In The News
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Georgians With Disabilities Deserve Their Day in CourtAmericans cherish the right to seek justice in court when their rights are violated, yet governmental immunity often shields those who should be held accountable. This lack of accountability erodes trust in the legal system, especially when laws meant to protect individuals are rendered ineffective. In Georgia, state employees with disabilities now find themselves without recourse under the Americans with Disabilities Act, further diminishing faith in the law's ability to protect their rights.
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Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown: Litigation Dept. of the Year Finalist & Honoree at 2024 Southeastern Legal Awards
We are pleased to announce that the firm has been selected as a finalist for Litigation Department of the Year (General Litigation), Partner Drew Beal has been selected as a Best Mentor Finalist and Milinda Brown is and On the Rise Honoree in the 2024 Southeastern Legal Awards by the Daily Report and Law.com. The honorees will be recognized, and the winners will be announced at a gala on Thursday, June 20, at Flourish in Atlanta.
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Paid Family and Medical Leave: What Expectant Parents Should Know
When New York-based freelance writer Hana LaRock was pregnant with her first baby, her husband’s company offered paid parental leave. While it initially eased her anxiety, the parent leave process ended up being a lot more difficult than she envisioned.
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Georgia Health Facility to Face Trial on Transgender Bias Claim
A transgender woman, alleges sex discrimination by Riverwoods Behavioral Health LLC after being subjected to an invasive strip search and denied proper care. Her lawsuit advances to trial, underscoring ongoing challenges for transgender individuals in healthcare and the fight against discrimination.
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Transgender Woman's Discrimination Claims Against Behavioral Health Hospital Cleared for Trial
A transgender woman from Georgia, alleges discrimination during her treatment at Lakeview Behavioral Health Hospital. Despite identifying as female, she claims to have been mocked by male nurses and housed with a male patient. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia denied the hospital's motion for summary judgment on discrimination claims, citing evidence of intentional sex discrimination. Jolley's trial, represented by attorneys from Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown, is set to occur before the end of 2024.
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Fired exec wins in court: Jury says pay him $400,661
A Fulton County jury has awarded $400,661 to the former president of a Fairburn manufacturing company, concluding that the company broke the agreement it made with him when he was fired.
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Mexican Workers Exploited at Georgia Factories, Lawsuits Claim
Two factories join the list of Georgia companies that have been accused of targeting Mexican workers and violating labor and equal rights laws. -
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Foreign Workers Sue Over Alleged Illegal Recruiting Scheme
An Atlanta-based building materials wholesaler and two recruitment and staffing agencies were hit with a proposed class action alleging they lured skilled Mexican engineers and technicians to the U.S. to fill manual labor positions under a temporary visa program for high-skilled workers.
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Mexican Nationals Allege ‘Bait-and-Switch’ Scheme That Misled Them Into Manual Labor Job
Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown Litigators Brian Sutherland and Rachel Berlin Benjamin filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia alleging a group of professional engineers from Mexico were defrauded in a “bait-and-switch” scheme by Sewon America to use their professional skillsets for cheap labor with “discriminatory pay” and unsafe conditions. Read on for more.
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‘We’re Down the Homestretch’: Opposing Counsel Say Lin Wood Defamation Trial Could Happen in 2024
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Lin Wood’s Comments About Ex-colleagues False and Defamatory
Retired Atlanta defamation attorney L. Lin Wood made false and defamatory comments about his ex-colleagues with whom he’s in a yearslong battle over client fees.
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Fired After Taking Maternity Leave
Rachel Berlin Benjamin, renowned employment lawyer and advocate for workplace rights, has been featured in Business Insider! In a compelling article, Rachel sheds light on the legal nuances surrounding workplace discrimination against pregnant individuals and the importance of maternity leave. Her expert insights provide invaluable advice for employees navigating these complex issues.
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Case Dismissed: $10K in Attorney Fees Awarded and Anti-SLAPP Motion Granted
Litigators with Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown have successfully leveraged Georgia’s Anti-SLAPP, or anti-strategic lawsuits against public participation, statute to protect their client from allegations of defamation launched by a shaman accused of sexual assault.
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Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown Partners Receive 2024 Georgia Super Lawyers Rating, Brown Named Rising Star
We are pleased to announce that Partners Drew Beal, Brian J. Sutherland, Rachel Berlin Benjamin and Milinda Brown have been selected to the 2024 Georgia Super Lawyers list. Part of Thomson Reuters, the exclusive list recognizes five percent of attorneys in the state from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
In addition to Super Lawyers, Brown has been named to the 2024 Rising Stars list, exclusively recognizing no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state.
The Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines, leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country, and the Georgia Super Lawyers digital magazine.
For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
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Engineers Say Auto Parts Maker Traffics Mexican Labor
Law360 (October 26, 2023, 10:26 PM EDT) -- A group of Mexican engineers accused a car parts manufacturer and two recruiting agencies of luring them to the U.S. with false promises of highpaying engineering jobs, only to force them to perform manual labor for long hours and substandard wages.
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'Seize the Assets and Levy the Accounts': $1.1M Judgment in Georgia
A trio of Atlanta litigators has succeeded at securing a seven-figure default judgment against ex-NBA player Elliott L.“Dale” Davis amid allegations he pocketed a couple’s investment money. Read on for more.
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Lin Wood Ordered to Pay Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown $42,500 in Attorneys’ Fees
Read the attached Order for more.
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Lin Wood's Contempt Costs $42K In Atty Fees On Top Of Fine
Retired defamation attorney Lin Wood must pay three of his former colleagues $42,445 in attorney fees in relation to his social media posts about them.
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Meet the Fulton County Judge Assigned to Trump’s Criminal Case
Read on for more.
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Lin Wood's Ex-Colleagues Fight Other Atty's Suit Escape Bid
Attorneys who used to work in Atlanta with L. Lin Wood at his law firm asked a state trial court to reject a dismissal motion filed in their separation dispute case.
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U.S. Supreme Court to hear Georgia case on gay, lesbian workplace bias
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider a metro-Atlanta case as it weighs whether gay, lesbian and transgender workers are protected under federal anti-discrimination laws.
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Attorney Lin Wood held in contempt of court for denigrating ex-associates
Atlanta attorney L. Lin Wood, who rose to national prominence representing people who felt defamed by the news media and others, has been held in contempt of court for making derogatory comments about former associates.
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Workers Fight Kia Bid To End Labor, Pay Class Claims
Auto plant workers who said they were recruited to the U.S. on false pretenses urged a Georgia federal court not to toss racketeering claims against Kia.
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'Unnecessary and Unwarranted’: Fulton County Judge Finds Lin Wood in Violation of Injunction Order
Read more below.
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Lin Wood Fined $5K Over Comments About Ex-Colleagues
Prominent defamation attorney L. Lin Wood was held in contempt and fined $5,000 Thursday by a Georgia judge.
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Pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Lin Wood slapped with criminal contempt fines for ‘flagrant’ violation of ‘gag order’
Attorney Lin Wood, one of the most visible conspiracy theorists behind efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, has been found in contempt for violating an order keeping him from disparaging his former law partners.
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Mexican Engineer Says RICO Work Visa Row On Solid Ground
A Mexican engineer urged a Georgia federal judge not to toss his class action over allegations. Read on for more.
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Engineers Recruited by Carmakers End Up on the Assembly Line
Mexican nationals recruited to work white-collar jobs at Hyundai and Kia plants in Georgia instead ended up on the factory floor, lawsuit alleges. Read on for more.
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EEOC Transgender Bias Lawsuit Bolsters Agency Enforcement Plan
The EEOC has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a transgender plaintiff for the first time in six years in a move that appears to back up its commitment to helping what it considers vulnerable workers. Read on for more.
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Anxiety, PTSD Drive Rise in Mental Health Employment Bias Claims
An increasing number of workers are accusing their employers of discriminating against them based on their mental health conditions, a change fueled largely by rising numbers of bias charges based on anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the EEOC. Read on for more.
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Lin Wood’s Ex-Colleagues Sue Him for Defamation, Claim They Received Death Threats
Three of pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood’s former law partners sued him in federal court on Thursday, claiming that they received a physical threats after he smeared them as “deep state” extortionists on his more than 800,000-follower strong Telegram account. Read on for more.
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‘Getting the Band Back Together’: Drew Beal Opens Practice Focused on Civil Rights, Employment, Daily Report, Feb. 13, 2023
Read on for more.
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Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown Partners Receive 2023 Super Lawyer Rating
Read on for more.
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'Not A First Amendment Principle': Georgia Supreme Court Denies Cert in Former Law Partners' Breach-of-Contract Case
Can a trial court can enter an interlocutory injunction against a party to enforce a nondisparagement clause? Read on for more.
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'It's everywhere' | Atlanta faith leaders respond to recent string of youth violence
Faith leaders across Atlanta are stepping up their efforts to combat the recent senseless killing of teenagers and violence across the city. Read on for more.
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Fired for Being Gay? Ex-Court Employee Gets $825k to Settle Employment Lawsuit
The Clayton County Board of Commissioners has approved an $825,000 settlement for a former Georgia juvenile court employee who alleged he’d been fired for being gay.
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Years after acquittal, Clayton Sheriff Victor Hill back on trial Wednesday
Nine years ago, Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill appeared before a jury in state court on 32 felony charges, including racketeering, theft by taking, making false statements and violating his oath of office. Read on for more.
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Walmart Pregnancy Accommodation Ruling Puts Pressure on Congress
A recent Seventh Circuit decision upholding a Walmart distribution center’s temporary light duty policy that excludes pregnant workers is creating urgency for the Senate to pass bipartisan legislation that would require such accommodations. Read on for more.
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Abortion-Related Workplace Discrimination Still Banned Post-Roe
Pregnancy discrimination laws will continue to protect employees from reproductive health-related discrimination and harassment in the workplace even after the US Supreme Court eliminated abortion rights on the federal level. Read on for more.
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Ex-Rincon police officer sues department, alleges boss racially discriminated against him
A former Rincon police officer says he was fired not because of his performance, but his race. Read on for more.
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Drew Beal Named a Best Mentor
Although there may be some who thrive in a sink-or-swim environment, others succeed when they are regularly exposed to exemplary lawyering and have someone they trust to patiently answer the litany of questions that drive the practice of law. Read on for more.
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Atlanta City Council works to curb 'commercial harassment' calls
Authorities are getting many complaints about suspicious real estate calls. Atlanta city officials and more share what you can do when you fall victim to a spam risk. Read on for more.
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• $1 Million Dollar Settlement In Federal Sexual Harassment Suit Against Police Department And Police Chief In South Georgia
Hall & Lampros, LLP, the Atlanta personal injury and employment law firm, has negotiated a $1 million settlement agreement against Jesup Police Chief William Michael “Mike” Lane of the Jesup Police Department for sexual harassment. Read on for more.
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Greyhound Inks Deal Ending Border Agent Bus Sweep Suit
Point University mishandled a graduate student’s sexual harassment and sexual assault claim filed against an assistant coach, according to a lawsuit recently filed against the West Georgia school. Read on for more.
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Walmart Sued Over Cashiered Cashier's ADA Discrimination Claims
The former Walmart cashier said she was fired after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and requesting that a stool be available in case her legs became weak or unsteady. Read on for more.
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ER doctor files discrimination lawsuit against Doctors Hospital
A former emergency physician at Doctors Hospital has filed a federal sexual discrimination and harassment lawsuit. Read on for more.
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Georgia police chief ousted after repeatedly being accused of sexual misconduct
Jesup city authorities announced the firing of Police Chief Mike Lane, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault, on Thursday after beginning the process earlier this month. Read on for more.
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Women Sue Georgia Police Chief Alleging Sexual Misconduct
A city in southeastern Georgia is seeking to remove its police chief after three women who resigned from the department sued, alleging he sexually assaulted and harassed them. Read on for more.
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Lawsuit claims 75-year-old DeKalb hospital employee was fired due to age
A recently filed lawsuit claims a DeKalb County hospital employee was discriminated against because of her age and was ultimately fired for refusing to retire. Read on for more.
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Buckley Beal Team Represents Fired Mental Health Court Officer Suing Troup County for Discrimination
The former coordinator for the Troup County Mental Health Court has sued the county, county manager and court services director over claims she was targeted for harassment and ultimately dismissal because of her race and in retaliation for requesting time off to care for her premature baby. Read on for more.
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Bid to Halt Health Discrimination Rule Draws Judge’s Scrutiny
A federal judge on Friday questioned whether Washington state will be harmed if the court fails to block portions of a Trump administration rule that wipes out anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people. Read on for more.
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Garcia-Robelo et al v. Precision 2000, Inc. et al
On 07/08/2020 Garcia-Robelo filed a Civil Right - Employment Discrimination lawsuit against Precision 2000, Inc. This case was filed in U.S. District Courts, Georgia Northern District Court. The Judges overseeing this case are Michael L. Brown and John K. Larkins, III. Read on for more.
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In Georgia Case, High Court Holds LGBT Employees Are Protected by Sex Discrimination Law
The decision stems from Clayton County's firing of Gerald Bostock as a child welfare services coordinator, which he said was based on his supervisors' discovery that he was gay. Read on for more.
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Atlanta Firm Advocating for LGBT Protections | Rare Intervention Grant | Verrilli Leads for Sandy Hook Victims | Big Law Arbitra
The US Supreme Court today is hearing a major test of the scope of LGBT protections under Title VII. Here's the role a small firm in Atlanta played. Read on for more.
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Gerald Bostock has his Day in Court
Terminated employee now the face of the gay rights movement. Read on for more.
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LGBTQ Rights and Workplace Discrimination
The National Press Club hosted a discussion with Gerald Lynn Bostock, a gay man who was fired from his job as a child welfare services coordinator. Mr. Bostock is the plaintiff in Bostock v. Clayton County, GA, a case being heard by the Supreme Court. Read on for more
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The Supreme Court Will Judge Employers' Shady Excuses for Firing LGBTQ People
Three major cases headed to the Supreme Court tomorrow could finally make it illegal to discriminate against LGBTQ people in all 50 states. Read more here.
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Georgia man who says he was fired for being gay takes case to U.S. Supreme Court
A local man who says he was fired from his job because he is gay will take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Read on for more.
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LGBT workers head to Supreme Court for blockbuster discrimination cases: ‘I’ll be that person to stand up’
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday in a set of cases that could determine whether millions of LGBT workers are protected under the nation’s most powerful federal workplace anti-discrimination law. Read on for more.
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Fired After Joining a Gay Softball Team, This Man Is Fighting Back
Gerald Bostock's case is one of three the high court will hear Tuesday on whether anti-LGBTQ discrimination is legal. Read on for more.
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Supreme Court to decide whether employers can legally fire workers because they're LGBTQ
Lower federal courts are divided on whether existing federal civil rights law bars employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. Read on for more.
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Georgia man brings gay rights case to U.S. Supreme Court
Over the past two decades, gays and lesbians have won enormous U.S. Supreme Court victories that pulled the LGBTQ community ever closer to legal equality. Read on for more.
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Gerald Bostock Was Fired. He Wants His Supreme Court Case to Help Change LGBTQ Rights in America.
Gerald Bostock’s is one of the landmark LGBTQ discrimination cases SCOTUS will soon hear. He tells Tim Teeman he wants to “ensure nobody goes to work in fear of losing their job.” Read on for more.
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11th Circuit Case Is in the Scotus Mix on LGBT Workplace Discrimination
An employment discrimination case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is in the mix for review in the next term when the U.S. Supreme Court considers LGBT rights. Read on for more.
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Ex-Grocery Store Employee Alleges Workplace Sexual Harassment
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Gaines has accused her former employer—All American Quality Foods Inc., doing business as Food Depot—of providing a sexually hostile work environment in violation of Title VII. The company says it's just not true, and plans to fight the charges in court. Read on for more.
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Ramirez’s defense team ponders next step after appeal denied
In a lengthy and frequently contentious appeal hearing Thursday, Jose Ramirez’s Jan. 16 termination from the Rincon Police Department was upheld by a panel appointed by the Rincon City Council. Read on for more.
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11th Circuit Eases Standard Used by Employees to Make Preliminary Case for Bias, But Splits on Timing of Analysis
A split Eleventh Circuit on Thursday eased the standard it uses to determine whether workers are "similarly situated" when plaintiffs must make a prima facie case that they were subjected to discriminatory treatment. Read on for more.
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Attorney: Lies smeared Ramirez’s reputation
Rachel Berlin Benjamin, of Buckley Beal LLP in Atlanta, said the new Police Chief Mark Gerbino came into the job wanting to fire Jose Ramirez and came up with reasons to do so.
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Fired Banks County 911 Operator Awarded $622K for ADA, FMLA Claims
A federal judge this week entered a judgment for more than $622,000, including more than $360,000 in legal fees and expenses, for a former Banks County 911 dispatcher who a jury found was fired in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Read on for more.
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Georgia Law Limited Interpreters at the Polls, New Election Lawsuit Alleges
When 65-year-old Jin Kwon went to vote on Nov. 6, he asked interpreters with an Asian-American civil rights group to help him and his wife read the ballots they intended to cast. Georgia law, however, imposes greater restrictions on the use of interpreters in state and local elections. Read on for more.
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Buford school board apologizes over slurs in tape
After complaints from parents and others at Monday's packed Buford City school board meeting about a lack of transparency, accountability and communication over the former superintendent's alleged use of a racial slur, the board apologized on Wednesday. Read on for more.
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SCOTUS Asked to Ignore Circuit Split on Sexual Orientation Discrimination
Freeman Mathis & Gary attorneys defending Clayton County, Georgia, in a discrimination fight over sexual orientation say the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit got it right in a finding that discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation is not prohibited under federal law. Read on for more.
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Appeals court again rules gays, lesbians not a protected class
The federal appeals court in Atlanta has once again decided that gays and lesbians are not protected under federal discrimination laws because of their sexual orientation. Read on for more.
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Full 11th Circuit Declines to Take Up LGBT Workplace Protection Case
The question before the court was whether protections ensured by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 extend to sexual orientation, in addition to race, national origin, religion and sex. Read on for more.
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Eleventh Circuit Case Asks SCOTUS for LGBT Protection in the Workplace
An Eleventh Circuit case figures prominently in a new push in the U.S. Supreme Court to end discrimination against gay workers. Read on for more.
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Court Rejects Georgia Officials’ Efforts To Block Voting Rights Lawsuit
A federal district court judge in Georgia agreed that a coalition of plaintiffs representing minority communities has the right to claim the method of electing local officials in Gwinnett County, Georgia denies them from participating equally in electing local officials. Read on for more.
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Minority Groups Sue Gwinnett County, Allege Voting Rights Violations
Lawyers' Committee is teaming up with the NAACP and a Latino group to challenge voting procedures for the county commission and school board. Read on for more.
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Lawyers’ Committee Files Major Lawsuit Against Gwinnett County, Georgia Alleging Violation of the Voting Rights Act
Lawsuit Seeks to Defend Rights of African-Americans, Latinos and Other Minorities Who Represent Half of County’s Population but Have Never Been Elected to Key Positions in County’s History. Read on for more.
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PTC settles with former cop for $300,000
It was in the summer of 2015 that former Peachtree City cop Shane Ficalore maintained that the city under former Police Chief H.C. “Skip” Clark violated his rights and retaliated against him. The Peachtree City Council on July 21 agreed to a $300,000 settlement of the claim. Read on for more.
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Jury Finds WellStar ‘Willfully Violated’ Age Bias Law, Awards $374K
Shortly before a federal jury in Atlanta decided that Marietta-based WellStar Health System had terminated a longtime employee because of her age, jurors had a question for the judge: "Can we award the plaintiff with more money than what was requested?"
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Attorney Rachel Berlin Benjamin talks to WSB-TV about her Client an Atlanta Police Officer’s Discrimination Case
A local police officer says he hasn't worked in five months because of his beard and the department’s strict dress code policy.
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Interview on the Monica Pearson Radio Show
Listen to the full interview below,
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Panel Revives ADA Suit By School Bus Driver Who Said She Needed Air Conditioning
As Georgia kids head back to school in muggy, 90-degree weather, an Atlanta-based federal appeals court has revived a school bus driver's lawsuit that claims Clayton County school officials violated federal law by not giving her an air-conditioned bus.
Awards & Accolades
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Highly-Awarded
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Courtroom-Tested
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Result-Oriented
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Client-Centered