Swift Currie Elevates Seven Attorneys to Partnership in Atlanta and Birmingham

01.02.2020

Swift Currie New Partners 2020 HeadshotsSwift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers, LLP, is pleased to announce the elevation of seven attorneys as new partners in the Atlanta and Birmingham offices as of Jan. 1, 2020. Newly named partners in Atlanta include Joanna Jang, Myrece Johnson, Dan Kingsley, Crystal McElrath and Blake Staten. In Birmingham, Trey Dowdey and Brian Richardson have earned elevation to partnership. These seven additions bring the firm’s partnership to 69 attorneys.

“This class of new partners has displayed the highest levels of client, community and legal service, which has earned our firm a national reputation for excellence,” said Terry Brantley, managing partner at Swift Currie. “Our firm has recently experienced significant growth in a short period of time, and we are grateful to have this group of forward-thinking leaders to continue building upon our firm’s and clients’ success in the new decade and beyond.”

Trey Dowdey represents employers, insurance providers and claims professionals in various workers’ compensation cases throughout Alabama. He also defends employers against retaliatory discharge and co-employee liability claims and handles automobile and premises liability defense litigation. Dowdey is a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he is a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and commander of the 10th Legal Operations Detachment. Dowdey earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He also received his Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, where he was a distinguished graduate.

Joanna Jang practices primarily in the area of workers’ compensation defense. She represents employers, insurers, self-insureds and third-party administrators in equipment rental, construction, property and hotel management, manufacturing, retail and landscaping industries before the State Board of Workers’ Compensation and all appellate courts in Georgia. She also has extensive experience handling business and commercial litigation cases at the state and federal level. Jang earned her undergraduate degree Emory University and law degree from Emory University School of Law.

Myrece Johnson has more than 10 years of experience handling matters in civil litigation and general liability, representing businesses and individuals sued in Georgia. She defends insurance bad faith claims, product liability actions, professional liability actions, catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims and general tort litigation in state and federal courts throughout Georgia and the Southeast. Johnson earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and law degree, summa cum laude, from Georgia State University College of Law.

Dan Kingsley’s practice includes general liability counsel and civil litigation with an emphasis on transportation law, premises liability and products liability in Georgia. He defends motor carriers, their drivers and insurers in all aspects of litigation stemming from motor vehicle collisions. Kingsley earned his undergraduate degree from Butler University and law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Crystal McElrath practices workers’ compensation defense, as well as employment law defense and counseling, specializing in disability and leave laws in Georgia. She regularly advises, trains and defends clients related to wage and hour, discrimination and human resource laws. She represents clients in a number of industries, including food sales, medical transport services, counseling and staffing. McElrath earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia Master of Theological Studies from Emory University and law degree from Emory University School of Law.  

Brian Richardson has a diverse practice in Birmingham that includes work in the firm’s arson and fraud, automobile litigation, bad faith litigation, commercial litigation, construction law, insurance coverage, property insurance and trucking litigation practice areas. His clients, which include large insurance companies, benefit from his extensive experience and the open dialogue he provides throughout their cases. Richardson earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

Blake Staten defends employers and their insurers in cases that involve significant bodily injury and high exposure in Georgia. He has a diverse client base that includes companies in the poultry processing, wholesale food distribution, trucking, appliance manufacturing, airport management and restaurant industries. He also has experience working with staffing agencies and automobile trade associations. Staten earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law.

About Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers, LLP

Based on more than 50 years of representing clients in Georgia, Alabama and throughout the country, Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers, LLP, has evolved into a law firm capable of handling all areas of civil law and litigation. With approximately 150 attorneys, Swift Currie possesses the resources and abilities to tackle the most complex legal problems, while at the same time, providing its clients with individualized, prompt and cost-effective service. The firm has a wealth of experience across numerous practice areas and its depth of legal talent allows the firm to tailor such strengths to individual cases. For more information, please visit www.swiftcurrie.com.

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