ATLANTA (October 9, 2019) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce that the State Bar of Georgia Environmental Law Section has renamed its annual Lifetime Achievement Award to honor the late James H. Bratton Jr., a former SGR partner and founder of the State Bar’s Environmental Law Section. The official announcement was made on September 26 during the Section’s Annual Luncheon and as part of the introduction of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner. The award is given annually to one honoree for high achievement, professionalism and dedication in the area of environmental law. A partner with SGR for more 50 years, Mr. Bratton passed away in January 2019 at the age of 87.
Mr. Bratton was a partner in SGR’s Atlanta office where he practiced complex and protracted litigation. He was active in several sections of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Federal Bar Association, and the Atlanta Bar Association, as well as a fellow of the American Law Institute and of the Lawyers Foundation of Georgia. Mr. Bratton also held adjunct faculty positions at Emory University and the University of Georgia law schools and wrote and lectured on various legal topics. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Bratton was involved with the community, holding various leadership positions within his church, civic association, alma mater and alumni network. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Sewanee: The University of the South where he was the university’s first Fulbright Scholar. As a Fulbright, he attended Pembroke College, Oxford where he earned a B.A. and M.A. He later earned an LL.B. from Yale University.
About the State Bar of Georgia
The State Bar of Georgia exists to foster among the members of the Bar of this state the principles of duty and service to the public; to improve the administration of justice; and to advance the science of law. All persons authorized to practice law in this state are required to be members. The Bar has strict codes of ethics and discipline that are enforced by the Supreme Court of Georgia through the State Bar’s Office of the General Counsel. Membership dues and other contributions help the Bar provide programs that are mutually beneficial to its members and the general public. For more information, visit www.gabar.org.
About Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
SGR is a full service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The firm’s 250 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 45 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, construction, employment law, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, SGR has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Jacksonville, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Munich, New York, Southampton, and Washington, D.C.