At Watson Spence, LLP our lawyers represent clients throughout Georgia in cases involving personal injuries and wrongful death. Over the years, we have leveraged our experience in personal injury matters to bring a unique perspective to these claims. Our trial attorneys take on matters with a goal of providing individualized representation to clients during difficult circumstances.
Our litigation philosophy is clear. We thoroughly prepare cases for successful results at trial without losing sight of alternative resolutions that achieve desired results. We listen to our clients as well as advise them and craft strategies for ultimate success based on the clients’ goals and priorities. We use leading technology to advocate effectively with judges, modern juries, and other lawyers in an increasingly complex adversarial system.
Our real estate transactional practice extends across southwest Georgia. We represent businesses, non-profits, individuals, land developers and financial institutions in commercial, farm and residential real estate transactions of all types. We also negotiate and prepare contracts, easements and leases. Our team provides critical legal advice to clients involved in zoning, planning and land use disputes or potential disputes as well as advice on environmental and other regulatory issues. Our goal is to provide efficient service for single transactions and long-term business strategies.
We partner with our business and individual clients to achieve practical resolution to complex commercial disputes. We have a boutique style litigation team designed to achieve those goals with minimal impact on business activities. When appropriate, we leverage our firm’s diverse capabilities to provide cross-discipline service to our clients. Our representation includes agribusinesses, hospitals, banks, government, and many small businesses and individuals.
Our firm’s knowledge and capabilities in this area are unmatched in southwest Georgia. We form alliances with our business clients to help shape and implement strategies designed for growth, cost containment, or reorganization. We provide critical advice on the tax implications of current activities and future plans. We form new businesses, including corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, professional associations, and nonprofit organizations. Our services include contracts, employee benefits, profit sharing, pension plans, and risk management consulting.
This area of the law is one of the most dynamic of all practice areas. Recent legislation in addition to a more active judiciary and administrative enforcement agencies have resulted in a constantly evolving legal landscape that employers must navigate at great potential risk. Social media, combined with recent rulings of the National Labor Relations Board and opinions from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, have increased the public visibility of employers’ practices and subjected employers to public criticism by employees at unprecedented levels. Employment procedures previously accepted as sound legitimate business practices may now be in violation of federal or state law.
Our firm understands your desire to plan for your future and that of your family. We advise you on how to achieve your goals in light of the challenges wrought by today’s and tomorrow’s health needs, taxes, business and family transitions, and estate and retirement planning. We provide guidance on federal and state tax issues and on how to manage and protect your assets. Our representation includes the preparation of wills, health and financial powers of attorney, the creation of trusts, charitable and foundation planning, probate and estate administration, business succession planning, retirement benefits, wealth management and, if necessary, related litigation support at the local, state and federal levels.
Our firm has a history of zealous advocacy in family law and adoption proceedings. We know the stresses caused by divorce, child custody, child support, and visitation disputes. We understand the emotions involved with adoption. We accept the difficult nature of these disputes and vigorously work to achieve our clients’ goals. Our representation includes husbands, wives, grandparents, adoptive parents, and others involved in family law disputes.
The firm represents clients’ interests in Washington in a variety of ways depending on the issues and concerns of the client. We maintain contacts in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and in Congress. Our work at USDA involves concerns dealing with policy matters as well as disputes and regulatory issues. Our lawyers are involved with legislation before various congressional committees and offer testimony at hearings held by committees in both the House and the Senate. We also provide advice and representation on matters involving international trade and Food Safety as needed before the appropriate regulatory agencies.
Our approach to litigation involving fiduciaries is cutting edge. Our team has decades of experience in representing beneficiaries, shareholders, officers, directors, executors, and trustees in virtually every conceivable factual situation. Put simply, we know and understand the issues important to family businesses or high net worth individuals seeking a plan for the future. We know that the increase in family trusts and generational complexities of closely held family businesses create situations that warrant “custom-fit” legal solutions.
The firm's representation of healthcare providers, in addition to its corporate and employment law services, includes risk management advice for hospitals, nursing homes and physician practices as well as development of hospital, nursing home and medical office policies and procedures. We provide counsel on a variety of medico-legal issues, including state and federal regulatory matters; training for professional and other medical staff on these issues; and litigation support.
In some, mediation is a smarter, more timely and more cost effective option to resolve issues like personal injury, business contract, commercial, real estate, fiduciary disputes and more. This confidential process takes place in a comfortable setting, which leads to a more agreeable, non-confrontational atmosphere. The greatest advantage of mediation is that it allows both parties to maintain control of the terms of the resolution of their dispute. Watson Spence attorney, Joe Dent, is a registered and certified mediator.
We know product liability defense. We have a long history of representing product manufacturers and product distributors in catastrophic or property damage cases. We have tried cases in venues all over Georgia and partnered with other defense firms to provide cutting edge service to clients. Our experience includes handling claims or lawsuits involving allegations of defect in cars, heavy trucks, boats, ATVs, industrial equipment, motorcycles, agribusiness products, and food products.
Originally designed to combat the Mafia or La Cosa Nostra, the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act has emerged as the nuclear weapon of commercial litigation. For successful plaintiffs, it offers triple or “treble” damages, injunctive relief, attorney’s fees, costs of investigation, and the potential for massive punitive damages awards. Not surprisingly, defendants facing RICO claims can be subject to extreme and devastating financial risks.
Our firm represents companies and individuals in white collar criminal investigations, trials and appeals. Additionally, our firm routinely manages large and complex receivership estates in the wake of criminal forfeiture proceedings and allegations of fraud. We are honored to be the choice of many individuals and businesses to meet their needs and to also be appointed by our courts to serve as receivers in complex matters. Given our team’s extensive investigative and trial experience, we are well-suited to handle a wide range of matters involving allegations of white collar crime, including RICO violations, public corruption, securities fraud, mail fraud, food safety, wire fraud, financial institutions, money laundering, and fiduciary theft.
