Congratulations to MSP Partner Jason Sanker for his recent 1.7 Million Dollar settlement of a personal injury case. Jason’s client was struck by a drunk driver who was driving a company vehicle in early 2017 in Haralson County. Jason’s client suffered a fractured pelvis and sacrum and had to be airlifted to Grady Hospital, and eventually had over $150,000.00 in medical expenses.
Congratulations to MSP Partner Jule Peek who in September of 2017 was admitted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Founded in 1950, the College is a professional association of trial lawyers throughout the United States and Canada. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on important legal issues relating to its mission.
Fellowship in the College is limited to, at most, one percent of the lawyers in any individual State. In practice, far less than one percent of attorneys ever qualifies for this honor, and Fellows are chosen strictly by invitation and only after a rigorous, confidential investigation. Membership is only extended to those whose professional careers are marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility, and collegiality.
Jule is the third MSP attorney to be invited into the College. Former MSP attorney Bill Davidson was a Fellow of the College, as well as former MSP attorney and former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell (1918-2009), who also served as President of the College. Established in his name, the Griffin Bell Award for Courageous Advocacy is the highest honor conferred on a single individual by the College. In its 53 years of existence, the award has been extended previously only 14 times.
McRae, Smith, Peek celebrated its new office on Thursday, September 28, located at 111 Bridgepoint Plaza, Suite 300 in historic downtown Rome. MSP completed a floor-to-ceiling renovation of the new space, which was unveiled with a ribbon cutting event and open house. “We are proud of our long-standing tradition of excellence” remarked Scott Smith, managing partner, to a group of over 100 community members. “We have been in existence since 1899, and look forward to continuing to serve the community in all its legal needs.”
Scott highlighted the firm’s momentous decision to expand to Polk County by joining with York, McRae & York in 1999. Scott also showcased two conference rooms at the new office dedicated to recently departed attorneys Charlie Shaw and Jo Stegall. MSP is inspired every day to represent its clients as vigorously as Charlie and Jo did.
Pictured are (left to right): Linton Johnson, Jordan Knight, Scott Smith, Chris Jackson, Jule Peek, Andy Garner, Mike McRae, and Jason Sanker.
Congratulations to MSP’s Chris Jackson, who competed over the weekend in the Rome Celebrity Dance Challenge benefiting the Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia. Team Jackson, consisting of Chris and his partner Tahnya Jones, won the People’s Choice Vote for raising an incredible $38,939. Chris follows in the footsteps of his mother, Christa Jackson, who also won the People’s Choice Vote in 2015, raising $32,354. Way to go Chris!
MSP’s own Chris Jackson organized tours of Underground Rome over the weekend. The tours explored the history of the major floods of Rome in 1886 and 1892, following which the decision was made to raise the level of Broad Street. The sell-out event of over 450 participants was a fundraiser for the Rome Celebrity Dance Challenge benefiting the Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia. Chris himself will be dancing on August 5, 2017 at the Rome City Auditorium. You can get your tickets here!
MSP partner Mike McRae was recently re-elected to the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia and was installed during the Bar’s Annual Meeting in June. Mike will continue his service to the Bar on the Board of Governors as a representative of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. The Board of Governors is the 160 member policy making authority for the State Bar with representatives elected from each of Georgia’s judicial districts. Mike heads MSP’s Cedartown, Polk County office where his practice focuses on a wide range of areas from general litigation, including personal injury and wrongful death, to estate planning, government law, mediation and labor and employment law. Congratulations to Mike and thank you for your service to the State Bar!
Get fit and support the Exchange Club Family Resource Center on August 19 at Heritage Park as part of the annual Tillman Clocktower 5k Road Race and Two mile Health Walk! MSP’s Jason Sanker is co-chair of this year’s event which is historically one of the biggest 5k races in this area and is run each year in memory of Gary Tillman, wonderful community leader lost far too soon. Great event for a great cause!
Rome is lucky to have folks like Jason Willis and Action Ministries. MSP attorneys and staff will be volunteering to read to young Romans over the summer. MSP Attorneys Linton Johnson and Chris Jackson were recently featured in a recent Rome News Tribune story about these efforts.
Congratulations to MSP Partner Scott Smith for adeptly handling Rome-based Superior Transport, Inc.’s sale of its wholesale distribution contracts to Dallas, Texas based Empire Petroleum Partners, and sale of its transportation fleet to Usher Transport, Inc.
Headquartered in Rome, Georgia, STi was initially the wholesale and transportation division of D&D Oil Company, Inc., d/b/a Cowboys Food Mart. In 2002, STi was incorporated into a new entity and operated as a sister company to D&D Oil until the sale of the Cowboys Food Mart chain to The Pantry, Inc. in 2004. STi continued to haul fuels for The Pantry after the Cowboys sale and, over the next four years, built a large common carrier business with 78 transports hauling fuels in 4 states.
Over the last several years, the Company has grown significantly under the leadership of its President and co-owner Don Newton, co-owner Jarrett Shadday, and CFO Kevin Bush. At the time of the sale to Empire, the Company retailed fuels through 47 consignment accounts and supplied wholesale fuels to 77 customers. The majority of the fuels marketed by the Company were through their proprietary Hi-Tech and Smile brands, and the Company also supplied unbranded fuels to customers using their own flags. STi supplied 6 Shell sites and 11 BP sites and was a jobber for both companies, and the Company operated a trucking division that hauled fuel to its consignment and wholesale sites in Georgia and Tennessee. The Company also has a commercial fuels business operating as Enterprise Oil Company and will continue to operate and grow this business going forward.
New signs are coming to MSP! On May 18, 2017, the Rome Historic Preservation Commission approved raising the current sign facing Broad Street to between the 2nd and 3rd floors. The HPC also approved a new 48-inch “MSP” sign on the front of the building (pictured) visible to drivers heading south on 2nd Avenue.
MSP thanks the Rome Historic Preservation Commission for the tireless work its members do in service to our community. The HPC recognizes and protects the cultural heritage of downtown Rome, and its volunteer board spends countless hours evaluating and reviewing applications every month. In doing so, Rome’s unique charm is preserved to the benefit of our community and visitors alike.
Be on the lookout for MSP’s new downtown signage in the weeks ahead.
