I joined Poston Communications as a senior vice president after reporting and editing legal news for ALM, mostly at the Daily Report in Atlanta, for 26 years.
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Articles by Jonathan Ringel
By Supporting the Legal Food Frenzy, We Can Help 1.4M Hungry Neighbors in Georgia
Over 26 years as a reporter and editor at the Daily Report, there was one story each year for which I gleefully abandoned journalistic objectivity—covering the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy. There is only one side in the fight against food insecurity, the official term for what people endure when they don’t know how they will obtain their next meal. That is what makes participating in this annual event such a joy.
By Supporting the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, We Can Help 1.4M Hungry Neighbors in Georgia
Over 26 years as a reporter and editor at the Daily Report, there was one story each year for which I gleefully abandoned journalistic objectivity—covering the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy. There is only one side in the fight against food insecurity, the official term for what people endure when they don’t know how they will obtain their next meal. That is what makes participating in this annual event such a joy.
Consumer Alerts | Daily Report
Premium Subscription With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas. View Now Team Accounts Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys.
The NLJ 500: Law Firms to Note
The 2021 NLJ 500 showed some significant changes in rankings for firms executing on strategic growth plans, or in one case, experiencing mass departures against the backdrop of pandemic-era conditions in 2020. Here are some of the law firms that saw significant leaps and falls in their placement. Transformative Mergers: Taft Stettinius & Hollister, Troutman Pepper and Faegre Drinker Robert L. Hickok of Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders.
Georgia Lawyers Sue Automakers Kia, Hyundai Over Alleged Defects
Six months after a crash left a Georgia man paralyzed from the neck down, he died. Now his daughter is suing automakers Hyundai and Kia companies on behalf of her father, whose death she attributes to injuries sustained when the vehicle’s engine started smoking, brakes stopped working and airbags failed to deploy upon crash impact. Radar Want to continue reading?
How the Insider Trading Prohibition Act Would Change Enforcement
Andrew Mason of Chilivis Grubman Dalbey & Warner. (Courtesy photo) On May 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2655, the Insider Trading Prohibition Act. If passed by the Senate and signed by the president, the legislation would be the first dedicated laws to combat insider trading. For decades, the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission have enforced insider trading prohibitions under § 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5.
Best of Luck to the Daily Report's Departing Managing Editor
Shari Klevens (left) and Alanna Clair, Dentons. (Courtesy photo) The Daily Report has been an important source and primer for every lawyer and judge in Georgia. It covers the high-profile cases and the trends on the bench. And every judge and attorney has eagerly picked up the newspaper (or opened the Daily Report website) to see what was happening to whom and where—and, sometimes, what was said about them.
Thanks for Sharing 26 Years of Billable Hours With Me
Jonathan Ringel, managing editor of Daily Report in Atlanta, Georgia. Credit: ALM Many of you measure your workday in six-minute increments. Even if you don’t, every moment you’re distracted is one more that your client or the public has to wait to resolve their legal problems. So as I end 26 years reporting and editing news stories about the practice of law, I want to thank you for sharing your time with me.
Regulatory Uncertainty Makes Cryptocurrency Deals Vulnerable to Litigation
Kamal Ghali, left, and Matthew Sellers, right, with Bondurant Mixson & Elmore. Courtesy photos The market for cryptocurrencies is exploding. Since its launch, bitcoin has skyrocketed in value. Ethereum is trading at an all-time high. And some commentators speculate that altcoins, or other cryptocurrencies, could be poised to challenge bitcoin’s market dominance in the near future.
The Short List: The Latest on Judicial Selection in Georgia
More from ALM Premium Subscription With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas. View Now Team Accounts Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys.
Working From Home Was a Challenge, But Is Going Back a Bigger Challenge?
Commentary We will learn by trial and error, and certainly there are great arguments in favor of in-office working as well as for at-home working. Want to continue reading? Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
The Short List: The Latest on Judicial Selection in Georgia
More from ALM Premium Subscription With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas. View Now Team Accounts Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys.
Ex-Ambassador Joins Trump Defense Against Legal Fees From Election Cases
Atlanta Attorney J. Randolph “Randy” Evans. (Photo: John Disney/ALM) Randy Evans, who was President Donald Trump’s U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, will represent the ex-president and his campaign in a legal fight left over from when Trump claimed he unfairly lost the election in Georgia.
Revenue Per Lawyer Is the ‘Holy Grail’ of Firm Economics, but Southeast Firms Show the Metric’s Anomalies
Analysis Organic growth occurs through a firm increasing rates and/or working more hours, possibly through increased billing by nonattorney timekeepers. Inorganic growth might result from the number of lawyers—the denominator in the RPL formula—decreasing, if the lawyers who remain handle the same volume of work. 2020 RPL Growth-Southeast firms.
Georgia Legal Community Mourns Loss of Henrietta Turnquest
Letter to the Editor A member of the Georgia Bar since 1973, she was initially one of fewer than 50 African American female attorneys in Georgia and among the first handful of women of color to serve in the Georgia General Assembly. (Photo: Bigstock) On behalf of the State Bar of Georgia, I am writing to extend condolences to the family, colleagues and many friends of attorney and former state Rep. Henrietta E. Turnquest after her passing on March 29.
Georgia Legal Community Mourns Loss of David Gambrell
(Photo: Bigstock) On behalf of the State Bar of Georgia, I am writing to extend condolences to the family, colleagues and many friends of David H. Gambrell, senior counsel with Baker Donelson in Atlanta, former U.S. senator and fifth president of the State Bar of Georgia, after his passing on May 7 at the age of 91. A member of the Georgia Bar since 1951, Mr. Gambrell started his legal career with King & Spalding and co-founded his own law firm in Atlanta in 1963.
Childcare: The Working Mom and Employer’s Conundrum
Amanda Farahany (left) of Barrett & Farahany and Elizabeth Sigler of Stanton Law. (Courtesy photos) As primary caregivers, women have been the hardest hit in adjusting their work life to fit the needs of family during the pandemic. They have scaled back or totally left the workforce in staggering numbers. The immediate effects are worrisome, but the long-term impact on women’s career advancement and gender diversity in the workplace could be irreversible.
Firms Face These Important Space Questions as Lawyers Return From Pandemic Wanderings
News Among them is: "How much space do you really need?" (Photo: Maksym Dykha/Adobe Stock) The perfect example of how far life and law practice strayed from normal during the pandemic can be found in this message from a law firm chairman to his lawyers and staff: “Please plan on being in the office and, therefore, plan on moving back to the city of your assigned office by September 7 and making any logistical and practical arrangements necessary to ensure your physical presence in the...
What to Know About Defending Legal Malpractice Claims
Shari Klevens (left) and Alanna Clair, Dentons. (Courtesy photos) Receiving a claim for legal malpractice can be a scary event. Lawyers tend to take their responsibilities very seriously. A lawsuit alleging that an attorney failed to uphold the standards of the legal profession can feel quite personal to a practitioner. Data suggest that legal malpractice claims increase in frequency in times of economic downturn.
The Short List: The Latest on Judicial Selection in Georgia
News Welcome to the Daily Report’s page devoted to how seats on Georgia’s federal and state courts are filled. (Photo: fizkes/Shutterstock.com) When seats on Georgia’s federal and state courts are up for grabs, it can be hard to keep up with all of the details. Here is our latest coverage on these matters. Not White? Good Luck Becoming a Judge in Georgia Want to continue reading? Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
So, How Have You Survived the Pandemic?
(Photo: Peter Varga/Adobe Stock) A year ago I shot baskets. As often as I could, I’d go to the hoop on our street, turn my phone to a rock music channel and dribble, toss up bricks, grab rebounds and eventually score. That was my first COVID-19 coping strategy, where I went after I fretted over online school for the kids, wondered about disinfecting groceries and pondered how many years we’d wait till a vaccine could stop the scourge.
Results Speak Louder Than Words
Atlanta attorney Randy Evans of Squire Patton Boggs. (Photo: John Disney/ALM) Republicans have now had 18 years—with the tenures of former Govs. Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal and the past two years of Gov. Brian Kemp—to put their imprint on Georgia’s judiciary. And contrary to what many believe, Georgian’s Republican governors have by all measures made significant progress from 2003 to 2021 over the years of Democratic governors (Joe Frank Harris, Zell Miller and Roy Barnes).
'Still Counting the Checks': Legal Food Frenzy Buys at Least 3 Million Meals
News Greenberg Traurig rides huge late wave of donations to reach nearly $80,000. Georgia Legal Food Frenzy logo. (Courtesy photo) The 2021 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy had a tough act to follow, given that last year’s fundraiser for the state’s food banks occurred just after the pandemic’s economic effects surfaced. But after two weeks of competition, the legal community raised $785,000 online, way past all previous years except last year’s $854,000 tally.
Greenberg Traurig Vaults to Frenzy Lead on Final Day; Just Seven Hours Left
Atlanta Community Food Bank participated in mobile distribution of food in Conyers in February 2021. (Courtesy photo: Allison Young/Georgia Food Bank Association) Greenberg Traurig is riding a late surge to a commanding lead on the last day of the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, which raises funds for the state’s food banks. The firm added more than $15,000 to its total since Thursday afternoon to hold a $9,000 lead over Habachy Law.
How Litigation Firms Moved Forward While Courts Were Largely Halted
Photo: turbodesign/Shutterstock.com. Welcome to Southeast Takeaways, a weekly look at news of the legal profession that will highlight important developments to help you manage your firms, grow your practices and serve your clients better. We’ll bring you the most vital information from around ALM, but we’d love to hear from you too. We’re Raychel Lean and Jonathan Ringel.
Firms Fight for Position on Frenzy's Penultimate Day
Atlanta Community Food Bank at a mobile distribution in Conyers in February 2021. (Photo: Allison Young/Georgia Food Bank Association) The Georgia legal community raised almost $75,000 for the state’s food banks between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, leaving its annual fundraiser in sight of its $600,000 goal with 32 hours left in the event.
Greenberg Traurig Makes Its Move as Food Frenzy Nears $500,000
Atlanta Community Food Bank participates in a mobile distribution in Conyers, Georgia, in February 2021. (Photo: Allison Young/Georgia Food Bank Association) Greenberg Traurig, which raised the most money for Georgia’s food banks last year, banked $13,000 in donations in the past 24 hours to come within $500 of the current Legal Food Frenzy leader, Habachy Law.
Bar Mourns Loss of Charles Shaffer Jr., Litigator and Sports Figure | Daily Report
Letter to the Editor Mr. Shaffer served the greater community in numerous capacities, as a member of the “Atlanta Nine” who brought the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to Atlanta and as president of the Atlanta Sports Council, leading a successful bid to attract the 2000 Super Bowl and, later, the 2007 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.
'Surface-Level' Article Mischaracterizes Diversity of Kemp's Judge Choices
(Photo: Bigstock) The recent article, “Lowering Their Sights: Why Some Lawyers Are Giving Up Their Dreams,” fails to accurately portray the diversity of Governor Brian Kemp’s judicial appointments. Put simply, the surface-level analysis in the article mischaracterizes the diversity and significance of Governor Kemp’s judicial appointments. Governor Kemp has made a total of 34 judicial appointments to date.
What happened in Georgia federal litigation between April 19-26?
Infographic What Did Law.com Radar Spot in Georgia's Federal Courts This Past Week? Trend watch Law.com Radar. A scan of new matters from April 19-26 showed a big jump in product liability filings in Georgia’s federal courts. Law.com Radar spots new federal court suits in Georgia and other states and can also show what practice areas are surging and which companies and law firms are most active in federal courts. Want to continue reading? Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Big Law Keeps Creeping Up, but Frenzy Leader Stays the Same
Atlanta Community Food Bank held a mobile distribution in Conyers, Georgia, in February 2021. (Photo: Allison Young/Georgia Food Bank Association) Habachy Law, the six-time winner of per-employee giving to the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, maintained its lead in the annual competition Tuesday. But the sound of Big Law firms are getting closer as the fundraiser for Georgia’s food banks had about 80 hours to reach its $600,000 goal.
Atlanta Fails to Address Police Reform in a Defining Moment of History | Daily Report
Sam Starks, senior attorney, the Cochran Firm Atlanta. (Courtesy photo) The swiftness of the George Floyd civil settlement and the criminal conviction of the Minneapolis police officer for murdering Floyd highlights Atlanta’s lack of political leadership and progress toward achieving justice and reform in policing. While Atlanta was once at the forefront of the “Civil Rights Movement” the same cannot be said for Atlanta’s role in the current “Black Lives Matter” movement.
The Importance of Safeguarding the Privilege
Shari Klevens (left) and Alanna Clair, Dentons. (Courtesy photos) By its nature, the attorney-client relationship affords valuable and unique protections. Lawyers are generally required to safeguard the attorney-client relationship, as well as the confidences, secrets, privilege and work product attendant to that relationship.
Habachy Takes Lead as Frenzy Approaches Halftime
News About 1.7 million people in Georgia don't know how they will receive their next meal. Atlanta Community Food Bank at a mobile distribution in Conyers, Georgia, in February 2021. (Courtesy photo: Allison Young/Georgia Food Bank Association) Georgia’s legal community is on pace to meet or exceed organizers’ goal of raising $600,000 for the state’s food banks by the end of April 30. On Friday afternoon the Legal Food Frenzy eclipsed the halfway point and had $303,811 in hand at 3:45 p.m. Friday.
Georgia Bar Redrafts Ethics Rules for Communications With Ex-Employees of Opposing Party | Daily Report
Hillary Lukacs of Morris, Manning & Martin, Atlanta. (Courtesy photo) If you are involved in litigation against an organization, interviews with the former employees of that organization could make or break your case. Although these communications do not require the consent of opposing counsel, the State Bar of Georgia recently clarified what ethical considerations still apply.
Big Law Makes Limited Showing at Top of Food Frenzy
Mobile food distribution operation was held at Golden Harvest Food Bank’s warehouse in Augusta, Georgia, on Feb. 20, 2021. (Courtesy photo) The legal community donated about $40,000 Thursday to the state’s food banks, pushing the total of the Legal Food Frenzy to $261,958 by 4 p.m. Among the top 10 teams, only three come from Big Law—Alston & Bird, Greenberg Traurig and Squire Patton Boggs.
Ga. Tech, Habachy Stay on Top as Taylor English Moves Up
Atlanta Community Food Bank at a mobile distribution in Conyers, Georgia, in February 2021. (Photo: Allison Young/Georgia Food Bank Association) The Georgia legal community closed in on having raised $220,000 for the states’ food banks Wednesday afternoon as teams competed on Day 3 of the two-week Legal Food Frenzy. The stated goal of organizers is to raise $600,000 by midnight April 30.
The Short List: The Latest on Judicial Selection in Georgia
News Welcome to the Daily Report’s page devoted to how seats on Georgia’s federal and state courts are filled. Want to continue reading? Become a Free ALM Digital Reader. Benefits of a Digital Membership: Free access to 1 article* every 30 days Access to the entire ALM network of websites Unlimited access to the ALM suite of newsletters Build custom alerts on any search topic of your choosing Search by a wide range of topics *May exclude premium content Already have an account?
Georgia Tech, Franzen and Salzano Jump Ahead in Food Frenzy
A mobile food distribution operation at Golden Harvest Food Bank’s warehouse in Augusta, Georgia, on Feb. 20, 2021. (Courtesy photo) Georgia law firms have overtaken law schools in the state legal community’s fundraising competition for the state’s food banks. Around 4 p.m. on the second day of the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, the Georgia Tech Office of the General Counsel jumped to its traditional early lead, with $17,668 raised.
The Short List: The Latest on Judicial Selection in Georgia
More from ALM Premium Subscription With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas. View Now Team Accounts Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys.
Legal Community Hits $100K in Food Funds
Atlanta Community Food Bank at a mobile distribution in Conyers, Georgia, in February 2021. (Photo: Allison Young/Georgia Food Bank Association) The Georgia legal community’s 10th annual fundraising drive for the state’s food banks launched Monday, reaching the $100,000 mark by 4 p.m. This year’s event lacks some of the visible drama that accompanied last year’s campaign, which occurred just as the pandemic shut down the economy and cars lined up at food banks around the country.
'There Is a Great Deal of Need': Food Frenzy Winners Prepare to Defend Their Titles
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (left) and Kyle Waide, CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank, at the ACFB warehouse, at the start of Legal Food Frenzy on April 16, 2021. (Photo: Allison Young/Atlanta Community Food Bank) The Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, the friendly competition among Georgia’s lawyers, judges and staff to address the serious problem of food insecurity, opens Monday.
The Judge Draws a Line. Your Opponent Crosses It. Do You Have to Object?
News Georgia's appellate courts are wrestling with two multimillion-dollar cases that concern trial tactics around sensitive topics that one side—and a judge—believe could unfairly influence a jury. Frank Lowrey (left) and Laurie Webb Daniel.
Swift Currie Mourns Partner Richie Foster
Richie Foster of Swift Currie. (Courtesy photo) Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers is saddened to announce the passing of Atlanta-based partner and beloved colleague Richie Foster. Foster passed away on April 6, 2021, at the age of 55. He was a leader known for his wisdom, creativity and knack for forming real relationships with everyone he met. He was a true trial lawyer with strong feelings about how to practice law, try a case and relate to those on a jury.
How to Build a Program, From a Pro Bono Pacesetter | Daily Report
News Alston & Bird allows associates to count up to 150 hours of pro bono work toward their annual billable hour goals. Mary T. Benton, partner with Alston & Bird. (Courtesy photo) As law firms have renewed or restated their commitment to social justice, including pro bono work, one Atlanta firm has proven to be a pacesetter in the region.
What happened in Georgia federal litigation between April 2-9?
Infographic What Did Law.com Radar Spot in Georgia's Federal Courts This Past Week? Trend watch Law.com Radar. A scan of new matters from April 2-9 showed labor & employment and consumer protection cases led the way in Georgia’s federal courts. Law.com Radar spots new federal court suits in Georgia and other states and can also show what practice areas are surging and which companies and law firms are most active in federal courts. Want to continue reading? Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Ask Yourself These Three Questions About Your Online Bio
Shari Klevens (left) and Alanna Clair, Dentons. (Courtesy photo) When a lawyer encounters an opposing counsel for the first time, or when a client is reviewing recommended lawyers to handle their new case, one primary resource for learning about a lawyer is to review his or her online bio, typically housed on the firm’s website. Online bios can confirm basic biographical information, such as name, title, education, bar admissions and contact information.
Everyone's Talking About Georgia's Voting Law, Except Atlanta's Big Law Firms
News The firms surely wanted to avoid the fate of Delta Air Lines and the Coca-Cola Co., whose top executives criticized the measure a week after it was signed into law. These actions accomplished the public relations oddity of drawing boycott threats from both the law's opponents and its supporters.
Four Things to Learn From the People Who Saved Law Firms
Lance N. Rea CIO of Baker Donelson (from left), Brad Bragg of Womble Bond Dickinson and Christopher P. McDaniel CIO of Smith, Gambrell & Russell. (Courtesy photos) Late January 2020: Chris McDaniel was discussing cybersecurity at a conference in Phoenix when he and other law firm chief information officers started receiving eerily similar emails from their bosses. The message was simple but profound: the novel coronavirus was spreading, so please prepare for everyone in the firm to work from home.
The Short List: The Latest on Judicial Selection in Georgia
News Welcome to the Daily Report’s page devoted to how seats on Georgia’s federal and state courts are filled. (Photo: fizkes/Shutterstock.com) When seats on Georgia’s federal and state courts are up for grabs, it can be hard to keep up with all of the details. Here is our latest coverage on these matters. Nominees Sought for State Supreme Court Opening Want to continue reading? Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
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