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Bert Hummel, Donavan Eason Appointed to Leadership Positions Within Georgia Bar Young Lawyers Division

Atlanta, Ga. (August 25, 2020) - Atlanta Partner Bert Hummel and Savannah Associate Donavan Eason were recently appointed to leadership positions within the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia. The YLD is often referred to as the “service arm of the Bar” and is responsible for a variety of charity efforts nationally coordinated by attorneys who volunteer their time.

Mr. Hummel was recently sworn in as the 74th President of the YLD in a virtual ceremony conducted by Supreme Court of Georgia Justice Keith Blackwell. His one-year term officially began on July 1, 2020. In addition, Mr. Hummel was also appointed to a full term on the State Bar of Georgia’s Executive Committee. His initiatives this year include addressing institutional and systemic racism and bias, increasing community service efforts at the local affiliate level, creating a mentor database for young lawyers across the state, and focusing on lawyer wellness. These initiatives have been mirrored by bar leaders in several other states.

As part of his initial duties as President of the YLD, Mr. Hummel appointed his colleague Mr. Eason as Director of the YLD's Committee on Disaster Legal Assistance. This committee manages a disaster relief hotline and connects callers affected by disasters with volunteer attorneys. The attorneys assist the individuals, at no charge, with a variety of matters arising from the disasters, including insurance, wills, and repair contracts. The hotline operates pursuant to a program orchestrated by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Bar Association (ABA). Over the coming months, Mr. Eason’s committee will be conducting outreach efforts throughout rural Georgia, as hurricanes and tornadoes continue to ravage the Gulf Coast and to cause chaos for farmers, particularly tree farmers. 

Since 2007, the ABA YLD nationally has responded to 178 declared disasters in 44 states and four U.S. territories. Learn more about the YLD of the State Bar of Georgia here.

Mr. Hummel is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ General Liability and Workers' Compensation Practices. He has extensive experience in litigation and has handled hundreds of claims in his practice for a variety of insurance companies, Fortune 500 companies, large corporations, small businesses, and self-insurers, as well as TPA's, PEO's, and staffing companies. He has been a member of the YLD of the State Bar of Georgia since 2012.

Mr. Eason is a member of Lewis Brisbois’ General Liability Practice. He regularly defends clients in a wide array of matters involving premises liability, automobile and trucking liability, and product liability. He has been a member of the Georgia Bar since 2016, and this is his first year as a member of the YLD.

Please join us in congratulating Messrs. Hummel and Eason on these appointments.

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