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Balch & Bingham LLP Announces Expansion of Environmental Law Practice

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 July 2006, 18:00 CDT

ATLANTA, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Balch & Bingham LLP is delighted to announce that Barbara Gallo, Scott Hitch and Kerry Nelson have joined the firm, adding a unique depth and strength in environmental and land use law to the firm's growing business and litigation practice. Gallo is a veteran environmental lawyer, having practiced in the area for more than twenty years, and is well known in Atlanta as an expert in the field. She is a 1973 graduate of Georgia State University and a 1981 magna cum laude graduate of the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. In this move, Barbara rejoins Balch & Bingham senior partner Mike Bowers, with whom she worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia for many years. Gallo is also long-time friends with several other Balch & Bingham partners from the days she and her husband Tom spent in Birmingham for law school and while Tom was in private practice and Barbara worked for successive Chief Judges of the Northern District of Alabama, Frank McFadden and Sam Pointer. Since then, Gallo has been in the public sector and in private practice, earning accolades like "Georgia Super Lawyer" and one of the "Top 50 Women Lawyers in Georgia" in 2004, 2005 and, again, in 2006.

Scott Hitch and Kerry Nelson are also joining the firm's well-established environmental practice, and are themselves recognized environmental lawyers with considerable experience. Hitch is a 1996 honors graduate of the University of Georgia and a 1999 cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. He has focused his practice on environmental and land use law since the beginning. Kerry Nelson graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997 and is a 2000 cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. Like Hitch, Nelson has been an environmental lawyer from the start.

Josh Archer, managing partner of the firm's Atlanta office, said "Barbara Gallo is the best of the best in her field and a great person. We are extremely pleased that her expertise will be available to our clients." Jim Hughey, Chairman of the firm's Executive Committee, said "We are excited about the opportunity we have to grow our practice in Atlanta. Having Barbara Gallo, Scott Hitch and Kerry Nelson helping us do that is a tremendous boost to our plans and efforts. The fact that Barbara and Tom are like old friends to many of us just makes this opportunity a perfect match." Steve McKinney, Chair of the firm's 21-lawyer Environmental and Natural Resources section, said "Barbara is the real deal among environmental lawyers. She has great experience and skills and an excellent professional reputation. Scott and Kerry are experienced lawyers who add instant depth to our practice group. All three are top flight individuals who we are very pleased have seen fit to join us."

Balch & Bingham LLP is a full-service law firm serving business and industry throughout the Southeast with offices in Atlanta, Birmingham, Gulfport, Huntsville, Jackson, Montgomery and Washington, DC. See http://www.balch.com/

Balch & Bingham LLP

CONTACT: Bill Crane of GCI Group, +1-404-870-3845, orbcrane@gcigroup.com, for Balch & Bingham LLP; or Nora Yardley of Balch &Bingham LLP, +1-205-226-3476, or nyardley@balch.com

Web site: http://www.balch.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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