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ATLANTA | VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1 

www.atlantaattorneymagazine.com 

MAGAZINE 

Miles Mediation 

& Arbitration Services 

ADR FIRM OF THE MONTH 

MARKETING 

SPECIAL EDITION



MAGAZINE 

Michael R. Braun 

ATTORNEY OF THE MONTH 

MARKETING 

SPECIAL EDITION 

2 | www.atlantaattorneymagazine.com



MAGAZINE 

HOLLY GEERDES 

LAW FIRM OF THE MONTH 

MARKETING 

SPECIAL EDITION 

VOL. 6 ISSUE 1 ATLANTA ATTORNEY MAGAZINE | 3

WE’VE MOVED to 

WEST MIDTOWN 

... AND WE’RE GROWING 

INTRODUCING 

Bonnie M. Youn 

Sr. Legal Recruiter 

Teylor Newsome 

Legal Recruiter 

Cleo Sloan 

Legal Recruiter 

The RMN Agency 

The 2016 Daily Report Best Legal Recruiting Firm 

981 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, NW 

Ste. 100 • Atlanta • GA 30318 

www.thermnagency.com • 678-426-3180 


Table of Contents 

EDITORIAL 

6 Miles Ahead in ADR 

ADR Firm of the Month 

By Jan Jaben-Eilon 

8 Helping Your Clients With 

“Peace of Mind” 

By Anne Cartledge 

10 A Champion for the 

Underdog 

Law Firm of the Month 

By Yona Pesman 

12 Law Office of Michael R. 

Braun. PC 

Attorney of the Month 

By Elaine Frances 

14 The Last White Fulton 

County Chief Jailer 

“Go Back to Canton” 

By Bill McGill 

17 35 Proven Tactics to 

Maximize Your LinkedIn 

Presence 

By Magazine Staff 

18 8 Stupid Social Media 

Tricks to Boost SEO 

“Social Channels are the 

New Google.” Social Media 

Today! 


Atlanta Attorney(s) at Law Magazine is 

published by: Bill McGill 

Bill McGill 

Publisher 

Jan Jaben-Eilon 

Elaine Frances 

Yona Pesman 

Staff Writers 

Scott Bagley 

Graphic Design 

Bonnie M. Youn 

Teylor Newsome 

Bill McGill 

Contributing Editors 

20 SEO Audit Checklist 

21 Authority Leadership 

Marketing. The Key to 

Engagement 

By Dave Murray 

23 The RMN Agency: 

A Legal Recruiting Agency 

Dedicated to Diversity, 

Inclusion and Belonging 

By Bonnie Youn and Taylor Newsome 

24 Linkedin Communication 

Templates 

25 Deal, Cagle Visit Fort 

Gordon, Cybersecurity 

Training Facility 

26 Successful Marketing 

By Larry Alton 

28 10 Most Common Legal 

Mistakes HR Makes 

SPECIAL SECTIONS 

28 Movers & Shakers 

Bill Adler Photography 

Jeremy Adamo Photography 

Photography 

Copyright c2017. Atlanta Attorney at Law 

Magazine all rights reserved. Reproduction 

in whole or in part of any text, photograph 

or illustration without written permission 

from the publisher is strictly prohibited. 

Subscription rate $9 per copy. Bulk rate on 

request. Mailed bulk third class standard 

paid in Atlanta, Georgia. Principal office: 

2221 Peachtree Road Suite D-460 Atlanta, 

Georgia. Send change of address to Atlanta 

Attorney at Law Magazine PO Box 14815 

Atlanta, Georgia 30324. 

Letter From the Publisher 

BUILDING A PORTFOLIO OF 

“CONTENT” 

All of us have heard this expression 

before, “one persons trash is another 

persons treasure.” Right. Those 

words lead me to answer this publishing 

question. Do you have this same fleeting 

feeling when you submit by-line articles to 

“so – called” news organizations? 

You personally spend countless hours 

researching and drafting the perfect article 

then, you send it to the news publishing 

companies. You wait to here from 

them and look through the pages; and 

not one printed or referenced the article. 

You’re not deterred so you turn to a public 

relations agency. The pr agency tells you, 

“we will write your article for a fee and 

next will send it to our news sources for 

a fee.” Ok. You agree and you wait again 

for the article to be published. You have 

no idea if it will be published. But, you 

paid this high-powered pr agency to get it 

published. So you have confidence it will 

be published. Was it worth it? Were you 

in control of the process? Ultimately you 

want your audience to read your article 

and to make a judgment. 

News, information and content have 

become a niche business. Find your target 

audience and if you want to reach this 

audience through a publication invest in 

your work. This magazine targets nearly 

13,000 private practice attorneys. 

Highest regards, 

Bill McGill 

Atlanta | (404) 229-0780 | mcgill@atlantaattorneymagazine.com 


ADR Firm of the Month 

Miles Ahead in ADR 

By Jan Jaben-Eilon 

When attorney John Miles 

started mediating, the 

legal profession looked 

at mediation much like 

doctors viewed acupuncture. In those 

days, mediation meant a third party 

would convey a message, including 

numbers, from one group of people in 

one room, to another party in another 

room. And back and forth, until some 

compromise was agreed upon. 

“When I started in 2000, mediation 

was small on the horizon,” Miles recalls. 

“A real lawyer would never do 

mediation.” He drove his truck from 

place to place, explaining the process 

of mediation. He had been a partner 

in a law firm, but hadn’t enjoyed his 

work. When he told his partners that 

he would be leaving to find something 

new, they asked him if he would 

wind up a number of construction 

cases that were in mediation. “I began 

to ask questions, and realized that I 

could do this. When I found mediation, 

I knew that’s what I was meant 

to do. I knew I truly enjoyed it and 

knew that I could build something 

successful.” 

And that’s exactly what he’s done 

in the last 16 years. As demand grew, 

he moved from his truck into his first 

office in Madison, GA., in the spring 

of 2001. The following year Miles Mediation 

& Arbitration Services, LLC, 

a practice devoted exclusively to mediation 

and arbitration, opened an 

office in the Perimeter area in north 

Atlanta. Now he also has an office in 

Savannah. And his goal is to expand 

throughout the Southeast, and then 

across the country. 

“To say that Alternative Dispute 

Resolution (ADR) is a growth industry, 

is an understatement,” he says. 

“As both population and the number 

of claims has increased, it’s more difficult 

to get a case to trial. There was 

a need to make the process faster and 

more cost effective. ADR is a good alternative 

to traditional litigation.” 

“When I started out, I went to talk 

to a judge about mediation, but the 

bench was indifferent. Now most 

judges see the value and effectiveness 

in moving cases off their calendars. 

Now it’s the norm to try mediation,” 

Miles explains. Mediation offers parties 

the option of early resolution and 

leads to more referrals to Miles. 

In the last decade or so, Miles – a 

graduate of Concordia College in 

Minnesota and Emory University 

College of Law — has tweaked his mediation 

method to become even more 

successful. Eight-two percent of his firm’s 

cases are settled at mediation or within one 

week of the mediation. He credits that 

success partly on the surveys he con- 


ducted for a book he wrote about mediation in 2012: A 

New Day in Court. He wanted to know what motivated 

people to come to mediation and to settle their cases. “I 

wondered what separated me from others. I surveyed 

people and asked them why they came to mediation. 

I thought the answers could be money, fear, justice or 

anger, but really, I thought it would be all about money.” 

Prior to conducting the surveys, he thought money was 

the primary motivator, but he learned that most plaintiffs 

are motivated by emotion. 

For people who are injured, the process is just as 

important as the end result. They need to trust in the 

process, as well as have a certain comfort level. “As a 

result of the book and surveys, we changed the way we 

mediated at Miles,” he explains. “I’ve learned that I must 

surround myself with talented people. We are in the 

hospitality business. In addition to great mediators, we 

also provide an environment conducive to resolution.” 

That environment is evident as soon as one walks into 

the Miles Mediation office. A person is immediately 

greeted and taken to their assigned conference room. 

Among the amenities offered are breakfast, catered 

lunch, fresh fruit, desserts, snacks and a variety of beverages. 

There’s free Wi-Fi, and all kinds of equipment 

such as PowerPoint presentation screen and projector, 

computer access and teleconferencing capabilities. 

In 2005, the firm’s average case settled for $50,000. 

In the last three years, Miles has moved to larger cases, 

in the high six figures. But for the person who settles at 

$10,000 or $1 million, the needs are the same, especially 

trust and respect. “We make sure that even if the case 

doesn’t get settled, you will at least understand that you 

have been heard and that the others will have listened 

to what you have to say. The parties get to speak to each 

other and hear each other. It’s a feeling of empowerment, 

and typically at the end, there’s a consensus. “My 

research showed that the more something matters to us, the less 

likely we are to surrender control to a third party.” 

What really sets Miles Mediation & Arbitration Services 

apart is the team approach that Miles developed. 

At some point, he realized that he had to establish his 

brand. “Brand is people,” he states matter-of-factly. 

“When I started the team approach, most were independent 

contractors who had a desire to grow their own 

practice. It wasn’t about a brand.” The team approach 

allows team leaders an opportunity to recruit and train 

new mediators. 

Each of his team leaders brings unique experience 

and skills to the mediation practice. Miles says that 

there are fewer than 20 mediators in Georgia who make 

a significant living from full-time mediation. Six are in 

his offices. In addition to him, those team leaders are Joseph 

M. Murphey, David C. Nutter, Gregory J. Parent, Hon. Susan B. 

Forsling, Wayne Wilson and Daniel C. Cohen – the latter in the 

Savannah office. 

In 2016, Murphey received the National Law Journal’s 

“ADR Champion” award. He was the only mediator in 

Georgia to receive this distinction. “Joe Murphey has 

Joseph M. Murphey, Esq. 

Gregory J. Parent, Esq. 

Daniel C. Cohen, Esq. 

David C. Nutter, Esq. 

Hon. Susan B. Forsling 

Wayne Wilson, Esq. 

been with Miles since the beginning,” says Miles. “He was my first team 

leader. Joe cut his teeth mediating automobile accident cases and now 

is called upon to help resolve high value and complex cases for the best 

attorneys in the state.” 

Team leader David Nutter handles complex business disputes, employment 

litigation, corporate and partnership litigation and dissolutions, and banking and 

finance. On Nutter, Miles says, “David is one of the most respected and 

requested business mediators in the Southeast. If you have a complex 

commercial dispute, then David is the mediator for you. His intellectual 

ability is matched only by his integrity.” 

Team leader Susan Forsling is a widely respected mediator and arbitrator 

who specializes primarily in complex cases involving personal 

injury, medical negligence, wrongful death, professional liability, commercial 

contracts, local government, civil rights and bad faith insur- 


AT A GLANCE 

Miles Mediation & Arbitration Services 

6 Concourse Parkway, Suite 1950 

Atlanta, GA 30328 

Phone: 678-320-9118 

Website : milesmediation.com 

Founder: 

John K. Miles, Jr., 2000 

Firm Composition 

Team Leaders: 

Hon. Susan B. Forsling 

David C. Nutter, Esq. 

Joseph M. Murphey, Esq. 

Gregory J. Parent, Esq. 

Daniel C. Cohen, Esq. 

Wayne Wilson, Esq. 

Practice Areas: 

Alternative Dispute Resolution 

Awards: 

• Voted Best “Alternative Dispute 

Resolution” firm three years in a row 

by the Daily Report 

• Team Leader Joseph Murphey named 

“ADR Champion” by the National Law 

Journal in 2016 

• Team Leader Gregory Parent voted 

“Georgia’s No. 1 Mediator/Arbitrator” 

by the Daily Report 

• John Miles voted Georgia’s No. 2 

Mediator/Arbitrator by the 

Daily Report 

Other Locations: 

Savannah, GA 

ance claims. Her long years on the bench bring a valuable voice to 

the firm. “Most who mediate at Miles address Susan as ‘Judge Forsling’ 

but she is quick to insist they call her Susan,” says Miles. “It is 

that balance of humility, talent and experience that has made Susan 

the go-to mediator for complex personal injury disputes.” 

Team leader Wayne Wilson is another mediator who has been 

with Miles since the beginning. “Wayne Wilson is the most wellliked 

and respected mediator in the state,” says Miles. “His ability to 

identify and empathize with others makes him the perfect mediator 

for any size personal injury case.” 

Miles says that he would not have a Savannah office if it hadn’t 

been for Cohen joining his team. “When I decided to expand to the 

coast I quickly learned that I had to associate with Danny Cohen. 

His reputation as an elite mediator extends far beyond coastal Georgia. 

He is comfortable mediating complex commercial and personal 

injury cases,” says Miles. As a mediator and litigator in Georgia and 

South Carolina for more than 30 years, Cohen handles a variety of 

cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, commercial 

and business, premises liability, product liability, torts, trucking, 

employment/discrimination, wrongful death and construction litigation 

claims. 

Team leader Greg Parent has worked as a claims adjuster and 

plaintiff ’s attorney, and also handled insurance defense work for 

two prominent law firms, dealing with all types of civil litigation 

matters. “Greg Parent was recently named the best mediator in the 

state and those who have worked with him know why,” says Miles. 

“His skill as a mediator is complimented by his work ethic. If Greg 

can’t settle your case, then the case can’t be settled.” 

For the third year in a row, Miles Mediation & Arbitration was recently 

named the “Top Alternative Dispute Resolution Firm,” by the 

Daily Report. Additionally, team leader Greg Parent was voted the 

number one Mediator/Arbitrator in the state, while Miles himself 

was voted number two. 

At the time of the announcement, Miles said, “It’s an honor to 

be recognized as the premier ADR firm in Georgia. I am proud of 

this accomplishment, not because we won an award, but because of 

what it represents. It represents our clients’ trust, and it’s their trust 

that has led to the growth and success of Miles. Greg’s achievement 

is even more remarkable when you consider that he has only been 

mediating since 2012. He’s the best in the state and his best years are 

still ahead of him.” 

These awards, Miles says, are notable “if it helps someone out 

there searching our web site and they have more comfort level because 

of the award. If the award gets them in the door, then that’s 

great. Once they are here, they will feel better. But the impact we 

have on people’s lives is more important than awards.” 

Miles is bullish about his firm’s future. “The trends over the next 

five to 10 years are for continued exponential growth,” he says, due 

to a growing population and expanding economy. As more people 

interact, disputes arise. “As a nation, we have many issues we will 

have to work out,” he adds, particularly citing health care and its 

costs. “We will have to work that out hand in hand with litigators. 

Fortunately, ADR has become a more acceptable means for resolving 

disputes of all complexities.” 

As a nation, we have many issues we will have to work out,” he adds, particularly 

citing health care and its costs. “We will have to work that out hand 

in hand with litigators to help resolve disputes. 


Work & Life Balance 

HELPING YOUR CLIENTS WITH “PEACE OF MIND” 

By Anne Cartledge 

People who seek out attorneys for 

help are either in a “state of discomfort” 

or just need “legal execution 

and advice”. No matter what the situation, 

having to deal with legal matters is 

overwhelming and distracts people from 

their professional and personal lives. Legal 

procedures are important and need 

to come first, therefore people find themselves 

stressed over the duration, demand, 

and intensity of the process. The 

reality of time and focus needed when 

dealing with a legal situation may result 

in clients getting behind in other areas, 

allowing things to get postponed or fall 

through the cracks, or not get done at all. 

Since client’s legal matters become attorney’s 

legal deliverables, helping clients 

“reduce the distractions” and “ease the 

burden” of being overwhelmed during 

and after the process can be very comforting. 

Anne Cartledge is the Principal Consultant for TaskAnne, 

LLC. Her company focuses on organizational 

and management services in the areas of Home Operations 

and Personal Transition. Anne’s experience 

covers over 21 years in home management, 18 years 

in the software industry, and 9 years of legal assistance 

and exposure which makes her in a unique position to 

provide the services TaskAnne offers. 

Help Organize and Keep the 

Wheels Turning for Your Client. 

Two areas of concern for people that 

often tend to suffer during legal processes 

are tasks associated with (1) home operations 

and (2) personal transition. 

As a person’s legal representative, you 

may find your client asking your opinion 

or advice about areas that are not associated 

with your specific legal profession or 

case at hand. Clients trust you for referrals. 

Clients like to pick your brain and 

look for ways and ideas that give them “a 

peace of mind”. When it comes to integrating, 

and allocating the time to focus 

on the legal proceeding vs home management 

and personal transition, people get 

can get stuck and have a hard time “balancing 

their time”. Attorneys are in a great 

position to continue winning their client’s 

trust and confidence by sharing ideas and 

resources to help them navigate the steps 

and changes that pop up or lurk ahead. 

Understanding Areas of Concern. 

Identifying areas of concern outside of 

your legal services can often lead to repeat 

business and new clients. People depend 

on their attorney not only to represent 

them but to care about them and help 

them in general. Depending on where 

people are in life, they can find themselves 

too busy, overwhelmed, uninformed, uninterested, 

or unable to keep up with routine 

life demands and tasks. Having an 

attorney who is willing to listen and offer 

suggestions and recommendations can be 

a convincing component of your value in 

their eyes. 

Offering A Sense of Security, 

Trust and Stability. 

Attorneys are good at thinking through 

a comprehensive approach to give their clients 

a sense of security, trust, and stability 

through cost-effective ideas 

and services to help ease, 

alleviate, or remove the burdens 

and pressures associated 

with working with them. 

Part of this approach could 

be to identify resources that would help 

with time management and stress reduction 

outside of your services. Areas that 

need consistent attention, more so in challenging 

times, are home management or 

personal transition. A good resource for 

this relief will be able to: 

• Deter and reduce the risk of 

financial abuse and waste 

• Alleviate stress 

• Provide the confidence and trust that 

things get done in an organized 

manner 

• Provide relief from task 

management, legwork, and detail 

while gaining knowledge and insight 

into options and needs 

• Understand the “big picture” and 

steps needed for transition 

• Realize costs savings associated with 

transition planning and preparation 

Who Can Benefit? 

If you think about it- you and/or your 

clients can benefit. You may be like some of 

your clients so you can relate to being super 

busy, have aging parents, or know someone 

who has gone through a separation or loss 

of a loved one. Busy professionals are concerned 

with the not only “making” time but 

“the value” of their time. Aging seniors 

are concerned with being taken advantage 

of or not having the stamina to handle life 

maintenance leaving them feeling vulnerable, 

frustrated, and uniformed. Separating 

spouses or individuals who lose a loved one 

are concerned with moving forward and 

starting over in life. 

Offering your clients solutions of relief 

while working with you on their legal 

matters can only add good merit to your 

reputation and leave helpful, positive, 

lasting impressions. 

Sharing information and suggesting 

options are Win–Win situations for all. 

To learn more, visit www.taskanne.com 

or contact Anne at (404) 323-7936 

or email anne@taskanne.com. 


A CHAMPION FOR THE 

It’s clear upon introduction: Holly Geerdes 

is a diminutive, no-nonsense, straighttalking 

powerhouse. And it’s also obvious 

that she knows who she is, where she came 

from and what she wants to do. 

“I’ve always been a champion for the underdog, 

and smarter, more competitive and 

skilled than most. I have always believed that 

this is a gift that should be used for good,” 

she says, explaining why she became a lawyer, 

and now heads Geerdes & Associates 

in well-designed Atlantic Station offices 

planned as a casual, relaxing environment. 

A soothing fountain flows down a wall in 

the reception area. 

“I was born with drive. I was adopted from 

South Korea as a six-year-old. I was raised 

in Iowa and am very grateful to be raised 

by really good parents. My father was an 

entrepreneur, which always interested me. 

I always wanted to have my own business,” 

she says. Her mother was a postmaster. Both 

instilled in her a strong work ethic. 

“I work really hard and I am really committed 

to doing what’s right for my clients no 

matter how much they are paying me,” she 

notes. Whether it’s $1,000 or $10,000, “I treat 

Holly Geerdes 


UNDERDOG 

By Yona Pesman 

every client the same.” On the firm’s web site, 

it states: “We cater to local businesses and 

individuals at a rate that meets their needs.” 

Geerdes’ practice focuses on business litigation 

and estate planning. One of the largest 

litigation cases dealt with a multi-million-dollar 

dispute. She says simply, “People 

fight over money.” Although she considers 

herself a general practitioner who has 

wide-ranging legal experience that 

encompasses family and criminal 

law, her work emphasizes probate 

and estate planning for current 

clients. Typically, $15 million is at 

stake in an estate battle. 

Geerdes has been a lawyer since 

2000 and in private practice since 

2005. During those first five years, 

she served as a supervisor on appeals 

at the Georgia Supreme Court, 

where she established herself as one 

of the premier trial and appellate attorneys 

in the state, winning several 

important cases. As a result, from 

2001 to 2005, she received the prestigious 

“Case of the Year” award 

in Georgia for her winning representations 

at the Georgia Supreme 

Court. “We’d take the most complex 

and pivotal cases that would have 

the most impact. I worked to get 

the electric chair abolished and on 

reversals of death penalties.” 

She was named “Outstanding 

Young Lawyer” in 2004 by the State 

Bar of Georgia in recognition of 

her accomplishments. She has also 

been appointed by the Georgia Supreme 

Court to serve as a mentor 

for law students transitioning into 

the practice of law. In 2006, she 

was named Top 14 under 40 Attorneys 

by the Fulton Daily Report 

and Super Lawyer on the Rise in 

2007, chosen by lawyers and judges 

throughout the state. 

She describes those early years as 

“high stakes litigation” that gave her 

tremendous contacts and experience. 

One of those contacts was her 

“litigation mentor,” Michael Mears. Now an 

associate professor at Atlanta’s John Marshall 

Law School where Geerdes is an adjunct 

professor, Mears was selected, in 2003, 

to be the founding director of the Georgia 

Public Defender Standards Council after 

serving more than a decade as the director 

of the Multi-County Public Defender Office, 

a state-wide death penalty public defender 

service funded by the state. 

“I learned my skills in court from him, 

especially how he prepares cases,” Geerdes 

recalls of her mentor. “He would prepare 

every detail and make sure he reviewed and 

analyzed every detail.” 

She said she misses her work in public 

service, but it was time to move on. The five 

years fit the timeline she had set for herself 

and she knew it was time to start her private 

practice. 

As an undergraduate at the University 

of Iowa, Geerdes received dual degrees in 

business and political science, before getting 

her law degree at the University of Minnesota. 

“I like numbers. I’ve always understood 

that law is a business. The challenge as a 

sole practitioner is that I have to wear all the 

hats. With partners you can delegate, but 

even with my support staff, I must oversee 

everything. Running a business is the hardest 

thing for a lawyer; no one teaches you in 

law school how to run your own business. 

But you get to a point in the practice where 

the law takes care of itself. We know how to 

prepare cases. I love the practice and clients,” 

says Geerdes, adding that by herself she 

grosses over $1 million, while working “reasonable 

hours”. 

Although she says she might expand her 

practice down the road, for now she’s very 

satisfied with how she’s built her firm. 

“I’m in court four to five days a week, mostly 

in the mornings, mostly in Fulton, DeKalb, 

Gwinnett, and Clayton counties,” she says, 

adding that she was attracted to Atlanta because 

of its warm weather. 

At 43, and five-feet tall, 

Geerdes says it’s still a challenge 

for her as a female in a profession 

where the majority of lawyers 

and judges are male. “I have a deep voice 

over the phone, so when people see me, they 

are surprised. I look like I’m maybe 22. But 

I feel I tend to get respect. I’m definitely not 

a push-over. This type of work isn’t for the 

faint of heart.” 

She feels most rewarded when she gets 

a win for her clients. “I hate to lose. I love 

when you can get your clients their rights. 

But it’s a little anti-climactic after a win. You 

need to get intrinsic satisfaction by just caring 

about your clients.” 

Perhaps not surprisingly, many of Geerdes’ 

clients are Asian. She’s very active in the 

Asian community, noting the large populations 

of Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese and 

Laotian in Gwinnett County. “I have a lot of 

friends there and they support me. There are 

not a lot of good Asian litigators,” says the 

former Iowan who never saw Asians as she 

was growing up. 

On a typical day, lying in the corner of her 

office is one of the many dogs she has adopted 

over the years. “I rescue a lot of dogs. 

Sometimes I even pay people to foster dogs. 

It’s soothing to have dogs around. They are 

my form of stress relief,” says Geerdes. 

An office manager brings in Bella from a 

walk as Geerdes points to the family-oriented, 

congenial staff that includes three paralegals. 

She gives a tour of the former condominium 

leasing office, noting that her staff 

has access to the exercise room and outdoor 

pool. She sponsors events for friends and 

family in a large, comfortable entertaining 

area and explains that that’s her way of giving 

back to the community. 

Geerdes believes her Midwestern upbringing 

helped shape who she is. “Midwesterners 

are goal-oriented, self-directed 

and driven. We’re not pretentious and don’t 

show off our money.” Apparently, it’s a winning 

combination. All of Geerdes’ business 

comes from referrals. 

Geerdes & Associates 

400 17th Street Atlanta, GA 30363; 

(770) 643-9912 www.gklawgroup.com 


LAW OFFICE OF 

Michael R. Braun. PC 

By Elaine Frances 

12 | www.atlantaattorneymagazine.com 

Not many people decide on 

their careers while still in elementary 

school. But Michael 

R. Braun was enraptured by 

the litigator known as Michael Kuzak 

(played by actor Harry Hamlin) on L.A. 

Law. “I loved the show! He was the coolest 

character!” Braun decided he wanted 

to be Kuzak when he grew up! 

Today, the University of Georgia and 

Atlanta Law School-degreed Braun sits in 

his Marietta office equally in love with his 

own practice as a litigator specializing in 

personal injury law. Representing clients 

who have been injured through the careless, 

reckless or wrongful conduct of others, 

Braun has won upwards of $28 million 

in awards for his clients. In some of those 

instances, he managed to win cases previously 

turned down by other attorneys. 

For example, one client fell and broke 

her hip on a curb in front of a major retailer. 

Three other law firms turned down 

the case. The retail company offered 

Braun’s client a settlement of $5,000. “We 

tried the case and received a $5 million 

verdict,” he recalls. In another, more complicated, 

case, he represented the family of 

a six-year-old child who had been asleep 

in the family’s SUV when it was hit by an 

18-wheeler that also involved another vehicle. 

The child was declared brain dead. 

Braun litigated the case for more than one 

year. The defense attorney told him that 

his client wouldn’t pay a dime. “A week 

before the trial, they paid out $9.25 million,” 

which allowed the family to take 

care of the youth whose body continued 

to grow unlike his brain. “I would have 

loved to have tried the case, but this was a 

sure thing. I couldn’t take away that guaranteed 

amount for my client.” 

While Braun loves to go to trial, he 

understands that trials are never an easy 

experience for the client. “The trial itself 

isn’t a good experience. People question 

you, your motive, and who you are. Even 

when you win, the client feels as though

they have been beaten up and torn apart,” Braun says. “Trials are 

the fun part of my job, but if I can get a fair settlement for my 

client, I’m always happy for them. It’s also why I love contingency 

fees. I have every incentive in the world to help my clients get as 

much as possible.” 

Braun tries about six or seven cases a year, each 

requiring at least a year of preparation. Besides 

looking at the case itself, Braun looks for fair judges, 

“those who are knowledgeable about the law.” 

Braun says there are two kinds of personal injury cases. 

There are rear-end accidents, where it is generally pretty easy 

to prove liability, and “the only question is the amount of compensation. 

But those cases don’t tend to be as challenging. The 

ones that I truly enjoy are the ones where things are not as clear, 

and you really have to investigate, in order to put the pieces of 

the puzzle together,” he says. “The more challenging, the more 

enjoyable. There is also a tremendous amount of satisfaction 

when I am able to help someone that has been told they don’t 

have a case.” Braun noted that the Defendants in both the trip 

and fall verdict and the tractor trailer settlement denied liability, 

right up until the moment that they couldn’t. “In both 

cases my clients had to fight hard, and endure a lot, to get the 

compensation that they deserved. I was thrilled that I was able 

to help them achieve that.” 

Braun tries about six or seven cases a year, each requiring 

at least a year of preparation. Besides looking at the case itself, 

Braun looks for fair judges, “those who are knowledgeable about 

the law.” Choosing juries varies depending on the county where 

the case is tried. “You have to look at where you are trying the 

case because it also determines how you try it,” says the attorney 

who has gone to trial in more than 100 personal injury cases 

around Georgia. 

Throughout his career, Braun has worked at large and small law 

firms, sometimes with partners. But since the first of the year, he’s a 

sole practitioner. “I always vacillate about bringing in an associate, 

but I like doing the work. I like seeing the clients myself and I like 

the flexibility.” And he points out, “Personal injury is one of the few 

areas of law where you can be on your own.” 

However, Braun explains that he essentially fell into personal 

injury law. While he was in law school, he worked during the day 

and took classes at night. “That’s where I got my work ethic,” he 

says now. During his third year, he worked for a personal injury 

firm. “I ended up working there for four years. But I realized that 

I didn’t want to be a volume lawyer. I wanted to be a litigator and 

that firm didn’t do litigation. That’s what first forced me to go out 

on my own.” 

The downside of being on his own is having to handle the 

details of a business. “Being a businessman is the worst part of 

being a sole practitioner. I hate paying bills and figuring out the 

phone systems,” he says. “I don’t like dealing with employee issues, 

although I love my staff now.” 

Admitted to practice in the State of Georgia, the U.S. District 

Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court, 

Braun is a certified civil trial lawyer through the National Board 

of Trial Advocacy and has been a guest lecturer focusing on 

the topics of trials and depositions. In addition, he has been 

selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer, as recognized by Atlanta 

Magazine. 

When he’s not at work, the father of three is involved with 

his religious congregation as well as high school football. His 

eldest daughter “is very vocal about her politics. She talks 

about wanting to change things. We suggest politics or law, 

but the first step in any case, should be law,” he says, totally 

supportive of her following in his legal footsteps. 

“I’m one of the fortunate few who truly loves my work. I 

like coming to work,” says the New Orleans native. “I like 

all my cases. I truly care about my clients and I like to think 

I’m stupid enough to attack any challenge. I take on cases 

I probably shouldn’t, if you look at the hourly basis. Some 

I lose money on. But people need their day in court. They 

need representation.” 

AT A GLANCE 

Firm Name 

Law Office of Michael R. Braun. PC 

3225 Shallowford Rd., Ste. 500, 

Marietta, Georgia 30062 

Phone – (770) 421-6888 

www.GeorgiaInjury.com 

Founder 

Michael R. Braun, 1997 

Firm Composition 

1 Partner 

Staff 

Alexandra Feldman 

Samantha Grant 

Megan Brennan 

Practice Areas 

Personal Injury 

Community/Civic Involvement 

Sponsor Pope High School Athletics; 

a variety of local charities 

Awards 

AV rated; Georgia Super Lawyer 


The Last White Fulton County Chief Jailer 

“GO BACK 

TO CANTON” 

By Bill McGill 

“Go Back to Canton” Kaye Burwell, lead defense attorney 

said in her closing remarks. Sheriff Jackson 

said, “Nelson just didn’t talk to me”. The final straw 

that broke the camels back was the look! The “look” the Sheriff 

couldn’t describe during a sit down meeting. The next day Dennis 

Nelson, Chief Jailer was fired. It’s tragic two accomplished 

and decorated public servants came to have such disdain for 

one another. The week long trial was a he said he said, pissing 

match, with the elephant in the room being race. 

The first African-American woman appointed to the U.S. 

Federal District Court, the Honorable Judge Eleanor Ross presided 

over the weeklong trial. The trial was from Monday January 

23, 2017 through Friday January 27, with a unanimous verdict 

coming at 4 pm. The contrast was clearly evident with the 

plaintiff ’s tables all white and the defendant’s tables all black. 

This was a federal civil matter and the jury seating of eight was 

split evenly down racial lines. The visual optics went even further 

as, every witness called by the plaintiff was white and every 

witness called by the defense was black. 

During voir dire, the very first question by the judge for the 

jury pool to raise their number to the question had the word 

prejudice in it. Juror number one raised his number to this 

Nelson’s September work schedule 

question. The process went on for a while until all the questions 

and numbers were raised. Juror number one was given the microphone 

to expound on the questions on the back of his card. 

The judge stopped him and, explained he would not be able to 

expound in front of the jury pool because, he raised his card 

to the prejudice word in it. The white juror stood as the judge 

told him and the jury pool, he would have to come back in the 

court room, by himself, to answer all questions because of fear 

of tainting the rest of the jurors in the court room. 

The former Deputy Chief of the Forsyth County Sheriff ’s Office 

became the warden or Chief Jailer of the Fulton County 

Jail holding sum 2,500 inmates 24/7 365 days of the year on 

February 8, 2010. In his short time as the new chief, the jail 

staff did not know him. However, the staff all new where he 

came from. Sheriff Jackson’s orders to Nelson were to clean up 

the huge mess the jail has become and, get out from under the 

federal court order consent decree. 

For those who do not know history. 1 

Forsyth County is a county located in the north central portion 

of the State of Georgia and thirty-five miles from Atlanta. 

Back in 1912 one of the nightmarish racist chapters in American 

history occurred when white mobs terrorized and drove 

out the entire black population about 1,100 

people. This was the white response to two 

incidents – the alleged rape of a white woman 

by a black man and the rape and beating 

of a young white woman who died of her injuries. 

A lynch mob attacked and hanged one 

black suspect. Two teenagers were hanged in 

public executions following a short trial. 

Nelson a graduate from Bellevue University 

in Nebraska and is presently the Warden, 

Clayton County Corrections Department 

and serves on the board as 1st Vice President 

of the GA Chiefs of Police. Sued the Fulton 

County Sheriff ’s Office for his firing in October 

21, 2010. He was seeking damages in 

excess of three quarters of a million dollars 

for discrimination and being humiliated by 

being escorted out of the jail by Lieutenant 

Colonel Mark Adger and forced to wait at 

the curb with his bag for a ride home as all 

the jail staff watched him from jail windows. 


Sheriff Jackson 

Dennis Nelson 

Judge William S. Duffey on one of the last days of the trial gave Sheriff Jackson outside the 

courtroom these words of encouragement, “This, too, shall pass.” 

On the stand Nelson testified it was well known that Fulton 

County government workers face reverse discrimination. Defense 

objected and the judged sustained the objection. After a 

long pause, testimony resumed. The plaintiff ’s attorney Charles 

Bridgers claim stood on the Federal Americans with Disabilities 

Act not reverse discrimination and after reporting his disability 

when it became and issue. The Sheriff retaliated rather 

than make accommodation. Nelson contends 

that he suffered from sleep apnea, which required 

a reasonable accommodation from the 

defendant. He contends that the Sheriff failed 

and refused to engage in dialogue with Nelson 

about making reasonable accommodations 

to his disability. Further, contends the Sheriff 

discriminated against him by altering his 

work schedule creating false documentation of 

performance inadequacies, and by refusing to 

make a reasonable accommodation to his disability. 

Ultimately, after requesting a reasonable 

accommodation and participated in a meeting 

with the Fulton County of Equal Employment 

Opportunity and Disability Affairs, the Sheriff 

retaliated against Nelson by firing him. 

Nelson testified in the first quarter he was 

there he saved the county jail nearly $700,000 by 

cutting supervisor hours. Mainly by moving supervisors 

schedules around so sum would work 

weekends. Saw staff walking out to their cars 

with stacks of food filled containers. Changed 

the food service company to Aramark. Banned 

staff from brining into the jail their personal cell 

phones. Found that thirty percent of the jail cell 

locks didn’t work. Started a plan to fix the locks 

so inmates were not running loose. Began cleaning 

up the jail. Even asked to back date contracts. 

All of this caused many enemies. 

The result, backstabbing occurred and the staff revolted. 

Adger went so far as to tell the jury Nelson could not walk certain 

parts of the seven-story jail because, “They didn’t know 

who he was!” Adger ultimately became the Chief Jailer and the 

Colonel replacing Nelson and holds the position today. Adger 

told the jury he did not talk to the staff inside the jail nor socialized 

outside with the staff. As he said, “to get to know them”. Nel- 

Neslon’s first job performance ranking 


son just could not understand 

the Crips, the Bloods 

and, the other gangs who 

infested the jail. 

Before, Deputy Sheriff 

Carter was appointed 

to his position he was the 

head of the courts for the 

department. Equal to Chief 

Nelson on the executive 

chart. He testified when 

he was promoted to Deputy 

Sheriff, Nelson then 

was ordered to report to 

him now and not Sheriff 

Jackson. He further confirmed 

the defense theme by telling the jurors, “Nelson was not 

interested in the people.” “He was not a leader”. Carter was now 

making out Nelson’s work schedule. This would have been starting 

in late June. Before this time Nelson testified Sheriff Jackson 

assured him he set his hours and could work weekdays and have 

weekends off. Deputy Carter gave him a month’s schedule with 

multiple back to back hour days. Someone without sleep apnea 

would have trouble with. 

Sheriff Jackson took the stand as the final witness and testified 

for many hours and never had any good things to say about Nelson. 

During cross the judge admonished the Sheriff to answer 

the question many times. Not even when plaintiff ’s attorney presented 

the federal court Monitor’s written report in July: Calvin 

Lightfoot wrote, “The Sheriff is to be commended for appointing 

Fulton County Government 

Payouts for Reverse Discrimination. 

Source AJC April, 2013 

No other core metro county, nor the city of Atlanta, has 

a workforce demographics so divergent from the people it 

serves. There are indications that the imbalance is exacerbating 

resentments in a county polarized along racial lines and 

leading to discriminatory employment practices that are costing 

taxpayers millions of dollars in lawsuit payouts. 

1.2 million in 2013 snubbed for a job being white and male. 

1.5 million when the former Human Services Deputy Director 

lost a director’s job to a black woman in 2007. A federal 

jury found in his favor. 

18 million in 2003 to settle a lawsuit alleging that seven 

white librarians were demoted and moved to outlying branches 

and that one black employee was punished for speaking up 

against the transfers. 

1 million in 2000 eighteen Fulton County Sheriff ’s Department 

staff won a reverse discrimination case in federal court. 

Portion of Monitor’s Calvin Lightfoot’s report. 

Chief Nelson”. The report when on to state; The Monitor acknowledges 

the professional and progressive administration 

of Chief Jailer, Dennis Nelson. The Sheriff ’s story told to 

the jury was Nelson was actively seeking the position and 

only met once. Further, the Sheriff worked with Nelson sister 

in the U.S. Attorneys Office and she vouched for him. 

The jury did not here the rebuttal testimony of Didi Nelson 

who told the magazine, “ The Sheriff actively recruited her 

brother for weeks until he finally excepted the Chief Jailer 

position”. The magazine confirmed with County Attorney 

Patrise Perkins-Hooker the position was not posted and 

there were very, very few people qualified for the position. 

When pressed did not give one name of another who was 

interviewed for the job and, left the impression there was not 

even a second person considered. 

The jury verdict found Nelson was disabled under the 

American with Disability Act but found the Sheriff accommodated 

his disability and did not retaliate against him. A 

juror who spoke with the magazine had these comments. 

The jurors were split 6 – 2 on all four questions. The 2 varied 

based on the questions. Jurors felt the enormity of the case. 

But, ultimately reached a unanimous decision on all questions 

based on finding Nelson did not work the greater hours 

necessary to do the job during that strenuous time of being 

under a consent decree. 

Judge William S. Duffey on one of the last days of the trial 

gave Sheriff Jackson outside the courtroom these words of 

encouragement, “This, too, shall pass.” 

Now, Mark Adger, Chief Jailer and thirty year veteran of 

the Sheriff ’s Department sets his own hours and primarily 

works the day shift. Deputy Chief Carter no longer makes 

out a multi-shift schedule for the Chief Jailer. Sheriff ’s Jackson’s 

para-military executive staff has twelve persons of 

whom one is white. Dennis Nelson back in 2010 was the one. 

Juror number one in the jury pool, his prejudice, was having 

one brother who has sleep apnea disability. 

References: 

1. NPR Transcript 9-15-2016 The racial cleansing. 


35 

By 

Proven Tactics 

to Maximize Your 

LinkedIn Presence 

Magazine Staff 

1 If you could establish a business network, create a subject matter 

expert position, and generate leads for free - would you do it? 

2 LinkedIn is a matter of knowledge and practice. Learn and practice 

the basics and you can excel. 

3 LinkedIn has become my favorite playground, a great place to 

meet, greet, share and grow – and the 

best place for biz professionals. 

4 Those that wait for business to occur 

will be waiting a long time. Stop 

whining, start working smarter, get 

active and get found. 

5 Tired of connection requests from 

people that have nothing to do with 

what you do? Select who can send 

you invitations. 

6 A LI profile w/out a plan is like a 

house w/ out an architect: ugly and 

useless. Start w/ a plan- decide what 

you want to do. 

7 What goals would like to see accomplished 

here on LinkedIn. Before creating 

your profile, define your goals. 

8 Being viewed as a subject matter 

expert in your niche is more important now than ever. Generalists 

will not make the cut. 

9 A profile should tell a great story- your story. It should read like a 

book you can’t put down late at night... 

10 Done well, a profile can help an individual establish, define, develop, 

and display an area of expertise 

11 When someone opens your profile, you have 3- 5 seconds to 

engage them, to entice them to read more. Photo & headline are 

crucial. 

12 If you are an expert or leading authority, say so in your headline 

and back it up in your summary and experience. 

13 Develop credibility in your market, then build your visibility. 

Visibility without credibility has negative value. 

14 Use your customized LinkedIn profile url in your email signature, 

in your presentations and everywhere you face the public. 

15 A good profile can be the main way you are found on the web. 

Use SEO rich terms and industry jargon to enhance your findability. 

16 Your LinkedIn profile also needs to establish your credibility. Do 

not make assertions that cannot be substantiated. 

17 Building your profile does not mean cutting and pasting your resume. 

Resumes are boring, and generally absolutely no fun to read. 

18 You want companies that could use your service to reach out to 

you, potential business partners to find you and reach out to you. 

19 Keep paragraphs short and explain how you can help others, 

and what you look for in return. Be very clear. 

20 Recommendations trump endorsements-they are real personal 

testimonials. Give recommendations to get them. 

21 Find people in your network who have legitimately helped you 

and give them a recommendation. 

22 Goal 1 of your profile is to create 

gravitational pull in your specialty 

area: your name needs to come up in 

every search. 

23 You are known by the company 

you keep, so choose and accept your 

connections wisely. Have a reason for 

each & every one. 

24 NEVER send the LI connecting 

“form letter”- ALWAYS offer a reason 

you’d like to connect. This makes you 

memorable immediately. 

25 Consider sending a quick “thank 

you” note to those who connect. 

99%+ don’t do this, so it will help you 

stand out. 

26 Look up people you read about 

in trade publications, the people who quoted and the people who 

write. Both may be key connections. 

27 Select groups predicated on your goals; will you meet the right 

people, share info, make connections and gain visibility? 

28 Visibility is predicated on activity; credibility by adding value. 

Gain both by posting good content and making great comments. 

29 Credibility is developed by being good at what you do, always 

working at getting better, and adding value to your community. 

30 The “Share” button is on blog & publications sites for a reason- 

USE IT & share pertinent articles in your groups. 

31 Always take the time to comment on anyone who responds to 

one of your discussions. Accessibility adds to credibility. 

32 So one of the best ways to find groups? Look at the groups of 

industry & thought leaders and other influencers. 

33 Need to get on the radar of an editor of an important magazine? 

Start posting their articles in your groups and commenting 

on them. 

34 Too much self-promotion destroys credibility. Develop a good 

ratio for what you post & include a healthy dose from other sources. 

35 You don’t have to participate daily, but participation at least 

weekly in any raises your visibility to that community. 

VOL. 6 ISSUE 1 ATLANTA ATTORNEY MAGAZINE | 17

8 Stupid Social Media 

Tricks to Boost SEO 

“SOCIAL CHANNELS ARE THE NEW GOOGLE.” SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY! 


It’s tempting to view social media and SEO as two separate entities, 

but in our experience these two elements of digital marketing 

are interwoven. Using appropriate search terms in your social 

media posts helps users find your most relevant content and 

clearly spells out what’s being offered. In turn, social media shares 

greatly benefit your search engine visibility in the following ways: 

• By helping your site get indexed faster 

• By building links 

• By harnessing the power of influencers 

• By establishing credibility 

• By using social network names as key 

words to help people find your business 

• By giving people another place to 

find your location from a mobile 

device 

• By keeping your business 

listing fresh 

• By providing you with 

additional SEO metrics 

Google has never come out 

and explicitly stated that “more 

shares = higher rankings,” but 

in our experience and testing, 

we have found the connectionundeniable. 

The more your content 

is shared, the more links you 

get back to your site and the more 

Google notices, “Hey, this content is 

useful to readers!” 

1. Share on Social! 

This point may seem obvious, but you’d be 

surprised how many companies get this dead wrong. 

Common missteps include: 

• Sharing content just one time. Your fans aren’t all using 

social media at the same time. Honestly, it’s highly unlikely that 

they’re coming to your account each day to see what you have to 

say. Most people stumble across share-worthy content browsing 

their current news feeds, so if you have something substantial to 

say, you want to be sure people are seeing it. We share each blog 

post seven times on Twitter, three times on LinkedIn and twice 

on Facebook. We choose different days and times to spread it out 

over the course of the month, but we make sure no one misses 

out on our great marketing tips that way. 

• Repeating the same exact post. That said, you don’t want to 

repeat the same post word-for-word over and over again. Mix 

up the image you use and the language of your post, but link to 

the same blog. Add a mix of status updates, images, videos and 

linked articles in between to continue providing value to your 

readers. Posting randomly. Sign up for a free account at Hoot- 

Suite to schedule your posts in advance at regular intervals. Be 

sure to post at least every couple of days (if not every day) to 

stay fresh in your followers’ and fans’ minds. Conduct research 

to find out when your core demographic is using social media. 

If you need help with this aspect of social media management, 

Using link shorteners. Naked URLs count as direct links back 

to your site – which will improve your visibility in 

search engines. It’s unclear whether the “link 

juice” of link shorteners like Bit.ly and 

Ow.ly — or even shorteners sponsored 

by Twitter and Google, for that matter 

– translate into better search positioning. 

Instead, focus your efforts 

on creating a unique, short, 

keyword-rich URL as you write 

each blog post – keeping social 

sharing in mind. 

2. Make it Easy for Others 

to Share! 

Make sure you have social 

share icons on your website and 

directly on all blog posts. The old 

adage “Ask and you shall receive” is 

very true of social shares. Know your 

influencers and ask them to share. The 

more people you have sharing your content, 

the more Google is going to see your post as relevant 

and popular – and, in turn, the higher it will 

rank in the search engine results. 

- One tool we love is AddThis, which lets you add beautiful 

social sharing buttons to your posts and has great ‘related posts’ 

features to keep users on your site longer. 

- Use ClickToTweet to embed easily tweetable snippets of your 

blog posts within the article. 

- Run the Headline Analyzer to see if your title will resonate 

with social media users. 

3. Choose Compelling Images! 

Articles with images get 94% more views, so the images you add 

to your blog are an important consideration. You want to make 


Using appropriate search terms in your social media posts helps users find 

your most relevant content and clearly spells out what’s being offered. 

them compelling. We create our own colorful, unique header images 

in-house for aesthetic purposes and dig for infographics and 

stand-alone images that increase the value of our posts. When 

you upload images, be sure you’ve optimized the ALT TAG and 

TITLE TAG using relevant keywords. Adding a caption that contains 

keywords is a wise maneuver too! 

4. Consider Semantic Markup for Your Blog Posts! 

As Social Media Explorer explains, “Semantic markup is a fancy 

way of saying you can use HTML tags to tell search engines 

exactly what a specific piece of content is.” You essentially tell the 

search engines who wrote the blog post, what language is coding 

versus what is content, and when a string of words should be interpreted 

as an address. If you use WordPress, the Yoast Plugin 

provides a simple way to accomplish semantic markup. Just be 

sure you fill out the fields completely. 

Yoast is a worthwhile WordPress plugin because it: 

• Optimizes each blog for search engine ranking 

• Analyzes pages and posts for keyword optimization 

• Generates an XML sitemap to index your URLs and alert 

search engines of new posts 

• Optimizes content for social sharing 

Also, make sure you also fill out the card data in the main 

settings of the Yoast Plugin on WordPress. 

Google lets you embed code in your website to showcase your 

social profiles right in the search results. All you have to do is 

grab code from the Google Developers site to make this happen. 

Be sure to do this for Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and 

Google+. 

5. Write Catchy Headlines! 

The old advice of including a keyword in your headline never 

hurts for SEO. As you know, though, it takes a lot more to craft a 

headline that turns heads and solicits social media shares. As we 

told BuzzSumo recently, one of our most popular headlines was 

“How Home Depot’s Marketing Strategy Is Paying Off ” because 

the title reflects the name of a major brand people are familiar 

with and invites them to learn the secrets behind their strategy. 

Our audience of competitive entrepreneurs and forward-thinking 

marketers were eager to translate replicable tactics into tangible 

sales. 

Depending on your personality, you may choose to turn heads 

with a bit of unexpected sexual innuendo -- like the term “social 

media slut” or the phrase “multiply your followers like rabbits”… 

or touch upon a common theme – like the anatomy of a perfect 

tweet or strategies for beating procrastination once and for all. 

Lists have always been successful, as have posts that directly 

state the contents of the article in the clearest terms possible. Aim 

to spark curiosity with your title. Promise something of value. 

It is also beneficial to know what your audience is searching 

for. Head over to Google’s Keyword Planner and find the best 

phrases that people are actually typing in. If you want even more 

keywords, including long tail keywords, use UberSuggest. 

6. Optimize Tweets for Search! 

Tweets are like any other type of content. Your approach need 

to be strategic. Here’s a quick checklist of tweet optimization 

steps you can take from Social Media 

Examiner: 

• Use Twitter Analytics to review your tweets. 

• Include relevant keywords and tweet on topics your 

audience is most curious about. 

• Keep tweets 120 characters or less. 

Ask for retweets. 

Update your profile image, link and bio for campaigns and 

events. In addition to optimizing Tweets (and Facebook posts) 

with keywords, Social Media Examiner also recommends including 

keywords in YouTube posts and on Pinterest boards. 

7. Find Relevant Hashtags! 

Keep a pulse on what people are talking about and join conversations 

that are relevant to your business. Search for people who 

are looking for products or services you provide, who are asking 

questions, or who are using terms like “recommendations”, 

“looking for” or local city names. Sites like hashtagify.me and 

hashtags.org can help you find popular and trending hashtags. 

Using smart hashtags increases your odds of getting retweets and 

translates to better exposure for your tweets and posts. 

8. Use Free Social Bookmarking Sites! 

Help people find your content by promoting your articles and 

webpages on social bookmarking sites. Submitting your article 

details is a quick and easy process worthy of your time and effort. 

According to BloggersIdeas.com, “Technorati, Folkd, Blinklist, 

Digg, Pinterest, Diigo, Del.icio.us, Reddit, and StumbleUpon are 

some of the wellknown and top most social bookmarking websites.” 

We use OnlyWire.com to automate this process Following 

these 8 stupid simple steps will help, but only if you have a super 

optimized, SEO-friendly page. Want to make sure your website is 

fully optimized? Check out this checklist we made for you! 


SEO AUDIT CHECKLIST 

ON-SITE ANALYSIS 

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS KEYWORD RESEARCH 

Health 

Check 

Usability 

Review 

Competitive 

Site List 

Traffic 

Analysis 

Creating the 

keyword list 

Grade 

Keywords 

Perform a site search 

(“site: www.yourdomain.com”) 

Perform brand searches 

(products/service name) 

Review the total pages 

indexed 

Duplicate content review 

(www vs. non-www, etc.) 

Content 

Review 

Site load time 

Home page layout 

Landing interior pages 

Keyword focus 

Quality/frequency of 

CTA 

Server Redirect/ 

Response Codes 

Industry competitors (primary market) 

List 3 - 5 leaders of industry and 

direct competitors 

Niche competitors (secondary market) 

List 2 - 3 competitors that specialize 

in specific areas of your industry 

Industry blogs, publications, associations 

List 25 - 50 influential industry sites 

Content 

Analysis 

Alexa.com 

Compete.com 

Hitwise.com 

Quantcast.com 

Semrush.com 

Link 

Analysis 

Enter website and competitors’ 

sites/pages to Google Keyword tool 

Service 

Product 

Details 

Features 

Benefits 

Pull keywords currently driving 

traffic from analytics 

Survey customers (past/present) 

Relevance 

Volume 

Difficulty (organic, paid) 

Value per conversion 

Estimate cost of traffic 

Research 

Tools 

Ubersuggest 

Quality 

Length 

Hunam or goal-focused 

Ease or read/use 

Page 

Structure 1 

301 302 

307 404 

410 500 

503 

Page 

Structure 2 

Top pages Link building potential 

Quality Types of content 

Frequency Calls to action 

UniquenessUser-generated content 

Social 

Media 

Total number of inbound 

links 

Total number of linking 

domains 

Link building content 

Quality of links 

Source of link generation 

Ease of replication 

Listen on social channels via 

Social Mention or Topsy 

Find out what is preventing your site from 

ranking well in the search engines. Learn 

what requires your immediate attention. 

ON-SITE ANALYSIS 

Soolve 

Search-friendly URLs 

Complete and relevant 

Title Tags 

Unique, relevant 

Meta Descriptions 

Number of links on the 

page 

Review of internal link 

structure (including anchor text) 

Image names 

Image sizes 

Semantic HTML review 

Active channels 

Level of engagement 

Frequency 

Relationship with influencers 

Personal brands within the 

brand 

Distribution channels 

Understand why your competitors are 

out-performing you online. Get a grasp of 

what you should be doing to catch up. 

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 

Discover where you should start for nextstep 

site improvements. Unleash the 

potential fo a higher ranking in the SERPs. 

KEYWORD RESEARCH 


Authority Leadership Marketing 

THE KEY TO ENGAGEMENT 

By Dave Murray 

Why did Symantec fund a study 

on the impact of customer data 

breaches on brand trust and 

reputation? What made SGI and Intel embrace 

an IT sustainability agenda called 

Think Eco-Logical? Why does Adaptive 

Planning conduct a quarterly Business 

Volatility and Variables Audit targeting 

midmarket CFOs? 

These are just a few examples of successful 

authority leadership marketing 

initiatives at work as B2B companies seek 

to connect and engage with their markets 

using more relevant, customer-centric content 

delivered in new digital formats and 

channels. Marketers increasingly recognize 

that they must become thought leaders, 

knowledge brokers, and insightful publishers 

to build rapport with target audiences 

and create strategic conversations with decision 

makers and influencers. This means 

paying more attention to content marketing 

performance, impact, and return on 

investment, particularly as it relates to lead 

acquisition, customer predisposition, trust 

building, and shortening of selling cycles. 

Dave Murray is the Executive Vice President of 

GlobalFluency, Inc. An innovator and architect of authority 

leadership marketing, Murray leads the content 

marketing practice of GlobalFluency, which is based in 

Silicon Valley. His firm operates a number of international 

executive affinity networks, including the Chief 

Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and the Business 

Performance Innovation (BPI) Network. 

Bringing more rigor, creativity, and 

strategic thinking to content specification, 

origination, packaging, and delivery 

is now a strategic imperative for marketers 

as they seek to drive content consumption 

and knowledge sharing. Sales 

and channel organizations recognize the 

need to prime their pipelines and upsell 

and cross-sell customers with credible, 

strategic content. Companies, both global 

and emerging, realize the need to use 

content to drive brand relevance and 

authority. Content investments by B2B 

technology companies now account for as 

much as 25 percent of marketing budgets 

(CMO Council). And this percentage will 

continue to grow, fueled by multiplying 

formats, delivery channels, platforms, audiences, 

device types, and consumption 

rates worldwide. 

Content marketing within the B2B 

sector is being driven by an upsurge in 

executive participation in the strategic 

procurement process, as well as the ready 

availability of meaningful decision support 

content, affinity groups, and professional 

peer networks on the Internet. 

There is an increasing opportunity for direct 

market engagement— for reaching, 

aggregating, and segmenting customer 

audiences while bypassing traditional 

media and analyst avenues. To do so, marketers 

are developing and outsourcing 

some of the same skill sets and resources 

of those more traditional media and analyst 

groups. They are forming their own 

shared interest communities and channels 

of insight, access, and influence. 

Today’s “digital content factories” have 

to run at full capacity to keep pace with 

rapid changes in market conditions, customer 

sentiments, competitive threats, 

and technology advancements. Marketers 

have to become adept at listening and responding 

to the “voice of the customer,” 

which requires a new form of intelligent 

market engagement and continuous interaction 

around customer issues, problems, 

pain points, risks, vulnerabilities, 

deficiencies, and challenges. With more 

and more digital content publishing, syndication, 

conversation, and distribution 

channels proliferating—such as websites, 

customer communities, social media 

channels, online business networks, Internet 

forums, discussion groups, blogs, 

podcasts, on-demand webcasts, video 

portals, mobile devices, email, SMS 

text messaging, IPTV, web conferencing 

systems, and live virtual event environments—content 

has to be configured and 

produced in a multiplicity of formats and 

delivery modes to optimize consumption, 

recall, sharing, influence, and action. 

To be successful in this new ethos, marketers 

must put into place clear content 

development strategies and effectiveness 

auditing protocols. Rather than delivering 

self-serving messages, they must speak to 

relevant themes and topic areas, author 

higher-quality content that is more visual 

and engaging, as well as build efficient 

content syndication networks that maximize 

audience reach and activation. They 

must put into place performance measurement 

and tracking systems to assess 

the performance, impact, and payback of 

their content marketing programs. 

Relevance Drives Consumption 

Relevance is the essential attribute B2B 

marketers must deliver in order to be 

successful in content marketing. Content 

cannot just be about your company 

and your product; it has to be about your 

audience. Content being generated by 

winning companies today goes well beyond 

traditional trumpeting of product 

features and functions, speeds and feeds, 

and deals and deployments. In today’s 

multi-channel, searchoriented media 

landscape, corporate buyers, specifiers, 

and influencers tend to tune out traditional 

marketing communications. They 

spend more time conducting independent 

research on the web and obtaining 

information and advice from peers and 

other trusted third-party sources. 


Numerous studies have demonstrated 

that peers are the most trusted and influential 

sources of advice and information 

among B2B decision makers. B2B buyers 

depend on peer advice more than any 

other source in forming purchase decisions. 

Thus, affinity networks of professionals 

who share similar challenges and 

needs are a rich resource for content creation 

and insights. 

Central to an effective content marketing 

program is the definition of a strategic 

advocacy agenda and point of view. This 

comes out of exhaustive online and offline 

discovery as well as invention sessions 

and continuous engagement with partners, 

customers, and the channel. Online 

surveying and perception polling, as well 

as social and live interactions, can add 

credibility and substance to this form of 

advocacy and thought leadership. 

For example, with the Think Eco-Logical 

advocacy program, SGI and Intel 

were able to engage CIOs and other IT 

executives in an in-depth conversation 

about the cost savings and environmental 

improvements obtainable through 

server consolidation and more power-efficient 

platforms. An executive survey 

and study report advocating energy-saving 

practices generated more than 1,000 

downloads while driving significant 

online discussion and media coverage. 

The Think Eco-Logical program created 

further advocacy and interaction with 

its target audience through the creation 

of a graphical appealing, “video gamelike” 

eco-IT monitor that executives 

used to calculate the impact of data 

center changes on energy costs and carbon 

emissions. This not only delivered a 

value-added service, but also generated 

rich customer profiling information and 

contact data for further nurturing and 

cultivation. Peer networks of executives 

provide builtin communities for content 

marketing engagement. Professionals 

with shared challenges and issues can 

spark highly relevant insights and discussions 

for others inside and outside of 

the network. When Oracle’s ondemand 

CRM business unit teamed with the 

CMO Council to launch a campaign to 

improve integration and alignment of 

traditionally divided sales and marketing 

functions, the result was the creation 

of The Coalition to Leverage and Optimize 

Sales Effectiveness (CLOSE—www. 

closebiz.org). 


High-level brainstorm sessions on sales 

and marketing integration engaged targeted 

audiences in Paris, London, Sydney, 

Sao Paulo, New York, and Silicon Valley, 

each creating a best-practice report that 

was syndicated worldwide and generating 

some 15,000 leads. During a six-month 

period, this affinity network aggregated 

and touched more than 27,000 executives 

and professionals worldwide through outreach, 

events, surveys, and global media 

relations. The dedicated www.closebiz. 

org website continues to aggregate content, 

commentary, and community, providing 

a rich and robust channel of market 

engagement for sponsoring brands. 

To underscore and highlight the need 

for improved business intelligence systems 

and better decision economics, 

Cognos teamed with the Business Performance 

Management (BPM) Forum— 

now the Business Performance Innovation 

(BPI) Network. This C-level peer 

network brought together executives 

concerned with the speed and quality of 

decision making within their enterprises. 

DecisionROI put the issue of decision 

economics into play and aggregated a 

large executive audience through the creation 

of a dedicated campaign site, social 

and traditional media engagement, and 

publication of a variety of reports and online 

advocacy content, including insights 

from interviews with top executives and 

an online survey of hundreds more. 

Symantec took another innovative approach 

to generating customer demand 

by making data security a strategic business 

issue that embraced a broad set of 

business decision makers across the marketing, 

finance, investor relations, operations, 

and supply chain sectors. It implemented 

a content marketing campaign 

called “Secure the Trust of Your Brand,” 

which included executive and consumer 

surveys in North America and Europe, 

as well as a study by Emory University of 

15 leading brands that had been compromised 

by customer data breaches. This 

analysis included a look at the loss of 

shareholder value, tonality and sentiment 

of media coverage relating to reputation, 

and the business continuity impact relative 

to both suppliers and customers. Survey 

data revealed a significant percentage 

of consumers were concerned about digital 

security and would not continue to 

do business with a company that exposed 

their personal information to hackers and 

cyber bandits. Not only did the study attract 

worldwide attention, but authors of 

the report were invited to present findings 

at the seminal Visa Security Summit 

in Washington, D.C., which was attended 

by leading government agencies, bankers, 

retailers, and other key customer targets 

for Symantec. 

Most companies in complex, 

multi-channel markets such as information 

technology, business solutions, 

communications, connectivity, security, 

audio/video, professional services, 

and industrial systems need to assume 

thought leadership positions and provide 

meaningful insights, perspectives, 

and commentary on market needs, problems, 

issues, trends, and requirements. 

In most cases, the knowledge capital and 

authority leadership come from effective 

market engagement, real-time customer 

feedback and listening, primary research, 

media analytics, as well as regular monitoring 

and mining of conversations and 

discussions in online communities, affinity 

groups, forums, blogs, newsgroups, 

and bulletin boards. 

The real challenge for marketers is 

to define strategic agendas and develop 

advocacy platforms that condition and 

predispose decision makers, enable conversations 

and introductions, gain prominence 

and visibility, as well as harvest 

opportunities and prospects for sales, 

business development, and partnering. 

Too few companies have formal content 

development strategies, relevant content 

creation themes and topic areas, efficient 

content origination capabilities, effective 

content delivery networks or channels, 

or measurable content performance and 

tracking systems. 

Random acts of content development 

occur across the organization without 

unifying and consistent themes, messages, 

brand value, or visual identity reinforcement. 

The CMO Council’s new Content 

ROI Center is aimed at raising the caliber 

of content produced in organizations, 

as well as the impact and influence this 

content might have on brand awareness, 

perception, deal contention, and buyer/ 

specifier consideration. It will also look at 

the role and value of marketing content in 

the process of sales lead acquisition, qualification, 

conversion, and closure, as well 

as its contribution to ongoing customer 

retention and revenue generation.

The RMN Agency: 

A Legal Recruiting Agency Dedicated to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging 

By Bonnie Youn and Taylor Newsome 

In the legal industry of today and tomorrow, 

firms and corporations understand 

that Diversity, Inclusion and 

Belonging (DIB) initiatives are key to 

hiring and retaining top talent. 

We know that diversity is good for 

business. Paulette Brown, Past President 

of the ABA and the first African American 

woman to ever serve in that position, 

recently remarked on what studies 

demonstrate to be true: “[C]companies 

with women on their Board of Directors 

outperform those with all-male boards. 

Companies with more racial diversity 

outperform companies with less, and 

law firms with greater diversity outperform 

firms with less diversity, even controlling 

for other variables.” 

Yet today, the legal profession is still 

one of the least diverse of all comparable 

professions. Less than 10 percent 

of top Biglaw rainmakers are women or 

minorities. If the trend continues, then 

law firm leadership will not continue to 

evolve. At BigLaw, women account for 

only 17% of equity partners, and only 7 

of the nation’s 100 largest firms have a 

woman as chairman or managing partner. 

Although blacks, Latinos, Asian 

Americans and Native Americans now 

constitute about a third of the population 

and a fifth of law school graduates, 

they make up fewer than 7 percent of law 

firm partners and 9 percent of general 

counsels of large corporations. In major 

law firms, only 3 percent of associates 

and less than 2 percent of partners are 

African Americans. 

At The RMN Agency, DIB is not just a 

buzzword—we epitomize it. Take a look 

at who we are: 

• Our President Raj Nichani, a former 

BigLaw attorney, began RMN as a 

dream—to become a premier boutique 

legal recruiting agency so that we could 

proactively make a difference in the 

legal industry. He is a former President 

and current Boardmember of the 

Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar 

Association and a past Boardmember 

of the South Asian Bar Association of 

Georgia. 

• Jane Morrison, Head of Business 

Development, served as Admissions 

Director at two private schools and successfully 

fulfilled a mandate to increase 

student diversity. Jane worked with 

Educational Testing Service to revise 

standardized tests to be more reflective 

of the life experiences of a diverse 

student population. She also worked 

the Girl Scouts to recruit a more diverse 

membership by training recruiters and 

creating marketing materials written in 

seven different languages. 

• Waqar Khawaja, Sr. Legal Recruiter, 

graduated from Mercer University 

Law School in 2011. A first generation 

Pakistani American, Waqar and his 

friends founded a non-profit sports 

foundation welcoming to children of all 

diverse backgrounds to nurture their 

sports ambitions. 

• Bonnie Youn, Sr. Legal Recruiter, 

practiced immigration law for nearly 

two decades before joining RMN. Ethnically 

Korean but born in the Philippines, 

she is passionate about supporting 

immigrants and the advancement 

of minorities in the legal and political 

fields. Like Raj Nichani, she has also 

served as Past President and Board 

member of the Georgia Asian Pacific 

American Bar Association, and has 

chaired events to bring Asian American 

Legislative Day to the Georgia Capitol. 

• Sara Hamilton, Sr. Legal Recruiter, 

graduated from Emory Law and maintains 

her practice in Labor & Employment 

in a BigLaw firm. She is a Korean 

American adoptee, and is one of the 

founding officers of the Korean American 

Bar Association of Georgia, where 

she serves on the Board. 

• Teylor Newsome, Legal Recruiter, 

graduated from Clemson University in 

May 2016. She is an active member of 

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the oldest 

Greek-letter organization founded by 

African American college women. 

• Cleo Sloan, Legal Recruiter, is a recent 

graduate of Johns Hopkins University’s 

M.A. in Museum Studies program 

and is passionate about Art Business, 

Museum, and Cultural Heritage Law. 

She also studied abroad, receiving her 

Bachelor’s degree at the University of 

Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines, 

attending an art business program at 

Oxford University in London and Paris, 

and completing an independent study 

program in High Italian Renaissance 

in Italy. She is an active board member 

and serves as a regional councilor of 

international fraternal benefits organization, 

Foresters Financial. 

• Matt Busch began as an administrative 

assistant to Raj, and has since been 

elevated to our facility office manager. 

Matt has been active in LGBTQ issues, 

and maintains his strong ties in the 

local Atlanta theater community. 

Our staff fully reflects our commitment 

to DIB. Every piece of the puzzle 

matters because diversity extends 

beyond the visible surface of ethnic 

background and gender, but a whole 

spectrum of factors, including but not 

limited to socioeconomic status, age, 

nontraditional careers, sexual orientation, 

religion, or disability. 

Nationally renowned diversity and inclusion 

leader Pauline Higgins once observed: 

“Diversity is being invited to the 

party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” 

RMN is committed to help you get out 

on the dance floor and strut your stuff! 

References 

1. May 15, 2016: 4 Ideas For Advancing 

Diversity And Inclusion In The 

Legal Profession, http://abovethelaw. 

com/2016/05/4-ideas-for-advancing-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-legal-profession/ 


LINKEDIN 

COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES 

These templates are meant to be a starting point for messaging prospective 

LinkedIn connections or people who have recently accepted 

your invitation to join your network. They can be customized to fit 

each individual situation. 

Invitation to Connect with a Prospect 

The purpose of the invitation is to get 

the person to connect with you or, at a 

minimum, cause a marketing event (profile 

view) with your target audience. 

Rather than sending the standard 

(default) LinkedIn invitation, personalize 

your invitation. There are numerous 

places from which you can send the invitation, 

but the safest one is from the 

person’s profile rather than a list or other 

place where the Connect button is attached 

to the person’s name and photo. 

Be succinct and to the point because you 

only have 300 characters, 

including spaces. Also, you cannot attach 

documents or share a link to a web 

page in your invitation. 

Start your invitation with a greeting 

like “Hello” and then the person’s name. 

Here are three examples 

of good invitations: 

Jim Smith, a client for over 15 years, 

suggested that we connect. He thought 

you might be interested in having a chat 

about how we could help your organization. 

If that’s the case, let me know. In the 

meantime, I would be honored to have 

you join my network. 

Jim Smith, a member 

of my LinkedIn network, 

suggested that we connect. 

He thought you might be 

interested in having a chat 

about how we could help 

your organization. If that’s 

the case, let me know. In the 

meantime, I would be honored to have 

you join my network. 

I noticed from your profile that you 

attended Georgia [or are a member of a 

group, used to work at a particular company, 

etc.]. Based on your job responsibilities, 

I thought you might be interested 

in having a chat about voluntary benefits 

for your employees. If that’s the case, let 

me know. In the meantime, I would be 

honored to have you join my network. 

Follow-up thank-you note 

to a prospect after s/he accepts 

your invitation to connect 

This is the message you should send— 

either through LinkedIn or traditional 

email—shortly after a person accepts 

your invitation to connect. Since it’s a 

message to a connection, you can attach 

documents and include hyperlinks to web 

pages, and there is no character limit. 

The purpose of the invitation 

is to get the person to connect 

with you or, at a minimum, cause 

a marketing event (profile view) 

with your target audience. 

Once again, start your invitation with 

a greeting like “Hello” and then the person’s 

name. 

Thanks for connecting on LinkedIn. 

As I mentioned in my connection request, 

I look forward to chatting with 

you. I could call you this Thursday at 

2:00 or 3:30pm or I will be near your office 

on Monday and would love to stop in 

and meet you in person [or any other option 

you’d like to propose]. Does either 

option work for you? 

In preparation for our meeting, I have 

attached to this message [something of 

interest to your prospects, e.g., testimonial, 

case studies, checklist, articles] or 

included a link to [similar information] 

that will help you understand how we 

help companies like yours. I look forward 

to talking with you soon. 


DEAL, CAGLE 

VISIT FORT GORDON, CYBERSECURITY TRAINING FACILITY 

Gov. Nathan Deal, along with Lt. Gov. 

Casey Cagle, visited the Cyber Center 

of Excellence, a training facility 

for cyberspace operations at Fort Gordon, 

and attended a mission briefing. The briefing 

was designed to provide state leaders 

with a greater understanding of the various 

cyber entities housed at Fort Gordon, 

how they work together and the tactical 

missions. During the visit, Deal and Cagle 

recognized military officials for their current 

work and reaffirmed the state’s commitment 

to the Georgia Cyber Training and 

Innovation Center. 

“The decision to establish the Georgia 

Cyber Training and Innovation Center in 

Augusta further solidifies Georgia’s reputation 

as the Silicon Valley of the South,” said 

Deal. “The Department of Defense recognizes 

Georgia’s assets and the vital role our 

state will play in the future of cybersecurity. 

I would like to extend my thanks to Major 

General John Morrison, Col. Eric Toler and 

their respective staffs for their efforts and 

dedication to this critical initiative. This 

invaluable resource will put Georgia at the 

pinnacle of efforts to enhance American 

cybersecurity for both public and private 

industries with a resource unlike any other 

in the country. Georgia is already the No. 1 

place in which to do business. Now, we’ll be 

the safest place for business as well.” 

The center will be a state-owned facility 

designed to promote modernization in cybersecurity 

technology for both private and 

public industries. In conjunction with the 

Department of Defense and the National 

Security Agency (NSA), this resource will 

serve to enhance American cybersecurity 

in the public and private arenas. This initiative 

will be housed within the Georgia 

Technology Authority and will, in part, 

serve as an incubator for startup companies. 

It will also focus on research and development, 

tapping into the assets of Georgia’s 

research institutions and partnering 

with Augusta University Cyber Institute. 

This collaboration will also include the 

Georgia National Guard, Technical College 

System of Georgia, University System of 

Georgia, the Department of Economic Development, 

Georgia Bureau of Investigation 

and numerous private sector entities. 

“I support Governor Deal and his commitment 

to further establish Georgia as a 

leader in cyber innovation and security,” 

said Cagle. “We have a tremendous opportunity 

as a state to leverage our resources 

with our research institutions and military 

bases, and this collaborative initiative will 

result in a better trained and equipped cyber 

force.” 

Less than two months ago, U.S. Army 

Cyber Command and the Second Army 

broke ground on construction for a new 

Army Cyber headquarters facility that will 

draw together the Army’s cyber operations, 

capability development, training and education 

in one location. The event marked 

the start of an approximately 2.5-year project 

to build a state-of-the-art focal point 

for Army cyberspace operations at Fort 

Gordon. A second phase of construction to 

support Cyber Protection Team operations 

is expected to be completed in early 2019. 

“Fort Gordon has a diverse mission set 

and has become a focal point for cyberspace 

operations. With a population of over 

25,000 military and civilian personnel, it 

is the home of cyberspace expertise from 

across the Army, Joint, and Department of 

Defense cyber communities,” said MG John 

Morrison, Commanding General of U.S. 

Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort 

Gordon. “The collocation at Fort Gordon 

of operational forces from the National Security 

Agency Georgia, Army Cyber Command, 

and Intelligence and Security Command 

with the Cyber Center of Excellence 

training force has initiated a convergence 

of operational insights and lessons learned 

that will transform cyberspace training and 

operations. The synergy gained from their 

proximity to each other will also enable the 

educational and operational forces to better 

poise the Army for the unpredictability of 

cyberspace operations. Fort Gordon welcomes 

the state’s investments in cyberspace 

technologies, including the creation of a 

state cyber innovation and training facility 

in Augusta. Those investments strengthen 

the partnerships between the Department 

of Defense, Georgia, academia, and industry 

as we work together to attract, produce, 

and retain the caliber of workforce necessary 

to help our Nation to maintain its advantage 

in the cyberspace domain.” 

“NSA-Georgia was honored to welcome 

Gov. Deal, Lt. Gov. Cagle and party for their 

first visit to Fort Gordon and NSA/CSS 

Georgia,” said NSA-Georgia Commander 

Col. Eric Toler. “As one of our Nation’s 

top priorities, cyber security will take the 

combined effort of government, academia, 

and the private sector to effectively protect 

our nation against hostile cyber-attacks. As 

such, NSA-Georgia looks forward to the 

future collaboration and partnership with 

Fort Gordon, Augusta University, and the 

State of Georgia, and private industry to 

ensure that the United States and our allies 

maintain a decisive information advantage 

over our adversaries.” 

“The governor’s vision for a facility that 

will allow the best and the brightest in academia, 

industry and government to work 

together to address global cyber security 

challenges is truly transformational,” said 

Augusta University President Dr. Brooks 

Keel. “Augusta is already home to national 

cybersecurity assets, including U.S. Army 

Cyber Command, the Army Cyber Center 

of Excellence and NSA/CSS Georgia. I look 

forward to working with Gov. Deal and all 

of our partners as we turn this world-class 

training facility into a vibrant reality.” 


Successful Marketing 

By Larry Alton 

Successful marketing is difficult in 

just about every trade, but the challenges 

are compounded in the legal 

industry where firms, individuals, and 

companies are required to tread carefully 

as they adapt to changes both in the 

workplace and the marketplace. However, 

for those who are able to understand the 

intricacies of legal marketing, the opportunities 

for growth are numerous. 

The Origins of Legal Marketing 

The concept of marketing and advertising 

is pretty straightforward in the vast 

majority of industries. The legal industry 

is not one of them, though. When it 

comes to legal marketing, there are many 

complexities and challenges facing the industry. 

When you study the legal industry, it’s 

important to remember that marketing 


and advertising have only been legal for 

a few decades. Until the 1970s, it was 

essentially prohibited for law firms to engage 

in any sort of promotion. However, 

that all changed in 1976 when two men 

– John Bates and Van O’Steen – decided 

to do something about it. The decisions 

they made altered the legal landscape forever 

and permanently shifted the focus of 

marketing departments around the country. 

That year, Bates and O’Steen were really 

struggling to maintain a profitable law 

practice. Their law firm was designed to 

serve low-income individuals, but they 

simply couldn’t attract the volume of clients 

needed to turn a profit and stay in 

business. So, they decided that their only 

two options were to either, watch their 

practice fail or violate the laws of ethics 

and advertise their services and fees. 

Bates and O’Steen placed an ad in a 

Phoenix newspaper and it worked. They 

attracted tons of clients and business 

picked up. 

“This was the first time anyone in the 

legal industry was brave enough to challenge 

the precedent that had been in place 

for decades,” explains Joseph Genovesi of 

Thrivest, a company that works closely 

with attorneys and their clients to provide 

legal funding. “Many of the lawyers we 

work with now depend heavily on their 

ability to advertise, so this was a bold and 

important decision on their part.” 

But Bates and O’Steen also attracted some 

unwanted attention. The President of the 

State Bar of Arizona filed a complaint and 

a hearing panel recommended a six-month 

suspension for the two lawyers. 

The case was a big deal in the legal 

community and made it all the way to the

Supreme Court, where it was overturned 

on the grounds that truthful advertisement 

was protected under the First and 

Fourth Amendments. 

“The case stands for the idea that commercial 

information is something that 

offers vitally important information to 

consumers just as other types of speech, 

and the speech is important because it 

leads to economic decisions that govern 

our lives,” Bill Canby, the lawyer for Bates 

v. State Bar of Arizona, according to the 

First Amendment Center. 

But others feel as if the Supreme Court 

reached the wrong decision. “My skin 

crawls and stomach screams when I see 

the ads for lawyers who promise to fight 

like tigers and at very low cost,” John 

Frank said in an interview with the First 

Amendment Center. “I believe that advertising 

has become so sufficiently promiscuous 

that it is a profound change in 

the practice of law.” 

Three Challenges Facing the Industry 

Clearly, there are mixed opinions on 

legal marketing and advertising. And 

though we’re 40 years past the Supreme 

Court decision, the industry still faces 

some pretty stout – albeit different – challenges. 

Let’s take a look at some of the 

issues law firms have and why many are 

struggling to gain exposure in ethical, 

natural, and high-returning ways. 

1. Lack of Client Education 

Consumer education is important in 

every industry, but there are few areas 

where it matters more than in the legal 

world. In almost every case, the client 

has something at stake – money, freedom, 

reputation, responsibility, etc. – and 

a failure to properly understand what’s 

happening can lead to catastrophic consequences. 

From the law firm side of things, it’s 

crucially important that firms are able 

to develop educational content as part 

of their overall marketing and advertising 

strategies. It’s the only way to develop 

healthy and stable relationships with clients. 

Unfortunately, many aren’t investing 

in client education. This is either because 

they don’t know how, or because they 

don’t recognize the need. 

Thankfully, there’s a lot of flexibility in 

today’s marketplace. With social media, 

blogging, and the pervasiveness of content 

marketing, it’s possible to publish educational 

materials in the form of eBooks, 

white papers, articles, and videos – and 

then push this content to highly targeted 

audiences. For an example, look no further 

than O’Steen’s current law practice 

to see what this looks like. 

2. Attorney Pushback Against Content 

Attorneys – like almost everyone else 

– are creatures of habit. For the past few 

decades, law firm success has depended 

on networking. So, when marketing and 

advertising finally became options, it was 

difficult for many to switch gears. Nearly 

half a century later, many lawyers still 

struggle with the concept. 

“Many attorneys believe their networking 

efforts are the only tactics that 

successfully bring in new business,” says 

Matt Naffah, a marketer who works closely 

with lawyers. “While networking is an 

invaluable tool for bringing in new business, 

I don’t believe it’s the only tool at 

your disposal.” 

Naffah is a strong proponent of using 

legal content marketing to generate clients. 

However, he also recognizes that 

getting attorneys to buy-in is one of the 

biggest challenges the industry currently 

faces. 

His solution is to encourage firms to try 

content marketing for a substantial period 

of time and use predetermined KPIs 

(Key Performance Indicators) to judge 

the results. In most cases, the KPIs will 

show that legal content marketing yields 

a positive return. 

As we move forward, look for more legal 

firms to hire content writers and copywriters 

in order to gain the upper hand in 

this aspect of digital marketing. It’s a dynamic 

shift in the legal workplace and will 

shape how clients perceive the firms they 

choose to work with. 

3. Out With the Phone 

Books, In With SEO 

Today’s client is much different than 

he was 10, 20, or 30 years ago. Instead of 

picking up a phone book and shuffling 

through to find an attorney, people are 

utilizing the resources they have in front 

of them to make educated decisions. In 

most cases, this means a search engine 

like Google. 

But even more than searching for 

something like, “Personal Injury Lawyer 

+ NYC,” people are searching for lawyers 

and then navigating through their websites 

to gain a clearer picture before making 

contact. 

“What we’re finding is that our traffic is 

increasing in terms of people finding us 

through organic search said,” Jim Matsoukas, 

CMO of a large law firm, when 

asked about the biggest legal marketing 

challenge he’s facing in 2016. “We have to 

be more sophisticated and more strategic 

about the language we use on the site and 

the language that we use in our ads and in 

our alerts, articles, and publications and 

how that matches up with people looking 

for legal services. I think that’s important.” 

In other words, while Bates and O’Steen 

were simply trying to gain visibility in 

1976, today’s legal marketers and advertisers 

must be more strategic. It’s about 

gaining visibility and then cashing in on 

this platform by using the right language, 

resources, and content. 

It’s not uncommon in law practices 

around the country to now have weekly 

meetings with SEO experts and digital 

marketing teams. This is a pretty clear 

shift in how lawyers view the Internet as a 

source of reliable traffic generation. 

Leverage Legal Marketing 

the Right Way 

In most industries, marketing is 

straightforward. Choose your mediums, 

tell the truth, and see what happens. In 

the legal industry, things are a bit more 

complicated. There’s much more at stake 

when clients choose law firms. 

In order to successfully and consistently 

get new clients onboard in 2016, it’s imperative 

that you invest in quality content 

that allows you to overcome the challenges 

and roadblocks that have emerged. 

Furthermore, it’s important that you 

educate clients in honest ways that prove 

your firm is equipped to take on their 

challenges. Bates and O’Steen paved the 

way – it’s your turn to carry the torch. 

Larry Alton is a full-time freelance writer and 

business consultant. With over 7 years of experience 

providing strategic consulting to companies ranging 

from Fortune 500 firms to small, locally-owned 

shops, He has directly observed the way America’s 

workforce is changing across differing industries 

and businesses. 


10 MOST COMMON LEGAL MISTAKES HR MAKES 

The human resources department has a host of responsibilities. 

Juggling them is often overwhelming, to say the least. One 

small misstep could cost the company hundreds, thousands 

and even millions of dollars. Knowing in which areas of HR’s numerous 

responsibilities the most common pitfalls lurk goes a long way to 

ensuring that you don’t fall into these traps. 

#1: Advertisements, Interviews, and Offer Letters 

✔ Mistake: improper language in job advertisements. Too many 

employers still use inappropriate terms — such as “girl,” “boy,” or 

“young” — in their job advertisements. This is particularly true 

when managers, rather than HR, write the ads. 

Mistake: unlawful interview inquiries. Too many hiring managers 

ask about personal and/or protected characteristics during job interviews, 

which sets the employer up for a discrimination lawsuit if the 

applicant is not hired. 

✔ Mistake: inaccurate description of the job. Some hiring managers 

work so hard to get top-notch recruits in the door that they fail to 

be realistic with their description of the job. The unhappy employee 

will leave, and it will have been a shameful waste of the employer’s 

time and money. 

✔ Mistake: inadvertent creation of contractual promises. Too 

many employers include language in their job offer letters that inadvertently 

creates an employment contract. For instance, mentioning 

a yearly salary implies a yearly contract. 

#2: Wage and Hour Issues 

✔ Mistake: misclassification of workers. Exempt vs. non-exempt 

status: Finding and correcting these mistakes are an Obama 

administration priority. While there are many factors to consider, 

you’re basically basing your determination on the employee’s level 

of responsibility and/or training, and a salary test. 

✔ Mistake: mandating confidentiality of wage information. 

Prohibiting employees from discussing their wages is a violation of 

the National Labor Relations Act. 

#3: Privacy Assumptions and Violations 

✔ Mistake: permitting an expectation of electronic privacy. Too 

many employers fail to advise employees to expect no privacy on 

their computers. If you asked employees, “Do you think the stuff 

you put into that computer is private?” you might get some interesting 

answers. 

✔ Mistake: improper electronic monitoring. Some states have 

statutes that require employers to give employees notice if they are 

being monitored electronically. 

✔ Mistake: inadvertently revealing private employee information. 

HR possesses a great deal of sensitive information about individual 

employees. It is your duty to keep that information confidential. 

#4: Training and Performance 

✔ Mistake: failure to train supervisors. When supervisors are 

not trained, they’re the ones who get you into trouble. They may 

say rude, racist, or sexist things, or be unintentionally discriminatory, 

and because they are in a supervisory position, the entire 

company is on the hook. 

✔ Mistake: misleading performance evaluations. If you try to 

discipline an employee for a performance/behavior problem that 

was never noted on their evaluation, your hands may be tied. 

#5: Rough Beginnings and Sharp Endings 

✔ Mistake: sloppy start. Among HR’s common errors in this 

area are: failing to submit the state notice of a new hire; failing to 

tell the employee the key terms and conditions of employment; and 

providing the employee with a misleading description of working 

conditions. 

✔ Mistake: sloppy finish. Regardless of whether a termination is 

voluntary or involuntary, always allow the employee to leave with 

dignity. 

#6: Investigations 

✔ Mistake: failure to oversee supervisory investigations. As an 

HR professional, you know that timeliness and thoroughness are 

important in an investigation. But what about when a supervisor is 

the one investigating, not HR? It’s still HR’s responsibility to provide 

oversight. 

#7: Record-Keeping/I-9 Issues 

✔ Mistake: failure to document past practices. Courts love to 

know not only whether the treatment of an employee was against 

the law or company policy, but whether it was in line with past 

practices. 

✔ Mistake: failure to comply with Form I-9 requirements. Failure 

to complete the I-9 form properly and failure to keep the form 

in a separate file are common mistakes employers make. 

#8: Breakdowns In Communication 

✔ Mistake: failure to keep employees in the loop. Forgetting to 

notify employees about policy/procedure changes, outcomes of 

investigations/discipline issues, or unsatisfactory behavior or work 

quality can be a costly slip-up. 

#9: Accommodations 

✔ Mistake: failure to explore accommodations. “Accommodation” 

can be defined as “a determination in favor of the employee.” 

Employers should explore accommodation options when an employee: 

has a disability, is pregnant, is called to active military duty 

or has a family member called to active military duty, or wants to 

engage in a religious observance/practice. 

#10: Non-Compete Agreements 

✔ Mistake: unreasonable scope. Obviously, an agreement 

prohibiting an employee from working at any position in the same 

general industry forever and ever isn’t going to hold water. 

✔ Mistake: lack of consideration. Legally, contracts are valid only 

if both sides give something. If the employee gives up their right 

to compete, the employer must also give something. Too often, 

the employer gives nothing, making the non-compete agreement 

invalid in a court of law. 


Movers & Shakers 

AWARDS ➤ ANNOUNCEMENTS ➤ PRESS RELEASES PROMOTIONS EVENTS ➤ ACTIVITIES ➤ HONORS ➤ RECOGNITIONS 

➤ Mayor Kasim Reed Ground Breaking at Doctor’s Memorial 

Park in Southwest Atlanta 

➤ David A. Garfinkel Joins National Association 

of Parental Alienation Specialists 

David A. Garfinkel, of counsel attorney with 

Levine Smith Snider & Wilson, LLC, has become 

a member of the National Association of Parental 

Alienation Specialists (NAOPAS). A family law attorney 

for more than 30 years, he is the only Atlan- 

David A. Garfinkel 

ta attorney who is a member of the organization. 

“The role of parental alienation in divorce and post-divorce, 

is real. Unfortunately, there are few attorneys who have in-depth 

experience with the issue,” said Garfinkel. “As a family law attorney, 

I have handled many cases involving parental alienation 

over the years. I am proud to be a member of NAOPAS, an organization 

dedicated to shaping the future of high-conflict divorce 

and creating more compassionate solutions for children 

and families.” 

NAOPAS was founded by several forensic psychologists who 

specialize in parental alienation. The goal of the organization is 

to be a resource for parents in high-conflict divorce cases, assisting 

them in finding experienced attorneys and mental health 

professionals who are trained in parental alienation and understand 

how to litigate such cases effectively. NAOPAS members, 

which include attorneys, judges and mental health professionals, 

have access to top thought leaders, the latest research and continuing 

education on the issue. 

➤ Rachel A. Snider Achieves 

Board Certification in Family Trial Law 

The park will feature an open lawn, a playground area, and 

a rain garden, Doctor’s Memorial Park will also include a water-wall 

memorial which honors physicians from the former 

Southwest Hospital, one of the few hospitals in the nation controlled 

or operated by African-Americans. 

➤ Matthew J. Johnson, formerly 

of Drew Eckl & Farnham, LLP, in 

Atlanta, Georgia, and Lee M. Paris, 

a recent Honors Graduate from 

Emory University School of Law, 

have become associates with Davis, 

Matthew J. Johnson Lee M. Paris 

Matthews & Quigley, P.C., Atlanta, 

Georgia. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Paris will practice in the Domestic 

Relations and Family Law Section of the Firm. 

Levine Smith Snider & Wilson, LLC proudly announces 

that Rachel A. Snider, a partner in the 

firm, has successfully achieved board certification 

as a family law trial advocate by the National 

Rachel A. Snider 

Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). Rachel joins a 

growing number of trial attorneys who have demonstrated their 

commitment to bettering the legal profession by successfully 

completing a rigorous application process that provides consumers 

of legal services with an objective measure by which to 

choose qualified and experienced legal counsel. 

To achieve board certification by NBTA, attorneys must 

demonstrate substantial trial experience, submit judicial and 

peer references to attest to their competency, attend continuing 

legal education courses, submit legal writing documents, provide 

proof of good standing and pass an examination. NBTA 

was formed out of a strong conviction that both the legal profession 

and its clients would benefit from an organization designed 

specifically to create an objective set of standards illustrating an 

attorney’s experience and expertise in the practice of trial law. 

Board certification is the highest, most stringent and most reliable 

honor an attorney can achieve. 

Submit free content for 

next issue, Movers & Shakers 

• New Hires 

• Promotions 

• Honors and Awards 

• Board Appointments 

• Association Elections 

• New Office Location 

• Mergers & Acquisitions 

• Speaking Engagements. 

Contact: Bill McGill 

404-229-0780 

mcgill@AtlantaAttorneyMagazine.com 




MAGAZINE 

ATTORNEYS TO WATCH IN 2017 

ATLANTA 

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