Biography
Throughout Debra's career, she has actively represented defendants in civil litigation matters. Her experience includes representing all manners of medical professionals, from the inception of a claim through trial, which includes physicians, chiropractors, dentists, nurses, and nursing assistants. Currently, Debra primarily represents long-term care facilities, as well as home health, hospice, and national assisted living facilities in Georgia. She has represented healthcare workers in thousands of depositions, and she is exceedingly familiar with the various testimonies and plaintiff’s strategies that may arise throughout the deposition process.
Debra believes that the defense begins with the deposition of the plaintiff and their experts. She uses her vast experience and knowledge of witness preparation at deposition as one of her key strategies, leading toward trial. Debra strives to provide her clients proactive, effective representation throughout the litigation process. In addition, she offers her clients risk management advice to assist her clients in avoiding lawsuits.
In addition to representing healthcare providers, Debra also actively represents companies in premises litigation matters, including negligent security claims, “trip and fall” cases, as well as a variety of general liability matters.
Education
- University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., 1987)
- Editor, Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law
- Furman University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1983)
- Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Admissions
Courts
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Professional Affiliations
- State Bar of Georgia
- Atlanta Bar Association
- DRI
- Lawyers Club of Atlanta
- Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
- Georgia Health Care Association
- Georgia Senior Living Association, f/k/a Assisted Living Federation of America
- Women Lawyers Alliance
- National Association of Professional Women
- Georgia Association for Home Health Agencies
Honors
- AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
- The Best Lawyers in America© (2022-2023)
- Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
- Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
Trials
- Alexander v. Tapestry Hospice, State Court of Cobb County, Georgia
- Mildred Cantrell v. VistaCare U.S.A., Inc. d/b/a VistaCare Hospice, Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia
- Gerald L. McDaniel, et al. v. Raypak, Inc., Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Presentations
- “Preventing Litigation inLong-Term Care Facilities,” Atlanta, Georgia (February 4, 2016)
- Georgia Medical Directors Association, Summer Symposium, Savannah, Georgia (2006)
- “Avoiding the Lawsuit,” Assisted Living Federation of America, Atlanta (2006)