HBS Welcomes Nine New Associates to the Firm

Hall Booth Smith, P.C. is pleased to welcome nine new associates to our team: Drew Brooks, Whit Carmon, Kathryn Dunnam, Jordan K. Gibson, Annie Herndon, JD Howard, Nick Kinsley, Joseph Padgett and Jacob Raehn.

Drew Brooks joins as an Associate in the HBS Columbus office. He graduated from the University of Georgia where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and received his Juris Doctorate Cum Laude in 2016. Prior to joining HBS, Drew served as a treasurer of the Student Bar Association, and as a panel director for the Georgia Association of Law and Politics. While in law school, Drew was a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of the Intellectual Property Law. Drew joins HBS as a member of the Business Litigation, Education, Government Liability, Insurance Coverage and Professional Negligence/Medical Malpractice practice groups.

Whit Carmon joins as an Associate in the HBS Atlanta office. A native Georgian, Whit recently graduated from Mercer University School of Law where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in the top 10% of his class. He received his Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Georgia, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Whit is adept at navigating regulatory and administrative law, gaining experience as a legal intern for the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and as an assistant to  Professor Linda Jellum in the editing and publication of two textbooks in the area of Administrative law and Statutory Interpretation. Prior to HBS, Whit clerked under Presiding Judge John Ellington at the Georgia Court of Appeals. He has been published in the Defense Counsel Journal, which focuses on the viewpoint of the practitioner and litigator in the civil defense and insurance fields. At Mercer, he was a member of the law review, Brainerd Currie Honor Society, W. A. Bootle Inn of Court, and participated in various philanthropies including the Kid’s Chance Tennis Tournament, Rebuilding Macon, and the Legal Food Frenzy.

Kathryn Dunnam Harden joins as an Associate in the HBS Albany office.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Mercer University. Kathryn received her Juris Doctorate from Mercer University School of Law. During law school, Kathryn was a member of the Mercer Law Review where she served on the Editorial Board as an administrative editor. As a law review member, she was selected for publication on her piece regarding professional malpractice litigation in Georgia. She also served as a  president of Mercer University School of Law’s largest student organization, the Association of Women Law Students, and was in the Health Law Society. Upon graduation, she received the National Association of Women Lawyer’s Award, which is given to a student who demonstrates academic achievement, contributes to the advancement of women in society, and promotes issues and concerns of women in the legal profession. Kathryn looks forward to building a career in the fields of Medical Malpractice and Health Care.

Jordan K. Gibson joins as an Associate in the HBS Nashville office. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes College in Memphis, where she graduated Cum Laude and completed her Juris Doctorate Cum Laude from Belmont University College of Law in Nashville. During law school, she worked as a summer associate at HBS getting hands on experience in healthcare litigation and interned in Chancery Court with the Honorable Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman. She also gained experience in regulatory compliance working at Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation. While at Belmont, Jordan served as the president of the Board of Advocates, participated in National Moot Court, served as an editor of the Law Review and graduated 8th in her law school class. In her final summer of college, she served orphans who had been rescued from slave trade in Ghana, West Africa, overseeing the operations of temporary housing for the rescued kids. It was her experience in Ghana that convinced her to become a lawyer and spend her life fighting for justice.

Annie Herndon joins as an Associate in the HBS Atlanta office. Annie received her undergraduate degrees in English and Economics from the University of Georgia. She then completed her Juris Doctorate Magna Cum Laude at Georgia State University’s College of Law in 2016. During law school, she was a member of the Law Review and served the Board as the Student Writing Editor.  She was also a  member of the moot court team and advanced to the semi-final round of the Cardozo Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition. Annie received a CALI award for the highest grade in her Administrative Law class. She was a judicial extern for Justice Harold Melton at the Georgia Supreme Court, an intern with Governor Nathan Deal’s Office and a summer associate at HBS. She plans to concentrate her practice in Health Care, Insurance Coverage and Medical Malpractice.

JD Howard joins as an Associate in the HBS Atlanta office. JD attended the University of Georgia where he received his Juris Doctorate and graduated Cum Laude. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Tusculum College in Business Administration  and graduated Magna Cum Laude. While in law school, he served as a Class President for the Class of 2016. He was also a member of the executive board for the Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law, serving as a Senior Managing Editor for the 44th volume of the Journal. JD worked as a teaching assistant for Dean Lori Ringhand’s Constitutional Law class and worked as a research assistant for Professor Kent Barnett.  JD is a great addition to the HBS Agriculture practice group. He was active in the National FFA Organization in high school and was twice named the state champion for the Agricultural Sales Career Development Event.  JD’s hands on experience working at a peach and pecan orchard help him understand many of the challenges facing farmers and  agribusinesses.

Nick Kinsley joins as an Associate in the HBS Tifton office. He received both his undergraduate and Juris Doctorate Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia. Over summers at law school, Nick worked as a law clerk for Martin Snow, LLP and an extern for the Rollins, Inc. legal department. During the school year, he was part of the Editorial Board and served as an online editor for the Georgia Law Review. He also supported Professor Hillel Levin as a research assistant. Nick joins HBS as member of the General Liability, Government Affairs, Government Liability and Health Care practice groups.

Joseph Padgett joins as an Associate in the HBS Brunswick office. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Management from Utah Valley University. He then completed his Juris Doctorate from the Mercer University School of Law. While in law school, he participated in Mock Trial for two years competing in the AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Competition in 2015 and 2016. He was also on the dean’s list and received the CALI Excellence for the Future award in Transportation Law. Prior to law school, Joseph owned and operated semi-trucks in Savannah, Georgia, where he gained hands on experience and oversaw compliance with government rules and regulations and ensured safe operating tractors. He also spent two years as a full-time volunteer missionary, which allowed him to become fluent in Spanish.

Jacob Raehn joins as an Associate in the HBS Atlanta office. A native of Hilton Head Island, SC, he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law and his Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. During law school, he was awarded the Luther Lee Award for Trial practice and he served as a Chief Justice of the Moot Court Bar. He was also a member of the John Belton O’Neal Inn of Court, served as a law student ambassador,  as a student body representative and a peer mentor. Prior to joining HBS, Jacob worked as a law clerk, summer associate, and then associate attorney for a national litigation firm where he focused on high stakes medical malpractice cases. He has successfully second-chaired trials spanning Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. He has experience with cases that have received national news coverage from CNN, Huffington Post, and Buzzfeed. Jacob holds a certificate of Advanced Trial Advocacy from the AAJ.

“We warmly welcome new associates to our HBS family and are excited to have them representing our clients,” said Alex Booth, managing partner of HBS.

About the Firm

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; Charlotte, North Carolina; N. Palm Beach, Florida and Nashville & Memphis, Tennessee. 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.

At HBS, we possess the legal knowledge, skill, and experience to meet our clients’ needs wherever they do business. HBS maintains the highest commitment to serve our clients ethically and professionally by providing the highest quality legal representation. Our promise: “Serving to Achieve Excellence.”