Attorneys
2024 Georgia Super Lawyers includes Chamberlain Hrdlicka Attorneys
Chamberlain Hrdlicka is pleased to announce that 10 Atlanta attorneys have been named to the 2024 Georgia Super Lawyers list. Shareholders Stephanie Friese Aron, David D. Aughtry, Seth R. Price and Hale E. Sheppard were selected as “Georgia Super Lawyers”. In addition, Shareholders Cassandra “Sandy” Bradford, John C. Guin, John Nail, Erica L. Opitz, Senior Counsel John Kirbo, and Senior Associate Chadd Reynolds were selected as “Georgia Rising Stars” by the publication. The complete list of honorees is available today and can be found here.
Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research to select the final Super Lawyers listings. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.
Stephanie Friese Aron
Friese advises clients on commercial real estate transactions including acquisition of land, leasing, construction, financing and disposition. She handles many types of real estate litigation and dispute resolutions, including foreclosures, evictions and federal enforcement actions. Friese earned her undergraduate degree from Stetson University and her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.
David D. Aughtry
Aughtry co-chairs Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s tax practice. A nationally known tax litigator, he has tried and/or argued on appeal over 100 federal tax cases from Tax Court, various District Courts, and Court of Federal Claims to seven U.S. Courts of Appeal and once in the Supreme Court. He is a Fellow in the American College of Tax Counsel and the International Society of Barristers. He earned his undergraduate degree from The Citadel, and both his master's degree in accounting and his law degree from the University of South Carolina. He also holds a Master of Laws in Taxation from Emory University where he taught Tax Controversy for a number of years.
Cassandra “Sandy” Bradford
Bradford is a member of the Tax Controversy and Litigation Section in Atlanta. She defends clients in state and federal audits and appeals, as well as litigation in the Tax Court and other federal courts. At Chamberlain, Bradford has represented clients with a wide array of disputes with the IRS and state taxing authorities, including issues with conservation easements, captive insurance companies, TEFRA and BBA partnerships, international information returns, late election relief, worker classification, reasonable compensation, etc. She has spent her entire legal career at Chamberlain since graduating from Georgia State University’s joint JD/MBA program, where she worked as a graduate research assistant and student attorney at the Phillip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic for over two years. Before attending graduate school, Bradford earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Mercer University, where she was a Penfield Scholar and part of the Honors Program.
John C. Guin
Guin is a member of the Commercial Litigation and Construction Litigation practice groups in Atlanta. He advises businesses, officers, directors and shareholders in complex construction and business disputes, including cases involving claims for breach of contract, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Guin also represents owners, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in matters involving delay and impact damages, design defects, bond claims, and related issues. He earned his undergraduate degree from Sewanee: The University of the South and his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.
John Kirbo
Kirbo is a member of the Tax Controversy Section in Atlanta. He is an experienced tax attorney with a background in civil litigation and criminal defense, primarily in Federal District Court. He has represented clients against the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, the Georgia Department of Revenue, and local taxing authorities. He is skilled at solving complex problems through litigation or other more creative means. Kirbo earned his undergraduate degree from Mercer University, Stetson School of Business, his law degree from Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law and his Master of Laws in taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law.
John Nail
Nail is a member of the Tax Controversy and Litigation section in Atlanta. His practice focuses on representing clients in all levels of their matters with the IRS, from examination and appeals to litigation in the U.S. Tax Court and Federal District Court. Nail assists clients in disallowed deductions for charitable contributions, executive compensation, employment tax compliance, state sales and use tax audits and collection activities. He earned his undergraduate degree from College of Charleston and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Erica L. Opitz
Opitz is a member of the Corporate, Securities and Finance practice group and often serves as a client’s outside general counsel. She assists clients with corporate governance, commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions and privately held securities matters. Opitz represents clients in a variety of industries, including moving and storage, merchant services, certified public accounting, investment management, manufacturing and building supply distribution industries. She also serves as the Atlanta office’s primary drafter of Georgia legal opinions. Opitz earned her undergraduate degree from Binghamton University and her law degree from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law.
Seth R. Price
Price is a construction lawyer who guides clients through the resolution of complex contract disputes in state and federal courts and through arbitration. He additionally advises clients on contract terms and provisions, assists in contract negotiations, and provides guidance on dispute avoidance strategy. Price earned his undergraduate degree from Trinity College and his law degree from The National Law Center of George Washington University.
Chadd Reynolds
Reynolds is a part of the firm's construction law, commercial and civil litigation practice groups where he represents individual owners and corporations in a variety of complex business and construction disputes in federal and state court, arbitration, and mediation. In his construction practice, Reynolds has represented public and private owners, contractors and subcontractors on projects ranging from single-family homes to multi-million dollar private and public construction projects. He earned his undergraduate degree from Berry College and his law degree from Valparaiso University School of Law.
Hale E. Sheppard
Sheppard is a member of the firm’s Tax Controversy Section in Atlanta. He defends individuals and businesses during tax audits, appeals, and litigation. Sheppard has participated in over 250 cases in the Tax Court, District Court, and Court of Appeals. In addition, he has obtained dozens of favorable Private Letter Rulings for clients from the IRS National Office on procedural, tax, and international issues. Sheppard obtained five college degrees, including an LL.M. in international law from the Universidad de Chile and an LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida, earning various scholarships and academic distinctions along the way. He ranks among the most active tax writers in the country, having published well over 260 articles in top law reviews and tax journals. Sheppard has been widely cited as a tax/legal authority in many domestic and foreign journals, inducted into the American College of Tax Counsel, invited to present at major tax conferences, and recognized as a leader in tax disputes for many years by Chambers USA and other respected organizations.