GSH ATTORNEYS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / Columbus
With over 25 years experience, Brad is recognized as a regional leader in estate planning and administration, including related matters such as tax-planning advice for individuals and families with high net worth. This work includes the preparation of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, life insurance trusts, family partnerships, advanced trust techniques (GRATs, CRUTs, SLATs and GST trusts) and gifting and transfer documents. He also advises clients on charitable planning, such as charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and private foundations, and regularly assists clients with the creation of tax-exempt 501(c) organizations.
He also advises clients on pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, and represents both individual and corporate trustees in fiduciary matters, including changes in trustees, trust modifications, trust terminations and similar matters. He works with clients to create Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), both for self-settled and third-party donor created trusts, in Medicaid planning and in planning for beneficiaries with disabilities.
Brad's practice also covers a wide variety of business matters ranging from entity selection and formation with full consideration of the most favorable tax, liability and operational issues ranging from LLCs, c-corporations, s-corporations, partnerships and joint ventures. He advises clients on ongoing matters such as employment agreements, buy-sell agreements, contracts, leases, retirement plans and other operational matters. He regularly represents buyers and sellers of businesses in connection with an asset or stock purchase agreement, and other corporate transactions
Brad maintains an active probate and estate administration practice, which includes representing clients in the probate of wills, estate administration and year's support proceedings. He works with families and individuals who need a guardian of the person or conservator of the property for adults, minors, and individuals with disabilities or special needs.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Counsel to the Columbus
- of Counsel / Columbus
Brad Dodds is Of Counsel to the Columbus office. His practice focuses on residential and commercial real estate, wills and trusts, probates, and the formation and management of small corporations, partnerships, and LLCs. Brad represents a variety of individuals and entities in a wide range of matters, and he is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Brad was previously a partner with Day & Dodds, LLC from 2009 to 2021, an associate with Funderburk, Day and Lane from 1995 to 2009, and an associate with Denney, Pease, Allison, Kirk & Lomax (formerly Kelly, Denney, Pease & Allison) from 1988 to 1995.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / Columbus
D. Nicholas ("Nick") Stutzman is a Partner in the Columbus office. His practice focuses on residential and commercial real estate, wills, probate, contracts, small corporate entities and land disputes. Nick represents a variety of lenders, developers, builders, investors, entities, buyers and sellers in all phases of real estate.
Nick has previously served as Vice President and General Counsel of The Brent Schoening Strikeout Leukemia Foundation, Inc. as well as President and General Counsel of The Brent Schoening Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc. and on the Muscogee County School District Business Education Advisory Board and on the Board of Directors of the Columbus Mortgage Bankers Association. He also served on the American Cancer Society Leadership Council and the Uptown Columbus Board.
Edward P. Hudson is a Partner in the firm's Residential and Commercial Real Estate Practices at the Atlanta and Columbus, GA offices. He represents a variety of lenders, developers, builders, investors, buyers, and sellers.
Edward is very involved in professional and community organizations. Previously, he served on the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia and is a past Chair of the Section. He has served as a member of the Finance Committee and a member of the Bench and Bar Committee of the State Bar of Georgia. He is a former President and current Advisory Member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Real Estate Closing Attorneys Association (GRECAA). Furthermore, he is a member of the Section on Real Property and Probate Law of the American Bar Association and a Fellow of the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Brookstone School, and he is the Co-Chair of the Mayor's Commission on Passenger Rail. He formerly served as a member of the Columbus-Phenix City Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizens Advisory Committee, the Board of Trustees of the Muscogee County Library Foundation, the Board of Directors of Green Island Country Club, and the Board of Governors of The Big Eddy Club.
Edward has received Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards (AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5).
Professional Affiliations
State Bar of Georgia (admitted in 1984)
Past Chair of the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section
Past Member of the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section
Member of the Real Property Law Section
Past Member of the Finance Committee
Past Member of the Bench and Bar Committee
State Bar of Alabama (admitted in 1984)
American Bar Association
Section on Real Property and Probate Law
Section on Law Practice Management
Georgia Real Estate Closing Attorneys Association (GRECAA)
Former Member of the Board of Directors
Advisory Member of the Board of Directors
Past President
Fellow of the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia
Former Member of the Board of Directors of the Columbus Mortgage Bankers Association
Kirsten Howard is a partner in the Buckhead (Atlanta) office. Her practice focuses primarily on residential real estate, with Kirsten representing homeowners, homebuyers, and lenders in all phases of residential real estate development and sales.
Prior to joining Goggans, Stutzman, Hudson, Wilson, and Mize, LLP in January of 2022, Kirsten was a partner at Partnership Title in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mechelle Montgomery-Bumpers is Of Counsel to the firm and serves as Chair of our Landlord/Tenant Practice.
Prior to her decision to pursue a legal career, Montgomery-Bumpers graduated with a B.S. Degree in Cardiopulmonary Care Science from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama and worked at Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital for 15 years.
In 2008, she branched out as a Registered Neutral/Mediator and mediated landlord-tenant issues in 10 Georgia counties. She was assigned by the U.S. Atlanta District Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to facilitate resolutions of individual employment discrimination complaints.
Her extensive experience in the workplace and her passion for negotiating the wanted outcomes in various subjects for her clients led her to obtaining her JD Degree. She graduated with the Highest Distinction from Georgia State University in 2010, where she served as a Graduate Research Assistant (Information Technology) and filled a variety of functions, including Vice President, within the Student Trial Law Association.
Vanessa E. Goggans is a partner and Chair of the firm's Residential Real Estate Practice. Vanessa practices in the areas of residential real estate and finance, representing builders, developers, homebuyers, homeowners and lenders in all phases of residential real estate development and sales. Though her practice began in residential real estate closings, primarily conducting closings and advising lenders in the areas of TILA, RESPA and TRID compliance, more than half of her practice is now devoted to the advisement of residential real estate builders and developers (including three of the top ten by home sale volume builders in Georgia), guiding them through all phases of real estate development, from land acquisition, financing and community development through the ultimate sale to the residential consumer. She is an active member of the Atlanta real estate community and a frequent speaker on topics regarding CFPB compliance, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), ethical issues facing real estate licensees and attorneys, new trends in the title insurance industry and practical tips for real estate brokers and closing attorneys.
In May of 2021, the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia awarded Vanessa the prestigious George A. Pindar Award for lifetime achievement in real estate law. Earlier in the same year she was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL).
Vanessa practices out of the firm's Atlanta - Northside office and is the director of the firm's real estate school. She has authored 20+ courses for Georgia real estate licensees and teaches an average of 600 students per year on various three hour topics.