STEMBRIDGE TAYLOR - Key Persons
John has been focused on advising and representing management and individuals in employment law matters arising under federal and state laws for his entire legal career. Since opening his own practice, John has defended clients in single-plaintiff, multi-plaintiff and collective and class action employment cases, and has represented employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Labor Relations Board and many state agencies.
John formed his own practice in 2012 with the belief that by developing true partnerships with his clients and their human relations staff, unnecessarily high legal bills could be avoided while continuing to provide top-rated legal service. In 2015, in addition to the firm's traditional billing options, John developed a flat-fee billing option for his clients. John's belief, which has since been reinforced by many of the firm's clients, was that by eliminating time-based billing, clients would communicate more often with their outside employment counsel, which would reduce legal risks and result in less litigation. With the success of the flat-fee billing process, John continues to explore the potential for alternative billing arrangements in litigation.
Prior Experience
John did not take a direct path to practicing law. After receiving his B.A., History, from the University of Georgia, he worked for Bank of America where he managed several banking centers around Atlanta, managed the Olympic Banking Center inside the athletes' Olympic Village during the 1996 Olympic Games, and was the Sales Manager for a territory covering 30 banking centers and over 250 Bank of America associates. John also spent time in the commercial line of business managing a commercial loan portfolio. In his leadership positions at the bank, John developed a passion for helping resolve employee issues and gained valuable experience successfully navigating employment-related matters of all types. This drove his decision to become an attorney.
After graduating in 2003, with honors, from the University of Georgia School of Law, John joined Ford & Harrison, LLP, where he advised clients on employment and labor issues. In 2005, John joined Littler, the largest U.S. based law firm exclusively devoted to handling employment law matters, and in 2010 he was promoted to Shareholder at Littler. In 2012, John opened his own practice, Andrews & Stembridge, LLC, and in 2016 John founded Stembridge Law.
John and his wife Jennifer live in Sandy Springs with their two daughters. When John is not practicing law, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching his daughters play basketball, tennis, and volleyball. John is an avid runner and also enjoys finding time for a round of golf and reading a good book.
Lisa's client-centered law practice includes advice, counseling, and litigation in all aspects of labor and employment law as well as general business law advice, document drafting and litigation of business disputes. She also utilizes her expertise in legal research and writing and knowledge of the appellate process to provide top-notch representation in civil appeals in both state and federal courts. Most recently, Lisa became registered through the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution as a mediator and arbitrator, and she brings her wide range of legal experience and her ability to see and understand all sides of a dispute to assist other parties and their attorneys with resolution out of court.
Lisa's law-practice philosophy begins with developing personal client relationships, whether they are owners/operators of small or mid-sized businesses, in-house general counsel or human resources professionals in large corporations, or individuals. She learns what the client needs and understands their goals, then applies careful, well-informed legal analysis to bring about the best possible result, whether advising on compliance and decision-making or resolving disputes through trial or appellate litigation. Although Lisa's approach is collaborative and practical, her competitive nature fuels her desire to achieve victory in whatever form that may take given the context of the legal matter at hand. She is a tenacious litigator and skilled negotiator when the circumstances call for it, and she demands personal perfection in all aspects of her law practice, while priding herself on maintaining utmost professionalism at all times.
Prior Experience
Prior to partnering with John to form Stembridge Taylor in 2021, Lisa operated her own law firm for nearly six years, providing many of the same services that she now brings to her partnership. She began her career as an associate in the labor and employment group at AmLaw100 firm Alston & Bird LLP, where she represented Fortune 500 companies in a wide variety of employment and labor law matters. Although her future at the firm was bright, Lisa heeded the call to teach when the opportunity arose and spent twelve years teaching Employment Law and Federal Civil Procedure at an ABA-accredited law school, where she earned tenure and fostered her love of research and writing by conceiving and publishing five major law review articles addressing novel legal issues that lie at the intersection of procedure and employment law.
Personal
Lisa and her husband Brent live in Oconee County, Georgia (just outside Athens) and have four children - one navigating life as an adult and three in middle and high school. She and Brent share a love of fitness and athletic competition, which they currently fulfill through a CrossFit-style gym program along with regular running and biking. They have competed together in a number of regional and national running and triathlon races, including the esteemed and historic Boston Marathon. They currently fit in what training they can in between shuttling their kids to various activities and sports practices, and cheering them on in football, basketball, baseball, mountain biking, golf, and soccer games/matches/races, among other things. They are fans of the Georgia Bulldogs, the Atlanta Falcons, and whatever team their kids are playing/competing on each day. Brent is an avid entrepreneur, running three businesses. In their "spare" time they enjoy travel, skiing (on water or snow), walking their two COVID-shutdown dogs (a rescue mix and a Goldendoodle), fine (or reasonably priced) wines, and spending time with friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Paralegal and Office Manager
Victoria Engleman joined Stembridge Taylor in 2020. Her diverse range of experience for five years in family law and personal injury has well-positioned her to be Stembridge Taylor's office manager and paralegal. Although a relatively new face to employment and business law, Victoria finds its intricacies and complexities to be in-depth and engaging, and thoroughly enjoys understanding and assisting with each client's unique situation. She especially has enjoyed helping Stembridge Taylor grow in its inaugural year as a new firm.
Prior Experience
Victoria began her paralegal career in Dahlonega, Georgia with family law through the Law Office of Andrea Conarro, where she mitigated client stress by providing exceptional service to parents, spouses, children, and other clients. Victoria worked on contested divorces with estate and child custody disagreements, wills, and trusts. She assisted parents attempting to regain custody of their children by helping them maintain compliance with Department of Family and Children Services requirements, and also assisted in representing children involved in the child welfare system. During her work with Andrea Conarro, Victoria realized she had a life-long passion for paralegal work, and she obtained an ABA-approved paralegal degree from the University of North Georgia.
Wanting to re-establish herself back in Atlanta, Victoria switched gears and joined Rafi Law Firm, a personal injury firm, where she quickly rose in the ranks to become the lead paralegal and office manager. In addition to managing the growing firm, Victoria was heavily involved with all aspects of her cases from beginning to end, rendering her in-depth knowledge of how to empathetically and expertly assist with clients who were severely injured by medical malpractice, apartment complex shootings, motor vehicle and truck crashes, or slip and fall incidents.
In her free time Victoria enjoys her close access to the Chattahoochee River, wildlife photography, and relaxing at home with her three cats.