teamed with the State Bar of Georgia Dispute Resolution Section to co-sponsor a " Mediation Week " virtual CLE program . The American Bar Association annually recognizes the third week in October as Mediation Week to educate lawyers , dispute resolution professionals , students , and the public about mediation and related forms of collaborative problem-solving . This year , our Section was excited to join the ABA ’ s initiative and to co-sponsor this wide-ranging program , featuring distinguished speakers and an advanced dialogue between Georgia litigators and mediators on the mediation process .
DOUGLAS J . WITTEN BAY Mediation & Arbitration Services LLC djw @ bayadr . com
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Litigation Section
On September 16 , 2022 , the Litigation Section got-off to a roaring start for the bar year with its first breakfast meeting . The topic was “ State of the Judiciary 2.0 .” The panel , Presiding Justice Nels S . D . Peterson of the Supreme Court of Georgia , Judge Steven D . Grimberg of the USDC Northern District of Georgia , Judge Robert C . I . McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court , and Chief Judge Susan Edlein of Fulton County State Court , gave a great presentation . Amy Cheng at Nelson Mullins and Michael Gretchen at Fellows LaBriola were excellent moderators . 117 people registered for this event and about 100 attended . It was the highest number of registrations and the highest attendance for an in-person Litigation Section Breakfast Meeting in 4 years .
On October 14 , 2022 , there was a Joint Litigation Section and Labor & Employment Law Section Breakfast Meeting . The topic was Noncompetes & Other Restrictive Covenants – Changing Tides . The panelists , Leslie Eason at Gordon Rees , Benjamin Fink at Berman Fink Van Horn , Sheri Oluyemi at Sheri Oluyemi , LLC , and Justin Scott at Scott Employment Law , gave a very informative and educational presentation . 110 people registered for this event and about 100 attended .
We will keep the momentum going with future events ! Visit the atlantabar . org calendar for more information .
E . TY BROWN Hawkins Parnell tbrown @ hpylaw . com
Labor & Employment Law Section
On September 15 , we kicked off the year with a networking happy hour at the Biggerstaff Brewing Company . Over forty attendees enjoyed good company , beverages , and hors d ' oeuvres .
On October 14 , we co-hosted a breakfast program with the Litigation Section at Ansley Country Club . Four panelists - Leslie Eason , Ben Fink , Justin Scott , and Sheri Oluyemi - discussed the latest trends in noncompete law in Georgia and nationally .
In November , we will be launching the first of our three-part “ roundtable ” series . This is a new program for our section where participants will join in a facilitated discussion about a timely employment law topic . Be on the lookout for more details about this upcoming , exciting series !
NEAL F . WEINRICH Berman Fink Van Horn PC NWeinrich @ bfvlaw . com
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Women in the Profession Section
The Women in Profession section hosted its kick-off happy hour on September 28th . The event was hosted on the outdoor patio of Monarch Plaza by Baker , Donelson , Bearman , Caldwell & Berkowitz , PC . The event saw a great turnout with new connections , good food , and beautiful weather .
On October 19th , WIP hosted a private Pure Barre class in Virginia Highlands . Attendees worked up a good sweat through this lowimpact , high-intensity workout , while also enjoying each other ’ s company and building new friendships . The event highlighted the importance of carving out time for exercise for both our physical and mental well-being , as an additional tool for combating the stress and burn-out so prevalent in attorneys ’ lives .
WIP ’ s annual holiday party will be on December 15th at the wonderful Judge Susan Edlein ’ s house . Please keep an eye out for the official event information coming out soon , and we look forward to seeing you there .
TALIS C . TREVINO Holland & Knight talis . trevino @ hklaw . com
www . atlantabar . org THE ATLANTA LAWYER 29