Of Counsel with Hall Booth Smith, P.C.A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Cole has a Civil Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and a law degree from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law. He has over 17 years’ experience handling water supply, environmental and local government matters with a focus on acquiring permits under Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act. His experience includes project management duties; guiding clients through the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and National Historic Preservation Act; drafting persuasive analyses of data; negotiating with regulatory officials; and assisting the client/permittee with permit compliance issues. In this arena, Mr. Cole has been involved in nearly 20 water supply reservoirs and numerous private developments, representing those clients in front of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. He has worked as outside counsel to a suburban Atlanta county and local water authority. He has been a member of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s Basin Advisory Council for both the Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee River Basins. Mr. Cole is the chair of the Environmental Practice Group and a senior member of the Transactional Practice Groups.

Partner with Troutman Sanders LLPMr. Henderson is a trial and appellate partner at Troutman Sanders with a national practice in environmental litigation, toxic tort litigation, mass torts, and property rights litigation. Mr. Henderson has tried numerous cases to verdict involving chemical exposure, groundwater contamination, personal injury, endangered species, and property rights cases. He also has litigated cases involving water rights, reservoirs, surface mining, pipelines, powerlines and storm water runoff. As amicus counsel, he has represented the Edison Electric Institute, the National Mining Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, to name a few. In addition, he provides counseling on a wide range of matters involving RCRA, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, CERCLA, TSCA, and SMCRA. A Ph.D. scientist and lawyer, he offers considerable experience in trying cases involving expert testimony on air quality, hydrology, and epidemiology. Recently, he was named “Litigation – Environmental Atlanta Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers (2014). In addition, he is regularly ranked as one ofthe Top 100 lawyers in the State of Georgia by Atlanta Magazine Superlawyers. Mr. Henderson also is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in three separate categories (environmental litigation, environmental law, and mass torts).

Stephen A. McCullers is an Associate in the firm’s Environmental Practice. Stephen has a diverse environmental practice, assisting clients with complying with complex environmental, health, and safety regulations. Stephen also has expertise with air and water permitting, environmental due diligence and liability, and environmental litigation. 

 Before becoming an attorney, Stephen was a Natural Resources Specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He conducted environmental compliance inspections, issued environmental permits, and assisted in the management of federal land and natural resources. 

Partner with WeissmanMr. Shelton works with the commercial real estate and litigation practice groups, bringing almost 20 years of experience in environmental and land use law. He focuses his practice on trial and appellate litigation of environmental claims for both plaintiffs and defendants; counseling clients on addressing environmental issues arising in real estate transactions, ownership, and development; as well as compliance and permitting under environmental laws and regulations. Mr. Shelton’s clients include individuals, corporations, neighborhood/community association groups, governmental entities, foundations, and non-profit organizations. Active in the legal community, he is a member of the American Bar Association – Environmental & Natural Resources Section, the Georgia State Bar Environmental Law Section (Chair, 2008) and the Atlanta Bar Association – Environmental Law Section. Mr. Shelton is also a member of the Environmental Law Institute and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. He is admitted to the trial and appellate courts in Georgia, Washington, and the District of Columbia as well as the United States Supreme Court, 11th Circuit, and federal trial courts in Georgia and DC. Mr. Shelton has been named a “Georgia Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics Magazine every year since 2010.

Andrew M. Thompson is a partner in Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP’s the Environmental/Land Use Practice and is a member of the Sustainability Practice Group. His practice includes environmental and commercial litigation in state and federal court, as well as in state administrative court. He has represented and advised clients in connection with a range of environmental and commercial issues, including defending enforcement actions by the U.S. EPA and state environmental agencies, toxic tort litigation, Clean Water Act permitting and compliance, insurance coverage litigation, hazardous waste, groundwater contamination, environmental cleanup and emergency response and other environmental matters. Mr. Thompson serves as an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law teaching a course in water law and environmental litigation. He is a board member for the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at the Emory School of Law, a member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Environmental and Sustainability Committee and a member of the Defense Research Institute Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Section. He is on the advisory board of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Inc. and is a Class of 2012 graduate of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership. Mr. Thompson received his J.D. degree, with distinction, from Emory University School of Law, where he was a notes and comments editor of the Emory Law Journal.