Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Law practice strictly limited to the defense of DUI and alcohol related offenses; driver license suspension and revocation issues; commercial driver license (CDL) issues; drug offenses and violations.

Kreps Law Firm, LLC practices DUI defense statewide including Jefferson County, Alabama.

Joseph C. Kreps is an Alabama DUI Defense Attorney focusing on DUI and traffic violation cases throughout the state. Mr. Kreps is a certified Standardized Field Sobriety Test Practitioner and Instructor per NHTSA/IACP guidelines. He is also a member of the National College for DUI Defense. To discuss your pending Jefferson County, Alabama DUI Drunk Driving charge, please call Kreps Law Firm, LLC at (866) 348-2889, or email us at dui@WinWithKreps.com . You can also visit our firm website at www.Alabama-DUI-Defense.com .

For over 25 years, Mr. Underwood has represented clients in class actions and complex litigation in state and federal courts, including coordinated and multi-district proceedings. Soon after Mr. Underwood received his license, he served as the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Northern District of Alabama Eastern Division from 1987 until 1988.

Legal Experience

Mr. Underwood practices in the complex litigation area. He has participated in the prosecution of numerous class actions on behalf of injured plaintiffs.

Mr. Underwood's experience includes serving as court-appointed lead class counsel and/or liaison counsel on behalf of plaintiffs in numerous class actions and consumer-related proceedings. His more notable cases include:

Tyler v The Mortgage Outlet: $900,000 class action settlement for Truth-in-lending Act violations.

Farley v. Homeowners Loan Corp.: 10 Million dollar settlement in a class action against a mortgage originator. The primary allegation was that Homeowner's was making loans covered by the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) with out making HOEPA mandated disclosures.

Tolbert et al., v. Monsanto et al.,: a $700 million settlement against Monsanto and Solutia on behalf of citizens of Anniston, Alabama for pollution with chemicals called PCBs, which were banned by the US government in the 1970s as a possible carcinogen;

Hughes v. Commercial Credit: a $2 million dollar settlement with Commercial Credit Corporation on behalf of Alabama Citizens regarding charges for credit life insurance;

Goodson v. Cherokee National: a $500 thousand dollar settlement on behalf of Alabama Citizens regarding charges for credit life insurance;

Ray W. McCleney, et al. v. MCD et al.,; a $310,000.00 settlement on behalf of Alabama workers for unpaid wages from a bankrupt company;


Reported Cases

Alabama State Appellate cases:

Knighten v. Bratcher, 586 So.2d 14 (Ala. Civ. App. 1991)
Henderson v. State, 650 So.2d 532, (Ala. Crim. App. 1994)
American Legion Post No. 57 v. Leahy, 681 So.2d 1337, (Ala. Sup. Ct. 1996)
Funderburg v. Black's Insurance Agency, 743 So.2d 472, (Ala. Civ. App. 1999)
Springs Industries, Inc. v. Lowe, 1999 Ala. Civ. App. Lexis 736 (October 8, 1999)
Ex parte Herron, 1999 Ala. Lexis 3, (January 8, 1999)
Waples v. Pinson, 781 So. 2d 182 (Ala. Civ. App., 2000)


Eleventh Circuit Cases:

United States v. Pounds, 50 F.3d 1038 (1995)
United States v. Virgil, 105 F.3d 672 (1997)
MS Dealer Service Corporation v. Franklin, 177 F.3d 942
Pelfrey v. Educational Credit Management Corp, 208 F.3d 945, (April 6, 2000) Cunningham v. Fleetwood Homes of Ga., 253 F.3d 611 (11th Cir., 2001) Heimmermann v. First Union Mortg. Corp., 305 F.3d 1257 (September 18, 2002) Greer v. O'Dell, 305 F.3d 1297, 1303 (11th Cir., 2002)



U.S. District Court Cases:

Braxton v. Farmer's Ins. Group, 209 F.R.D. 654 (N.D. Ala September 16, 2002);
Wood v. Cooper Chevrolet, Inc., 2000 U.S. Dist. Lexis 14958 (May 1, 2000)
Heimmermann v. First Union Mortgage Corporation, 188 F.R.D. 403, (N. D. of Ala.1999)
MS Dealer Service Corporation v. Franklin, 1999 U.S. Dist. Lexis 10662
Pelfrey v. Educational Credit Management Corporation, 1999 U.S. Dist. Lexis 16788 In re Diet Drugs Prods. Liab. Litig., 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11479 (D. Pa., 2001) Clark v. Experian Info. Solutions, Inc., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22908 (D.S.C., 2003) Baynes v. ALLTEL Wireless of Ala., Inc., 322 F. Supp. 2d 1307 (D. Ala., 2004)

Bankruptcy Cases:


In re Tudors, 77 B.R. 904, (Bankr. N. D. of Ala., 1987). In re Malkove and Womack, Inc., 122 B.R. 444, (Bankr. N.D. Ala.1990) In re Malkove and Womack, Inc., 134 B.R. 965, (Bankr N. D. of Ala.1991) Roper v. American Health and Fire Insurance Company (In re Roper), 203 B.R. 326, (Bankr. N.D. Ala., 1996) In re Tippins, 221 B.R. 11, (Bankr. N.D. Ala. 1998) Knepp v. Credit Acceptance Corporation (In re Knepp), 229 B.R. 821,(Bankr. N.D. Ala., January 29, 1999) In re Odell, 251 B.R. 602, (Bankr. N.D. of Ala. August 2, 2000) Holcombe v. Debis Fin. Servs. (in Re Holcombe), 284 B.R. 141 (Bankr. D. Ala., 2001)

Professional Activities and Affiliations



* Association of Trial Lawyers America
* Alabama Trial Lawyers Association
* National Board of Trial Advocacy Certified Civil Trial Specialist
* American Bar Association Mediator listed on the Alabama Mediator Roster
* National Association of Consumer Advocates
* Member of the following:
o The State Bar of Alabama
o Northern District of Alabama
o Middle District of Alabama
o Southern District of Alabama
o U.S. Claims Court
o Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
o U.S. Supreme Court
o Mobile County Bar Association
o Baldwin County Bar Association
o National Board of Trial Advocacy

Academic Background

B.S. Jacksonville State University 1976
J.D. Birmingham School of Law 1985

George Allen Moore is a highly skilled, successful attorney. His success has been proven many times over 35 years of law practice. George gets great satisfaction from representing average citizens. He is dedicated and has a passion for ensuring that average people get justice in their business affairs or after they have been injured through no fault of their own. George has compassion, skill, determination and charm.

George Allen Moore has handled numerous high profile cases that have received extensive media attention. He has successfully handled cases involving brain injury, plane crashes, stock fraud, truck wrecks, deadly exposure to negligently manufactured drugs, intoxicated or drug impaired drivers who injure innocent citizens, negligent road construction and maintenance, negligent design or manufacture of machines, explosions and home fires, violation of DOT regulations regarding 18 wheelers, severe burns and scars, negligent installation of hot water heaters, wrongful denial of claims by insurance companies, sale of alcohol to minors by convenience stores, defective residential or commercial construction, heart attacks at work from overexertion, defective airbags, wrecks caused by trucks that exceeded size and weight limits, nursing home abuse, product liability, unrelenting pain from on-the-job injuries, and numerous other cases where the injuries were so severe that the person died or became totally disabled. As a result of many of these cases, employers changed their safety practices to better protect the employees or manufacturers improved their design and construction standards to better protect the average citizen that uses their products. In most of these cases, George Allen Moore has also helped the injured citizens become approved for Social Security disability

George Allen Moore earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama, College of Commerce & Business Administration, in 1970. During his senior year, he received the prestigious S. Paul Garner Accounting Award. George was recognized for superior academic achievement after four years of intense study. After undergraduate school, George entered Law School at the University of Alabama, where he graduated in 1973. During law school, he concentrated on mastering trial skills. Immediately after graduation, he returned to his roots in North Alabama and began helping average citizens.

Because of his insight and success, George has been chosen for numerous professional leadership positions. He was selected to serve as President of the Huntsville Madison County Bar Association and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Alabama Association for Justice. George has served in numerous other professional leadership positions and holds membership in the Alabama Council of School Board Attorneys, the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Alabama State Bar, the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association and the Alabama Association for Justice.

With skill, determination and charm, George Allen Moore dedicated himself to making insurance companies live up to their promises. When they accept a premium, insurance companies promise to pay just and fair claims. Insurance companies often say they are like your good neighbor and that you are in good hands with them. However, if you or a family member suffer a serious injury or if you suffer injuries so devastating that you cannot work and support your family, insurance companies, in many instances, become your adversary. Some adjustors are so unreasonable that they become your enemy instead of your good neighbor.

In truth, insurance companies sometimes turn on injured average citizens when they are most vulnerable. This occurs when insurance companies refuse to pay reasonable and legitimate claims. They refuse to recognize how a serious and disabling injury affects not only the bread winner but his entire family. They are only concerned about the profits of the insurance company. The fact that a family cannot pay the medical bills resulting from an injury or is unable to make the mortgage payments on their home is of no concern. George Allen Moore stands up for the average citizen and his family against insurance companies that refuse to act reasonably. George Allen Moore is committed to making insurance companies live up to the promises made when the insurance policy is issued. George Allen Moore knows that the injured individual and his family are entitled to justice and that wrongdoers must be held accountable.

George Allen Moore is a long-time faculty member of the People's Law School and is a much sought after speaker on the subject of personal injury and workers' compensation. His presentations before the People's Law School are broadcast to approximately one million people in the State of Alabama. He was recently the featured speaker on the subject of Justice In America. This presentation was an outstanding success. The speech was transcribed and has been published in the Alabama Association for Justice Journal. George described how insurance companies and big corporations are seeking to avoid accountability for their wrongdoing and how they are working tirelessly to eliminate the right of Americans to hold wrongdoers accountable.

Three years ago, George Allen Moore and his law firm established the Alabama Justice Center. This organization is dedicated to holding wrongdoers accountable for the injuries they inflict on innocent citizens.

Giving back to the community is an important part of George's life. In 1988, George Allen Moore was selected as the attorney for the Madison County Board of Education, a school system with almost 2,000 employees and 19,000 students. He has continually served as the attorney for the school system since that time. This has provided George an excellent opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of young people and help shape their future success.

Service to his community has always been one of George's goals. In 1998, George Allen Moore was appointed to the Board of Directors of Huntsville Utilities and has continually served on the Board since that time. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board and has been elected to this position four times. George Allen Moore was also selected and served for 12 years on the Board of Directors of Huntsville Hospital. He is the only attorney to have ever served on this Board, which governs the largest hospital and health care organization in North Alabama. Huntsville Hospital is over 100 years old and has over 4,000 employees and several hundred physicians of every specialty on its medical staff.

George Allen Moore is a family man. He is married and has two children and three grandchildren. He was born and raised on a small farm north of Huntsville, and is proud to be the son of cotton farmers. While attending the public schools in Madison County, he worked as a bag boy for a grocery store starting in the 10th grade. He learned the value of hard work while driving a tractor and picking cotton by hand. George got to know a lot about people while working side by side in the field with small farmers and share croppers for only a few dollars per day. He witnessed the heartbreak experienced when a family loses a loved one or when a small farmer learns that he has been taken advantage of by a big corporation. Planting, working and harvesting crops helped George develop a passion for ensuring that average people get justice in their business affairs and when they have been injured through no fault of their own. George's trademark is his ability to identify with his clients' difficulties. He has dedicated his career to helping the average person who has been injured or taken advantage of by wrongdoers, insurance companies, or corporations.

George Allen Moore and his family are active members of Whitesburg Baptist Church, where George serves on the Board of Trustees. His faith is a big part of his life. George has found that prayer has a healing power that cannot be matched by man and that everything about the law comes from the greatest book on earth, The Holy Bible. There are many, many Bible verses that demonstrate this. Here are just a few such verses:


Micah 6:8 says "What does the Lord require of thee? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."



Isaiah 1:14-17 shows that God commands each of us to "seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless, plea for the widow."



Psalms 82:3 says to "Defend the poor and fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and needy."



Exodus 23:6 tells us "Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits."

In summary, George Allen Moore is a highly skilled and successful attorney. He has compassion, skill, determination and ingenuity. George has dedicated his career to helping the average person who has been injured or taken advantage of by wrongdoers, insurance companies, or corporations.

Areas of Practice:

Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
Workers' Compensation Law
Motor Vehicle Accidents - Plaintiff
Social Security - Disability
Insurance Law
Certification/Specialties:
Advocate of Trial Advocacy


Bar Admissions:
Alabama, 1973
Education:
The University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
J.D


University of Alabama
Bachelor of Science
Major: Accounting


Honors and Awards:
S. Paul Garner Accounting Award


Professional Associations and Memberships:
Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association
President


Huntsville Utilities
Chairman, Board of Directors


Alabama Association for Justice
Board of Governors


The American Cancer Society
Former President


American Cancer Society's Crusade for the State of Alabama
Former Vice President


Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce
Leadership


The United Way of Madison County
Leadership


Huntsville Hospital
Board of Directors


Alabama Bar Association
Member


The Alabama Council of School Board Attorneys
Member


The American Bar Association
Member


American Association for Justice
Member


The Alabama Association for Justice
Member

Benjamin H. Jarrell was admitted to the Alabama Bar in 2007, after graduating from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans. Prior to graduation he clerked with the Alabama Office of the Attorney General, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, and with a successful New Orleans toxic tort firm. After being admitted to the bar, he worked for a prominent Birmingham law firm dealing with class-action and multi-district mass tort litigation, before moving to Huntsville in 2008 to start his own practice. His practice has steadily grown since then with a focus on corporate and small business law, commercial transactions and litigation, and government contracts.

In his spare time, he volunteers as the Legal Committee Chair for the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC). He is an amateur musician and an athlete at CrossFit Huntsville. He is a resident of Huntsville and is married to Amy Jarrell.

Maria Fortune, in addition to being licensed to practice law in Alabama, is licensed to practice law in Washington DC and in Colorado. As a private lawyer, Maria Fortune is able to rely upon her experience as a Private Attorney, a Public Defender, and as an Assistant City Attorney, to implement a more sophisticated approach to seeking justice for families and children.

Maria Fortune is not limited to seeking justice in criminal courtrooms, or in family courtrooms, or in civil courtrooms. By establishing the Law Office of Maria Fortune, LLC., Maria Fortune can effectively and professionally seek justice in the family law arena and represent clients in other arenas requiring justice; including, Criminal Law (Felony, Misdemeanor, and Traffic charges), Divorce, Adoption, Child Support, Child Custody, Probate, and Personal Injury. Maria Fortune has professionally represented hundreds of families on a variety of legal issues; including, Divorce, Parental Rights, Adoption, Child Support, Child Neglect, Custody, Probate, and other Civil Matters.

Maria Fortune has efficiently and effectively represented hundreds of clients on a variety of issues involving Criminal Defense, ranging from Capital Murder to Traffic Violations. In Alabama, Maria Fortune has successfully represented clients in several counties; such as, Jefferson county, Shelby county, and St. Clair county. For example, Maria Fortune has represented clients charged with Capital Murder in Jefferson county. In Shelby county, Maria Fortune has represented clients on issues involving Adoption, Divorce, and Criminal Charges.

Maria Fortune earned her law degree from the University of Denver School of Law with the honor of winning a Scholastic Excellence Award in Advanced Family Law. Although Maria Fortune exhibits a natural talent for family law, upon graduation from law school Maria Fortune joined the Colorado State Public Defender's office. As a Colorado Deputy State Public Defender, Maria Fortune served as lead counsel in criminal matters, and sought justice on behalf of families and children, in numerous pre-trial conferences, motion hearings, sentencing hearings, court trials, and jury trials. Maria Fortune litigated Juvenile, Felony, Misdemeanor and Traffic cases, involving a multitude of issues; such as, Assault, DUI, and Domestic Violence. As a Deputy State Public Defender, Maria Fortune sought justice for children and families in the criminal law arena.

After gaining experience in criminal defense, Maria Fortune desired an opportunity to prevent children and families from becoming victims and protect children and families from becoming involved in the criminal justice system. After much contemplation, Maria Fortune sought and earned a position as an Assistant City Attorney for the Child Protection Unit in Denver,Colorado. As an Assistant City Attorney, Maria Fortune represented the Department of Human Services in mediating and coordinating with families, social workers, psychologists, therapists, forensic interviewers, and various other entities to ensure the safety and best interests of children and families. Maria Fortune served as lead counsel on cases involving numerous family law issues; including, but not limited to, dependency and neglect, visitation, parental responsibility, parenting time, family reunifications, custody, and adoptions. As an Assistant City Attorney for the Child Protection Unit, Maria Fortune sought justice for families and children in the family law arena.

Although Maria Fortune truly enjoyed seeking justice in Colorado on behalf of children and families, as an Assistant City Attorney in the Child Protection Unit and as a Deputy State Public Defender, Alabama is home for the Fortune family. The experience gained as an Assistant City Attorney and Deputy State Public Defender in large metropolitan areas provides a solid foundation for Maria Fortune to utilize a sophisticated approach to seeking justice for families and children in Alabama.

In Alabama, Maria Fortune has successfully represented over a hundred clients in multiple counties; including, Jefferson county, Shelby county, and St. Clair county.Maria Fortune will professionally and effectively seek justice on behalf of Alabama families and children, in complicated situations and in a variety of courts.

*In addition to being a zealous advocate for families and children, Maria Fortune is an active member of various professional organizations, including the Birmingham Bar Association. Maria Fortune treats every client with respect and professionalism.

I am an attorney who is dedicated to providing services with the client's interests as priority. I am committed to represent my clients with competence, faithfulness, diligence and sound judgment. I strive to enhance your access to the legal system and protection under the law by explaining the law to you as it relates to your legal matter. As such, as your attorney my goal is help you understand the law, available options and work with you to resolve your legal issue.

I am an attorney who has many years of experience in healthcare delivery and management in private and public governmental entities. I am a Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner and licensed Nursing Home Administrator. My extensive knowledge in healthcare coupled with my legal knowledge provides a unique avenue to assist clients with such needs.