Two of the best things that can happen to a person are to have good parents and to be born in America. I was blessed with both.
My parents had their hands full, raising six children whose births spanned 14 years. We were read to constantly as children. The importance of education was burned into us early and often. My father went to college while raising the kids. Among the eight of us, parents and children together, we earned seven undergraduate degrees and six advanced degrees. After retiring as an electrical engineer, my father became a Deacon in the Catholic Church, where he volunteered for 20 years. He died a few years ago after an exemplary life of love and service. At 88 years old, my mother is still the smartest and sharpest of us all!
While in college, I began working construction jobs in the summer. I loved learning physical construction and am still interested in the occasional project. Over time, I renovated buildings, worked for landlords, and became a landlord. I worked in the mortgage industry and in the real estate title business. When someone tells me something is hard to do, I say, “It’s not as hard as doing roofing in the summer!” Although it was many years ago, I can still feel my feet burning through those construction boots.
In college, I studied English Literature. After a childhood full of books and a family who loved learning, I found reading novels and writing papers came naturally. I graduated with honors from The University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
I was working on the roof of the house that became my first investment property when my wife yelled up that my law school entrance exam scores had arrived in the mail. I had scored in the 94th percentile. I knew I was going to law school. 
In the summer after the first year of law school, I had an internship in historic Annapolis at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court with the Honorable Judge Duckett. During my second year, I was a Law Achievement Workshop Scholar hired by the law school to teach first-year students a review course on Federal Civil Procedure. In 1995 I graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Baltimore School of Law.
The single most important thing I have done is raise two children. My wife, Kate, and I have two sons, Jack and Garrett. Jack graduated from Penn State and is currently in law school at ‘Ole Miss on a scholarship. Garrett just graduated from Villanova and is in New York City, beginning his career as a software engineer. Both boys are Eagle Scouts and Black Belts in Tae Kwon Do. Kate is an executive at a Fortune 500 company. Kate also serves on the board of directors of The Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. I couldn’t be more proud of them all.
Georgia is a wonderful place to live. I enjoy playing golf (although it is occasionally tortuous). Kate plays tennis and rides horses when she can find the time. We also travel with our boys when we can. Last year we all went to Italy, where Garrett had an internship at The Vatican. This year we are going to Napa Valley, California, to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and to a family wedding in Maryland.
Once we established our own nest egg, I used my education and experience to secure our assets for ourselves and our children. I now design estate plans for my clients with the same care and concern for their families and businesses as I do for my own.
Nothing is more important than family.
Associations & Memberships
- Member in good standing of the Georgia Bar Association and several sections of the Georgia Bar Association: Business Law Section, Real Property Law Section, Tax Law Section, and the Elder Care Law Section
- Member of WealthCounsel, an organization that helps Estate Planning Attorneys practice excellence
Education
- English Literature, Cum Laude, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1989)
- Juris Doctor, University of Baltimore, School of Law (1995)
- LL.M. Candidate, Texas A&M, School of Law, Wealth Management (expected Dec. 2024)