Top Best Civil Lawyers | 33410 Available

My core mission as a lawyer is to help  people get just compensation and fight back against unlawful, unscrupulous, and fraudulent business practices by lenders, debt collectors, credit agencies, telemarketers, landlords, real estate developers, insurers, and other corporate interests.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

David Rayfield graduated with a B.A. from Rhodes College in 1994 and a J.D. from the University of Alabama in 2001. Following his graduation from the University of Alabama, David began his legal career by opening his own office with a law school classmate in Phenix City, Alabama. He enjoyed a general practice with an emphasis on civil litigation for his first five years of practice before being invited to join a regional firm based in Columbus, Georgia as a partner in 2006. There, David focused his practice on business litigation and representing individuals that had been injured, damaged or otherwise harmed by others. In July, 2015, David joined the law firm of Waldrep, Mullin & Callahan, LLC as a partner to continue his emphasis on handling complex civil litigation matters. Licensed in both Alabama and Georgia, David is currently focused on representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of areas, including commercial litigation, probate litigation, and negligence actions.. Beyond his litigation practice, David is also very active in the legal community, having served as President of the Columbus Bar Association (2019-20), Treasurer of the Columbus American Inns of Court (2016-20), President of the Chattahoochee Bar Association (2009-2010), President of the Russell County, Alabama Bar Association (2005-2006), President of the Columbus Trial Lawyers Association (2013-2015), and Vice-President of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2nd Congressional District (2015-2016). David also co-chaired the launch of the Columbus American Inns of Court mentoring program in 2020, was instrumental in the 2019 restart of the Muscogee County Truancy Intervention Program (TIPs), and served as a mentor to numerous children through the TIPs program. He has also volunteered with the Muscogee County Legitimation Station and provided pro bono assistance to numerous veterans through his association with House of Heroes – Chattahoochee Valley Chapter.. Outside of the legal profession, David has served as a Trustee for the Muscogee County Library Foundation (2015-2018), a Board Member for the St. Luke Early Learning Center (2010-2018), and is a member of St. Paul Methodist Church in Columbus. He is also a graduate of Leadership Georgia (2020-21) and served as a program chair in 2022.. David has made his home in Columbus, Georgia since 2004 and where he currently resides with his wife, Dr. Stuart Eddings Rayfield, President of Columbus State University, and their two daughters.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

I focus my practice on trials involving complex business litigation matters, including: Toxic torts Product liability Class actions Commercial litigationI am responsible for coordinating and defending national mass tort litigation on behalf of a number of companies in jurisdictions such as Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, California, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As a trial lawyer, I have obtained favorable jury verdicts on behalf of my clients in multi-million dollar litigation.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

On top of my legal work for my clients I also present at seminars and round tables to give an in-depth analysis of the issues affecting your business and how to navigate the employment and labor law developments happening every day.  When I am not working with clients, or presenting as a speaker, I serve on the board of directors for a local youth hockey league.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Melissa’s focus is to help those families stressed about losing their life’s savings to the costs of long term care needs.   She encourages families to think about their futures and to PRE-PLAN by addressing those needs.  When families need help qualifying and applying for assistance, she has the tools and knowledge to make that experience less stressful, while protecting the greatest amount of those hard earned life’s savings.. Melissa uses easy to understand language to address complex issues. Melissa’s legal and practical experiences help her to address issues that you likely haven’t even thought about.  She resolves issues before they become problems.  When the issues have already become a problem, Melissa will help protect the greatest amount of your life’s savings as possible while focusing on making the experience less stressful for your loved ones.

John D. Sheppard is a trial lawyer who prides himself on working harder than the competition, aggressive representation, strategic thinking, and successful results. John particularly enjoys being in the courtroom, and transforming complex legal and factual issues into simple and persuasive terms for the jury or judge. John’s clients trust him because they know he will take all steps necessary to achieve the best possible outcome. John welcomes a challenge, and nothing motivates John more than when one of his clients has been treated unfairly. John then attended and graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and very early, during his first semester at UT Law, John was recruited to work for Fulbright & Jaworski in Houston, arguably one of the most prestigious trial laws firm in the United States. After graduation from law school, John joined Fulbright and handled cases ranging from a few million dollars to bet-the-company cases, primarily on behalf of the world’s largest corporations. During just his fourth year as a lawyer, John was chosen by partners at the firm to argue a case involving more than $100 million to the Houston Court of Appeals, which he won. In 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, John was named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. In 2013, he was nominated and then elected as a life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a foundation of which only the top 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys are invited to join.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Charles represents property owners in securing just compensation when government takes private property for public use. While his experience has included takings projects for highway expansion, pipelines, electric transmission lines, and flood control, Charles’s principal practice is focused on highway and roadway widening projects impacting retail, commercial, industrial, and special-use properties. Charles has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the practice area of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law and Texas Super Lawyers for Eminent Domain. Charles additionally has the AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell's highest possible rating for both ethical standards and legal ability. Charles has obtained successful jury verdicts and commissioners’ awards for clients in condemnation cases across the State, including Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Waller County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Williamson County, Dallas County, Matagorda County, Wharton County, Angelina County, Austin County, and Val Verde County. He has handled appeals of condemnation cases and other matters in the First, Fourth, Sixth, Tenth, Eleventh, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals and in the Texas Supreme Court. Charles was formerly a partner in the Condemnation and Land Use Litigation practice group of Vinson & Elkins LLP. He has been board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Civil Trial Law since 2003. Specialties: Eminent domain, condemnation, and land valuation litigation

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

I have conducted bench and jury trials to conclusion in many courts throughout the State of Michigan. I am very active in mediation and arbitration practice. I hold an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

Experienced Civil attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

In 2017, after working over 21 years and becoming a partner at a highly respected Austin boutique litigation firm, I founded my own private practice, The Law Firm of T. Wade Jefferies, to help individuals and businesses throughout Texas efficiently resolve commercial, civil, divorce, and family law disputes. In 2024, my long term colleague and friend, Scott Herlihy, and I formed Jefferies & Herlihy, LLC.. I am an accomplished and seasoned litigator who focuses on commercial litigation, civil litigation and family law throughout Texas. I have represented numerous individuals in multi-million dollar disputes including representing a real estate company against John Wooley, Schlotzsky's CEO at the time; representing a well-known Austin architect and builder in settling a Judgment obtained by Sandra Bullock; representing a competitor of Waste Management Services in a lawsuit against Waste Management Services; representing a partner in an Austin-based consulting firm to life insurance companies in a lawsuit against his partner; and representing a multi-national health supplement provider in a dispute against his partner. I was also an integral part of a team of lawyers who obtained a $180 million judgment against Health Net, Inc, a large California based health care provider.. I also represent several businesses as their "outside" in-house counsel.. In addition, I have successfully handled numerous family law matters. I have represented numerous high-wealth individuals going through a divorce. In one case, after trial, the Court granted my client over 60% of the community estate plus close to $100, in attorney's fees. In numerous high-asset divorce cases, I have represented the wives with husbands who own successful businesses. The husbands generally claim that the businesses have no real value. With my accounting background and commercial litigation experience, I was able to determine the actual value of the business and reach a settlement favorable to my clients. Going through a divorce several years ago, I was exactly where my family law clients are and, because of that, I can offer empathy and help in a way that is unique and solution oriented.. My accounting background coupled with the breadth and depth of legal experience provides me with the ability to efficiently and effectively represent my commercial, civil and family law clients. I am peer rated AV Preeminent by my peers defined as "the highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies that a large number of the lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards." I am also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. The Litigation Counsel of America is an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society established to reflect the new face of the American bar. Membership is limited to 3,500 Fellows, representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers.. I look forward to protecting your interests.. - Wade