Wrongful Death

The Law Firm of Leipow & Associates, P.C. was formed in the spirit of service and is dedicated to the representation of individuals and businesses that have been harmed by the actions of others. The firm is focused on representation of businesses and injured individuals in all state and federal trial and appellate courts. Licensed to practice law in Georgia, New Jersey and New York, my practice is focused on the Atlanta Metropolitan area, but I practice through-out Georgia and out-of-state where warranted. My experiences in business litigation include a variety of contract disputes between business entities, including asset purchase, distribution, service, and sales agreements. Every business dispute is unique and involves a different set of problems to solve for each business entity involved. Therefore I provide a comprehensive approach with each business client to achieve the most appropriate possible results. I also provide consultation to small and medium-sized businesses regarding general contracts, employment, and entity formation/transition issues. My experiences in personal injury litigation are diverse, including medical malpractice/ medical negligence, premises liability, products liability, and defamation litigation. I understand that individuals that have been injured as a result of the actions of another are often faced with great, and time-sensitive challenges. With the background of working as a defense attorney for many years with a large insurance defense firm, I use my insight into how defendants, insurance companies, and defense attorneys run cases to bring an advantage to my clients. My focus is on zealous representation to obtain the justice and compensation sought in a timely and efficient manner.

Christopher Hudson is an attorney located in Augusta, Georgia, who serves the entire Central Savannah Region in a variety of plaintiff personal injury matters. Since 2005, Chris has owned and managed Chris Hudson Law Group, a law practice dedicated to representing injured persons in the areas of automobile accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, personal injury, and workers’ compensation cases. Chris began his legal career in 2004, with Fulcher, Hagler, Reed, Hanks, & Harper, LLP, a medium sized law firm in Augusta, Georgia, where practiced in the areas of civil litigation and workers’ compensation defense. Born in Augusta, Chris has been a resident of Columbia County nearly all his life. Chris graduated high school from Lakeside High in 1994. Following high school, Chris attended Augusta State University for two years, and then finished his undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia, where he graduated in 2000 with honors and obtained BA in Political Science. Following college, Chris attended Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia. During law school, Chris served as Managing Editor of the Mercer Law Review, and published a law review article entitled, “PGA Tour, Inc. v. Casey Martin, Reasonable Modifications under the ADA FORE the disabled.” 53 Mercer L. Rev. 1717 (2002). Chris graduated law school in 2003 and achieved the academic record of cum laude, finishing among the top 10% of his graduating class. Additionally, Chris received the following academic honors/recognitions: Induction into the Brainerd Currie Honor Society; Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Legal Writing; a Certificate from the College’s Nationally acclaimed legal writing program; and CALI Awards for the highest grades in Advanced Legal Writing and Law Practice Management. Chris is currently a Member of the State Bar of Georgia and South Carolina, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and the Young Lawyers of Augusta. Additionally, Chris is a member of the Builders’ Association of Metro Augusta and the Augusta Mortgage Banker’s Association. In his spare time, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and is an avid outdoorsman.

Alan Hamilton focuses his law practice on significant personal injury cases, wrongful death, and business torts. Alan has helped numerous clients obtain seven- and eight-figure verdicts and settlements during his career. He has represented individuals and appeared before courts in twelve different states. Prior to co-founding Shiver Hamilton, Alan practiced with a nationally recognized trial firm and served as a federal judicial law clerk. Since its founding in 2011, Shiver Hamilton has obtained a series of outstanding jury verdicts, many of them far exceeding the insurance company’s best offer. Alan decided early on to dedicate his career to representing injured victims of negligence and corporate wrongdoing, turning down multiple job offers from corporate defense law firms to pursue a law practice representing plaintiffs.

When you have had to suffer serious injuries from another person's negligence, turn to a firm that will do what it takes when seeking to prevent you from having to suffer anymore. As a skilled team of professionals with more than 75 years of combined experience and a long list of accolades, our team at Jones & Swanson relentlessly seeks the highest amount of compensation for those we represent. We have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients, gaining an attorney from our firm inclusion in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. When you are injured, the legal aid you have is one of the most important factors and for many people is one of the main deciding factors in the outcome of their case. Learn more about how we can help and receive a free consultation when you contact our firm.

Doug Lenhardt concentrates his practice in the areas of Criminal Defense, Bankruptcy, and Personal Injury. Since 2002, Doug has served the Athens community developing a reputation as a ammenable yet agressive attorney who will zealously fight for his clients. Born in Atlanta, Doug grew up in Gwinnett County prior to attending the University of Georgia and the UGA School of Law. Doug maintains a network of contacts thoughout the state and practices across North Georgia in addition to the Athens area. A member of the Georgia Bar, Doug is also licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and The United States District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia. Doug has also been admitted pro hac vice in the Northern District of Ohio. Doug has successfully represented hundreds of clients in criminal matters including DUI, Drug Possession, Drug Sales/Distribution and Drug Trafficking; Family/Domestic Violence, Assault, Battery, Theft, Robbery, Burglary, Kidnapping and False Imprisonment; as well as less serious offenses such as Underage Possession of Alcohol, Shoplifting, and traffic/license violations. Doug has also guided hundreds of clients though the bankruptcy process and has won millions of dollars in settlements and judgments of both injured and deceased persons and their families including a judgment for over $3.5M in a wrongful death case.

W. Calvin Smith II is a practicing lawyer in the state of Georgia. Mr. Smith received his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Brian Near began his legal practice in 1989 with a law firm located in the former IBM Tower (One Atlantic Center) in midtown Atlanta. He later moved his practice to Resurgens Plaza in Buckhead and eventually settled in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Mr. Near is an active lawyer handling cases involving litigation, bankruptcy/debt relief, estate planning, domestic disputes, personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and premises liability. "My goal is to provide guidance and support so that together, we can work toward a solution to help you move forward." Since entering solo private practice in 1994, Brian Near has acquired, operated, and sold two restaurant businesses, bought and sold various real estate investments, and had other practical experiences that are beneficial to his legal business clients. Mr. Near is married with two children, lives in Cumming, Georgia, and enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.

Patrick has built a reputation among his colleagues as a zealous advocate for his clients. His practice is focused on representing individuals who have been injured as a result of other's negligence and recklessness. He has years of litigation experience and has tried dozens of cases in the areas of personal injury law, criminal defense, and family law. He has spoken on numerous occasions to the local community and in training for attorneys and mediators. Jarrett & Price has also established itself as the go-to firm in Georgia for the complex area of healthcare lien resolution. They assist other plaintiff's attorneys to review and negotiate healthcare liens in order to maximize a victim's recovery in personal injury law suits. Patrick is licensed to practice law in Georgia, Texas, and Alabama. He is admitted to the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Georgia. He is a member of the bar of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

With more than a decade of trial experience, Bethany has built a reputation as a preeminent trial lawyer in Georgia and Florida. Bethany has always had a passion for fairness and justice and knew from an early age that she wanted to be a trial lawyer, fighting on behalf of others in the courtroom. Bethany grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, before attending the University of Georgia from 2002-2005, where she graduated with an ABJ and BA with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa. She briefly left the Southeast for law school and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with honors in 2009. While in law school, she honed her trial skills on the mock trial team and was honored with the award for the Best Advocate in her graduating class. From 2009 to 2018, she rose in the ranks of King & Spalding LLP, a world-class international law firm. While on the King & Spalding tort team, she attended 24 multi-million dollar trials and served as trial counsel for 11 of those trials – doing opening statement and closing argument, conducting direct and cross-examinations of expert and fact witnesses, arguing legal issues, and overseeing trial strategy and the development of trial demonstratives. Her trial teams achieved great successes in a number of those trials with favorable verdicts or mid-trial favorable settlements, as a direct result of her contribution to trial strategy and case work-up. In February of 2018, Bethany opened Schneider Injury Law to pursue her desire to represent injured individuals and families. Armed with her extensive trial experience, Bethany knew she could give world-class representation to individuals, especially with her insider knowledge of how defense lawyers think and act. Bethany now leverages her deep insider knowledge to not only shield her clients from go-to defense tactics, but also to proactively dismantle the other side’s defenses and position her cases for maximum recovery. Since she opened the firm, Bethany has consistently been named as a Super Lawyers’ Rising Star, which recognizes the top 2.5% of attorneys under 40 in Georgia. She was selected to participate in the LEAD program for the Georgia Trial Lawyers’ Association, which recognizes outstanding younger lawyers with a potential for leadership in the legal and political communities in Georgia. In June 2019, Bethany obtained a $5.5m jury verdict with attorney's fees of $1.05m and a $1m settlement, totaling a $7m+ recovery for her client. In February 2020, Bethany obtained a $1.05m verdict in a neck surgery car wreck case. In addition to those verdicts, she has obtained numerous six-figure settlements for her clients, and in just 5 years, she has obtained $30 million in compensation for her clients. She has been recognized for her vivid storytelling abilities in the courtroom, and she has been asked to speak to trial lawyers around the country on increasing their persuasiveness in the courtroom with technology and demonstratives. In 2021, Bethany was certified by the Brain Injury Association of America as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist, which required coursework and a certification exam. Bethany uses her traumatic brain injury knowledge to maximize the value of head injury cases. Attorneys regularly associate her on their cases for her TBI expertise. Bethany has successfully resolved a number of mild TBI cases for six- and seven-figures due to her specialized knowledge and experience. Bethany’s practice focuses on litigation, and she routinely works alongside other lawyers who hire her to help them try their cases. While she is always willing to accept outright referrals for cases, she particularly enjoys the opportunity to work with lawyers from other firms. With Bethany, clients get a truly passionate attorney who shows compassion with them but fierceness with adversaries, and referring attorneys get a capable, hands-on partner who exponentially increases the potential value of cases through creativity, strategic prowess and tireless work ethic.

Ben Price is a Georgia native and a graduate of Georgia State University College of Law. His primary practice area is personal injury law, representing victims who have been injured or killed due to the fault of another. Another primary focus of Mr. Price's practice advocating for cycling and pedestrian safety while also pursuing claims for injured cyclists.