Category Archives: Uncategorized

J. Mark White, Stephen R. Arnold, and Augusta S. Dowd Again Recognized Among “The Best Lawyers in America”

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that J. Mark White, Stephen R. Arnold, and Augusta S. Dowd have been included in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.  Now in its 27th year of publication, Best Lawyers is based entirely on a peer-review process.  According to Best Lawyers, “the methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.”

Mr. White was again recognized in the following practice areas:

  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Litigation – Environmental
  • Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants
  • Mediation

Mr. Arnold was named a “Best Lawyer” in Family Law, a distinction he has enjoyed since 1983.  Ms. Dowd was again acknowledged for her work in Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Environmental, and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants.

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Kitty Rogers Brown
205-323-1888
[email protected]

Augusta S. Dowd and Kitty Rogers Brown Honored at Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that Managing Lawyer Augusta S. Dowd has been named this year’s recipient of the Alabama State Bar Maude McLure Kelly Award and shareholder Kitty Rogers Brown received the 2020 President’s Award from ASB President Christy Crow.

The Maud McLure Kelly Award is named after the first woman admitted to practice law in Alabama, and honors her memory and accomplishments.  The award is presented each year by the Bar’s Women’s Section to a female attorney who has made a lasting impact on the legal profession and has been a pioneer and leader within our state.  Dowd’s personal contributions to the legal profession include serving as President of the Alabama State Bar, as a member of the ASB’s Board of Bar Commissioners and the Judicial Inquiry Commission, and most recently as a member of the Jefferson County Judicial Commission, which nominates individuals for consideration by the Governor to fill judicial vacancies in Alabama’s 10th Judicial Circuit. As one of the firm’s young lawyers related in Dowd’s nomination letter, “Augusta leads by example in motivating us to work hard, but she always makes time to talk to us about our personal lives, our families, and our kids.  She expects excellence from all of us, but she always makes time to teach us what we need to know to meet and exceed those expectations.  In every way, Augusta is a supportive mentor and a caring friend.”

ASB President Christy Crow recognized Brown with the 2020 President’s Award for her service to the profession over the past Bar year. Noting Brown’s previous work with past Bar president Dowd, Crow commented, “I had no idea how valuable it would be to have someone who had experience working with a Bar president to bounce ideas off of.” Crow commended Brown for her past and current service to the Bar, including serving as President of the Young Lawyers Section, co-chair of the Consolidated Fundraising Task Force, on the Mid-Year Meeting Task Force, Leadership Forum Selection & Program Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Section Coordination & Evaluation Task Force, and Member Benefits Committee, and for her work in organizing speakers for the Bar’s first virtual Annual Meeting.

Dowd and Brown were recognized during the virtual Grand Convocation Ceremony at the 2020 Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting, which was held in the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in Montgomery for a limited audience and broadcast to all Bar members and the public.   The broadcast is available to view here.

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Lisha L. Graham
205-323-1888
[email protected]

Alabama Senate Confirms Hope S. Marshall to Serve as Commissioner for the Alabama Securities Commission

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA (May 8, 2020) – Joseph P. Borg, Director of the Alabama Securities Commission (ASC), is pleased to announce the appointment of Hope S. Marshall as an ASC Commissioner. She was recommended by her professional peers from the Alabama State Bar and appointed by Governor Kay Ivey. The Alabama Senate confirmed Commissioner Marshall’s appointment on May 5, 2020. Commissioner Marshall is an attorney with the Birmingham-based law firm White Arnold & Dowd P.C.

Director Borg stated: “We welcome Commissioner Marshall to the ASC and her leadership experience and legal expertise will complement the successful operation of ASC to help protect Alabama investors and promote capital formation in Alabama.”

Commissioner Marshall joined the law firm of White Arnold & Dowd P.C. as an attorney in 2007. Marshall’s practice focuses on criminal defense, white collar criminal defense, and general civil litigation. She represents companies and individuals in connection with criminal investigations, as well as parallel civil and criminal proceedings. She practices in municipal, state and federal courts, including appellate courts.

Commissioner Marshall is active in many legal and community organizations including the Magic City Bar Association, Birmingham Bar Association, Alabama Lawyers Association, Alabama State Bar, American Bar Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Lorie Johnson Foundation, and the First Light Women’s Shelter. Some of the many accolades and awards she has received are the Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating, Birmingham Magazine Top Attorneys (2020), Mid-South Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016-2019), America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys (Alabama), Alabama Super Lawyers Rising Star (2013-2015).

Commissioner Marshall is preceded by former Commissioner R. Austin Huffaker, Jr. who was nominated to serve as United States District Judge for the Middle District of Alabama by President Donald J. Trump. “We extend a special thanks to Judge Huffaker for his dedication and distinguished service to the Commission and we are incredibly grateful for the work he has done on behalf of the citizens of Alabama,” said Director Borg.
ASC Commission members are designated under Alabama law to include the State Superintendent of Banks, the State Commissioner of Insurance, and the Attorney General of Alabama. In addition, the Governor has four appointments, two each from nominees selected by the Alabama State Bar and the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

The ASC cautions citizen investors of all ages and experience to thoroughly scrutinize and research any investment opportunity or offer. Contact the ASC at 1-800-222-1253 to check out any person or financial professional offering an investment opportunity or investment advice for a fee, and the products they offer for proper registration. Contact the ASC to report suspected fraud, inappropriate securities business practices or to obtain consumer information. The ASC provides free investor education and fraud prevention materials in print, on our website and through educational presentations upon request.

For further information contact Dan Lord, Education and Public Affairs Manager, 334‐353‐4858. ALABAMA SECURITIES COMMISSION Post Office Box 304700 Montgomery, Alabama 36130‐4700 Telephone: (334) 242‐2984 or 1‐800‐222‐1253 Fax: (334) 242‐0240 Email: [email protected] Website: www.asc.alabama.gov

Eight Shareholders Named as 2020 Top Attorneys by Birmingham Magazine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce eight of its shareholders were nominated and selected as 2020 Top Attorneys by Birmingham Magazine. This is the eleventh-annual peer-reviewed survey conducted by the magazine, and it recognizes attorneys for their experience and expertise in 35 different practice areas. 

White Arnold & Dowd attorneys selected include:

J. Mark White — White Collar Defense and Legend

Stephen R. Arnold — Family Law

Augusta S. Dowd — White Collar Defense and Civil Litigation

Lisha Graham — Insurance Defense

Karen M. Hennecy — Elder Law

H. Eli Lightner — Communications

Hope S. Marshall — Criminal Defense

Sidney C. Summey — Probate

The full feature appeared in the April 2020 issue of Birmingham Magazine and can be viewed here:

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Kitty Rogers Brown
205-323-1888
[email protected]

Firm Shareholders Named “Top Attorneys 2020” by B-Metro

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that shareholders Augusta S. Dowd, Linda G. Flippo, Laura S. Gibson, Lisha L. Graham, Karen M. Hennecy, Hope S. Marshall, Kitty Rogers Brown, and J. Mark White were named “Top Flight Lawyers” for 2020 by B-Metro Magazine.    To compile its list,  B-Metro surveyed local attorneys.  According to B-Metro, the lawyers selected were “chosen because of their ability to guide clients to successful outcomes” and the “survey took into account education, professional experience and community involvement. Just what you want in a good attorney.” 

The full B-Metro feature was published in the April 2020 issue of the magazine and can be viewed below:

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Kitty Rogers Brown
205-323-1888
[email protected]

White Arnold & Dowd Lawyers Answer the Call To Serve the Local Bar in 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that Birmingham Bar Association President Andrew S. Nix has appointed multiple firm lawyers to BBA Committees for the current Bar year.  Hope S. Marshall, who was recently elected to the BBA’s Executive Committee, will also serve as Co-Chair for the Grievance Committee, as well as on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.  Kitty Rogers Brown will continue her service on the Grievance Committee and will serve on President Nix’s 2020 Focus Group, J. Mark White and W. Chambers Waller were appointed to the Court Liaison Committee, Karen M. Hennecy was selected for the Elder Law Committee, and Mr. Waller and Curtis H. Seal will continue their service on the Scholarship Committee.

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Kitty Rogers Brown
205-323-1888
[email protected]

Hope S. Marshall Elected to 2020 Birmingham Bar Association Executive Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that shareholder Hope S. Marshall was elected by her peers and colleagues in the Birmingham Bar Association to serve on its Executive Committee for 2020.  The Executive Committee governs the Birmingham Bar Association, and is comprised of its three elected officers, the president or chair of each Section of the Association, a representative of the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners, the representative designated by the Magic City Bar Association, and ten at-large members; Ms. Marshall will serve as one of the elected at-large members of the Executive Committee.  Managing lawyer Augusta S. Dowd, who served on the Executive Committee from 2004-2007 and most recently served as president of the Alabama State Bar, commented, “Hope has an outstanding record of active involvement and dedicated leadership across the Bar.  She will be a strong, contributing member of the Executive Committee, and we congratulate her on this achievement.”  Shareholder J. Mark White, a former president of the Birmingham Bar Association, Alabama State Bar, and International Association of Trial Lawyers, added, “It is a privilege to serve in Bar leadership, and we are proud to see Hope carrying on our firm’s strong tradition of serving and leading our profession at the local, state, and national levels.”

Ms. Marshall joined the firm as an attorney in 2007, and her practice focuses on criminal defense, white collar criminal defense, and general civil litigation. She represents companies and individuals in connection with criminal investigations, as well as parallel civil and criminal proceedings. Ms. Marshall practices in municipal, state and federal courts, including appellate courts.  She is active in the Alabama State Bar, Alabama Lawyers Association, Birmingham Inn of Court, and the Magic City Bar Association. In addition to her service on the Executive Committee, she has been appointed as co-chair of the Birmingham Bar Association’s Grievance Committee for 2020.

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Kitty Rogers Brown
205-323-1888
[email protected]

Lisha Graham Selected for Class 15 of the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that attorney Lisha Graham has been selected for Class 15 of the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum. The Leadership Forum works to develop lawyers into servant-minded leaders in the Bar, the community, and the state. Through servant leadership, graduates become a model of ethical and professional behavior both within and outside the legal community.  Fellow firm members Laura S. Gibson (Class 3), Kitty Rogers Brown (Class 8), and H. Eli Lightner II (Class 14) are graduates of the program and active members of the Alumni Section.  The Bar’s official announcement of Class 15 can be found here.

A graduate of Auburn University and the Cumberland School of Law, where she led the National Trial Team to National and Regional Championships, Ms. Graham represents clients in various areas of civil defense litigation with a primary focus on insurance defense. Through her practice, she has represented general contractors and subcontractors in various types of construction litigation and indemnity actions. She also represents both companies and individuals in a variety of commercial cases, including premises liability, breach of contract, negligence, and products liability. In the products liability defense area, Ms. Graham has represented manufacturers, distributors, sellers, and installers against negligence and strict liability claims based upon alleged product defects which resulted in injuries or death. Additionally, Ms. Graham represents both plaintiffs and defendants in financial litigation, business torts, and fraud cases.  She serves on the Executive Committee of the Alabama State Bar’s Young Lawyers Section, is the co-founder and president of the Alabama Pacific Asian Bar Association, regularly volunteers at the First Light Homeless Shelter, and is a former member and secretary of the YWCA Central Alabama’s Junior Board.

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Kitty Rogers Brown
205-323-1888
[email protected]

Multiple White Arnold & Dowd Attorneys Named Mid-South “Super Lawyers”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that four shareholders have been named to the 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers list, and one additional shareholder has been included on the list of 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers Rising Stars.

Attorneys named to the 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers are:

  • Stephen R. Arnold
  • Kitty Rogers Brown
  • Augusta S. Dowd
  • J. Mark White

Shareholder Hope S. Marshall was named as a 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers Rising Star.  Dowd was additionally named to the “Top 50 Women,” “Top 50 Alabama,” and “Top 50 Birmingham” lists for 2019.

Super Lawyers rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the Mid-South are selected by the research team for selection as Super Lawyers, and no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in Mid-South 40 years old or younger or who have been in practice for 10 or fewer years are selected as Rising Stars. The Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars will be listed in the December 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers Magazine and B-Metro magazine.

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Lisha L. Graham
205-323-1888
[email protected]

Curtis H. Seal Selected for Membership in the Rotaract Club of Birmingham

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, AL – White Arnold & Dowd P.C. is pleased to announce that associate Curtis H. Seal has been selected for membership in one of Birmingham’s premier young professional organizations, the Rotaract Club of Birmingham.  Managing Lawyer Augusta S. Dowd noted, “Curtis is an outstanding addition to Rotaract.  He will immediately begin making an impact on the organization and its mission to ‘foster responsible citizenship and catalyze positive change’ here in Birmingham and beyond.”  Curtis currently serves as chair of the Junior Board Networking Committee for the YMCA of Greater Birmingham and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Alabama State Bar’s Young Lawyers Section.  His legal practice focuses on civil and complex litigation, white collar and criminal defense, governmental and regulatory affairs, and insurance defense.

About White Arnold & Dowd P.C.: From high-profile litigation to mediation and private disputes, the attorneys at AV-rated White Arnold & Dowd P.C. excel at finding creative strategies to minimize disruptions and help our clients keep moving forward in business and in life. We have a plan for the unplanned. For more information, visit www.whitearnolddowd.com.

Contact:
Kitty Rogers Brown
205-323-1888
[email protected]