Music shutdown: Georgia gun laws shoot down Music Midtown Festival
8/5/22
By: Marissa Dunn
The annual Music Midtown music festival marks the end of summer for Atlantans. People come from all over to hear lineups that have included Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Mumford & Sons, Bruno Mars, and more. At its …
Supreme Court of Georgia adopts standard for obtaining a protective order to prevent the deposition of high-ranking corporate executives
6/8/22
By: Michael Freed
The Supreme Court of Georgia granted certiorari in General Motors, LLC v. Buchanan on the question of “[w]hat factors should be considered by a trial court in ruling on a motion for a protective order under OCGA …
Eleventh Circuit Finds for Insurer in COVID-19 Case of First Impression in Georgia
6/6/22
FMG partners Phil Savrin and Shawn Bingham successfully represented Allied Insurance Company of America (a Nationwide entity) in resisting a claim by a restaurant (Henry’s Louisiana Grill) seeking coverage for business income lost after it suspended its operations after the …
Georgia Governor Reinstitutes Non-Party Apportionment
5/23/22
By: Sharon Horne and Sangeetha Krishnakumar
Georgia’s “non-party fault statute,” codified at OCGA § 51-12-33, was passed by the state’s General Assembly as part of tort reform efforts in 2005. This statute provided for non-party apportionment as an option in …
Georgia Sparks Further Cannabis Debate
4/20/22
By: Wayne S. Melnick and Carlos A. Fernandez
The legalization of cannabis continues to cause chronic concern in Georgia. Recently, the State of Georgia and Patsy Austin-Gatson, Gwinnett County District Attorney, were named as defendants in a suit challenging the …
Georgia legislature passes amendment to O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 impacting apportionment of fault against non-parties in single defendant cases
4/14/22
By: Tyler Connor
In August of 2021, the Supreme Court of Georgia issued its controversial decision in Alston & Bird, LLP v. Hatcher Mgmt. Holdings, LLC, 312 Ga. 350, 862 S.E.2d 295 (2021). The Court ruled that under O.C.G.A. …
Who can you blame? Georgia Supreme Court decision regarding apportionment sends shockwaves through the legal community.
9/20/21
By: Aaron Miller
The Supreme Court of Georgia on August 10, 2021 issued an opinion significantly limiting the apportionment statute in Georgia. The case, Alston & Bird, LLP v. Hatcher Management Holdings, LLC S20G1419, severely limits the situations in which …
Georgia Legislature Resolves Glaring Issue with Mechanic’s Lien Law
6/11/21
By: Shaun Foley
In Georgia, anyone who furnishes labor, materials, or professional services for the improvement of private property has the right to file a mechanic’s lien. Liens are especially useful for contractors who do not receive payment after work …
Georgia Federal Court Among the First to Restrict Applicability of Georgia COVID Emergency Orders Extending Statutes of Limitations
6/4/21
By: Wayne Melnick and Carlos Fernandez
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the roll of most, if not all, cases. Now that the brakes are being slowly eased-off, questions are arising about the Georgia Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders that extended the statute …
One Man’s Trash: Georgia Court of Appeals Weighs in on Respondeat Superior Following Homeowner’s Altercation with Garbage Employee in Advanced Disposal Servs. Atlanta v. Marczak
4/28/21
By: Steven Grunberg
Do you ever feel like your dedication to your job is questioned? For one employee of a garbage and recycling disposal company there is little doubt surrounding the answer to this question. In March 2018, Lorenzo Bucknor …
Extension Of COVID-19 Liability Protections For Georgia Businesses May Be On The Horizon
3/9/21
By: Aaron Miller
The Georgia House voted 99-68 in favor of House Bill 112 on February 9th, 2021, sending the bill to the Georgia Senate. The bill, which extends liability protections granted to local businesses under the Georgia …
Getting Strict with Georgia’s Apportionment Statute: Johns v. Suzuki Motor Corp
11/24/20
By: Janeen Smith
The Supreme Court of Georgia recently held that Georgia’s apportionment statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, applies to strict products liability claims brought pursuant to Georgia’s product liability statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-1-11. Johns v. Suzuki Motor of Am., …