Archive for September, 2013

Atlanta LGBT-Friendly Lawyers | Randy L. New

Posted on: September 18th, 2013

Randy L. New is the Managing Member of Kitchens New Cleghorn LLC in Atlanta, Georgia. A significant focus of his practice has been in the areas of Corporate and Business Issues, Transgender Employment Law, Contracts and Telecommunications. Randy is also an Adjunct Professor at Emory Law.

Randy is an Atlanta native. He received a B.A. from Emory University in 1976. After teaching high school in Atlanta for three years, he attended Emory Law School, was named as Articles Editor of the Emory Law Journal, and graduated with a J.D. with Distinction in 1982. Randy continues his relationship with Emory Law School, serving as Adjunct Professor, facilitating coursework such as “Doing Deals – Corporate Practice Workshop.” He is also on the Emory University School of Law Advisory Committee as well as serving on the Board of Visitors.

After graduation, Randy joined the firm of Lamon, Elrod & Harkleroad where he focused on tax and corporate transactions. He then worked at BellSouth Corporation, rising to the position of Vice President of Public Policy where he reported to the Vice Chairman of the company. His experience at BellSouth as both an executive and a lawyer was wide-ranging, including work in mergers and acquisitions, tax and employee benefits law, corporate law, the customer premises equipment business, government contracting, equipment leasing, and federal and state regulatory issues.

Randy New and Joyce Kitchens formed the firm of Kitchens New LLC in 2001, having been classmates at Emory Law School and life-long friends. They added Jeff Cleghorn as an equity partner in 2007.

Randy now represents a broad array of individuals and corporations on business issues. One of Mr. New’s continuing interests is the representation of the small and start-up business owner as their personal “general counsel.” In addition, Randy has represented and continues to represent some of the nation’s largest companies. He likes the challenge of this varied portfolio and thinks that its range increases his effectiveness for all his clients.

While representing a diverse collection of clients, Randy maintains a significant focus on helping corporations navigate complex business issues as they pertain to the current regulatory environment. Working with CFO’s, in-house attorneys and senior managers, Randy partners with clients to demonstrate how businesses can “prove-in” the financial value of government policies. Having been a senior executive with BellSouth, Randy is uniquely equipped with the regulatory expertise to help clients connect the dots in understanding how regulations could impact revenue and expense. With a successful track record working with several leading Atlanta corporations, Randy helps clients execute the financial methodologies and interpret the results to determine the best course of action for each client’s business

In addition to his professional commitments, Randy is active in the civic life of Atlanta, having served on the boards of directors of several non-profit entities and sponsoring community based projects ranging from politics to the arts. Randy has been selected by his peers as one of Georgia Trend’s 2010 Legal Elite.

Education:
J.D., Emory University Law School, (with Distinction), 1982
B.A., Emory University, 1976

Bar Admissions:
Georgia

Memberships:
Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of Georgia
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
American Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Georgia Bar Association
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Board of Visitors, Emory University, 2010-2013
Lawyers Club of Atlanta

Atlanta Gay-Friendly Lawyer | Joyce E. Kitchens

Posted on: September 16th, 2013

Joyce E. Kitchens has specialized in the practice of labor and employment law in Atlanta since 1982, representing corporations, municipalities, federal, state and local agencies, and gay and lesbian employment law. She has represented municipalities and governmental entities in cases involving constitutional law issues, such as The City of Union City, Palmetto, Fairburn et al. v. Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Fund, Inc. et al., Appeals No. 10-10711 & 10718; Williams v. Board of Regents et al., 2994 WL 5545037 (NDGA 2004), affirmed in part, reversed in part, 441 F.3d 1287 (11^th Cir. 2006), opinion vacated and superseded on rehearing, 477 F.3d 1282 (11^th Cir. 2007); and George et al. v. Walton County Board of Commissioners, 2005 WL 2124471 (USDC Middle District of Georgia 2005).

Ms. Kitchens has served as a mediator and arbitrator since 1988. She was an Adjunct Faculty member for Emory University School of Law, 1996-2000, and continues to serve as a frequent speaker for continuing legal education seminars. From 2003-2004, she was the National President of the Federal Bar Association. She was the Chairperson of the Federal Bar Building Corporation 2018-2019.

She authored the deskbook, A Federal Sector Guide to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Dewey Publications, 2012. She has also authored a number of professional articles, including:

Alternative Dispute Resolution in Federal Court, Federal Civil Practice, April 22, 1999;
Developing/Protecting the Record for Appeal, Federal Appellate Practice, May 31, 1996;
Attorneys’ Fees Petitions under Fee Shifting Statutes, Federal Practice and Procedure, April 28, 1995;
ERISA & the Moench Presumption, May 2, 2013;
Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Federal Sector, April 15, 2014;
Cutting Edge Cases in Federal Employment Law Litigation: A View from the Bench & Bar September 5, 2014, (co-authored with Katherine Gonzalez Valentin.);
The Lost Art of Civility in Case Preparation, April 30, 2015; and
Ethics, Professionalism, & Whistleblowing, November 1, 2016, (co-authored with Stuart A. Miller).

Ms. Kitchens is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Directory of Pre-Eminent Lawyers, International Who’s Who of Professionals, and Who’s Who of American Women. Her hobbies include reading, and traveling with her husband. She graduated from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia, and was admitted to practice with the Supreme Court of Georgia in 1982. She has been admitted to practice in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the United States Tax Court.

Joyce E. Kitchens
Attorney at Law
Kitchens New Cleghorn, LLC
2973 Hardman Court
Atlanta, GA 30305
Office 404-557-5670
Fax 678.244.2883
Email joyce.kitchens@knclawfirm.com

Atlanta Child Custody Lawyers

Posted on: September 16th, 2013

Experienced Child Custody Attorney Atlanta, GA

If you’re searching for a child custody attorney in Atlanta, you’ve come to the right place. Indeed, after decades of practicing Georgia divorce and custody law, we know that in divorces involving children there is often little else that will matter more than who will have primary custody of the children and how they will be raised. In order to ensure that you and your children are well protected, it is essential that you have professional, experienced legal counsel on your side.

The divorce attorneys at Kitchens New Cleghorn, LLC are sensitive to how important an issue this can be, and offer decades of experience keeping families intact. We bring expert knowledge of Georgia family law to the table, and the experience of how to best represent your interests to the court. Importantly, child custody laws in Georgia are designed to keep “the best interests of the child” in mind, but that term is inherently subjective and entirely dependent upon the facts presented. Let the lawyers at Kitchens New Cleghorn, LLC work to ensure that what the court defines as your child’s “best interest” is what you seek as well.

What Are “The Best Interests of the Child” as Defined by GA Family Law?

When determining what is in the best interest of a child, Georgia custody law allows a court a large degree of discretion, and a judge can consider many different factors. Some of those factors include:

A child’s age and desires
Parental stability
Parental criminal history
Ability of the parent to care for the child

and more. A court will use these factors to decide where your children should spend most of their time.

What Types Of Custody Exist Under Georgia Law?

Custody laws in Georgia provide for a variety of options. Those include:

Joint Custody: This falls into two subcategories:
- Joint legal custody, in which both parents have the right to contribute to major decisions regarding their children
- Joint physical custody, in which the child or children split time living with both parents
Sole Custody: This also falls into two subcategories:
- Sole legal custody, in which one parent has the authority to make major decisions regarding their children
- Sole physical custody, in which the child or children lives with one parent

Our child custody Attorney in Atlanta will work closely with you to review all the details of your case in determining whether petitioning for joint physical, joint legal, or sole legal/physical custody is right for you and your children. You can also read more about different types of custody arrangement in Georgia in our Infocenter at https://www.knclawfirm.com/practice-areas/family-law/child-custody/.

*Note that your child support payment schedule will rely heavily on your custody schedule.

Georgia Custody Schedules as Explained by our Child Custody Attorneys

A custody schedule in Georgia can be as simple or as complex as needed to fit your particular circumstances. Schedules can involve mid-week visits, alternating weekends, and more. Questions such as who will have the children for holidays and birthdays will also have to be resolved. Because your custody schedule will determine how you and your spouse will split time spent with your children for years to come, it’s important that it is crafted with care and expertise. Without the proper legal guidance, one can quickly miss out on valuable time spent with their child. Look to Kitchens New Cleghorn, LLC’s experienced custody Attorneys to help you create a comprehensive custody and visitation schedule that meets the requirements of Georgia law and preserves your precious family ties.

Changes to Georgia Child Custody Schedules

Life circumstances don’t always stay the same and neither should your custody schedule. If you move, get a new job, or experience any other lifestyle changes, your previous schedule may no longer be convenient or practical for you or your children. Thankfully, Georgia law allows for the modification of custody schedules. Our Atlanta child custody lawyers can petition the court to modify your schedule in a way that matches your life needs. If a career change, a move, or some other major change means your old schedule is no longer a fit, give us a call right away.

Contact Our Child Custody Attorney in Atlanta

Divorce should never cost you family relationships. Arrange a consultation with one of our skilled divorce attorneys as soon as you begin seeking a divorce. We’ll walk you through the court system and reach a resolution that protects the best interests of you and your children. For a typical contested custody issue, our law firm retainer begins at $5,000.00. To talk with one of our family law attorneys about representing you, either fill out the brief form to your left or give us a call.

Kitchens New Cleghorn, LLC is also well-versed in all other aspects of Georgia family law, such as alimony payments, property division, uncontested divorce, prenups, child adoption, non-traditional partnerships, and more.

Our office is located in the heart of Buckhead at 2973 Hardman Court, Atlanta, GA 30305. Plenty of free parking is available on-site. For directions to our office, call (404) 844-2856.

Atlanta Contested Divorce Litigation Attorneys

Posted on: September 16th, 2013

Atlanta Divorce Litigation Attorneys

Divorces are sensitive matters. Division of assets and alimony – these things can become a real stressor and make a real and lasting impact on your and your loved ones lives forever. Kitchens New Cleghorn, LLC. specializes in all aspects of Atlanta divorce litigation – please find our information on these topics and more below.

High Asset Divorce Litigation Atlanta

High Asset Divorce Litigation in Atlanta is no doubt something you have looked into. If you are dealing with a contested divorce in the Atlanta area, and especially if significant assets are involved, having an experienced litigation divorce attorney will be essential to ensuring that your interests are protected. A contested divorce is exactly what it sounds like — one in which spouses cannot agree on specific details concerning the end of their marriage, such as child custody, child support, alimony payments, and more. In cases of high net-worth individuals, the stakes in a divorce can be high, and it is the job of your attorney to present as much evidence as possible in order to influence the court’s decisions. The high asset divorce litigation Atlanta attorneys at Kitchens New Cleghorn, LLC rely on years of experience and will work closely with you to gather the facts and information necessary to present your case and influence the court toward a decision that will best serve your needs.We pride ourselves on offering not just legal counsel, but personal dependability during your high asset divorce litigation, Atlanta.

Atlanta Contested Divorce Attorneys

We understand, you need information on Atlanta contested divorce attorneys. There are two main types of divorce – contested and uncontested divorce in Fulton County Court. In the case of an uncontested divorce, both parties are able to agree on the specifics of the divorce, negotiate, and reach a plan that is presented to the court. Unfortunately, things don’t often occur this way, and this is when having a strong advocate on your side is essential.

A contested divorce occurs when spouses can’t agree on key things concerning their split. Some of those can include:

Terms of alimony payments
Child custody arrangements/schedules
Division of marital property

and more. When an agreement on these personal details can’t be reached, a court may suggest mediation to reach a settlement and avoid a more costly and emotional trial. Should that process not work, the divorce would proceed to trial. Attorneys for your spouse will then enter the “discovery” phase, researching finances and other personal details to build their case and influence a decision that will benefit your spouse. It’s key that you have representation that will work even harder to present the court with facts and information that will benefit you. Reach out to our Atlanta contested divorce attorneys to discuss the details of your case.

Contested Divorces in Atlanta, GA

Sometimes personal conflict makes a contested divorce inevitable: A couple may simply be at an impasse on vital issues. Other times spouses begin the divorce process on the same page with regards to sensitive issues like child custody only to find they ultimately disagree.

And still other times, our Atlanta contested divorce attorneys may feel it is not advisable for a client to negotiate with their spouse. This is typical when a divorce involves allegations of domestic abuse or other power imbalances that may make truly fair negotiation hard. Our lawyers will review the circumstances of your divorce honestly and help you determine what type of divorce works best for you.

Contact Us

Our contested divorce lawyers in Atlanta are ready to help you understand the details of getting a contested divorce. To talk with one of our attorneys or to find an attorney to represent you, either give us a call at (404) 844-2856 or simply fill out the brief form on this site.

Atlanta Office

Our Atlanta office is located in the heart of Buckhead at 2973 Hardman Court, Atlanta, GA 30305. Plenty of free parking is available on-site. For directions to our office, call (404) 844-2856.

Time to put politics aside and reform immigration

Posted on: September 6th, 2013

It is rare for Georgia businesses — large and small, urban and rural — to agree on much of anything. But they do agree that there is an urgent need for Congress to put politics aside and move forward with reforming America’s immigration laws.

Widespread frustration with the current immigration system and the need for reform was on display last week at the Atlanta Rotary Club, where Atlanta’s business community and Georgia’s agriculture community gathered to listen to former governors Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Haley Barbour of Mississippi. Rendell, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Barbour, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, have joined forces as two of the co-chairs of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Task Force on Immigration.

“Nothing is worse for America than the status quo,” Gov. Barbour told the Rotary Club. “We’ve got a system that’s broken. We need to do something about it for our economy, for our future.” Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall, who was in the audience, recently expressed similar frustrations on behalf of Georgia’s$71 billion agriculture industry — if Congress “fails to act,” Duvall wrote, “the American people will keep the same flawed immigration policy we have right now. Nobody will be happy with that.”

Amazingly enough, on the same day Rendell and Barbour appeared before the Rotary Club, the incoming chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Delta CEO Richard Anderson, met with the editorial board of Atlanta Business Chronicle to express the view that the current immigration system was hurting Georgia businesses, according to reports of the exchange.

And earlier this year, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent told an interviewer, “I see a general consensus that there is a need for a 21st century immigration policy in the United States. I truly hope that this opportunity will be realized.”

So what is standing in the way of progress when the interest of Fortune 100 companies, like Coca-Cola and Delta, are the same as the interest of a farmer in Hawkinsville or chicken processor in Ellijay?

Not surprisingly, politics.

Gov. Rendell explained that there are more than enough votes in Congress right now to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill — a bill that would provide Georgia businesses with the reliable and capable workforce they need. But unfortunately, House Republicans, including members of Georgia’s congressional delegation, fear that any support for a path to citizenship for the approximately 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally today would invite charges of supporting “amnesty” and a potential primary challenge in 2014.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, the president has said that he won’t sign a bill that doesn’t include a path to citizenship for those 11 million.

For the sake of Georgia’s economy, Congress — led by the state’s delegation — needs to reach a deal to make it easier to hire much-needed scientists and engineers, to keep talented students who graduate from Georgia’s colleges and universities in the state where they can launch startups and create jobs, and to make it possible for the 11 million to stay here legally, regardless of whether there is a path to citizenship.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Georgia is home to approximately 440,000 of those 11 million, many of whom are part of and contribute to Georgia’s “Essential Economy,” which a recent report byGeorgia Tech’s Innovation Services Group defined as the goods and services that are essential to our way of life, that have to be produced right here in Georgia and that, as of 2010, contributed $49 billion to the state’s economy. The Essential Economy workforce includes hotel, restaurant and construction workers, landscapers and nursing home attendants, and those who harvest crops, pick produce and drive the state’s poultry industry.

Georgia has a long history of finding common ground on divisive issues, especially when it is in the best interest of the state’s economy. We are at such a crossroads with immigration reform and there is a great opportunity for Georgia’s congressional delegation to harness the emerging consensus from across the state’s business community to get something done in Washington.

Stein, who served as legislative director and general counsel for Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., leads the government affairs practice at Kitchens New Cleghorn LLC and is a lecturer at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.

Resource:

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2013/08/30/time-to-put-politics-aside-and-reform.html?page=all