New Attorneys Join Powell Goldstein

Powell Goldstein LLP announced today that Laurence P. Colton, Stuart C. Johnson and Gary E. Thomas have joined the law firm as partners, while David L. Watson joined as Counsel. In addition, associate Nigam Acharya and paralegal Kim Brantley joined the firm to work for Colton, while paralegal Leslie Brooks joined the firm to work for Watson. "Larry, Stuart, Gary and David are highly distinguished legal professionals who are well regarded in the business community," said Powell Goldstein Chairman James J. McAlpin, Jr. "Our focus on strategic lateral hiring continues, and the firm's experience, expertise and excellence grow with each new partner." Laurence P. Colton Colton's practice at the firm's Intellectual Property department is dedicated to assisting technology and brand owners and developers in protecting their intellectual property, aiding venture capital sources in due diligence matters, and representing foreign companies and law firms that want to protect their intellectual property in the United States. Previously, Colton was the founder and principal of Technoprop Colton LLC, a boutique law firm specialized in intellectual property. Before that, he was the co-founder and managing partner of the intellectual property law firm of Deveau, Colton & Marquis. Colton has been practicing intellectual property law in Atlanta for more than 18 years. He is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the International Trademark Association, the State Bar of Georgia and the American Bar Association, among others. Colton earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and a Juris Doctor degree from the Emory University School of Law. Prior to entering law school, he attended the College of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering of the University of Maryland as a graduate student. Joining Colton's team at Powell Goldstein are associate Nigam Acharya and paralegal Kim Brantley. Stuart C. Johnson Johnson joins Powell Goldstein's Business and Finance practice and brings extensive experience in middle-market transactions, the private equity and venture capital markets. Previously, Johnson was a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, where he was co-chair of its Corporate Practice Group. He has represented clients in acquisitions, sales, joint ventures, private equity investments and strategic partnerships. Johnson has also counseled private companies in structuring relationships between business owners, employment matters, succession planning and state and federal taxation. In addition, he has assisted foreign clients in planning and implementing their business operations in the United States and in planning and executing the international activities of U.S.-based clients. He is the current president of the Atlanta chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), a member of its board of directors and was the chairman of the 2005 ACG Atlanta Capital Connects, which is the largest private equity/mergers and acquisitions event in the Southeastern United States. Johnson also actively participates in the American Bar Association's Business Law Section, and is a member of the Section's Committee on Negotiated Transactions, the Section's Committee on Venture Capital and Private Equity, and the Section's Subcommittee on Mergers and Acquisitions Market Trends. Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, a master's degree from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Gary E. Thomas Thomas joins Powell Goldstein as a partner in its National Labor, Employment and Immigration Law group. Previously, Thomas was a partner at Fisher & Phillips LLP. He has extensive experience in employment litigation, arbitration, mediation, class actions and jury trials. A trial attorney, Thomas is skilled in employment discrimination claims, having represented private and public sector employers in state and federal courts throughout the Southeast. He represents employers before federal, state and local government agencies as well. In addition to his litigation practice, Thomas advises employers in handling day-to-day personnel matters of all varieties, and he works with them to train managers and supervisors. He also assists employers in developing and implementing effective employment policies and procedures, and he conducts workshops on best employment practices and litigation avoidance. Thomas is a member of the National Employment Law Council, the National Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Bar Association, and the Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgia State University College of Law. David L. Watson Watson joins the firm's Tax department as Counsel. Previously, he was a partner at Gambrell & Stoltz, LLP, where his primary practice areas were taxation, estate planning, probate, trusts, and business planning and succession. Watson's taxation practice areas included individual, partnership, fiduciary, corporations and exempt organizations. Previously, he operated his own practice, David L. Watson, LLC. Prior to that, he was a partner at Gomel & Davis, LLP and a tax consultant for Ernst & Young, LLP. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association, where he is a director of the Estate Planning and Probate Section. Watson is also a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council and a director of the Center for Positive Aging, Inc. He earned a bachelor's, a master's and a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Mississippi. Watson also earned a LL. M. degree in Taxation at Emory University. Joining Watson at Powell Goldstein is paralegal Leslie Brooks. Powell Goldstein LLP was established in 1909 and has more than 300 attorneys who provide legal counsel to clients in a wide variety of practices from offices in Atlanta and Washington. For more information, visit http://www.pogolaw.com or call 404.572.6600.