MSP is excited to have at least 18 staff, family and friends participating tomorrow in the Gary Tillman Memorial 5k and 2 mile health walk, and our very own Jason Sanker is race director. The event benefits the Exchange Club Family Resource Center for the prevention of child abuse in Floyd County and surrounding areas. We encourage everyone not already signed up to do so tomorrow morning after 6:30 a.m. at Heritage Park! The race begins at 8:00 a.m. Have a great run!
Great firm and great get together last night at Linde Marie’s Steakhouse On The Square, located in downtown Cave Spring.
Jordan Knight and Lee Niedrach recently represented a retired married couple and successfully resolved a lawsuit brought on their behalf against a Fortune 100 telecommunications giant. The telecommunications company had plans to put up a cell phone tower on neighboring property. The vesting deed to the adjacent property stated that it could only be used for residential purposes. Jordan and Lee took the company to court for an injunction, damages, and attorneys’ fees, arguing that the installation of a cell tower would be a violation of the deed covenants. Before ever having to appear in court, Jordan and Lee exceeded their clients’ expectations by securing a significant settlement from the company to permanently resolve the matter.
Lee Niedrach resolved a lawsuit brought against a major box retail store for a highly favorable amount 75 TIMES the long-standing offer that had been on the table. Lee’s client, a customer, slipped on water that had been on the ground all day that the store failed to clean up. The customer had soft tissue injuries only, mostly hip pain that began a week after falling. The store denied liability and filed a motion for summary judgment, asking the judge the throw the lawsuit out. The judge sided with Lee that the case should go to a jury. Unhappy with that prospect, the store appealed to the Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The 3-member panel of judges again sided with Lee that the case should go to a jury. At that point, with a jury trial looming, the store finally agreed to a confidential settlement.
MSP is proud to give over $2,000.00 its attorneys and staff have donated to support the amazing people at Cancer Navigators, as they make sure every day that cancer patients and their families are given the support they need and deserve “because people shouldn’t have to journey alone.” Please join us this Sunday at Barron Stadium from 2:00 – 4:00 P.M. to honor our community’s cancer survivors and remember those that we have lost. This year we will pay special tribute to two of our own – Tracy Harman (late husband of Virginia Harman, known to his loved ones as Doodad) and Shawn Laney (late brother of Melissa Laney).
MSP extends its heartfelt congratulations to Kay Ann Wetherington, who last night was elected Floyd County’s newest Superior Court Judge. Kay Ann brings her 25 years of civil and criminal trial experience to the bench when she succeeds Judge Colston upon her retirement at the end of this year. Kay Ann’s new role follows her decades of service to the community, including 20 years of prosecuting criminals as an Assistant District Attorney.
MSP partners Virginia Harman and Andy Garner have been appointed to the Rome Circuit Public Defender’s Oversight Committee by the Floyd County Board of Commissioners and Governor Nathan Deal, respectively. Virginia and Andy recently participated in the hiring of chief public defender, Sean Lowe, as reported in the Rome News-Tribune article below. The committee also performs yearly evaluations of the public defender’s office and provides support and assistance to the chief public defender. Great job Virginia and Andy! You can read more about their appointment here.
MSP attorneys Lee Niedrach and Chris Jackson recently obtained a significant 5-figure settlement for the family of a local toddler. Due to negligent oversight, the three-year-old girl’s ring finger was broken in the hinge of a large door at preschool. Thankfully she has fully recovered and has no permanent injuries.
Lee and Chris were able to utilize Freedom of Information Act requests to discover that a state investigation found inadequate supervision and fined the preschool for the incident. Lee and Chris leveraged this information to obtain the highly favorable settlement. After ensuring all of the child’s medical bills were covered, they had the remainder of the settlement money placed in a conservatorship. There it will accrue interest until the child turns 18, at which time the money will become available to help her pay for college and any other expense she has.
MSP showed support for the Exchange Club Family Resource Center by dressing in blue for “Blue Monday.” The mission of the Family Resource Center is to provide education and support services to families in Rome and Floyd County, Georgia. They work to strengthen parenting and life skills in order to prevent child abuse and neglect, providing safety, permanency, and well being for countless children and families.
This is MSP’s fourth year participating in the Family Resource Center’s Blue Monday awareness campaign.
MSP Partner and Cedartown City Attorney Michael D. McRae recently had the honor of speaking at the Newly Elected Officials Institute hosted by the University of Georgia. Since 1984 the Institute has introduced incoming city leaders to best practices in local governance. McRae was 2018’s keynote speaker on ethics for municipal officials, having authored and co-founded the Model Code of Ethics for the Georgia Municipal Association. The attached article featured prominently in the February 28, 2018 edition of the Polk County Standard Journal. (Click on picture to expand).
