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AN INSIDE VIEW INTO GEORGIA’S NEWS, POLITICS & CULTURE

MAY/JUNE 2017

COLUMNS BYJOSH BELINFANTERANDY EVANSVIRGINIA A. HEPNERPATRICK HICKEYPHIL KENTMAC McGREWCINDY MORLEY LARRY WALKERGARY WISENBAKER

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJOSH BELINFANTERANDY EVANSVIRGINIA A. HEPNERPATRICK HICKEYPHIL KENTMAC McGREWCINDY MORLEYLARRY WALKERGARY WISENBAKER

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DEPARTMENTS Publisher’s Message 4

Floating Boats 6

FEATURES Georgia’s Most Influential Politically-Connected Attorneys 10

Georgia’s Most Influential Judges 15

Georgia’s Political Influencers in Washington by Patrick Hickey 19

Georgia’s Representatives & Senators Chiefs of Staff & Legislative Directors 21

The 2017 James Readers’ PollTop Metro Atlanta “Political Hangout” Restaurants 24

Readers Vote on Hangin’ with the Politicos 25 by Cindy Morley

COLUMNS Good Legislation to Boost Rural Development 9 by Gary Wisenbaker

Art Education is Critical to the Development of the Whole Child 17 by Virginia A. Hepner The Bobby Jones Legacy: Timeless Values to a Modern World 22 by Phil Kent 6th Congressional District Runoff Going Down to the Wire 31 by Randy Evans Some Debts Are Too Big to Be Repaid 33 by Larry Walker Reflecting On the Fate of Casino, Certificate of Need Bills 35 by Josh Belinfante Driving Business On the Course 38 by Mac McGrew

JAMES

P U B L I S H E R’ S M E S S A G E

We also present the results of our annual onlinereader poll that occurred on our parent company web-site www.insideradvantage.com. Staff writer CindyMorley’s feature focuses on the top five metro Atlanta“political hangout” restaurants. And, we have puttogether a chart featuring the overall top 20 vote-get-ters. Over 1,100 ballots were cast. Comments alsoarrived ranging from insightful to crazy. Veteran journalist Dink NeSmith once remarked,“If Georgia is always on your mind, you’ll love LarryWalker. He’s as down-home as a plate of your grand-ma’s cathead biscuits.” So don’t neglect to readLarry’s latest column. And, finally, your publisherinterviewed the grandson of the legendary golf cham-pion Bobby Jones. Find out how the Jones family iskeeping this great Georgian’s legacy alive.

A MEA CULPA We missed the mark on a couple of items in ourMarch-April “Influential Georgians” issue. To our horror, the incorrectpicture of Fox5Atlanta WAGA-TV’s Vice President and GeneralManager Bill Schneider was inserted with his bio. Also, we incorrectlylisted the mayor of Columbus who is, in fact, Teresa Tomlinson, the firstwoman to hold that office. We sincerely apologize for these oversights.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY adjourned in late March andGov. Nathan Deal has been busy signing bills thatwere passed. Furthermore, Georgia’s 6th U.S.Congressional District special election runoff is cur-rently in the national spotlight featuring an expensiveslugfest between GOP candidate Karen Handel andDemocrat Jon Ossoff. This is the perfect time for theJames Political & Law Issue to hit the mailboxes—andour writers are well-qualified to address these timelytopics and more. Josh Belinfante discusses two well-publicized leg-islative initiatives that failed in the GeneralAssembly—but could be back next year. GaryWisenbaker pens a column on overdue legislation thatwould benefit rural Georgia. As for the 6th Districtrace, Randy Evans peers into his crystal ball, analyzesthe ground game and foresees a close outcome. A special feature by staff writer Patrick Hickey pro-vides a snapshot of Peach State movers and shakers inthe nation’s capital. Be sure to read this interestingroster of Georgians of varying degrees of influence whoare in the District of Columbia and roaming the corri-dors of power. Our annual “Most Influential Politically-ConnectedLawyers” lists various new names along with familiarones. The world of the law, politics and business arefascinatingly interconnected— and James strives tounderscore these Georgia connections in every issue.This feature chronicles politically-connected attorneyswho may or may not appear in a courtroom yet active-ly influence public policy as well as events in the courtof public opinion that affect every Georgian. Education is a topic in every James, so for thisissue Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center CEO VirginiaHepner writes about making arts education a staple inGeorgia schools again.

Of Politics, Lawyers & Even a Great Golfer’s Legacy

PHIL KENT CEO & PUBLISHER

Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue was sworn inas Secretary of Agriculture last month by a Senate vote of87-11. Perdue joins the Trump cabinet after a drawn outconfirmation process that frustrated many Republicans,but comes as welcome relief to famers and their allies asthey anxiously look toward the President’s budget pro-posals. For Perdue, his many Georgian friends, and farm-ers nationwide, the confirmation has the ship… RISING

A former Atlanta Police Department business manager issuing the city, alleging her firing was in retaliation forcomplaints made to her superiors against Atlanta MayorKasim Reed. Tracy Woodard says she discovered themayor was diverting funds dedicated to the purchase ofnew police patrol cars to the purchase, instead, of vehi-cles for his own personal use and that of his family.Woodard also charges that city police officers were notonly chauffeuring the mayor on city business but alsodriving him and escorting members of his family on per-sonal errands. City attorneys strongly deny these allega-tions but, coupled with the dark cloud over the Reedadministration that is undergoing a bribery/contractingscandal investigation, Georgia’s capital city’s reputationis taking another hit and its boat is definitely… Drifting

In April a fire under the I-85 overpass near Piedmont Roadcaused a section of the roadway to collapse, cutting off oneof Atlanta’s major arteries and dramatically increasingcommute times for thousands of Georgians. The city ralliedthough, using MARTA, carpools, and telecommutes tohelp ease the traffic burden as workers toil feverishly to getthe bridge fixed. The incident itself is regrettable, but thecity and her citizens’ response has their ship… RISING

The Georgia Department of Insurance has botchedtheir annual budget, overspending to such a degree thatthey were forced to lay off over ten staffers and forceemployees to take up to four unpaid furlough days.Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens is not suspect-ed of breaking any laws, but this bungled budget has thedepartment’s ship… SINKING

Atlanta’s vaunted film industry continues to grow,posting a whopping $7.2 billion worth of economicimpact in the state in fiscal year 2016. That number isdouble that of 2013, and looks to keep growing as power-house franchises such as Marvel choose to come to thePeach state. For the legislators and other officials who

have worked on the tax breaks and other incentives todraw the industry here to Georgia, their ship is… RISING

A judge had to intervene to extend hours at some troubledFulton County precincts for voters trying to cast a ballotfor last month’s special 6th Congressional District election.Furthermore, a glitch due to “technical difficulties” causedthe final Fulton candidate numbers to be reported way aftermidnight— several hours after DeKalb and Cobb countieshad tallied their final returns. Perhaps the elections directorneeds to be replaced, or better employees need to be hired.In any event, these are recurring and systemic problemsthat must be addressed by the county Board of Elections.When the whole state of Florida can tally its presidentialvotes in less than four hours, a comparison to this Georgiacounty has its elections boat… SINKING

The National Rifle Association, one of the country’slargest and most powerful non-profit organizations, heldits annual convention in Atlanta for the first time in April.The event brought in over 80,000 visitors and nearly $60million in direct economic impact. With speakers includ-ing Senators Ted Cruz and David Perdue and an appear-ance from President Donald Trump, it was surely one ofthe most high profile NRA events in recent memory.Scoring such a major event has the GWCC and all thehotels and businesses around it… RISING

Rumors swirling around a roof-issue at Mercedes-BenzStadium were proven true when it was announced thatthe opening date would be pushed back another month,this time to August 26th. That’s nearly five months ofdelays for those of you keeping score at home— the stadi-um was originally supposed to open March 1st. TwoAtlanta United games will be rescheduled, but the stadiumis expected to be ready for the opening of football season.More bad news for the AMB Group as it struggles to get itsworld class stadium open on time; its ship is… Drifting

It had been a while (relatively) since there has been anembarrassing story from a DeKalb County elected official,but on May 6 Sheriff Jeffrey Mann ended that streak.Mann, who took office in 2014, was arrested in Atlanta'sPiedmont Park after allegedly exposing himself to a policeofficer and then running away until chased down. He wastaken into custody and he initially vowed to “clear thesecharges.” So just when there were high hopes for DeKalbwith a new CEO and district attorney, now this. Theweirdest story yet out of a county that is no stranger toscandals sees Mann’s ship… SINKING

WHO’S RISING AND SINKING IN GEORGIA BUSINESS AND POLITICS

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efore the ink was dry on a U.S. Department ofTransportation pledge to give $10 million forthe replacement of a still-smoldering collapsedportion of I-85 in Atlanta, metro legislators were

criticizing a well-thought-out, hard-fought-for and longoverdue measure designed to help revitalize rural Georgia.Yet the “Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act”(GARJA), which passed minutes before the expiration ofthe 2017 legislative session, opens the door for small busi-nesses in rural Georgia— approximately 130 counties— tohave access to much needed growth capital. This need is just as immediate as are the repairs toInterstate 85. The idea is to make $60 million in tax credits avail-able to companies willing to infuse $100 million of capi-tal in designated rural counties for job creation in indus-tries including, but not limited to, agribusiness andmanufacturing. As James Salzer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionobserved, it’s an idea that’s been around for decades—even put into practice in other states with varyingdegrees of success. The prior versions were found to cre-ate jobs and produce revenue for those states but sincethey didn’t produce at expected levels, some auditorssuggested pulling the plug on the programs. This bill, crafted by Rep. Jason Shaw, R-Lakeland, isdifferent. “This is the most tightly crafted bill of its kindin the country,” Shaw recently wrote. And Shaw is right. Fees are strictly capped so that the available funds goto the intended recipient, not the fund managers. Wherereturns are realized on the invested sums, the state isallowed to share in those profits. Moreover, where thefund managers get out of line or the job creation targetsare not met, the state— through the Department ofCommunity Affairs— can recoup the tax credits. Those entities providing the funding are required tohold a Rural Small Business Investment Company or SmallBusiness Investment Company license. And the business

must demonstrate that the benefit to Georgia’s generalfund must exceed the cost of the tax credits sought. In other words, somebody’s connected brother-in-law in need of a job won’t be able use smoke and mir-rors claiming a qualified investment and then reapthe tax credits. There’s accountability as well since these growthfunds must file annual reports showing “job creationand retention (a key buzz word here), average compen-sation and rural impact.” Contrary to its critics, Shaw’s bill is no “scheme.”It doesn’t allow a free ride where no jobs are created;the investment funddoesn’t reap an inordi-nate amount in fees, andthe invested money hasto stay in the state. One thing is true,however: GARJA, in andof itself, doesn’t createjobs. It is just a tool tomake that happen. Only the investors can do that, inthe private sector, where they should be. Rural Georgia needs this incentive, just as qualifiedrural hospitals need the stepped up tax credit (to 100percent) to encourage contributions to these hospitals.Available, quality healthcare is central to any area’sinvestment and growth paradigm. As to the needs of rural Georgia, the 2017 GeorgiaGeneral Assembly “done good.” There’s more to do butthe metro-centric blinders worn for so long by the leg-islative leadership seem to have come off. Gov. Nathan Deal signed the legislation into law onMay 9th. Obviously, the governor realized that revitalizingrural Georgia is critical to uniting Georgia.

Gary Wisenbaker is a corporate communications and political consultantat Blackstone, LLC in Valdosta.

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Rep.JasonShaw

Robbins Ross Alloy Belinfante and Littlefield. Formerdeputy executive counsel Thomas Worthy is vice presi-dent of government affairs for Piedmont Healthcare andserves on the MARTA board. As for Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, he continues to be effec-

tively assisted by his general counsel and policy directorIrene Munn. Attorney General Chris Carr, aformer chief of staff to U.S. Sen.Johnny Isakson, is the state’s topprosecutor. Among his capablestaff is Solicitor General SarahHawkins Warren. She previouslyserved as deputy solicitor generaland special counsel for water liti-gation, where she representedGeorgia before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judges, Legends & Lawmakers All state Supreme Court justices, as well as Courtof Appeals judges, must be recognized for the wide-ranging impact of their decisions. They are listed in aseparate chart accompanying this article. There arealso, of course, prominent Georgia federal judgeswhom all have incredible impact on our lives due totheir decisions. Then there are various judges scat-tered across Peach State countiesand cities who fit into the “influ-ential” category not just because oftheir rulings but also because they“make things happen.” As James noted last year, thereare at least four lawyers we place ina “Legendary Georgia attorney” cate-gory— colorful trial attorney BobbyLee Cook (who received a lifetimeachievement award from the Southern Center forHuman Rights); former U.S. senator and nationaldefense expert Sam Nunn; 1996 Atlanta Olympicsorganizer and Augusta National Golf Club ChairmanBilly Payne; and retired state Supreme Court JusticeConley Ingram. Dozens of state legislators havelaw degrees but the GeneralAssembly’s most high-profilepracticing attorney is House ofRepresentatives Speaker DavidRalston. The speaker’s counsel isTerry Chastain and Mariettaattorney James Balli is a trustedlegal eagle for the speaker. Other

Republican attorneys in key positions are HouseJudiciary Chairman Wendell Willard and Rep. BarryFleming, a respected Judiciary subcommittee chair.Waynesboro attorney Jesse Stone chairs the SenateJudiciary Committee while Macon lawyer John F.Kennedy chairs the Senate GOP Caucus. Prominent on the Democrataisle at the Capitol are HouseMinority Leader Rep. StaceyAbrams alongside Reps. MaryMargaret Oliver and StaceyEvans, and Sen. Elena Parent. Former GOP state Rep. EdwardLindsey, a Dentons lawyer, is oftensought for advice by state lawmak-ers, as is former Democrat state law-maker Larry Walker of Perry who serves on the Boardof Regents.

More lawyer politicos Outside of government, let’s focus on some of themany lawyers who move easily inthe corridors of politics and law“taking care of business.” There’sthe story-telling former DemocratGov. Roy Barnes, ex-GOP AttorneyGeneral Mike Bowers with Balch &Bingham and one-time DemocratAttorney General Thurbert Bakerwith Dentons. This list alsoincludes Robert Highsmith, formerPerdue counsel and lawyer for Atlanta Mayor KasimReed along with former U.S. Attorneys Joe Whitley andLarry Thompson. Then there’s Pete Robinson ofTroutman Sanders, who co-chairs the JudicialNominating Committee (JNC). By the way, all lawyers serving on the JNC and theJudicial Qualifications Committee naturally qualify as“influential.” The recently-reconsti-tuted JQC is chaired by Athensattorney Ed Tolley and its execu-tive director is Ben Easterlin, IV.As for the state ethics commission,it has received more funding and isbecoming far more effective underexecutive director Stefan Ritter,who previously worked in theattorney general’s office. Indeed, the list of lawyers with impressive political

11M AY /J U N E 2017

It Begins with Governor Deal We start again this year with Gov. Nathan Deal. Theformer prosecutor, judge, state legislator and U.S. con-gressman has built a lasting legacy with widespreadchanges to Georgia’s judicial system. Since his 2011inauguration he has reshaped both the Court of Appealsand an expanded Supreme Court with his appointments.The governor has also appointed dozens of conservativeconstitutionalists to lower courtjudgeships while pushing sweepingcriminal justice reforms with theconsent of the legislature. There are of course many fineattorneys laboring within the exec-utive branch of government.Prominent among them is the gov-

ernor’s executive counsel David Werner and deputyexecutive counsel Carey Miller, who are major playersin everything from vetting legislation to advising onjudicial choices and state board appointments. A close Deal advisor is Dentons attorney RandyEvans, who also serves as the gov-ernor’s personal attorney. Evanswields clout as Georgia’s RepublicanNational Committeeman (in thisrole, he has gotten to knowPresident Donald Trump) and co-chairs the Judicial NominatingCommission which advises the gov-ernor on recommending candidatesfor judgeships. Attorney alumni of Deal’s office remain close with theadministration and involved in the political process.Former executive counsel Ryan Teague is general counselof Baldwin Paving as well as part-time partner with10

James Magazine’s spotlight on “influential Georgia attorneys” considers not just expertise in court—some may not step foot in a courtroom— but activity influencing the court of public opinion. This listingtakes into account a lawyer who may or may not serve powerful clients but who shapes public or privatepolicies— sometimes behind the scenes— in the interconnected and fascinating world of the law, busi-ness and politics. So please don’t confuse this list with the usual “super lawyer” roster of Peach Stateattorneys who are tops in their areas of litigation or deal making.

JAMES M AY /J U N E 2017 NATHAN DEAL

CHRIS CARR STACEY ABRAMS

ROY BARNES

BEN EASTERLIN, IV

BOBBY LEE COOK

DAVID RALSTON

“go-to” lawyer for affirmative actionand “whistle-blower” cases. There are countless influentialcorporate attorneys, especially withFortune 500 companies, who moveeasily in Georgia’s corridors ofpower. Space dictates that we canonly single out a noteworthy few:Peter Carter with Delta Air Lines;Hugh McNatt of Vidalia who is aBalch & Bingham partner, Coca-Cola general counselBarnhard Goepelt, John Tanzine of Columbus whorepresents the Georgia CrownDistributing Company, and TyeDarland of Georgia-Pacific. Got a DUI in metro Atlanta?Prominent in this field are attor-neys and their firm colleagues whoespecially command the respect ofjudges. Two very high-profile metroAtlanta examples are William“Bubba” Head and Bob Chestney.There are of course countless others in Atlanta andother cities. Georgia, in the opinion of James, boasts of two espe-

cially expert attorneys in the field of libel, defamationand the First Amendment: Lin Wood Jr. of Atlanta andDavid Hudson of Augusta’s HullBarrett firm. Wood, who has beencalled “the attorney for thedamned,” once famously represent-ed the security guard falsely accusedin the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bomb-ing. Hudson, a Georgia PressAssociation counsel, has assistedstate lawmakers in crafting andstrengthening open records and meet-ings laws. Patrick Rice, also of the Hull Barrett firm, ably rep-resents the Augusta National Golf Club. Democrats(and brothers) David Bell and John Bell are high-pro-file Augusta trial attorneys. And Augustan Ed Tarver,a former Obama-appointed U.S.attorney, is back in private practiceat Enoch and Tarver. Prominent attorneys inColumbus are Democrats JoelWooten and Jim Butler of theButler, Wooten & Fryhofer firm. InRome there’s Bob Brinson ofBrinson, Askew and Berry. As forSavannah, there’s famed University

of Georgia bulldog mascot ownerSonny Seiler. And Paul Threlkeldof Savannah has a plum client: theGeorgia Ports Authority. InBrunswick/St. Simons, Jim Bishopis very influential with the localgovernments in that area. Patrick C. Cork of Cork andCork in Valdosta has deep GOP tiesand William “Pope” Langdale of thatsame city just ended his presidency of the state TrialLawyers Association. He is succeeded by Mike Prieto ofAtlanta, known for developing oneof the largest long-term care plain-tiffs practices in Georgia. The constitutionalist FederalistSociety is often used as a resource byRepublican governors (and presi-dents) when choosing members towork in their administrations or tobe judges. (President Donald Trumpconsults with top Federalists for adviceon judicial nominees). President of thelarge Atlanta Federalist chapter is Anne Lewis and lawpartner Frank Strickland is the overall chapter chairman.

Prosecutors There are many fine district attorneys in judicial cir-cuits throughout the state (and a fewnot so fine). But, in our view, severalstand out in no particular order: Cordele Judicial Circuit DistrictAttorney Brad Rigby has beenimpressive in his aggressive prose-cutions and with the early stages ofthe high-profile Tara Grinsteadmurder case. Cobb County DA VicReynolds and his gang unit continuesto be a leader in confronting the state’s criminal gangcrisis, as does Macon DA DavidCook. Chatham County DA MegHeap continues to impress. As thisis written, new U.S. attorney candi-dates are being interviewed. Chuck Spahos, executive direc-tor of the Prosecuting Attorneys’Council of Georgia, continues toguide that important organizationin a positive direction.

13M AY /J U N E 2017

and business relationships growslonger every year. ConsiderDentons— now the world’s largestlaw firm. In its Atlanta office areits busy U.S. Co-CEO Jeff Haidet,who specializes on providingadvice regarding domestic andinternational commercial transac-tions for clients; former ambassa-dor to Canada and state DemocratParty guru Gordon Giffin; former aide to Gov. ZellMiller Keith Mason; one-time Democrat CongressmanBuddy Darden; former Atlanta mayoral aide SteveLabovitz; and Ben Vinson, whochairs the state ImmigrationEnforcement Review Board.There’s Bob Webb, who chairs theTroutman Sanders firm . . . BobPannell of Nelson, Mullins, Riley& Scarborough. John G. “Sonny”Morris and John Yates of Morris,Manning & Martin . . . Liberal lionEmmet Bondurant of Bondurant,Mixon and Elmore . . . “King of Torts” Tommy Maloneof Malone Law along with his impressive son AdamMalone . . . Dennis Cathey of Cathey and Strain . . .Paul Weathington ofWeathington & Smith . . . MarkSpix, who has shifted from crimi-nal and civil cases to regulatorypractice and alternative disputeresolution… and Cary Ichter withIchter & Davis and now a substi-tute panelist on WAGA-TV’s “TheGeorgia Gang.”. . . John Hall heads Hall, Booth &Smith firm with managing partner Alex Booth. Thatfirm includes former state lawmaker, author and TVpundit Matt Towery chairing itsgovernment relations team, alongwith appellate bar legend ScottHenwood . . . Ernest Greer, thechairman of Greenberg Traurig, isnotable as the first lawyer to havechaired the Georgia Chamber ofCommerce. Next comes Josh Belinfantewith Robbins, Ross, Alloy, Belinfante& Littlefield, Oscar Persons of Strickland, Brockington& Lewis and Ray Smith of Smith & Liss— all friendly

with many GOP politicos. So, too, isDoug Chalmers of Chalmers PakBurch & Adams. BJ Pak of thatfirm, a recent addition, is a formerGOP state representative. Among prominent attorneyswired into Democratic politics isunsuccessful 2014 gubernatorial can-didate and former state lawmakerJason Carter, former Obama adminis-tration deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates, formerprosecutor Ken Hodges, the Machiavellian Bobby Kahn(ex-Governor Barnes’ former chief ofstaff) and ex-state Rep. Rob Teilhet. Craig Gillen of Gillen Withers& Lake further enhanced his reputa-tion this year as the lead attorneyfor former DeKalb County CEOBurrell Ellis. It was quite a coupwhen the Supreme Court reversedEllis’s corruption convictions.

The list goes on . . . More well-known attorneys with political/businessties are having an impact in special-ized areas. Atlanta entertainmentattorney Joel Katz of GreenbergTraurig lists a long roster of celebri-ty clients . . . Criminal defenseattorney Ed Garland (also a busi-ness partner with former AtlantaBraves baseball home run kingHank Aaron) and his partner DonSamuel have successfully handledhigh-profile cases . . . David Worley and workers’ compguru David Moskowitz have distinguished themselvesin the field of labor law. Scott Bonder of Fried & Bonder is building animpressive record . . . Ditto for Lori Cohen, who headsGreenberg Traurig’s pharmaceutical,medical device and healthcare litiga-tion . . . Harry MacDougald ofCaldwell Watson, the blogger credit-ed with getting disgraced journalistDan Rather fired from CBS, is one ofthe best constitutional law gurus inthe state . . . A. Lee Parks scoredthe first successful constitutionalchallenges to racially gerrymanderedlegislative districting plans, and Parks continues to be a

12 JAMES M AY /J U N E 2017

JEFF HAIDET BJ PAK A. LEE PARKS SONNY SEILER

WILLIAM “POPE”LANGDALE

PETER CARTER

DAVID HUDSON

VIC REYNOLDS

CHUCK SPAHOS

ED TARVER

SALLY YATES

JOEL KATZ

LORI COHEN

BOB WEBB

CARY ICHTER

JOHN HALL

15M AY /J U N E 2017

Members of Congress Georgia’s congressmen and theirstaff interact daily not only withconstituents but also with all sortsof people ranging from Peach Stateofficialdom to Washington bureau-crats. Four of Georgia’s 14 membersof the U.S. House of Representativesare attorneys: Rep. Sanford Bishopof Albany; Rep. Doug Collins ofGainesville; Rep. Hank Johnson ofLithonia; and Rep. Rob Woodall of Lawrenceville.

Some final recognitions A special salute to Linda Kleinof Atlanta’s Baker Donelson, theAmerican Bar Association’s 140thpresident, for spearheading a vet-erans’ legal services initiative.Savannah attorney Pat O’Connoris president of the State Bar ofGeorgia. He and state Bar execu-tive director Jeff Davis and lobbyist

Christine Butcher continue toably lead the organizationthrough past political misstepsand into the future committed toits core mission. While there’s an array of top-notch Georgia legal educators whohave a wide-ranging impact, wemust again note one of these profes-sors should be recognized for his unique academic andpolitical presence. We’re referring to University ofGeorgia law professor (and Federal NominatingCommission member) Ron Carlson. He and sonMichael Carlson, a Cobb County assistant district attor-ney, are sought-after lecturers for Georgia’s bench andbar and co-authored Carlson On Evidence, the must-havereference book on Georgia’s evidence code. That tomecelebrated its 25th authoritative citation by appellatecourts in 2017.

A note to our readers We will no doubt hear from readers who will say we’vemissed lawyers who should have been included. And we’resure we have— and we apologize. But this lengthy feature hadto end at some point! Anyhow, contact James Magazine andlet us know. They could be included in next year’s feature.

14 JAMES M AY /J U N E 2017

DOUG COLLINS

LINDA KLEIN

RON CARLSON

Chief JusticeP. Harris Hines

Presiding JusticeHarold D. Melton

Chief JudgeSarah L. Doyle

Presiding JudgeAnne Elizabeth Barnes

Supreme Court Elected Term expires

P. Harris Hines (Chief Justice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995. . . . . . . . . . . 2020

Harold D. Melton (Presiding Justice) . . . . . . . . 2005. . . . . . . . . . . 2018

Robert Benham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1989. . . . . . . . . . . 2020

Carol W. Hunstein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1992. . . . . . . . . . . 2018

David E. Nahmias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009. . . . . . . . . . . 2022

Keith R. Blackwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012. . . . . . . . . . . 2020

Michael P. Boggs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2016. . . . . . . . . . . 2018

Nels S.D. Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2017. . . . . . . . . . . 2018

Britt C. Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2017. . . . . . . . . . . 2018

Court of Appeals

Sarah L. Doyle (Chief Judge)

Anne Elizabeth Barnes (Presiding Judge)

M. Yvette Miller (Presiding Judge)

John J. Ellington (Presiding Judge)

Stephen Louis A. Dillard (Presiding Judge)

Christopher J. McFadden (Presiding Judge)

Gary Blaylock Andrews William M. Ray, II

Elizabeth L. BranchCarla Wong McMillanBrian M. RickmanAmanda H. MercerClyde L. ReeseTilman E. Self IIICharles J. Bethel

RAY S. SMITH, I I IA James Magazine “Most Influential” Attorney

404.760.6006 RSMITH@SMITHLISS.COM

SMITH & LISS, LLCBUSINESS, REAL ESTATE, GOVERNMENT & FIDUCIARY LITIGATION

WWW.SMITHLISS .COM

I was thrilled that day when, as athird grader, I came home with my books inone hand and my school violin in another.Because I was fortunate to go to a publicschool in the Kansas City suburbs thatoffered a full arts education program, Iwas going to be a musician! As it turned out, I was the world’smost mediocre violin player. I wasmuch more accomplished at kickball. But I will always be grateful for whatI learned in my three years as a violinist. Ilearned a new language (reading music); I learned howto work with a team (the school orchestra); and Ilearned the importance of discipline (practice). Eventhough I didn’t realize it at the time, it helped shapeme as a person, not to mention instilling a life-longlove of the arts. That’s an experience far too few students benefitfrom today. With our public education systemssqueezed by limited budgets and pressured to dispropor-tionately focus on standardized testing, many schoolsystems have made the difficult decision to greatlydiminish the arts as part of the academic experience. And that’s too bad for their students. The impact that arts education has in the classroomis no longer open to debate. There have simply been toomany studies over too many years coming to the sameconclusion— exposure to the arts makes a significantdifference to children, both in their academic achieve-ment and in their social engagement. The Arts Education Partnership, a coalition createdby the U.S. Department of Education and the NationalEndowment for the Arts, recently published a library of

studies to reiterate how arts education helps preparestudents for greater success in school, in the workplaceand in life. Some examples: studies consistently demonstratethat arts education helps students improve their criti-cal thinking skills. In a time when “fake news” is a realproblem, critical thinking skills are essential, not onlyin preparing students for college but also for living inthe real world. What about creativity? It’s one of the top five skillsemployers value for the 21st Century. Research hasshown again and again that performing arts studentsdemonstrate greater flexibility and adaptability in think-ing than their peers. In Georgia, with the creative services industry sur-passing $62 billion in economic impact, having aready pool of creative workers is important to thecontinued growth and success of this thriving part ofour economy. Recognizing these realities, three years ago GovernorNathan Deal issued an executive order creating the Arts

Nope. All it takes is a scratch or two. Because every time you play the Lottery, Georgia kids are the real winners. That’s because for over 20 years the Georgia Lottery has contributed more than $18.1 billion to education. On top of that, more than 1.7 million HOPE scholars have gone to college and more than 1.4 million four-year-olds have attended a Lottery-funded Pre-K Program. That qualifi es as a rocket booster in our book.

IT DOESN’T TAKE

WITH THEIR EDUCATION.TO HELP KIDSA ROCKET SCIENTIST

galottery.com

galottery.comGEORGIA’S KIDS WIN.

IT DOESN’T TAKE A GENIUS TOKNOW THAT WHEN YOU PLAY,

continued on page 18

It Starts with Some Trump Appointees When listing influential Georgia political figures inWashington, D.C., it should beginwith prominent officials inPresident Donald Trump’s cabinet—specifically, Health and HumanServices Secretary Tom Price (whoresigned from the 6th District U.S.congressional seat) and AgricultureSecretary (and former Georgia gov-ernor) Sonny Perdue. But it is alsosignificant to note that working outof the White House is Atlantan Stefan Passantino,who left the Dentons law firm to work in the Office ofWhite House Counsel. Outside the Trump administra-tion, former U.S. House SpeakerNewt Gingrich (Georgia still claimshim!) stays busy as a Fox NewsChannel pundit and coordinatingwith Dentons attorney and GeorgiaGOP National CommitteemanRandy Evans. Former GovernorPerdue aide Nick Ayers, a partner atTarget Enterprises and 2016 campaign aide to VicePresident Mike Pence, is a rising star who shuttles fre-quently between D.C. and Georgia. And quite the D.C.power player for a number of yearsis former Georgia Tech PresidentWayne Clough, secretary of thevenerable Smithsonian Institution. There’s no question, too, thatPaul Bennecke, a one-time SonnyPerdue aide and now executivedirector of the RepublicanGovernor’s Association, is a very

influential— and busy— D.C. insider. And perhaps the“man of the hour”— for right now— is Rome nativeElliot Echols. He is based out of the RepublicanNational Committee on Capitol Hill but is in Georgiapromoting turnout for the June 20 election runoff inGeorgia’s 6th Congressional District.

The Georgia State Society Aside from those big names, though, the member-ship of the Washington-based Georgia State Societyprovides an interesting roster of hundreds of Georgiansof varying ages— and varying degrees of influence—who live or work in D.C. “We promote social andfriendly relations among Georgians and advance theinterest and welfare of Georgia andGeorgians,” its website declares. Among its officers is president-elect Wells Ellenberg of theGeorgia Power Company; AndrewDill, a past GSS president who nowheads government relations forLockheed Martin; Ann Kingston,who works for information technol-ogy firm Wipro; Randy Nuckolls ofthe D.C. Dentons government affairs group. By the way, the Society’s glitzy black-tie presidentialinaugural gala this past January 20th was a “who’s who”of Georgians who roam Washington’s corridors of power.

Cabinet-Level Staffers It’s not surprising that both Secretaries Price andPerdue are bringing into their departments some oftheir own trusted aides or one-time aides who hail from

19M AY /J U N E 2017

Learning Task Force for the state of Georgia. He askedthe Task Force to make recommendations on ways thestate could improve educational achievement by usingarts education in the classroom. The Task Force issued its 16-point recommendationsin 2015 and they weren’t timid in their response.Essentially, they pushed for full-on reactivation of artseducation across the state. And while doing that willtake some time, there’s been early encouraging progress.For instance:

In addition, the DOE named Jessica Booth as its FineArts Program Specialist. She already has made signifi-cant contributions to the state’s efforts by evaluatingand creating fine arts standards in our education sys-tem. We are fortunate to count Jessica as a member ofthe Woodruff Arts Center’s Education Board. Arts education is a core part of the mission of theArts Center. More than 200,000 students from 70+Georgia counties participate annually in our arts edu-cation programs. They tour the High Museum of Art orattend performances at the Alliance Theatre or theAtlanta Symphony Orchestra. To create and managethese programs, the Arts Center spends more than $8million a year, funded primarily by donors. Thisintense focus makes the Arts Center the largest artseducator in Georgia. That’s a label we wear with pride. We’re looking for-ward to working with administrators, teachers, students,the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, theGeorgia Council for the Arts and many other committedsupporters in taking steps to make arts education a sta-ple in Georgia schools again.

Virginia A. Hepner is President and Chief Executive Officer of The WoodruffArts Center in Atlanta.

TOM PRICE

SONNY PERDUE

PAUL BENNECKE

ANDREW DILL

è The Georgia Department of Education (DOE) hosted feedback sessions throughout the state this year to discuss changes to K-12 public education, including opportunities for fine arts.

è The Georgia Council for the Arts awarded 20 Georgia schools and arts organizations close to $100,000 for projects that support at least one of the Arts Learning Task Force recommendations.

è The DOE created a Fine Arts Diploma Seal for qualified high school seniors and a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Certification program for Georgia public schools.

the Peach State. For example, CarlaDiBlasio and Amanda Street holdkey positions at Health & HumanServices. Also at HHS is CourtneyLawrence, the deputy assistant sec-retary for legislation. Because of hislate confirmation as secretary,Perdue was just starting to hire staffas this was written. So James will dou-ble back later to check on who’s who from Georgia inthat agency and others in the capital’s vast federalbureaucracy. We did discover, though, that AtlantanJennifer Hazelton— the Trump campaign’s Georgiacommunications director— landed at the StateDepartment to assist with the transition.

Then there are the Lobbyists Our research turned up quite a number of lobbyistsfrom the Peach State who have great influence in theCapitol Hill public policy arena. Space doesn’t permit a fulllisting, and unfortunately names will have been left outthat shouldn’t have been, but a wide range of Jamessources in D.C. have assisted this writer and our publisherin helping to chronicle some of theseprominent lobbyists. In no particular order, let’s beginwith Rob Leebern. The first chief ofstaff to U.S. Rep. and Sen. SaxbyChambliss is a well-known go-to guyin D.C. who heads up TroutmanSanders Strategies’ federal shop.Leebern continues to be a trustedadvisor of Georgia companies, topstaffers around Capitol Hill and Georgia congressional del-egation members. Alex Albert is co-head of governmentaffairs for the Intercontinental Commodities Exchange(ICE) and a former chief of staff to ex-governor and for-mer U.S. Sen. Zell Miller. (A footnote: Sandy Springs-based ICE owns the New York Stock Exchange.) Anotherbig player— the Atlanta-based Southern Company— hasBryan Anderson, Senior Vice President of GovernmentalAffairs, running its D.C. shop. And did you know that themanager of Public Policy & Government Affairs forGoogle is Georgian Nick Pearson? The principal at Hurt, Norton & Associates, Bob Hurt,is a Washington institution— having originally arrived inD.C. as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution bureau chief. Andsenior counsel with Hurt’s firm is former CongressmanLindsay Thomas. Coca-Cola’s interests are well represented in D.C. byMatt Echols, Senior Vice President, Coca-Cola North

America Public Affairs &Communications. His Coke cohort isgovernment affairs guru Gene Rackley.And Lauren Culbertson, a formercommunications director and campaignoperative with Sen. Johnny Isakson,heads Millennial Bridge Consulting. Consider, too, these well-connect-ed lobbyists: an aide to then-congress-man Nathan Deal, Todd Smith, works for TotalSpectrum. Justin Clay, VP, Global GovernmentRelations at NCR Corporation; Jay Cranford with theCGCN Group (and one-time staffer for former HouseSpeaker John Boehner); Lindsay Austin, director of fed-eral affairs for Troutman Sanders Strategies (and a for-mer aide to retired Congressman Lynn Westmoreland);Bruce Gates, Senior Vice President, External AffairsAltria Client Services; Alex McGee, principal in publicpolicy and regulation with Dentons; Jeff Hamling, alsowith Dentons and a former aide to now-HHS SecretaryPrice; Krister Holladay, Government Relations directorat United Technologies; Bob Redding of the ReddingFirm; Scott Orr, Federal Legislative Affairs Manager forthe Georgia Power Company; and Autumn Veazey, vicepresident of Government Relations at Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Policy Makers, Movers & Shakers Of course, Georgians are salted throughout the manyD.C. power-player companies and trade associations—and are too numerous to mention. But among somehigh-profile standouts are Lisa Thompson andKimberly Hudgins of the large tollmarket consulting firm HNTB. GloriaDittus, an Augusta native who pre-sides over Story Partners, is one ofthe top public relations mavens inthe nation’s capital advising clientson public policy. And HeatherMcNatt Hennessey runs her ownfirm and is a well-known PR/lobbyistwith Georgia roots. The Washington-based Heritage Foundation is veryinstrumental in both providing research papers and infor-mation to everyone ranging from the president and mem-bers of Congress to media outlets. It also has a lobbyingarm. Two respected Georgians with key Heritage positionsare attorneys John Malcolm and Hans von Spakovsky.Malcolm is the Director of the Edwin Meese III Center forLegal and Judicial Studies. Also at that Heritage center issenior legal fellow and one-time Justice Department offi-cial Spakovsky. These prolific writers have already provid-ed valuable assistance to the Trump administration whenit comes to judicial nominee research. 21M AY /J U N E 201720

CARLA DiBLASIO MATT ECHOLS

GLORIA DITTUS

ROB LEEBERN

JAMES M AY /J U N E 2017

GEORGIA’S REPRESENTATIVES & SENATORSCHIEFS OF STAFF &

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORSSenator Johnny Isakson

Joan Kirchner • Chief of Staff

Jay Sulzmann • Legislative Director

Senator David Perdue

Derrick Dickey • Chief of Staff

P.J. Waldrop • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter

Chris Crawford • Chief of Staff

William Cannon • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr.

Michael Reed • Chief of Staff

Jonathan Halpern • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson IV

Bobby Saparow • Chief of Staff

Mary Dee Beal • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson

Arthur Sidney • Chief of Staff

Arya Hariharan • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. John Lewis

Michael Collins • Chief of Staff

Jamila A. Thompson • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall

Derick Corbett • Chief of Staff

Janet Rossi • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott

Joby Young • Chief of Staff

Mary Beal • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Doug Collins

Brendan Belaire • Chief of Staff

Sally Rose Larson • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Jody Hice

David Sours • Chief of Staff

Michael Calvo • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk

Robert Adkerson • Chief of Staff

Colin Carr • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Rick Allen

Timothy Baker • Chief of Staff

Cameron Bishop • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. David Scott

Gary Woodward • Chief of Staff

Lauren Lattany • Legislative Director

U.S. Rep. Tom Graves

John Donnelly • Chief of Staff

Jason Murphy • Legislative Director

ou might think that managing thelegacy of Bobby Jones would require

the efforts of a full-time profession-al. Instead, much as the legendary

golfer was a lawyer by profession andan amateur golfer, the Bobby Jones lega-

cy is continued by his grandson andnamesake, a psychologist at the Behavioral

Institute of Atlanta in Sandy Springs. Dr. Robert Tyre Jones, IV wears many hats: psycholo-gist, corporate speaker, one-time priest andPresident of Jonesheirs, Inc., a Georgia corpo-ration that manages the use of the name,image and likeness of his famous grandfa-ther. Jonesheirs, Inc. currently consists ofBob IV, his two sisters, and three cousins.“Jonesheirs, Inc.,” Dr. Jones says, “is a fancyname for the family of Robert Tyre Jones,Jr.” The company was started over 30 yearsago, when Sony approached his grandfa-ther’s law partner, Buster Bird, becausethey wanted to put the Bobby Jonesimage on a Trinitron ad. At thatpoint, the family realizedthat it needed to do some-thing to protect theirgrandfather’s image so, asDr. Jones says, “we startedJonesheirs, Inc., neverreally thinking it wouldamount to anything.” A distant cousin ofthe family, Ely ReevesCallaway— the founderof Callaway Golf— hadother ideas. Callawaysaw the commercialvalue in the Bobby Jones

name. “Ely wanted to use the Bobby Jones name on golfclubs and got a license from us to do it. He manufac-tured a line of Jones clubs and putters for almost 20years,” Dr. Jones says. “But what really put us on themap was when Ely decided to market the Bobby Jonesinstructional videos with a company called Sybervision.Those films had not been seen in decades, yet Dr. Jonesnotes “they were successful beyond anything we couldhave imagined.” Callaway later suggested to his friend, Hartmarx chair-

man Bert Hand, that Bobby Jones would make a fantas-tic luxury sportswear brand. “That was more than 25

years ago, Dr. Jones remarks. “Interestingly,Hartmarx is now gone but the Bobby Jones brandcontinues strong.” The brand is licensed to

Atlanta-based Jones Global Sports and its presi-dent, Andy Bell, has developed the brand from aluxury sportswear brand to one that appeals to awide range of people seeking to embrace the lifestyleof golf’s greatest amateur— from members of the

board room to millennials. “Andy has done a great job,” saidDr. Jones. “We still make the really niceMercerized cotton shirts, but also per-formance sportswear under theXH2O brand. This year, Andy andhis team have launched a newbrand, designed to appeal to thenext generation of Jones buyer.The brand is called ‘Rule 18’which is modern, stylish andappealing to a younger eye. Italso teaches the timeless valuesof golf, ‘play the ball where itlies’ and ‘who are you when noone is looking?’”

The Rule 18 brand hear-kens back to the 1925 U.S.

Open, when Bobby Jones accidentally moved his balland, even though no one saw it, invoked Rule 18. Hecalled a two-shot penalty on himself, and later lost theOpen by one shot. But his grandson is not satisfied tosit on the great accomplishments ofJonesheirs. “We have to continue to buildfor the future. We know, as a family, thatour success as a company will advanceBub’s legacy, not just commercially, butalso historically and charitably.” “Our goal is to broaden the use of theBobby Jones name commercially,” he con-tinues. “We feel that there are high-endopportunities available where we can attachthe Jones name and bring real value to ourlicensees.” Some of the areas where Dr.Jones and the family are looking to expand are in spirits,cigars, and furniture. “We feel that the Bobby Jonesname immediately identifies with integrity, class and acommitment to friendship. We are fortunate that com-panies such as Sony, IBM, Motorola, and Lexus, amongothers, have agreed with us over the years.” Another area where Jonesheirs wants to make animpact is through charity. “We currently allow the

Jones name to be used in conjunction with projectsthat, we think, are representative of what our grandfa-ther would have wanted,” Dr. Jones says. The familysupports the Robert T. Jones, Jr, Program at Emory

University. “The Jones program sponsorsan exchange between Emory and TheUniversity of St. Andrews (Scotland), anethics program in the Laney GraduateSchool, and a biomedical engineeringexchange between Emory and GeorgiaTech. We also support the Chiari andSyringomyelia Foundation, the BobbyJones Golf Course Foundation, theAtlanta History Center, and HistoricOakland Cemetery.” Carrying forward a legacy is demand-

ing business. Dr. Jones wryly observes, “As golfers, mysisters, cousins, and I are living proof that the gene poolreally does dilute over time. However, we hope that ourefforts to develop our grandfather’s legacy are some-thing that would make him proud and keep the nameBobby Jones at the forefront of the world of golf.”

Phil Kent is the CEO and publisher of James.

ROBERT TYRE "BOBBY" JONES, JR.

YYYDR. ROBERT TYRE JONES, IV

• • • the james readers’ poll • • •

Top Metro Atlanta“Political Hangout”

Restaurants 1. Manuel’s Tavern 2. Hal’s 3. Bada Bings 4. Shillings on the Square T5. Blue Ridge Grill & The Capital Grille 6. OK Cafe 7. Six Feet Under 8. Bone’s 9. Chops Lobster Bar 10. Rathbun’s 11. Ray’s on the River 12. Hammocks Trading Company 13. Canoe 14. Local Three 15. Agave 16. Davio’s 17. Fadó 18. Antica Posta 19. The Tavern at Phipps 20. Murphy’s

hey say the only constant is change.Possibly, but not always— especially when

it comes to favorite political hangouts. Itseems once a favorite, always a favorite.

We partnered this year with the GeorgiaRestaurant Association and the Taste of

Atlanta to ask the public to identify the mostpopular restaurants in metro Atlanta to engage in

political banter and see political movers and shakers. Many of the top watering holes held their spots; a fewtraded off positions, and one moved into a predictable topspot— Manuel’s Tavern. After a year of renovations,Manuel’s is back in business and in the No. 1 spot in theJames Magazine poll. “We wanted to preserve every piece of infrastruc-ture,” said owner Brian Maloof. It worked. And withManuel’s back in business, many of the state’s decisionsare being made over wings at Manuel’s again. The names on the list are probably familiar to most,but politicos in Georgia seem to be loyal to their favoritehangouts. Enjoy reading about our top five voter-getters. Finally, a note about the rest of our “Top 20.” It’s goodto see far more participation this year by readers as wellas by restaurant/bar employees, with many of them usingFacebook and tweets to get the word out about participat-ing in our poll and why they appreciate their favoritepolitical hang-out. And we note and welcome metro Atlanta “newcom-ers” on the list— Local Three, Antica Posta, The Tavern atPhipps Plaza and, also in Atlanta’s Buckhead section, theFadó Irish pub.

No.1

Manuel’s Tavern602 North Highland Avenue, Atlantawww.manuelstavern.com

People love to hang-out at Manuel’sbecause it’s a throw-back to earlier timeswhen regular people, from all walks of life,gathered over a beer to discuss politics andthe media in a spirit of camaraderie.

Longtime Democrat patron Billy Linville

Since 1956 Manuel’s has been a gathering place formany Democrats when they ran Atlanta, DeKalb Countyand the state. Much of that is because of the force of per-sonality of Manuel Maloof, the gruff barkeep-turned-politician who owned it much of that time. Manuel’s was closed temporarily for renovations lastyear, but when it re-opened the faithful, as well as a newcrowd, came. Owner Brian Maloof says, “It’s exciting to bepart of all this history.” He said extreme care was taken inrestoring Manuel’s to its original form after the renova-tions. “It was a huge undertaking, and we worked reallyhard to make sure not much changed… “We wanted topreserve every piece of infrastructure— down to the barthat has been in the family for over 100 years.” The bar,Brian says, came from his grandfather’s Tip Top BilliardParlor that was located across from the Capitol for manyyears. The Tip Top was a popular place for lawmakers andstate officials who would walk across the street for lunchor after work to discuss government doings. The Tip Top

Tby Cindy Morley

including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker DavidRalston. Bada Bings got its name from owner LawrenceMorrow’s first boat. In case you didn’t know, “bada bing”is a New Jersey expression for something that looks hardbut turns out to be easy. The television show TheSopranos used the name Bada Bings for their strip clubbefore owner Morrow could use it for his earlier restau-rants, but when he opened this restaurant in 2014 hethought it was safe to use. Yet he admits he still gets a calloccasionally asking about naked dancing women. Morrow bills Bada Bings as, “your new hangout spot inAtlanta.” They offer free covered parking, 20 beers on tap,creative mixologists, and the best burgers in town. Don’tmiss out on its favorites from the 50/50 Burger (bacon,bacon and more bacon!), Southern Charm (pimento cheeseplease!) or the monster Double Bacon Cheeseburger.Lawmakers and lobbyists have been known to take time fora lively game of ping pong in the game room, or enjoy pool,darts, shuffleboard and even karaoke. Those voting in the survey had some interestingobservations and a reader had a profound thought: “Lotsof political figures go in and out of the doors of BadaBings. They should paint a gold dome on top of it.” •

No. 4

Shillings on the Square19 North Park Square, Mariettawww.shillingsonthesquare.net

One of the oldest operating restaurants in metroAtlanta, Shillings on the Square is named for the leg-endary hardware store that occupied the same site for

decades. Now in its 39th year, Shillings remains a favoritegathering spot for trial lawyers, prosecutors and judges—especially Cobb County officials who only have to walkacross the street from their offices in the courthouse. County District Attorney Vic Reynolds is one of theregulars at Shillings. “It has a ‘Cheers-like’ environ-ment, serving the neighborhood regular customers andnew clientele alike,” said Reynolds. “It’s a short walkfrom the courthouse and more than a few cases havebeen resolved there over the years.”

Shillings has been a mainstay on MariettaSquare for over 30 years. Many local cam-paign strategies have been developed whileenjoying its atmosphere.

County District Attorney Vic Reynolds

Owner David Reardon says, “I feel like I know every-one who walks in the door. The sheriff was in yesterday,the ex-governor (Roy Barnes) was in earlier today andour district attorney came in today. Besides politicos, wealso have doctors come in from the hospital. And thegreat part is that they all have become friends.” Reardon agrees that Shillings is a lot like SamMalone’s place on Cheers. It is a downstairs pub withmany regular faces and a dining room one flight up—overlooking the picturesque Marietta Square. “Everyonewho comes in here makes it a joy for me to come towork,” said Reardon. “It’s not like going to a job everyday; it’s more like going to see old friends every day.” •

was closed after a fire, and later re-opened as Manuel’s atits current location on North Highland Avenue. Today, there are few signs of changes. The walls arestill filled with quirky political memorabilia (for example,old pictures ranging from John F. Kennedy to Franklin D.Roosevelt benignly gaze at patrons) and Manuel’s urn stillsits on the shelf behind the bar. “I am reminded every dayhow fortunate I am to keep Dad’s dream alive,” Brian says. Billy Linville continues, “Although it has a long anddeep association with the Democratic Party, everyone feelswelcome. Very few places like this exist anymore. That’swhy it’s still as popular as ever.” •

No.2

Hal’s30 Old Ivy Road, Atlantawww.hals.net

There’s no other place in Atlanta like Hal’s.It’s our own version of “Cheers.”

Fulton County politician Robb Pitts

Hal’s has been one of the most well-known Buckheadrestaurants for more than two decades, so it’s no surprisethat this favorite of lobbyists and legislators held its No.2 spot in the poll. Hal’s isn’t just known for its greatsteaks and New Orleans cuisine. It may be best known as“the place where locals go to eat and play, where Atlanta’spower dinners happen and why Hal’s boasts such a largenumber of repeat clientele,” according to the website.

Add to that a classy atmosphere, live entertainment anda large wine selection and there’s no question as to whythis restaurant— owned by the affable Hal Nowak— con-tinues to be popular. Dave Pratt, partner at the lobbying firm SouthernStrategy Group of Georgia, says: “I see Hal’s as one of themost ideal venues within which to have a relaxed dinnerconversation— political or otherwise.” In March a jovial Nigel Farange, the British leader ofthe pro-Brexit campaign and now a Fox News Channelcontributor, was even seen having an upstairs dinnerwith Atlanta bigwigs and later holding court in the maindownstairs bar with cigarette and glass in hand. “Hal’shas a relaxed, easy elegance. I like it here!” he confided toJames. Indeed. •

No.3

Bada Bings349 Decatur Street SE Suite A-1, Atlantawww.badabingsatl.com

Bada Bings is probably the best unheardof restaurant in metro Atlanta, and I thinkowner Lawrence Morrow likes it that way.

A surveyed James reader

If you work at the Capitol, you can walk to BadaBings— which is conveniently located in the Old FourthWard neighborhood with a view of the skyline from thepatio. Maybe that’s one reason it has become a favoritewith some of the state’s most powerful lawmakers,

The game room at Bada Bings The Shillings on the Square restaurant frontThe dining room at Hal’sBehind the bar at Manuel’s

No.5 (tie)

Blue Ridge Grill1261 West Paces Ferry Road, NW, Atlantawww.blueridgegrill.com

Blue Ridge Grill is a warm and welcomingplace where friends— especially the politi-cally-connected— meet and relax to enjoygreat food, drink and fellowship

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall

Owners Susan DeRose and Richard Lewis of LibertyHouse Restaurant Corporation were looking for some-thing unique when they opened Blue Ridge Grill. Theywere hoping for a restaurant that offered the feel of theBlue Ridge Mountains, rustic but elegant— and not too farfrom the state Capitol. And they seem to have found it. Blue Ridge Grill continues to be a favorite amongmany politicos, who can often be found on the porchwhere light fare is served and the conversations aremore communal. During a memorable visit by Jameswriters, several powerful lobbyists, two prominentlawyers, a judge and two former state House speakerswere seen networking during “happy hour” on the porchand by the bar. Another glance around the room, and itwas easy to spot a few more of the state’s influentialpoliticos talking business. Inside the restaurant, the exposed timbers, log wallsand stone fireplace make the perfect setting for its sig-nature grilled Georgia trout, iron-skillet seared musselsor rib-eye steaks grilled over a hickory fire. Restaurantowners boast that “You can have a private conservation.You go to some restaurants, and you’re almost in a con-versation with your neighbor”— probably one of the

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The dining room at The Capital GrilleThe porch at Blue Ridge Grill

reasons it remains as a top political hangout. “We’vejust been so very fortunate,” they say. “We’ve built upsuch a clientele over 21 years.” •

No.5 (tie)

The Capital Grille255 E. Paces Ferry Road, Atlantawww.thecapitalgrille.com

The Capital Grille has always been one ofmy favorites for political fundraisers andmeetings. The location is perfect, the food isexcellent and the staff is very professional.

Former U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss

The restaurant’s website states that “From the momentyou step into The Capital Grille, the experience is one ofcomfortable elegance. African mahogany paneling and ArtDeco chandeliers provide a warm, stately setting for ournationally renowned dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood, andacclaimed world-class wines. With service as gracious as itis attentive, we look forward to impressing you.” The Buckhead location has clearly made an impres-sion on our readers— as The Capital Grille moved into atie among the top five vote-getters in the annual Jamessurvey. With a touch of class sophistication, The CapitalGrille jumped five spots this year— from No. 9 last year. According to the company’s website, “It is our soledesire that everything, and we mean everything, thatarrives at your table at The Capital Grille delights you. Tothat end, we use only the finest, freshest ingredients,masterfully prepared in recipes designed to engage all ofyour senses.” Our poll respondents obviously agree. •

The cruelest part of politics is the num-bers. No matter how good the consultants, the messageand the advertising, elections are inevitably decided inGeorgia by a simple mathematical calculation— did onecandidate receive more than 50 percent of the totalvotes counted? On election night, nothing else matters. Certainly all the variables from turnout to fundrais-ing can have a significant impact on who gets the mostvotes. Yet, none alone decides the outcome. Pollsters canbe wrong. The most money invested in a campaign doesnot always win. Pundits’ predictions rarely prove out. So, when the Secretary of Health and HumanServices left Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, fewpredicted what would happen next. Much like the 2016presidential election, GOP candidates came out of thewoodwork believing that if Donald Trump could win, socould they. That the 6th District was Republican-leaningturf was assumed.

Democrats playeda different game.Eyeing the outcomeof the 2016 presiden-tial election in the6th District (wherePresident Trumpeked out a lessthan two percentwin), Democrats

concentrated theirefforts on a single

candidate— JonOssoff. The hope was

that a serious surge ofmoney, resources and

turnout in a midtermspecial election might

produce an unexpected win—especially given the deep divi-sions between the 11 GOP candi-dates in the race.

By the time the warning bells went off in GOP cir-cles, the Democrats had raised an incredible amount ofmoney, created an impressive get-out-the-vote politicalmachine and dominated the airwaves with pro-Ossoffpolitical advertisements. The effort was so effectivethat, had the election occurred just one week earlier,the Democrats would have likely had one impressivevictory during the first 100 days of the Trump presiden-cy. But, it didn’t. Now, the gloves really come off and both Democratsand Republicans have much to work with. Ossoffreceived 92,390 votes in the April special election- animpressive showing in a midyear election. Indeed, whencompared to similar elections, he over-performed by asmuch as 20 percent. More significantly, he still has a lotof room to grow. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received155,077 votes in that district.Although a presidential elec-tion, the number does reflectthe available pool of votesfor Ossoff; now, theDemocratic CongressionalCommittee and its alliesmust figure out how toget everyone who voted in2016 as well as a few moreto the polls. Republicans, whododged a near-fatal bulletearly in Trump’s tenure,have a more dauntingtask. Former GeorgiaSecretary of StateKaren Handelcontinued on 32

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had forgotten that I made a speech—specifically, any kind of farewell speechwhen I left the state Legislature in 2004.If someone had asked me (which didn’t

happen) I would have said something likethis: “Oh, I made a few comments, and I’m

sure I thanked my House colleagues and per-haps others, but I don’t remember anything

much about it.” Anyhow, in this context, during the last week of

April a box was brought to my office with a few books, sev-eral photographs, originals of letters and lots of magazineand newspaper clippings. Most of them were about SamNunn or me. The box and contents were deliv-ered by Charles Harrison and he toldme that his sister-in-law, FlorenceHarrison, wanted me to have it andthat his brother, Willis Harrison, hadagreed. Mrs. Harrison had saved the contentsof this box for years. Florence Harrison was Sam Nunn’s highschool English teacher (he graduatedfrom Perry High School in 1956) and wasmine (I graduated from PHS in 1960).Florence died in May of 2014, and I han-dled her estate. Her husband, Willis, died in Decemberof 2016, and I am handling his. But, back to the box anda newspaper clipping I don’t ever remember seeing. The clipping, half of a newspaper page, was titled“Text from State Rep. Larry Walker’s farewell speech” andapparently was from The Macon Telegraph judging froman ad on the back of the page which had my speech. A half page! I couldn’t believe it. Saved, along withmany other things, by my homeroom and twelfth gradeteacher, Florence Harrison. Amazing. Then I read it. And what struck me as never beforewas how much I owed Mrs. Harrison and my first gradeteacher Miss Frances Couey and my sixth grade teacherJean Bledsoe. I will never be able to pay what I owe. That’swhat teachers do. They give so much and it can never berepaid by the recipients. I quoted Thomas Jefferson who said: “If due participa-tion of office is a matter of right, how are vacancies to beobtained? Those by death are few; by resignation, none.”Or, as Jefferson is usually quoted: “Few die, and none

resign.” In other words, if the politician continues toserve long enough, he will either die or eventually bedefeated. None quit. But, I did. I talked about love undeserved and quoted from myfavorite hymn, “My Tribute” (and I like it by AndraéCrouch) by reciting these words: “How can I say thanksfor the things you have done for me. Things so unde-served, yet you gave to prove your love for me. The voicesof a million angels could not express my gratitude…” I talked of legislative colleagues, including TerryColeman, Tom Buck, Tom Murphy, Lynn Westmoreland,Bill Lee and Calvin Smyre and perhaps 100 or so more.

Democrats and Republicans. Friends. Good friends.Lobbyists, clerks, governors, secretaries, my

shoe shine man, the press and threeespecially close political friends, Allan

Stalvey, Clark Fain and Connell Stafford.I also talked of my wonderful secretary of

20 years, Dianna Lynn. And, then I closed with what Robert

E. Lee closed with when he gave hisfarewell address to the Army of Northern

Virginia: “With an unceasing admiration ofyour constancy and devotion to your coun-

try, and a grateful remembrance of yourkind and generous consideration ofmyself, I bid you an affectionate farewell.”

And so, I bid my political colleagues and myfriends an affectionate farewell which I truly meant— theaffectionate part. Frances Couey taught me to read in the first grade, andFlorence Harrison taught me to love to read in the twelfth.I call them my bookend teachers. And, neither the speechI made in 2004 nor this column would have ever happenedwithout Mrs. Harrison. She helped to make me what I waswhen I wrote the speech in the spring of 2004 and helpedmake me what I am today. I think Sam Nunn would say thesame things about her. In fact, I know he would. And, by the way, was it Macon’s Pulitzer Prize winnerRandall Savage that got this article printed? And, who wasRandall’s teacher(s) that made such a difference in his life?

Larry Walker is a practicing attorney in Perry. He served 32 years in theGeneral Assembly and serves on the University System Board of Regents.

only received 37,993 votes in the April special election—or, 54,397 voters less than Ossoff. No matter what themakeup of the district, that is a hefty shortfall for eventhe most effective campaign organization. The harsh GOP reality is that Ossoff onlymissed winning an outright victory by3,653 votes out of 192,084 votes cast. But,unlike horseshoes and hand grenades,close does not count. As the June 20 election runoffapproaches, both campaign organi-zations will focus the majority oftheir fire on an enormous groundoperation. The candidate who getsthe most folks to the polls in earlyvoting and on election day wins. It is assimple as that. There will be some campaign advertise-ments, but these are mostly designed to make sure vot-ers think their candidate is fighting and can still win.But the real battle will not be air war— it will be aground war. Post-special election polls show the election as abouteven. Yet polls are irrelevant. Asking a voter if they

intend to vote means little in the context of folks whoactually vote. Ignore them. The real numbers will be who votes early, whorequests absentee ballots and then who shows up on

election day. Those are the only numbers thatwill count— and that is simple mathematics.

Of course, it is possible for eithercandidate to have an embarrassing

gaffe or for the national politicaldynamics to sway voter sentiment inthe district. But, absent that, this isan election decided by simple hardwork— knocking on doors, makingphone calls, visiting voters and get-

ting them to the polls. It is all of thethings that President Barack Obama did

well in 2008 and 2012, and the RepublicanNational Committee perfected in 2016.

All other things being equal, Ossoff hasthe shortest distance but Handel has the momentum.How it finishes will be down to the wire.

Randy Evans is a Dentons attorney and Georgia’s RepublicanNational Committeeman.

A QUICK SCAN of articles prior to the 2017General Assembly session would lead one to believe thatthe legislation garnering the most attention would be casi-no gambling. Reports that MGM Resorts would be joinedby other heavy hitters Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts(not to mention a host of other, smaller operators) gavethe impression to many that the time had come to allow avote on whether to permit casino gaming in Georgia. On the healthcare front, most expected the hospitalprovider fee to pass with little fanfare, and it did. Manywere also ready for another debate about Certificate ofNeed (CON), the law that requires the state to approvethe construction of everything from a new hospital, tonew hospital services, to an ambulatory surgery center.(As with my previous article, I must disclose that I rep-resent parties interested in reforming the CON processto inject some free market principles into healthcare.) Despite expectations and significant press reports,both efforts failed to make it out of their assigned com-mittees. The Senate held several hearings on thecasino legislation, but it never took a vote.The House committee held onehearing, but as in the Senate,members took no vote. On CON, aSubcommittee of the HouseCommittee on Government Affairstabled two pieces of legislation thatsought to open the process to allow atleast hospitals to expand moreefficiently and without gov-ernment approval. TheSenate Health and HumanServices Committee neverheard the various bills pend-ing there on a destination cancerhospital (Cancer Treatment Centers ofAmerica in Newnan) and multispecialty physician

ambulatory surgery centers. Nothing prevents any ofthe bills— either CON or casinos— from returning nextsession, and the safe bet is that they will. The casino legislation underwent significantchanges during the session. It began as an over 120-page bill that provided for six casinos and some horseracing tracks. The proceeds of the gaming revenue wentlargely to the Georgia Lottery for purposes of fundingthe HOPE Scholarship. Midway through session, thelegislation changed significantly. The number of casi-nos dropped from six to two. Horse racing was strippedfrom the bill. And, the revenues began to be divvied upbetween varied interests, including rural healthcare.The bill also dropped in length, as the committee sub-stitutes were only about 30 pages. While many legislators liked the limited number ofcasinos and the shorter length of the bill, some of thechanges left others (whose votes were needed to passthe controversial legislation) wondering how the effort

would help their communities. Somelegislators hoped that the horse rac-

ing provision would bring horsefarms or supporting industriesto their districts. Others

wanted more casinos, as thegreater number increasedthe chances their commu-nity would be able to vote

on the question of whetherto have casinos located within

their county or city. Although the num-ber of casinos eventually increased, it appeared

that the rural and urban coalition needed topass the legislation had splintered.Consequently, the bill never escaped the

House or Senate committees. Efforts to

continued on page 36

try again next session will likely focus on means to“spread the wealth” of the casino (and potentially horseracing) project and articulate how it would assist differ-ent areas of the state. For CON, the story was a bit different. Last year,House Chairman Wendell Willard introduced legislationto sunset the CON program altogether. Most hospitalsopposed, but HCA (who I represent and has seven hospi-tals in Georgia and is in public negotiations for aneighth) supported the legislation as a way to open up theGeorgia market for growth and competition. The opposi-tion focused on the impact the legislation would have onhospitals from physician-owned ambulatory surgery cen-ters. Consequently, when the legislation returned thispast session, the changes were scaled back. Instead ofopening the program completely, it focused on (1) elimi-nating state approval for decisions to buy equipment orexpand the physical plant of a CON-regulated facility; (2)deregulating mental health care services to expandopportunities to provide care in communities; (3) deregu-lating of free standing emergency departments to takepressure off of hospital emergency rooms; and (4) makeit easier for hospitals to expand their bed count.

Most hospitals maintained their opposition to thelegislation, but (as demonstrated by the pages of thismagazine) they seemed to be addressing the 2016 sunsetbill versus the 2017 reform bill that loosened hospital-on-hospital competition. In the context of the House committee, most of thecriticism focused on CON-exempt ambulatory surgerycenters (which were not impacted by the bill) and theefforts of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Thecommittee tabled the bill without much discussion. Thelack of debate leaves one to speculate what the issueswere with the legislation, but rumblings about the needto reform and update a set of laws that have remainedunchanged for almost a decade will likely force a returnnext year for further consideration. Like Cubs fans of old, those seeking to reformGeorgia’s gaming and CON laws are left, this year, say-ing “next year is our year.” But like Cubs fans of today,persistence pays off and, at some point, the actualdebate will occur.

Josh Belinfante practices litigation and regulatory law at Robbins RossAlloy Belinfante and Littlefield in Atlanta.

ime is money and how we use it can determinehow successful we are. Golf is often seen as theultimate business tool. An estimated 90 percent ofFortune 500 CEOs play golf, as have almost all theU.S. presidents since President DwightEisenhower. Furthermore, interesting studiesshow that executives who play golf make an aver-age of 17 percent more than those who don’t.

One of my favorite pastimes is playing golf and, for me,mixing golf with business is a hole-in-one for several reasons.

Building Business Relationships Taking a col-league, current client or prospect to play golf allows youtime to truly get to know the person on the course. Often,meeting a client at his or her office means constant inter-ruptions and strict time limitations. On the golf course, how-ever, you’ll likely have more time and a better opportunity tohave in-depth conversations and truly build personal rela-tionships. With a round of golf often taking up to four hours,you or your client may not always have a large block of timeto dedicate to the sport. The driving range or a non-tradi-tional facility such as Top Golf are other options.

Gaining insight Though some may consider it tabooto discuss business over golf, I’m often pleasantly sur-prised by the insight that arises from general conversa-tions about market trends. While it’s certainly inappropri-ate to bring contracts and paperwork to the course, gener-ally, it is acceptable to discuss asset allocation, interestrates, capital markets and sectors of the stock market.Having conversations about the industry could even leadto new or increased business.

Understanding Your Colleagues, Clients andProspective Clients’ Personalities The calm com-petitiveness of golf is a great way to get an understanding ofa colleague’s or prospective client’s temperament. It canshed light on whether they are easily agitated, patient or

passionate. It is valuable insight that can help you bettermanage your relationships and anticipate their future behav-iors as the market frequently fluctuates. Remember to keepyour own emotions in check on the course. As much as Ilove to golf, it can be frustrating at times but it’s important toremain calm and be positive— regardless of the score.

Finding a substitute If you don’t know how to playgolf or prefer a different activity, that’s okay too. I knowplenty of colleagues that have other passions (i.e., huntingand wine tasting) that they share with their clients. Themost important aspect is not the activity but rather the timeit allows you to build a stronger relationship with your col-league, client or prospect.

Giving Back Golf as a whole generates more than $3.9billion annually in charitable giving. I have been involved inseveral charitable golf tournaments and have found that it’sa great way to support both a client and a cause. Not sur-prisingly, the same crowds tend to frequent golf events yearafter year, which only helps you continue to build relation-ships and strengthen your network.

Though I’m certainly a fan of golf these days, I was atennis player as a child. Around the age of twelve, mymother encouraged me to consider also playing golfbecause she insisted I would “one day do a lot of businesson the course.” She was right and golf has taught me a lotabout both business and life. Bobby Jones, the most suc-cessful amateur golfer, once said, “Golf is the closest gameto the game we call life. You get bad breaks from goodshots, you get good breaks from bad shots, but you have toplay the ball where it lies.” So no matter what your sport or hobby, building andmaintaining relationships is an essential business tool thatis at the core of knocking every deal out the park, hittingeach hole in one and scoring the big wins.

Mac McGrew is a wealth advisor with The Harrison McGrew Group atMorgan Stanley in Atlanta. He can be reached at Mac.McGrew@MS.com.

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