchurch Billings, Nicholas Fordice, Annie Miles Golson, Elizabeth R. Hobbs, Morgan C. Kain and Virginia

Wright

B ra d l ey A ra n t Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that James W. Wright Jr., a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, has been elected to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association’s Board of Directors for the 2021-22 term.

McGlinchey Stafford is pleased to

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Attorneys in the News announce that Natalie Vann Walker has joined the firm’s Commercial Litigation group as an associate in the Birmingham office. Natalie will Walker focus her practice on litigation on behalf of financial institutions and lenders, creditors’ rights, complex corporate and contract disputes, and lender representation in bankruptcies and workouts.

Mendez

Mulligan

Lasserre

McIntyre

Hinshaw

Pipes

Premo

law and medical malpractice defense.

Lasserre’s practice is focused on intellectual property matters and other complex, high-risk commercial litigation.

Centeno

Birmingham office: Abigail Harris, Matthew Hinshaw, Gregory Pipes, Grant Premo and Benn Wilson.

Cowan

Two Birmingham attorneys have been named principals at Bressler Amery & Ross: Louis F. Mendez and Patrick Mulligan.

Starnes Davis Florie LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of three attorneys to partner: Allen King, Michael Lasserre, and Tyler McIntyre. King’s practice King is devoted to civil litigation to include professional medical liability, health care litigation and general business litigation. McIntyre concentrates on civil litigation to include health care

Harris

Heninger Garrison Davis is proud to announce the addition of James A. “Jay” Stewart as a new partner in its Birmingham office. After over 20 years as a practicing attorney, Jay brings to HGD Stewart extensive experience in complex civil litigation including commercial litigation, business torts, transportation litigation, construction litigation, as well as expertise in contract law.

Wilson

Lawrence

Roberts

Burr & Forman has announced the election of four attorneys to partnership in its Birmingham office: Matthew Centeno, Meryl Cowan, Bill Lawrence and James Roberts.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announces that the firm has elevated five attorneys to partner in its

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE? Please send the information and a headshot to Alexis Jackson at ajackson@birminghambar.org.

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BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN

TIME AFTER TIME, BIRMINGHAM LAW FIRMS CHOOSE SOUTHPACE TO HANDLE THEIR COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE NEEDS.

SHOULDN’T WE REPRESENT YOUR FIRM AS WELL? Principals John Lauriello, CCIM, SIOR, CPM William McDavid, CCIM Bryan Holt, CCIM, CRX, CLS 300 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N Title Building | Suite 900 Birmingham, AL 35203 205.326.2222