Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, LLC is an Atlanta law firm specializing in medical malpractice defense, professional liability, construction litigation, general liability defense and pharmacy law and regulation.
Founded by Tim Bendin, Roger Sumrall, and David Ladner in 2010, Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, LLC strives to provide clients with individual solutions to their complex legal, business, and regulatory matters.
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About Us
Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, LLC was founded in 2010 by Timothy Bendin, Roger Sumrall, and David Ladner with an emphasis on an active, hands-on, litigation practice and close-knit relationships with each other and the clients we serve. The firm’s philosophy highlights cultivating not just the professional skill sets of its attorneys, but also on cultivating personal and family-oriented activities and interests to ensure balanced and well-rounded lawyers. The firm specializes in medical malpractice defense, healthcare and pharmacy law and compliance, and construction litigation matters. Our clients include hospitals across Georgia, national construction companies, and national retailers and pharmacies.
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By Isaac Monterose Law360 (March 2, 2022) -- A Georgia federal court sided with major forklift manufacturer Crown Equipment Corp. on Tuesday against injury claims by...
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March 28, 2018: Kristin Pierson and Paige McKinney file amicus curiae brief in the Georgia Court of Appeals on behalf of the Georgia Defense Lawyers...
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In light of the memos released by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand in recent months indicating that FDA guidance documents...
Kathleen W. Simcoe
Kathleen Simcoe is an experienced trial lawyer in the firm’s insurance defense practice group. Her civil litigation and trial practice focuses on professional liability, medical malpractice, nursing home liability, health care law, pharmacy liability, premises liability, and related corporate matters in Georgia state and federal courts. She has extensive experience representing health care providers, practice groups, facilities, and health care corporations in professional liability lawsuits, representation of health care providers before Georgia licensing boards, and advising health care organizations concerning general risk management issues.
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Emma N. Aguilar
As an associate at Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, LLC, Emma focuses her practice on construction litigation and general liability and advises clients on corporate governance and restructuring. Emma also represents clients in landlord-tenant disputes. Emma earned her J.D. from Mercer University School of Law, where she graduated cum laude. While in law school, Emma was a member of the Advanced Legal Writing, Research, and Drafting Certificate Program and was a recipient of the American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence. She was also a student mentor in the Fellowship of Adolescent Mentors organization.
Stephen H. Sparwath
Since 1986, Mr. Sparwath’s practice has focused solely on civil litigation in the fields of professional liability, premises liability, products liability, and general personal injury defense. Throughout that time, he has defended physicians, nurses, hospitals, and all other health care providers in medical malpractice and wrongful death cases, as well as universities and national corporations in premises liability and other personal injury cases. He has successfully defended his clients in both federal and state courts throughout the Southeast. He has served as Regional Counsel for national corporations, and since 2011 has served as Regional Counsel for Home Depot U.S.A., Inc. defending its stores in personal injury lawsuits in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Alabama.
Tyler D. Jones
Tyler Jones focuses his practice on business litigation, employment law, and insurance defense, including premises liability and professional liability. His experience includes all aspects of litigation, pleading and motion practice, and discovery. Tyler has experience defending employers and insurers in workers’ compensation claims, coverage, and other related disputes.
Kyle H. Sparwath
Kyle Sparwath focuses his practice on business, medical professional liability defense, health care law, general professional liability defense, general personal injury defense, products liability, and insurance coverage. His experience includes all aspects of litigation, primarily motion drafting and the discovery process. He is principally involved in the defense of physicians, medical care providers, and hospitals in medical and general liability cases.
David V. Hayes
David Hayes is a litigator, corporate lawyer and lobbyist. As a litigator, David represents medical professionals, national retailers, publicly traded companies and governmental entities in state and federal courts across the Southeast. As a corporate lawyer, David advises corporate leaders on restructuring, strategic planning and corporate governance. David has a particular interest in assisting international companies with entrance into the U.S. marketing and has set-up U.S. subsidiaries for numerous foreign companies. As a lobbyist, David assists clients with public policy strategies and represents their interests at various governmental levels.
Timothy H. Bendin
A founding partner of Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner, Tim Bendin practices in the areas of medical malpractice and hospital liability. Tim is a native of Georgia and has been a member of the Atlanta legal community for over 30 years.
Tim has tried numerous jury trials, primarily in the metropolitan Atlanta area, and has received statewide recognition for his extensive litigation experience. Between 2007 to 2020, Georgia Super Lawyers magazine recognized Tim as being in the top 5% of state attorneys practicing in the area of personal injury and medical malpractice defense. In addition to his trial work, Tim also leads educational seminars on various health care topics; his audiences include attorneys, health care professionals, and claims personnel.
Roger S. Sumrall
A member of the Georgia Bar since 1988, Roger S. Sumrall has tried in excess of seventy cases. Roger’s extensive litigation experience includes construction law, medical malpractice and other complex litigation matters. As leader of the firm’s construction practice, Roger specializes in the defense of construction defect and environmental claims. He has handled a wide variety of cases involving building structure defects, sedimentation and erosion, moisture intrusion, and toxic exposure. Roger has broad experience in the defense of professionals, including insurance brokers and agents, health care providers, architects, engineers, and directors and officers. He represents professionals under insurers’ errors and omissions policies and directly when the professional is self-insured.
David Ladner
A partner at Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner, David Ladner’s practice includes the representation of a wide variety of businesses, including hospitals, national product manufacturers, pharmacies and banking institutions. While David’s practice is primarily litigation based, he also advises his clients at a policy level to minimize risk and adopt current practices consistent with the safe and effective operation of their businesses.
Stephen T. Snow
For more than 15 years, attorney Stephen Snow has provided skilled representation to clients inside and outside of the courtroom. He is an experienced litigator, having successfully argued cases in federal and state courts and has a proven record of producing positive results in complex litigation, arbitration, and mediation proceedings. Stephen’s clients include compounding and health system pharmacies, commercial and residential construction companies of all sizes, insurance carriers, and other top-tier businesses.
Melanie S. Taylor
Melanie S. Taylor is a partner with Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner and is a 2017 Super Lawyer Rising Star. Melanie’s representation includes corporations, business owners, hospitals and individual medical providers in complex litigation and medical malpractice matters. Melanie volunteers on the faculty of the National Business Institute to publish and teach national continuing education seminars throughout the year for attorneys and paralegals on the topics of medical malpractice defense, how the Affordable Care Act impacts malpractice litigation, best practices for discovery and trial, and defending premises liability cases.
Robert W. Stannard
Robert is a partner at Bendin Sumrall & Ladner with an AV peer rating from Martindale Hubbell. He has a litigation practice which focuses on medical malpractice, general liability, and commercial disputes. Robert also handles regulatory compliance matters on behalf of pharmacies and hospitals involving professional boards and investigations from state and federal agencies.
Kimberly Logue Woodland
Kimberly Logue Woodland is a partner in the firm. Kim graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science before earning her Juris Doctorate degree, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law. In law school, she was a member of the intrastate and national moot court teams and served on the law review.
Kristin L. Pierson
Kristin Pierson is a Partner with Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her law degree from the Charleston School of Law in Charleston, South Carolina, where she founded the Health Law & Bioethics Society and served as its President, creating the law school’s annual Bioethics Symposium. Kristin also served as a member of the Moot Court Board and the Charleston Law Review, and she worked with the Medical University of South Carolina to establish a collaborative teaching relationship between the medical school and the law school.
Jennifer Bellis
Jennifer earned her undergraduate degree, with honors, in Environmental Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. While at UNC, Ms. Bellis expanded her studies beyond Chapel Hill, researching sustainable development issues while living in the United Kingdom and on the coast of North Carolina.
Hunter S. Allen Jr.
Hunter S. Allen, Jr. is of counsel with Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner and has specialized in the defense of medical malpractice actions for physicians and hospitals for his entire 45-year legal career. He has represented The Emory Clinic, the 800-plus member physician practice group of The Emory University School of Medicine, since 1977, and has earned an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell in recognition of his commitment to excellence in the practice of law.
Gary R. McCain
Gary R. (“Rusty”) McCain joined the firm in August, 2019 when the firm of Allen & McCain, P.C. joined forces with Bendin Sumrall & Ladner, LLC. Prior to joining, Mr. McCain was partner at Allen & McCain, P.C. an Atlanta defense firm. He has great expertise in the procedural and technical aspects of malpractice cases.
Joscelyn M. Hughes
Joscelyn specializes in the representation of healthcare providers in medical malpractice actions, licensing and credentialing investigations and health care regulatory compliance matters, as well as Medicare self-disclosures and audits. Her clients include hospitals, medical practices, pharmacies, surgery centers, and individual health care providers, including physicians, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, dentists, nurses, medical assistants, respiratory therapists, and more. Joscelyn has been recognized by her peers as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and top lawyer by Georgia Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite for her excellence in the practice of law.
Michael T. Sumner
Michael T. Sumner is a partner at Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner, LLC and has specialized in the representation of clients in medical malpractice, licensing and credentialing, health care regulatory compliance, and general liability claims and matters throughout his over 15 year legal career. He represents healthcare systems, medical practices, medical facilities and pharmacies, and individual healthcare providers, including physicians, physician’s assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, and therapists, among others, in a wide variety of claims and matters. Michael has always felt it is his privilege to represent these clients in these most important matters and understands the healthcare sector is responsible for preserving the health of our families, communities, and societies at large.
Katie D. Broyles
Katie is an Associate at Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner, LLC and practices in the areas of medical malpractice, professional liability, and pharmacy law and regulation. Katie earned her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law, where she served as the President of the Student Health Law Association and graduated with the Health Law Certificate and Pro Bono Distinction. Katie worked in the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. handling cases for low income clients. During law school, Katie simultaneously attended Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, where she received her Master of Science in Health Administration, with honors. Katie earned her undergraduate degrees in English and Philosophy from the University of Georgia, with honors.
Paige Cobbs
As an associate at Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner, Paige focuses her practice on construction litigation and general liability. Paige received her J.D. from Tulane University Law School on a Dean’s Scholarship. While in law school, Paige was the Senior Managing Editor of the Tulane Journal of Law & Sexuality, as well as a student attorney in Tulane’s Criminal Litigation Clinic, where she represented indigent defendants charged with felonies and misdemeanors in criminal district court.
Karen A. Hubbard
Karen joined Bendin Sumrall & Ladner in 2017. Her practice is devoted to civil defense, and focuses primarily on the representation of healthcare providers and hospitals in cases involving allegations of medical malpractice. Karen graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986. After graduating from Georgetown, she worked for a prominent Atlanta law firm, conducting all aspects of civil litigation. Karen has extensive experience in motion and brief writing at all levels, including appellate briefing. Karen also worked in house at Delta Air Lines, Inc., and spent several years assisting smaller litigation firms with legal research and writing.
Carrie Moss
As Partner, Carrie A. Moss practices in the areas of construction and environmental litigation, professional negligence/pharmacy malpractice, and general liability. Carrie has experience representing various clients in both Georgia state and federal courts. She earned her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, where she graduated cum laude. She studied international and comparative law through UGA’s Oxford Program at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University during Spring 2014. She also served as the Executive Notes Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and authored a publication on patent subject matter eligibility in the software context.
Alan Payne
Alan Payne is a partner at the firm and is a member of the medical malpractice group. Alan earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science at Duke University.
Alan received his Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law. While at Emory, Alan was a student attorney in Emory’s Barton Juvenile Defender Clinic, and an active member of Emory’s International Law Review. Prior to joining the firm, Alan was an associate at a civil litigation firm in Savannah, Georgia.
David Schulte
As an associate at Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner, David H. Schulte primarily devotes his practice to hospital liability with a concentration in professional negligence, as well as general liability. David graduated from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business in 2004 with a degree in Finance. He received his Juris Doctorate from the Georgia State University School of Law in 2009. David worked in the workers’ compensation group at a prominent Atlanta civil defense firm prior to joining Bendin, Sumrall & Ladner.