Beloved litigator Ollie M. Harton passed away on May 5, 2024. Ollie joined Hawkins Parnell & Young in Atlanta in 1988 and was a long-time shareholder. He was key in expanding the firm's footprint beyond Georgia and turning the toxic tort litigation group into a national presence.

With a long list of accomplishments over a storied career that spanned more than 40 years, Ollie tried over 90 toxic tort cases nationwide. He was a giant in the defense of asbestos litigation and shaped its evolution. He managed thousands of cases across the country, serving as national, regional, and local trial counsel, including trying cases in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.

Outside his practice, Ollie dedicated himself to developing the next generation of trial lawyers. He taught trial advocacy classes for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and as an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law. He also worked closely with students as a faculty member for the Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques at Emory University.

After graduating with two bachelor's degrees from Tulane University, Ollie obtained his J.D. from The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and LL.M from Emory University School of Law. He started his career as a judicial law clerk in the Tennessee Court of Appeals and served as a trial lawyer in the Tennessee Attorney General's Office.