Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Samuel J. Siemon is the founding partner of The Siemon Law Firm, P.C. Sam, an experienced litigator, practices in the areas of family law and criminal defense. Sam received his Business Degree from Flagler College in Florida and his Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. Sam is a member of the Georgia State Bar, the Atlanta Bar Association Family Division, Lanier Forsyth Rotary, Lanier Jaycees, was recently elected as the President of the Forsyth County Bar Association, served as the Vice President of the Forsyth County Bar Association (2007-2008) and as the Secretary/Treasurer (2006-2007). In addition, Sam volunteers his time as an attorney coach for the Forsyth Central High School's Mock Trial Team (2008-2009). When Sam, also a licensed private pilot, is not tirelessly advocating for his clients, he enjoys flying with his wife and daughter.

Practice Areas

Since 2000, Mr. Meriwether has focused seventy percent (70%) of his practice on family law and thirty percent (30%) on business law. Through time, he has found that family and business law complement each other well in practice, as his skills from one area transfer easily to the other. Business litigation cases tend to require fewer Court appearances, but the family law cases of Mr. Meriwether's practice has afforded him the opportunity to appear in Court more often and hone skills necessary both for family law and business litigation. Mr. Meriwether's business litigation and transactional work provide the experience and ability to examine and tirelessly move through financial documents, both for business cases, including personal and small businesses, as well as family law cases involving large marital estates in need of equitable division.

Mr. Meriwether utilizes the latest computer software to maintain detailed and comprehensive records of his complex cases. This software allows Mr. Meriwether and his clients to quickly access case information and ensures that no details of the case are overlooked.

Family Law

Mr. Meriwether handles a broad range of family law cases, including divorce, adoption, child custody and support modification, adoption, domestic violence, and premarital agreements. He regularly deals with marital assets ranging from those of little or even negative value to those worth millions of dollars, and competently calculates spousal and child support when applicable.

Mr. Meriwether has said, "In the Courtroom, we zealously represent our clients. But often, fierce litigation is not the best way to resolve a divorce, and we work to settle cases through active negotiation. A divorce can be the most life altering and stressful event anyone can go through, but it does not have to be." To help alleviate the stress often involved in family law cases, Mr. Meriwether takes a collaborative approach to family law. This approach involves utilizing negotiation and mediation to help maintain an amicable relationship between the parties. In cases with children, collaborative law protects the children above all else, creates a win/win situation for the parties, and the parties walk away as satisfied as possible.

In some family law cases, collaborative law will not work, or is inappropriate. Mr. Meriwether evaluates every case on an individual basis to determine how aggressive to approach the case based on the facts, the Court in which the case will be heard, and the Judge who will hear the case. The goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for an individual client. In Mr. Meriwether's experience, compared to a more subtle approach, a "take no prisoners" attitude often results in higher lawyer's fees without a corresponding increase in the achieved result. As such, Mr. Meriwether aims to provide the correct level of aggressiveness to each case for the best result possible.

Business Law

Mr. Meriwether handles a variety of business law cases including simple and complicated business formations, and business divorces. He routinely forms Limited Liability Companies and Corporations. In so doing, he often is asked to draft complex contracts to assist the new business entity with its operations. He also assists clients with the buying and selling of businesses (including the due diligence associated with this process).

Mr. Meriwether views business formations involving a group of friends or acquaintances as marriages, albeit financial ones, and he excels in spotting potential pitfalls when parties are entering into a business relationship. He works hard to ensure that his clients enter into their business ventures well-informed and protected from whatever business complications they may encounter.

Membership

State Bar of Georgia (Member of the Family Law and Business Law Sections)
The Florida Bar
American Bar Association (Member of the Family Law and Business Law Sections)

Admissions
1996, Georgia
1996, Florida

Speaking Engagements
LLC Trends and Developments by National Business Institute. Continuing Legal Education for fellow attorneys.

Arbitration
In 2007, Mr. Meriwether obtained his certification for arbitration. He is ready to arbitrate any Family Law issues and most Business Law matters.

Professional Experience - Mr. Meriwether was admitted to practice law in Florida and Georgia in 1996. In 1998, Patrick L. Meriwether left the Atlanta office of Arthur Anderson and joined Robert Tharp to establish Meriwether & Tharp. His position at Arthur Anderson involved providing tax advice to a variety of large corporations. Mr. Meriwether; however, missed the personal satisfaction that comes with running his own practice and assisting small businesses and individuals with their legal needs. This is where he felt that he could really make the biggest difference.

Community Experience - Mr. Meriwether volunteers time to teach Judo to both children and adults. He holds a Black Belt in Judo and, when he competed in law school, he was the Florida State Champion in his weight division two years in a row. At the 2007 Georgia State Games, he won the gold in his division.

DUSTIN W. HIGHTOWER grew up in Carroll County, Georgia where he graduated from Central High School (“CHS”) in 2000. While attending CHS, Dusty lettered in football, wrestling, and baseball. During Dusty’s senior year he served as captain of CHS’s football team along with his cousin Brian Maxwell (now a mechanical engineer at Southwire), and fellow classmate Josh Hubbard. Dusty also received the honor of representing his class as Homecoming King and Mr. CHS his senior year.

Upon graduating from CHS, Dusty attended the University of West Georgia (“UWG”) where he graduated cum laude. During Dusty’s time at UWG he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity, Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honors Society, Order of Omega Honors Society, University Ambassadors, Student Activities Council, Student Government Association, and the Inter Fraternity Council. Dusty particularly enjoyed the time that he served as President of Recruitment for the Inter Fraternity Council because he was allowed to plan the Greek recruitment process for UWG, and speak at orientation sessions on the importance of networking and how fraternities can assist members in establishing a solid networking foundation. Aside from his multiple on campus commitments Dusty managed to continuously make his grades a top priority. Dusty regularly made the National Deans List, was named an Ingram Scholar, and received the Spark’s Memorial medal (Chi Phi’s highest GPA award) three out of the four years he was in school. Dusty continues to be dedicated to UWG by currently serving on UWG’s National Alumni Association.

Shortly after graduating from UWG Dusty decided to attended law school. Dusty received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from John Marshall Law School of Atlanta. While in law school, Dusty was selected to serve as Notes and Comments Editor on John Marshall’s inaugural law review journal, John Marshall Law Journal. Dusty was honored by having his comment, Student Searches and Seizures: Georgia’s Current Approach and Recommended Change, chosen as one out of only four student pieces to be published. While in law school, Dusty was also a member of the American Constitutional Society and the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity.

Dusty did not only study the law while in law school, he also found ways to practice the law in his community. Under the Third Year Practice Act and the Graduate Act, Dusty returned to Carrollton and practiced law as a prosecutor beside Carroll County Solicitor Mr. Jimmy Tuggle. During his time in the Carroll County Solicitor’s Office, Dusty prosecuted DUI, theft, simple battery, and a variety of other criminal cases.

Dusty also became a certified mediator while in law school. Dusty put his mediation skills to work through an internship with the Fulton County Landlord/Tenant Program. During his time in this program, Dusty was able to mediate over 75 landlord/tenant disputes.

Dusty has now returned to his hometown area to practice law. Dusty is a hardworking, honest, dedicated, and driven individual that will work endlessly to provide you with the legal representation that you deserve. Dusty focuses most of his work on criminal defense where he is able to apply what he learned in the prosecutor’s office in a manner that is beneficial to his clients.

Practicing in Newnan for over 22 years, I have represented thousands of clients and recovered at last count, 2005, well over 10 million dollars in settlements and verdicts. Today I practice primarily in the areas of injury law, defective products law, family law, and estate law ~ though I have experience in a wider range of problems people encounter that make a visit to a local lawyer a need. Call me if you need a local counsel and advisor in your life.

Michelle R. Clark, the firm owner, is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on criminal and domestic litigation. She has successfully litigated civil and criminal matters. She is a skilled and seasoned litigator.


Member of Henry County Bar Association; Association of Trial Lawyers, Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and American Bar Association

Appointed as State of Georgia , Special Assistant Attorney General representing Henry County DFACS in 2004;

Selected as the first Davis-Wright Tremaine Scholar (1990-1993);

Member of Puget Sound Inn of Courts, Moot Court Board, National Moot Court Quarterfinalist for Frederick Douglas Moot Court Team; Western Regional Best Petitioner's Brief.

Member of Georgia Bar since 1987. General Practice of law, including bankruptcy, divorce, personal injury, wills and probate.

Kristal Alise Holmes is an attorney licensed in the State of Georgia. Kristal began her legal career as a staff attorney for the late Honorable Judge Lenwood A. Jackson of the City Court of Atlanta. After serving as Judge Jackson's staff attorney, she became a prosecuting attorney for the City of Atlanta, followed by DeKalb County and finally with Gwinnett County. In October 2006, Kristal started her own law practice. Her practice areas primarily include criminal defense, bankruptcy, estate planning, real estate and family law.

Kristal is a member of the Gwinnett County Bar Association, Gwinnett County Minority Bar Association, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, the Gate City Bar Association and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta.

Kristal is featured in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions of Who's Who in Black Atlanta and has been a guest speaker on A.M. 1380's "Court Talk." In addition, Kristal Serves as a Public Defender for the City of Pine Lake, Georgia and the City of Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Kristal received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College, magna cum laude, and her juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law. While in law school, she studied international environmental law and comparative health law at the International Law Institute at MaQuarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Regina I. Edwards is the Owner and Managing Attorney of Edwards & Associates. Ms. Edwards has been practicing law in Georgia since 2001. She graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina Central University after three years of study in Political Science, Spanish and French. Ms. Edwards received departmental awards in Spanish, Pre-Law, English and Mathematics. Ms. Edwards attended Tulane University School of Law where she concentrated in family law courses. While in law school, Ms. Edwards clerked for several prestigious law firms in a variety of areas, including defense litigation, fair housing litigation, and public interest.

Following her admission to the bar, Ms. Edwards expanded her experience to encompass many areas of civil litigation, to include divorces, custody, legitimation, public housing, Social Security, disability, domestic violence, education, consumer advocacy and unemployment. Ms. Edwards found her passion to be family law and domestic litigation cases, and began to focus her practice exclusively in those areas. Ms. Edwards has several years of complex family law litigation experience. She has tried contested matters involving issues such as domestic violence, child custody, child support, alimony, equitable division of marital property, and contempt actions before both judges and juries in Georgia's Superior and Juvenile courts.

Potential clients can be assured that Ms. Edwards possesses the necessary experience and dedication to family law, and will give each and every client the personal attention that their case requires. Ms. Edwards takes pride in handling each client and case personally, and will return all client phone calls the same day. The law firm is dedicated to using cutting-edge technology in order to process your case and file more efficiently and more cost-effectively for her clients. Ms. Edwards and her staff attend educational seminars and programs to ensure that the most current law and updates and available for use in your case.

When Ms. Edwards is not passionately representing her clients, Ms. Edwards enjoys travelling to different countries. She has travelled to more than 30 countries and speaks four languages. She also enjoys reading, racquetball, dance, running and spending time with family and friends.

I have been in practice since 1992. My practice primarily focuses on business and probate litigation. I have handled numerous appeals to the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court for my clients.

My firm is a small firm specializing in superior service to our clients. Prior to practicing law, I owned a large printing, publishing company that I sold.

My team consists of two lawyers and a paralegal who has worked with me for many years. We are technologically savvy and communicate with our clients via email where possible.

Through the other attorney in my office, we handle domestic matters as well as other civil litigation.

Mr. Villanueva graduated from Emory University, Magna Cum Laude in 2000 majoring in Political Science and minoring in Economics. Mr. Villanueva attended Syracuse University College of Law and obtained his juris doctor and masters in Economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 2003. While at Syracuse Law, Mr. Villanueva had worked as an assistant to the Commercial Real Estate Practice Group at Pyramid Managment Group, Inc. in Syracuse, New York. Mr. Villanueva was an Associate Editor of the Syracuse Law and Technology Journal and member of the Corporate Counsel Certificate Program as well as the Law and Market Economy Program.

Mr. Villanueva is former judicial law clerk to the Honorable Diane J. Larsen of the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Villanueva practiced residential and commercial real estate, corporate law and bankruptcy and was previously employed by Krevolin & Horst, LLC, The Moss Law Firm, LLC and The Johnson Law Group ALG (Of Counsel) prior to opening his practice in 2007.

Mr. Villaneuva resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is a legal instructor at Gwinnett College where he continues to teach bankruptcy and family law. Mr. Villanueva is a probono volunteer Attorney with the Georgia Legal Services Program Piedmont Division in Atlanta as well as a member of the Gwinnett County Bar Association and the Syracuse Alumni Association of Atlanta.

Mr. Villanueva was born in 1977 in Agana, Guam (U.S. Territory) and is proud son of Chief Petty Officer Ricardo P. Villanueva United State Navy (deceased) and Nelly C. Villanueva, US Veterans Administration Registered Nurse and proud brother of Gigi Lynn Estrada Registered Nurse.

Mr. Villanueva enjoys playing guitar, singing, reading, volunteering, running and painting.

Nora Polk, a native Texan, received her B.A. in Political Science from Texas A&M University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. During her law school career, she attended the University of Cape Town in South Africa to study comparative justice through a Study Abroad program.

Ms. Polk worked for Atlanta Legal Aid Society for over eight years in the Downtown and Gwinnett County offices. She handled an active caseload of domestic relations, family violence, housing, consumer, public benefits, and disability cases. She was the supervising attorney of the Gwinnett office, managing student interns, paralegals, and new lawyers.

In July 2007, Nora Polk partnered with fellow Atlanta Legal Aid supervising attorney, Adrienne Ashby. Ashby & Polk, LLC, is located in downtown Atlanta. It is a law firm specializing in wills, trusts, estate planning, powers of attorney, guardianship, probate, elder law, divorce, custody, legitimation, and child support.


She has been featured in local publications, including the Atlanta Bar Magazine. She has also appeared on television as a legal expert for the local news and as a guest speaker on Layman’s Lawyer.


Ms. Polk is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, and the Gwinnett County Bar Association. She is a member of the Founding Class of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division’s Leadership Academy.


Ms. Polk is married to Philip Polk. They have two sons, Kobie Alexander Polk and Nile Christopher Polk.