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Attorney
By
Attorney
 Career Profiles of the Profession
Who?
What?
Primary Practice Area & Subspecialty Fields:
Trial and appellate business litigation, particularly in the areas
of fraud, RICO, corporate governance, shareholder disputes, patent
infringement and trade secrets.
When?
In Practice Area:
Since 1989
In the Legal Profession:
Since 1988
Where?
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Employer:
Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore, LLP
www.bmelaw.com
Size/Sector:
27 attorneys, litigation only
City/State:
Atlanta, GA
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Law School:
Yale Law School, J.D. (1988)
Undergraduate School/Degree:
College of William & Mary, B.A. (1985)
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Why?
Pluses/Challenges of Practice Area:
I rarely do the same thing twice. My practice offers a great diversity
of types of cases, the opportunity to learn in depth about a tremendous
variety of different businesses, and a never-ending supply of
complex, challenging and interesting legal issues. I also enjoy
representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed in Your Practice Area:
Highly developed intellectual curiosity, litigation and advocacy
skills, economic analysis
Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed in Your Practice Area:
Good judgment and common sense, organizational skills, thorough
knowledge of rules of civil procedure and local rules of jurisdictions
in which you practice, the ability to speak and write clearly,
and acceptance of the fact that no matter how accomplished and
successful you become, you still have more to learn.
Advice to Lawyers and Law Students Interested in Your Practice
Area:
Seek exposure to the work of a variety of lawyers whom you admire.
Realize that there is never one right way to do something in litigation;
it is an art and not a science. From the examples of your role
models, pick and choose a style that feels most comfortable and
works best for you. In choosing a firm or office, look for one
where you find someone who you know will act as a mentor for you.
How?
Career Path to Current Position:
After graduation from law school, I clerked for a year for the
Hon. J.L. Edmondson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
After having been a summer associate at several large law firms,
I ultimately chose a litigation boutique because it offered me
the chance to gain more significant experience and take more responsibility
as a young lawyer. As a partner, a smaller firm offers me the
opportunity to have more of a voice in firm management.
Influences and Mentors:
Hon. J.L. Edmondson, Professor Akhil Reed Amar, H. Lamar Mixson,
Emmet J. Bondurant.
Suggested Reading About Your Practice Area:
Litigation magazine published by the ABA Section of Litigation.
Job Search Techniques Used in Finding Your Position(s):
I talked to a lot of lawyers in town about who the best litigators
were. I spent half a summer working as a summer associate with
my firm before my judicial clerkship began.
Bar Affiliations and Activities:
ABA (Antitrust, Litigation and Practice Management Sections),
State Bar of Georgia (Trial, Appellate and Individual Rights Sections);
Atlanta Bar Association, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers
(past president); Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Association
of Trial Lawyers of America; Lawyers Club of Georgia; Fellow,
Lawyers Foundation of Georgia.
Recent Professional Publications:
Author of chapter on State RICO Actions, 4 Georgia Jurisprudence,
Business Torts and Trade Regulation (Lawyers Cooperative Publishing
1995).
Recent Professional Presentations:
Dialogue with the Clerk of Court Seminar, presented by the Lawyers
Advisory Committee of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 2002;
RICO Seminar, ICLE of Georgia, 2002, 2000, 1998; Corporate Litigation
Seminar, ICLE of Georgia, 1998; Chair, Georgia Appellate Practice
Seminar, ICLE of Georgia, 2005.
Memorable Career Moment:
During my fourth year in practice, I argued a prisoner's
civil rights case before the Eleventh Circuit sitting en banc. I
felt entirely surrounded by the Court!
Intriguing Interests:
Hiking, travel, cooking ethnic foods, investing in real estate.
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