HBS Welcomes Eight New Associates as Firm Expands in Georgia

ATLANTA AND ATHENS, Ga. – Nov. 21, 2019 – Hall Booth Smith, P.C. is delighted to add seven new associates at its Atlanta headquarters office and one associate in its office in Athens, Georgia, as the firm invests in its business support and litigation defense capabilities to better meet client needs.

Michael Callicutt is based in HBS’s office in Athens, Georgia, and he concentrates his practice on business litigation, general liability, governmental liability, construction, medical malpractice and professional malpractice and ethics. He has been with Hall Booth Smith since 2014, when he was a records clerk. He gained valuable legal experience as a legal assistant and law clerk at the firm while completing his Juris Doctorate at Georgia State University College of Law. Before starting law school, Callicutt interned with the District Attorney’s Office for Georgia’s Northern Judicial Circuit. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, in pre-law from Emmanuel College.

Patrick Fitzgerald concentrates his practice on a variety of general liability matters and insurance coverage. He was previously a law clerk at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, and in the Tallahassee City Attorney’s Office. He holds a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law, where he graduated first in his class. Fitzgerald also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University.

Leesa Guarnotta specializes in aging services and health care matters. Earlier in her career, Guarnotta served as a summer associate with HBS while in law school. She earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Mercer University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University.

Matthew Haan focuses his practice on agribusiness and food, business litigation, business transactions, labor and employment and real estate matters. He earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgia State University College of Law. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review, participated in the law school’s Investor Advocacy Clinic, and worked for Chief Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard of the Court of Appeals of Georgia. Haan also completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, with distinction, from Sewanee: The University of the South.

Spencor Hall specializes in intellectual property, general liability, medical malpractice, premises liability and products liability matters. Earlier in his career, he was an intern at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a summer associate at HBS. He also interned with the Office of the District Attorney General Glenn R. Funk in Nashville, Tennessee, and interned with the Honorable Patsy Y. Porter, Fulton County State Court Judge. Hall holds a J.D. from Howard University School of Law, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree, cum laude, from Tennessee State University.

Leslie Hartnett focuses her practice on the full spectrum of labor and employment matters in addition to medical malpractice cases. Before joining HBS, Hartnett was an associate at another Atlanta firm, where she handled claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, restrictive covenants, and wage and hour disputes under state and federal statutes. Leslie earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from the Charleston School of Law. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Miami.

Edgar A. Neely IV defends clients on a variety of product liability claims, and he represents large hospital systems and health care providers in medical malpractice lawsuits. Earlier in his career, he clerked for the Honorable Charles A. Pannell, Jr., in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and he practiced in securities litigation for a multi-national law firm. Neely has also argued before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals while representing a pro bono client in a civil rights action. He earned a J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law and a B.S. from George Washington University.

Dowdy White concentrates his practice on business transactions, business litigation, energy, regulatory and utilities, government affairs, medical malpractice and agribusiness and food matters. Before joining Hall Booth Smith, he was a judicial extern at the Georgia Court of Appeals for Judge Elizabeth Gobeil. White also interned in the Office of Executive Counsel under Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, and he was a campaign manager for John Wilkinson’s run for Georgia State Senate and served as a legislative aide. He also served as an aide in the Georgia State Senate, and he was a congressional agricultural fellow at the U.S. House of Representatives. White earned a J.D., cum laude, from Georgia State University College of Law. He also holds a Master of Public Administration, cum laude, from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.

“We are pleased to welcome such an accomplished and knowledgeable group of associate attorneys to the Hall Booth Smith family, and their skills and experience will help us meet the needs of clients across numerous industries,” said Alex H. Booth, Managing Partner of Hall Booth Smith.

About Hall Booth Smith

Established in 1989, Hall Booth Smith, P.C. (HBS) is a full-service law firm with six regional offices strategically located throughout Georgia, as well as offices in Birmingham, Alabama; Charleston, South Carolina; Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina; Jacksonville, North Palm Beach and Tallahassee, Florida; and Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee; and Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Experienced across a wide range of legal disciplines, HBS attorneys pride themselves on providing knowledgeable, proactive, client-specific counsel to individuals, domestic and international corporations, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The firm’s promise: “Serving to Achieve Excellence.” To learn more, please visit: www.hallboothsmith.com.