EWH - Key Persons
Amy Lou is an associate in the firm's Athens office, with a focus on the defense of toxic tort matters in complex litigation. Amy Lou assists with the firm's national defense coordination efforts with an emphasis on document production management, settlement release oversight, and Medicare reporting compliance.
Amy Lou grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Juris Doctor in 1994. While in law school, Amy Lou was a member of the editorial and managing boards of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.
Prior to joining Evert Weathersby Houff, Amy Lou practiced in Athens from 1994 through 2000 at Blasingame, Burch, Garrard, Bryant & Ashley where she focused on civil litigation, including the defense of personal injury and wrongful death cases involving general casualty, toxic torts, and medical malpractice.
Amy Lou serves on the Missions Advisory Board at Athens First United Methodist Church. She is actively involved in outreach and service projects throughout Northeast Georgia and with her children's school.
Education
Juris Doctor, The University of Georgia, 1994
Bachelor of Arts, The University of Georgia, 1991
In addition to civil trial experience, Chris has served as a surrogate judge, preparing commercial clients and their counsel for appellate argument and related procedures. He has served as counsel to commercial entities in planning business expansion strategies in anticipation of litigation and related follow through once litigation has ensued. Chris has also consulted with commercial entities in a supervisory role assisting the client's outside counsel in litigation strategy and case development implementation.
Clare is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Classics with honors in 2000 and a Master of Arts in Classics with honors in 2001. She earned her Juris Doctor in 2004 from the University of Maryland School of Law where she was active in the Student Health Law Organization, served as student delegate to the Maryland Women's Bar Association, and was recruiting co-chair for the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity. Throughout law school, Clare worked as a research assistant to Professor Lawrence M. Sung and as a law clerk for Educational Affairs in the Office of the Attorney General in Baltimore. During this time, she co-authored "Piercing the Academic Veil: Madey v. Duke University and the Future of a Research Use Exemption to Patent Infringement" Journal of Health Care Law and Policy
Jennifer is a Partner in the Firm's Atlanta office where she focuses on the defense of corporate clients, such as manufacturers of industrial and marine products and equipment, in complex litigation, mass tort, and products liability matters. With a practice based in the Southeast, Jennifer has been actively involved at the local, regional, and national level of clients' defense coordination in asbestos litigation. For many years, Jennifer played an integral role in fulfilling the Firm's responsibilities as Defense Liaison Counsel in Georgia asbestos litigation. For over a decade, Jennifer has served as counsel for the firm's clients in North and South Carolina.
Founding Partner Michael N. Weathersby passed away on November 3, 2022. Mike was a beloved member of the firm and will be missed by all.
Richard M. Lauth concentrates his practice on the defense of personal injury and wrongful death cases involving products liability, toxic torts, and premises liability. From the initial filing of the lawsuit through its final disposition, Richard handles case intake, written discovery, depositions, court appearances, trial preparation, trial, and settlement negotiations. He concentrates his practice within the firm's national defense coordination, management, and implementation efforts for a number of clients, including serving as national coordinating counsel for an engineering, design and manufacturing firm involved in the asbestos litigation.
Richard is admitted to practice in all trial courts and courts of appeal in Georgia, Florida and Mississippi, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Georgia, the Northern District of Florida, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Mississippi, and the Southern District of Mississippi. Richard is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Martindale's peer review rating is based on legal ability and professional ethics and it reflects the confidential opinions of members of the bench and bar.
Richard was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in Spanish. Richard received his Juris Doctor from Georgia State University's College of Law. During law school, Richard worked at the DeKalb County Child Advocate's Office representing the interests of children involved in abuse and neglect cases. In his final year of law school, Richard was selected for membership in the Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law Inn of Court.
Education
Juris Doctor, Georgia State University's College of Law, 1999
Bachelor of Arts, Vanderbilt University, 1996
Rose Marie serves as local counsel in Mississippi and is responsible for management of local counsel in Louisiana and Texas. These roles require development and implementation of strategies for individual cases, coordination of trial resources, expert witness preparation and overall case management and supervision through resolution.