A group of 16 education attorneys who represent three of Georgia’s largest school systems moved to a new law firm.
The group’s lawyers represent Atlanta, Cobb County and Fulton County school systems, districts that combined serve a couple hundred thousand students and operate billion-dollar tax-funded budgets. They advise school leaders on all manner of legal issues and recently have represented districts in lawsuits related to mask rules.
The attorneys and five support staffers are joining Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, a Charlotte-based firm with offices throughout the southeast including Atlanta, the firm announced Monday. They previously worked at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.
Nina Gupta, an attorney who helps lead the team, said the group’s move should have minimal impact on the clients they serve. Gupta has served as Atlanta Public Schools’ general counsel since 2019 and said she will continue to do so.
“The impact for our clients, really, it’s a change of email address and that’s it,” she said.
A Nelson Mullins spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Last month, the Fulton school board approved the transfer of its legal files from Nelson Mullins to Parker Poe.
The Cobb school board also approved the appointment of Parker Poe as its interim legal counsel effective April 1. Nelson Mullins had represented the Cobb district for about a year.
The attorneys also have represented a host of other clients, including private schools, charter schools and colleges.
Besides Gupta, the group’s other partners at Parker Poe include Sherry Culves, Samantha Lewis, Brandon Moulard, Cheryl Shaw and Suzann Wilcox. More than 260 attorneys work for Parker Poe, including other business and real estate lawyers located in Atlanta.
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