Georgia Lawyers

Civil Litigation

6323 Roosevelt Highway, Union City, GA 30291

Ronald J. Freeman, Sr. graduated with high honors from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 1982. He attended Georgia State University College of Law where he received his Juris Doctor as a Regents Opportunity Scholar. Attorney Freeman’s primary focus is in the area of contracts, dispute resolution and business and construction related litigation matters involving the public and private sectors. He serves as general counsel to a number of businesses which frequently encounter employment, facility management and construction related issues. Attorney Freeman’s appointments include Chief Judge, Cities of Riverdale, Union City and Forest Park. He is a member of the Council of Municipal Court Judges; American Bar Association (Construction Law Section); Association of Trial Lawyers of America; State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta Bar Association (Construction Law Section and Managing Partners Committee); National Bar Association; Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Gate City Bar Association (Past President) Faculty Member, Institute of Continuing Judicial Education. Attorney Freeman practices in the Corporate & Business Litigation and Governmental Law Groups.

Personal Injury Law

4153C Flat Shoals Pkwy, Suite 332, Decatur, GA 30034

Criminal Defense Law

1015 Tyrone Road, Suite 620, Tyrone, GA 30290

Mr. Hayes received his Juris Doctorate Degree from the College of Law at Georgia State University and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1996. ? Mr. Hayes previously worked as a Senior Assistant District Attorney (“ADA”) in the Griffin Judicial Circuit. He also formerly served as a Senior ADA in the Coweta Judicial Circuit. ? In 2007, Rudjard M. Hayes became a Partner at Sanchez Hayes & Associates, LLC, located in Tyrone, Georgia. Mr. Hayes leads the firm’s criminal section and civil litigation section. Mr. Hayes devotes a substantial portion of his practice to criminal defense, where he represents those accused of committing one or more criminal offenses. Mr. Hayes also represents civil litigants in a variety of matters ranging from complex business transactions, contract disputes, and various employment issues. Mr. Hayes has tried hundreds of criminal felony and misdemeanor jury trials and countless civil trials in all courts; city, municipal, state, superior and federal court.? ? Mr. Hayes is an active member of the community. Mr. Hayes is a member of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Mr. Hayes has acted as a mentor to new attorneys in Georgia. In 2005, Mr. Hayes began a Mock Trial Team at his son’s high school. In 2006, he began working as an adjunct professor at Georgia State University (GSU), where he coached the Georgia State University Mock Trial Team until 2012. From September 2008 until April 2009 Mr. Hayes also taught as an adjunct professor at Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, GA. He was responsible for developing and coaching Mercer’s Mock Trial Teams. One of Mercer’s teams, coached by Mr. Hayes, won a national championship at the ABA National Criminal Justice Trail Advocacy Competition in Chicago. Mr. Hayes has also acted as a judge for numerous national mock trial competitions. Mr. Hayes’ commitment to the community and the legal profession was recognized when, in 2008, he was awarded the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service.

Corporate and Transactional Law

1180 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA

Russ Richards focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate governance. As a partner in our Corporate Governance and Mergers & Acquisitions practices, Russ represents public and private companies in a range of corporate transactions. Across a wide variety of industries, Russ works with publicly held and privately owned companies in a full range of merger and acquisition transactions. These transactions have included public and private M&A, joint ventures, and strategic investments for companies throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, the UK and Europe. Russ also represents Boards of Directors and Special Committees in planning and executing these transactions, and regularly advises public company Boards of Directors and Chief Executive Officers on corporate governance matters. Russ has been identified by Chambers USA and Georgia Trend as a leading lawyer in his practice area. He has also been listed in The Best Lawyers in America and selected as a BTI Client Service All-Star for delivering exemplary client service. Russ was also the recipient of the Daily Report Lifetime Achievement Award. Russ has been recognized as the 2023 and 2025 "Lawyer of the Year" for Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law in Atlanta in the 2023 and 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America.

Real Estate Law

P. O. Box 70, McDonough, GA 30253

Ruthie K. Snell is a native Atlantan and a graduate of Woodward Academy. She received her undergraduate degrees in Convergence Journalism and Political Science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in 2010. Ruthie returned to Atlanta to attend Georgia State University College of Law and received her Juris Doctorate degree in 2014. While in law school, Ruthie was active in Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and interned with the Cobb and Gwinnett County District Attorneys' offices, and with Fulton County Superior Court Judges Craig Schwall and Wendy Shoob.