They Build Upon Firm's Lateral Hiring Momentum
ATLANTA, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Powell Goldstein LLP announced today that
Laurence P. Colton, Stuart C. Johnson and Gary E. Thomas have joined the law
firm as partners, while David L. Watson joined as Counsel. In addition,
associate Nigam Acharya and paralegal Kim Brantley joined the firm to work for
Colton, while paralegal Leslie Brooks joined the firm to work for Watson.
"Larry, Stuart, Gary and David are highly distinguished legal
professionals who are well regarded in the business community," said Powell
Goldstein Chairman James J. McAlpin, Jr. "Our focus on strategic lateral
hiring continues, and the firm's experience, expertise and excellence grow
with each new partner."
Laurence P. Colton
Colton's practice at the firm's Intellectual Property department is
dedicated to assisting technology and brand owners and developers in
protecting their intellectual property, aiding venture capital sources in due
diligence matters, and representing foreign companies and law firms that want
to protect their intellectual property in the United States. Previously,
Colton was the founder and principal of Technoprop Colton LLC, a boutique law
firm specialized in intellectual property. Before that, he was the co-founder
and managing partner of the intellectual property law firm of Deveau, Colton &
Marquis. Colton has been practicing intellectual property law in Atlanta for
more than 18 years.
He is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the
International Trademark Association, the State Bar of Georgia and the American
Bar Association, among others. Colton earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical
Engineering from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and a Juris Doctor degree
from the Emory University School of Law. Prior to entering law school, he
attended the College of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering of the University of
Maryland as a graduate student.
Joining Colton's team at Powell Goldstein are associate Nigam Acharya and
paralegal Kim Brantley.
Stuart C. Johnson
Johnson joins Powell Goldstein's Business and Finance practice and brings
extensive experience in middle-market transactions, the private equity and
venture capital markets. Previously, Johnson was a partner at Arnall Golden
Gregory LLP, where he was co-chair of its Corporate Practice Group. He has
represented clients in acquisitions, sales, joint ventures, private equity
investments and strategic partnerships. Johnson has also counseled private
companies in structuring relationships between business owners, employment
matters, succession planning and state and federal taxation. In addition, he
has assisted foreign clients in planning and implementing their business
operations in the United States and in planning and executing the
international activities of U.S.-based clients.
He is the current president of the Atlanta chapter of the Association for
Corporate Growth (ACG), a member of its board of directors and was the
chairman of the 2005 ACG Atlanta Capital Connects, which is the largest
private equity/mergers and acquisitions event in the Southeastern United
States. Johnson also actively participates in the American Bar Association's
Business Law Section, and is a member of the Section's Committee on Negotiated
Transactions, the Section's Committee on Venture Capital and Private Equity,
and the Section's Subcommittee on Mergers and Acquisitions Market Trends.
Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, a
master's degree from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Gary E. Thomas
Thomas joins Powell Goldstein as a partner in its National Labor,
Employment and Immigration Law group. Previously, Thomas was a partner at
Fisher & Phillips LLP. He has extensive experience in employment litigation,
arbitration, mediation, class actions and jury trials. A trial attorney,
Thomas is skilled in employment discrimination claims, having represented
private and public sector employers in state and federal courts throughout the
Southeast. He represents employers before federal, state and local government
agencies as well. In addition to his litigation practice, Thomas advises
employers in handling day-to-day personnel matters of all varieties, and he
works with them to train managers and supervisors. He also assists employers
in developing and implementing effective employment policies and procedures,
and he conducts workshops on best employment practices and litigation
avoidance.
Thomas is a member of the National Employment Law Council, the National
Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Bar Association, and
the Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor's degree from
Indiana University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgia State University
College of Law.
David L. Watson
Watson joins the firm's Tax department as Counsel. Previously, he was a
partner at Gambrell & Stoltz, LLP, where his primary practice areas were
taxation, estate planning, probate, trusts, and business planning and
succession. Watson's taxation practice areas included individual,
partnership, fiduciary, corporations and exempt organizations. Previously, he
operated his own practice, David L. Watson, LLC. Prior to that, he was a
partner at Gomel & Davis, LLP and a tax consultant for Ernst & Young, LLP.
He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar
Association, where he is a director of the Estate Planning and Probate
Section. Watson is also a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council and a
director of the Center for Positive Aging, Inc. He earned a bachelor's, a
master's and a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Mississippi. Watson
also earned a LL. M. degree in Taxation at Emory University.
Joining Watson at Powell Goldstein is paralegal Leslie Brooks.
Powell Goldstein LLP was established in 1909 and has more than 300
attorneys who provide legal counsel to clients in a wide variety of practices
from offices in Atlanta and Washington. For more information, visit
http://www.pogolaw.com or call 404.572.6600.
SOURCE Powell Goldstein LLP
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Related links:
http://www.pogolaw.com
CONTACT:
James J. McAlpin, Jr., +1-404-572-6630, or
Scott Sorrels, +1-404-572-6860, both of Powell Goldstein LLP
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