Buckley Brown provides services to clients in a variety of civil matters. Our attorney services encompass all phases of the litigation process from the early planning, pleading, and negotiating, up to trial in state and federal courts as well as appellate advocacy. Our attorneys have handled trial and appellate matters in all courts in Georgia and nationwide.

General Casualty

Buckley Brown’s practice includes substantial experience in general casualty defense, such as matters involving premises liability defense, medical malpractice and nursing home defense, personal injury and automotive defense, dram shop defense, property owner defense and general negligence defense. The Firm represents insureds of most major carriers nationwide, self-insured companies, as well as local Georgia insurers. Barbara L. Mulholland leads this practice group.

 Municipal Liability

Municipal liability covers both state and federal litigation arising from general tort and federal civil rights claims. This practice area represents a significant part of the firm’s work. A municipality is a town, city, school district, or local government unit formed by a municipal charter from the state. Tim Buckley heads this practice for the firm. This practice area covers a broad range of issues from alleged police misconduct, to employment discrimination charges, pension and disability disputes, political discharge and retaliation claims, zoning and land use disputes, first amendment issues, as well as casualty claims. Such claims must be addressed with an eye toward existing immunities and ever-changing limitations on actions against government agencies.

 Commercial Litigation

Commercial litigation, involving disputes concerning business transactions requires counsel to provide direct services while remaining sensitive to the need to allow clients to remain focused on their ongoing business objective, including preservation of existing relationships in the marketplace while handling litigation issues. Our clients have enjoyed success in litigation including victories in complex business arbitrations. Dennis A. Brown, who holds both a J.D. and an MBA heads the firm’s commercial litigation group. 

 Coverage Disputes

Buckley Brown lawyers have experience handling claims that arise between insurance carriers and insureds as to the scope and extent of coverage under existing or claimed insurance policies. These disputes require the interpretation of insurance contracts, warranties, representations, claims of policy amendment and waiver, and exclusions. Coverage issues such as late notice, right to counsel, and alleged errors and omissions of insurance agents are also points of focus. Dennis A. Brown has extensive experience in this area and heads the coverage group.

Firm lawyers have extensive product liability litigation experience and have been recognized for handling defective product claims on a national level. These claims can sound in negligence, strict liability, design defector, breach of warranty, and generally relate to manufacturing defects, design defects, claims of improper/inadequate warnings or lack of safety devices/instructions. The Firm’s product liability team is led by Tim Buckley who has experience ranging from Georgia trial work to trial and appellate litigation in courts across the country. Representative clients include DAP, Inc., Bondo, Tremco, and Rustoleum.

Workers’ Compensation

Buckley Brown has handled thousands of claims involving the compensation claims of alleged victims of work-related accidents and diseases pursuant to state and federal laws. Workers’ compensation laws were created to ensure that employees who are injured on the job are provided with fixed benefits to help address the economic impact of injury on the worker while reducing the financial risks for the employers and insurers. Workers’ compensation laws vary from state to state, but they generally cover medical care, prescription medications, physical therapy, and limited wage replacement. Areas that require significant litigation include: requirements for covered employer-employee relationship; causation issues; nature of medical, disability, and death benefits claims. Buckley Brown lawyers have handled such claims from the administrative level through the appellate courts of several states. Catherine Dellinger Buckley leads the firm’s Workers’ Compensation group.

Construction Litigation

Buckley Brown handles legal disputes relating to construction projects, including commercial building contracts, real estate disputes and other disputes concerning complex commercial projects. The firm’s lawyers also handle disputes arising from legal issues relating to bonds and sureties, construction and builders’ liens, and other construction claims requiring arbitration. The parties to these disputes include owners, contractors, subcontractors, designers, engineers, architects, sureties, insurance companies, suppliers, lending institutions, and any other parties participating in the construction process. Dennis A. Brown serves as lead counsel to the construction claims group.

Intellectual Property

Buckley Brown provides legal services in all areas of intellectual property, including copyright infringement litigation and registration, trademark registration and disputes, patent litigation, privacy concerns including for violations of right of privacy/publicity, as well as drafting and review of contracts/licensing of intellectual property rights. Carolyn E. Wright, who has represented both international companies and individuals in intellectual property matters, leads the intellectual property team for the Firm.