Drew Eckl & Farnham is pleased to announce it has named 13 new partners. It is the largest class of non-equity partners the firm has elected in its 40 years of practice. The talent and diversity of our new partners reflects how the firm’s award-winning Path2Partnership program has worked to create an environment that nurtures diverse interests, backgrounds, and perspectives.
“We’re honored that all of these talented lawyers have decided to make Drew Eckl & Farnham their home, and we’re excited about how they’ll contribute to making us better.”
Joseph C. Chancey, Managing Partner
The new Drew Eckl & Farnham partners are as follows:
Lervette J. Blair is an experienced litigator who has handled a broad array of claims involving automobile, trucking, and pedestrian accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, negligent security, community association litigation, defamation, products liability, subrogation, and property damages.
Neil Brunetz represents employers in defense of claims in front of OSHA and other government agencies. His legal experience also includes courtroom representation of clients in civil litigation matters, including personal injury, wrongful death, workers’ compensation, construction, contract, commercial disputes, and malpractice actions.
Lara Ortega Clark is a civil litigation attorney, practicing primarily in the fields of transportation/trucking law, rideshare liability, premises liability, negligent security, and serious injury/wrongful death cases in both state and federal courts throughout the State of Georgia.
Ryan M. Hathcock focuses most of his practice on representing insurers, employers, and self-insurers throughout Georgia in workers’ compensation claims. Ryan assists clients in claims reporting and initial investigation of work injuries and assists his clients by handling claims from origination through the discovery and litigation process to resolution.
Ryan Lawson is an insurance defense attorney specializing in defense of workers’ compensation and premises liability litigation. Ryan actively counsels, advises, advocates for, and litigates on behalf of, companies ranging from local businesses to multi-national organizations.
William J. Martin is an experienced trial lawyer representing businesses in personal injury and wrongful death litigation. His practice focuses on all types of premises liability, product liability, and commercial transportation cases.
Juliana Neelbauer focuses her practice on virtual general counsel for for-profit, non-profit charitable, trade organizations, and high-net worth individuals/families which hail from the consumer tech, commercial tech, health care, industrial/supply chain, finance, government contracting, charitable, and political action industries.
Christina Paleveda practices exclusively in workers’ compensation defense, including the defense of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act claims. Throughout her career, Christina has defended employers and insurers in various workers’ compensation and liability matters.
David L. Rusnak focuses his practice on state and federal business litigation, risk management, and alternative dispute resolution. He represents local, regional, and national clients in commercial, financial, real estate and construction matters.
Bryant G. Speed II specializes in workers compensation law and has represented parties before the State Board of Workers Compensation for most of the last 19 years. He has tried numerous cases across the state, and has argued many cases before the Appellate Division, as well.
Julie Neimark Stewart focuses on Workers’ Compensation and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia Section on Workers’ Compensation Law.
Timothy P. Veith has been a corporate and transactional attorney for 30 years. He has experience in a broad spectrum of practice areas, including complex private and public corporate finance and M&A transactions, conduit and securitization financing, banking and securities regulation, and litigation and mediation management.
Michelle Guthrie Whitelaw focuses her practice on defending individuals and corporations in a wide variety of areas. She has specific experience in the areas of premises, product and automobile liability and has defended individuals, businesses, houses of worship and medical entities.