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Mr. Eubanks is the founder and principal structural engineer of Paragon Structural Engineering, LTD, (PSE) a structural design and forensic investigation firm based in Plano, Texas. He leads a technical staff comprised of professional engineers, graduate engineers, project managers, and field technicians in the structural design and forensic investigation of planned and existing structures. Mr. Eubanks’ structural design services include analysis and engineering of large, custom single-family residences, multi-family apartment/condominium complexes, low-rise commercial facilities, warehouses and ancillary structures (retaining walls, screen walls, and swimming pools). He also performs construction-phase observations of the aforementioned structural systems to verify design compliance. Mr. Eubanks has performed engineering designs for thousands of residential and light commercial structures as well as hundreds of retaining walls, screen walls, and pools. His structural forensic services include investigations concerning soil-structure interactions, performance of structural systems, evaluation of building envelopes, and determination of cause, origin, and extent of peril damage. Soil-structure interaction assessments include claims relating to design, construction, historic/current site effects, and moisture source influences. Structural system assessments include claims relating to current or latent design and construction issues. Building envelope assessments include claims related to roof coverings, veneers, flashing, and weather resistive barriers. Peril assessments include claims relating to hurricane damage, tornado damage, lightning strikes, earthquakes, explosions, fire damage, and vehicle-structure collisions. Mr. Eubanks has performed hundreds of forensic investigations, and he has authored dozens of expert reports for use in mediation, arbitration, and/or litigation. In addition, he has provided expert witness testimony in dozens of mediations, arbitrations, and court cases. Mr. Eubanks is a licensed professional engineer in 10 states and is a board certified diplomate in forensic engineering by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. He also serves as a member of the American Concrete Institute’s Design of Slabs-on-Ground Committee (360), the American Society of Civil Engineers Committee on Forensic Investigations and the Residential Foundation Investigation and Design Subcommittee (ASCE-Texas Section), the Post-Tensioning Institute’s Structural (DC-10A) and Construction/Maintenance (DC-10D) Subcommittees, and the ASTM International Committees on Concrete Aggregates (C-09), Forensic Engineering (E-58), Soil and Rock (D-18), and Wood (D-07). Additionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees for Prestonwood Christian Academy. Mr. Eubanks aims to educate with regard to soil-structure interaction; the design, performance, and evaluation of structural systems; the evaluation of building envelopes; and causes and origins of damage to new and existing structures, as well as remedial solutions.

Mr. Eubanks is the founder and principal structural engineer of Paragon Structural Engineering, LTD, (PSE) a structural design and forensic investigation firm based in Plano, Texas. He leads a technical staff comprised of professional engineers, graduate engineers, project managers, and field technicians in the structural design and forensic investigation of planned and existing structures. Mr. Eubanks’ structural design services include analysis and engineering of large, custom single-family residences, multi-family apartment/condominium complexes, low-rise commercial facilities, warehouses and ancillary structures (retaining walls, screen walls, and swimming pools). He also performs construction-phase observations of the aforementioned structural systems to verify design compliance. Mr. Eubanks has performed engineering designs for thousands of residential and light commercial structures as well as hundreds of retaining walls, screen walls, and pools. His structural forensic services include investigations concerning soil-structure interactions, performance of structural systems, evaluation of building envelopes, and determination of cause, origin, and extent of peril damage. Soil-structure interaction assessments include claims relating to design, construction, historic/current site effects, and moisture source influences. Structural system assessments include claims relating to current or latent design and construction issues. Building envelope assessments include claims related to roof coverings, veneers, flashing, and weather resistive barriers. Peril assessments include claims relating to hurricane damage, tornado damage, lightning strikes, earthquakes, explosions, fire damage, and vehicle-structure collisions. Mr. Eubanks has performed hundreds of forensic investigations, and he has authored dozens of expert reports for use in mediation, arbitration, and/or litigation. In addition, he has provided expert witness testimony in dozens of mediations, arbitrations, and court cases. Mr. Eubanks is a licensed professional engineer in 10 states and is a board certified diplomate in forensic engineering by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. He also serves as a member of the American Concrete Institute’s Design of Slabs-on-Ground Committee (360), the American Society of Civil Engineers Committee on Forensic Investigations and the Residential Foundation Investigation and Design Subcommittee (ASCE-Texas Section), the Post-Tensioning Institute’s Structural (DC-10A) and Construction/Maintenance (DC-10D) Subcommittees, and the ASTM International Committees on Concrete Aggregates (C-09), Forensic Engineering (E-58), Soil and Rock (D-18), and Wood (D-07). Additionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees for Prestonwood Christian Academy. Mr. Eubanks aims to educate with regard to soil-structure interaction; the design, performance, and evaluation of structural systems; the evaluation of building envelopes; and causes and origins of damage to new and existing structures, as well as remedial solutions.

Mr. Daniliants is a seasoned project manager specializing in the design of infrastructure facilities at a leading engineering and design firm renowned for its work in the transportation sector. Expert in all aspects of highway design and traffic engineering, Mr. Daniliants spent most of his carrier working on challenging projects in New York and New Jersey – the nation’s most congested region. Throughout his 30-year professional career, Mr. Daniliants has been involved in a wide range of highway projects including traffic impact studies; design of roadways, intersections, roundabouts and highway interchanges; and design of toll plazas, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, traffic signals, roadway drainage, pavement, and utility relocation. Mr. Daniliants holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, and a master’s degree in Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE), and a Road Safety Professional (RSP). He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

Mr. Daniliants is a seasoned project manager specializing in the design of infrastructure facilities at a leading engineering and design firm renowned for its work in the transportation sector. Expert in all aspects of highway design and traffic engineering, Mr. Daniliants spent most of his carrier working on challenging projects in New York and New Jersey – the nation’s most congested region. Throughout his 30-year professional career, Mr. Daniliants has been involved in a wide range of highway projects including traffic impact studies; design of roadways, intersections, roundabouts and highway interchanges; and design of toll plazas, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, traffic signals, roadway drainage, pavement, and utility relocation. Mr. Daniliants holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, and a master’s degree in Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE), and a Road Safety Professional (RSP). He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

Michael Perlow Jr., P.E. is a retired civil & geotechnical engineer with more than 45 years of experience in engineering geology, geotechnical engineering and failure investigations. He is a registered professional engineer and a graduate of Lehigh University with BSCE and MSCE degrees. He is also the author of some 35 technical publications and has presented at numerous conferences, seminars, and meetings.
Mr. Perlow retired from full-time consulting in January 2016 and continues to work part-time in retirement. He provides continuing education seminars and webinars on Foundation damage assessment and repair and is completing a three year applied research effort on drilled foundation limit state pile capacity verification along with a book on geo-environmental hazard risk management.
Mr. Perlow has extensive foundation failure assessment-repair experience associated with major sinkhole stabilization projects, utility main breaks and geo-environmental hazard triggered failures. He has directed geologic, geophysical, groundwater quality, and geotechnical investigations for major projects including the $100 million AT&T Solid State Technology Center, Interstate 78 through the Schantz Spring Aquifer in Lehigh County in Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley Regional Postal Facility as well as the Vera Cruz Road and Macungie sinkhole collapses. He also has extensive marine geotechnical experience with coastal, offshore and university research projects.

Mr. Doyle has been involved in geodetic surveying since 1967. He joined the National Geodetic Survey in 1972 and functioned in numerous positions dealing with national adjustments, datum transformation and outreach to the surveying and geospatial community. Mr. Doyle held the position of chief geodetic surveyor for 12 years prior to his retirement in 2013. He now owns Base 9 Geodetic Services which provides consultation to public and private agencies and companies as well as teaching seminars on the fundamentals of geodesy and the National Spatial Reference System. Mr. Doyle is a past president of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying, and he is an active member of the DC, Maryland and Virginia professional surveyors’ associations. He has published more than 30 technical articles on geodesy and was honored as the recipient of the AAGS 2018 Joseph Dracup Lifetime Achievement award in addition to numerous other service awards from state and national surveying associations.

Mr. Doyle has been involved in geodetic surveying since 1967. He joined the National Geodetic Survey in 1972 and functioned in numerous positions dealing with national adjustments, datum transformation and outreach to the surveying and geospatial community. Mr. Doyle held the position of chief geodetic surveyor for 12 years prior to his retirement in 2013. He now owns Base 9 Geodetic Services which provides consultation to public and private agencies and companies as well as teaching seminars on the fundamentals of geodesy and the National Spatial Reference System. Mr. Doyle is a past president of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying, and he is an active member of the DC, Maryland and Virginia professional surveyors’ associations. He has published more than 30 technical articles on geodesy and was honored as the recipient of the AAGS 2018 Joseph Dracup Lifetime Achievement award in addition to numerous other service awards from state and national surveying associations.

Mr. Doyle has been involved in geodetic surveying since 1967. He joined the National Geodetic Survey in 1972 and functioned in numerous positions dealing with national adjustments, datum transformation and outreach to the surveying and geospatial community. Mr. Doyle held the position of chief geodetic surveyor for 12 years prior to his retirement in 2013. He now owns Base 9 Geodetic Services which provides consultation to public and private agencies and companies as well as teaching seminars on the fundamentals of geodesy and the National Spatial Reference System. Mr. Doyle is a past president of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying, and he is an active member of the DC, Maryland and Virginia professional surveyors’ associations. He has published more than 30 technical articles on geodesy and was honored as the recipient of the AAGS 2018 Joseph Dracup Lifetime Achievement award in addition to numerous other service awards from state and national surveying associations.

Associate at Stern & Edlin Family Law, P.C.Ms. Reese graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. She obtained her law degree from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and was admitted to practice law in Georgia in 2008. During her time in law school, she participated as a Children’s Fellow through the Center on Children and Families. She developed her passion for family law by volunteering at a domestic violence clinic and a pro se divorce clinic, before working in private practice. Ms. Reese has exclusively practiced family law since obtaining her bar membership in the State of Georgia. She is passionate about practicing family law and believes in providing support, understanding, advocacy and counseling to each client.

Attorney at Caldwell, Propst & DeLoach, LLPMr. Rivner is a litigation attorney practicing in the area of family law and domestic relations. In his practice, he strives for excellence in obtaining the best outcome for his clients. Mr. Rivner’s excellence has been recognized by his professional colleagues, as he has been consistently named a Georgia Trend’s Magazine Legal Elite, an Atlanta Magazine SuperLawyers Rising Star, and a National Academy of Family Law Attorneys Top 10 Under 40. His practice focuses on middle to high income divorce, custody, support, contempt, legitimation, paternity, pre/post-nuptial agreements and other family law proceedings, with an emphasis on helping his clients through the most difficult transitions in their lives in a cost-effective and beneficial manner that obtains the best result for them and their families. Mr. Rivner also handles estate planning for clients. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Mr. Rivner graduated from the University of Georgia magna cum laude and from Georgia State University College of Law cum laude.

Founding Partner at Shewmaker & Shewmaker, LLCMs. Shewmaker is a founding partner of Shewmaker & Shewmaker, LLC, an Atlanta based law firm specializing in family law, criminal defense and military law. She attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Military Intelligence. She served seven years on active duty in the United States Army and three years in the Georgia Army National Guard. Ms. Shewmaker received the Bronze Star Medal for her service in a combat theater of operations. She earned her law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law where she graduated with honors. She joined her husband and law partner, Steve Shewmaker, in establishing their law firm, practicing in the areas of family law, military law, and criminal defense. Her practice specializes in all aspects of family law, including divorce, custody disputes, child support issues, and even international child abduction cases. Additionally, Ms. Shewmaker is an expert in military family law issues.

Founding Partner at Shewmaker & Shewmaker, LLCMr. Shewmaker is a founding partner of Shewmaker & Shewmaker. He attended the University of Alabama on cross country and Army ROTC scholarships and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1990 as a Distinguished Military Graduate. Mr. Shewmaker was commissioned as an active duty Army Officer in 1990. He received the Bronze Star Medal for his service in a combat theater of operations. Following his years of active military service, he earned his law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law where he graduated with honors. He served in Military Intelligence and Judge Advocate assignments in the Georgia National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. Mr. Shewmaker practices in the full spectrum of family law cases, including contested child custody, complex asset division, drafting of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and modifications of custody, alimony and child support. With his extensive military background, he represents military service members and retirees from all five branches of the U.S. Armed Services as well as their families and in family law and criminal issues.

Partner at Kessler & Solomiany, LLCMr. Tesser was born and raised in Athens, Georgia, and has been a trial attorney during his entire legal career. After graduating from Clark University, Mr. Tesser acquired a further graduate degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia. He then earned his Juris Doctor degree at the College of William and Mary. He has been with Kessler & Solomiany, LLC, since 2002, and is a member of the Family Law Sections of the Atlanta Bar Association and the State Bar of Georgia. Mr. Tesser is the chairman of the DeKalb County Bar Association Family Law Division. He became a partner in the firm in 2008. As a domestic relations attorney, Mr. Tesser has handled contentious and complex litigation involving division of property, custody, child support, alimony, domestic abuse, paternity, and legitimation. He is a frequent presenter at seminars and classes on domestic relations speaking on child custody, paternity, legal ethics, and settlement strategy.

Partner at Meriwether & Tharp, LLCMr. Tharp is a founding partner of Meriwether & Tharp LLC. He focuses his practice on family law, handling cases involving divorce, child custody, contempt, and modifications. Mr. Tharp handles estates with large and unique assets, such as a business, which can be difficult to value during a divorce proceeding. He has completed formal mediation training and utilizes this knowledge to achieve favorable results while amicably trying to resolve matters for his clients. As he has moved into a managerial role at the firm, he helps to educate all clients through the firm’s website, numerous internal white papers, divorce guides and videos. In addition, he has worked extensively to develop various seminars and training for Meriwether & Tharp. Mr. Tharp graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and received his J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law.

Mr. Davis has practiced extensively in the areas of family and domestic relations law since 2009, and he practices across courts in metro-Atlanta.  He chose to focus his practice on family law following his enrollment in a Guardian ad Litem clinic where he was sworn in to practice as a third year law student. Mr. Davis works to develop meaningful relationships with his clients and opposing counsel, and he believes that a calm and reasonable approach to the practice of law is essential to successful resolution of domestic cases. He recognizes that LGBT clients often face unique challenges in family law related issues, and he brings many years of experience in representing LGBT family law clients – both before and after the landmark Obergefell marriage decision.  Mr. Davis is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia and is a member of the State Bar’s Family Law Section. He currently serves as the President-Elect of the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and is a member of the State Bar’s Executive Committee and Disciplinary Board.  Mr. Davis is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, and the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia. 

Partner with Kessler & Solomiany, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Ms. French represents clients in all aspects of domestic relations litigation, including divorce, separate maintenance, child custody and support modifications, contempt, post-divorce modification and enforcement, family violence, paternity, legitimation and prenuptial agreements. Ms. French takes a special interest in protecting children and maintaining stability in their lives as family structure changes. Ms. French is trained as a guardian ad litem and is on the list of preferred attorneys for these matters in Fulton and Cobb counties. Ms. French is also a trained mediator and arbitrator, and believes that mediation is the best option for resolution in the majority of family law cases – particularly those in which children of any age are involved. She writes frequently about custody issues and other family law developments. She has been named a Georgia SuperLawyer for several years and has recently been named by SuperLawyers as one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Georgia.

Partner at Boyd Collar Nolen & Tuggle, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Ms. Leonard is an attorney practicing exclusively in the area of family law. She routinely manages cases involving prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, divorce, modifications of custody, child support and/ or alimony, paternity and legitimation and contempt actions. She has also been trained to serve as a guardian ad litem. Ms. Leonard was honored to attend the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers’ Institute for Associates in Chicago, IL. She has lectured on a variety of family law topics at continuing legal education seminars. Through her practice and involvement in the legal community, Ms. Leonard was recognized by her colleagues as a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in 2014, 2015, and 2016, an honor bestowed on only 2.5 percent of young lawyers in Georgia.

Founding Attorney, Oxendine Law, LLC, Suwanee, GA
Mr. Oxendine grew up in Duluth, Georgia. He is a 2002 graduate of Mercer University and received his law degree from Mercer Law School in 2005. Mr. Oxendine and Mrs. Palmer have both devoted the majority of their practice to the field of family law and now, with the formation of Oxendine Law, they practice exclusively in that field. They have litigated family law matters in all metro Atlanta Superior courts, as well as the Georgia Court of Appeals. Both are members of the Family Law Section with the State Bar of Georgia and the Gwinnett County Bar Association.

Ms. Palmer earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama then attended law school at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida. She previously worked as in-house counsel for a real estate investment company and was the managing attorney of a law firm in Midtown Atlanta. Ms. Palmer is a partner at Oxendine Law, LLC, practicing in all areas of domestic litigation, divorce, child custody, paternity and legitimation, and modification actions. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia Family Law Section and the Gwinnett County Bar Association Family Law Section.

Founding Family Law Attorney, The Platt Law Firm, Atlanta, GA
For the last several years, Ms. Platt has been selected as a Georgia Super Lawyer in the field of family law. Additionally in 2018, 2019 and 2020, Georgia Super Lawyers named her to the Top 100 Attorneys and to the Top 50 Women Attorneys for the State of Georgia. She was recognized as one of Georgia’s Legal Elite in 2009, 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2019 in the area of family law by Georgia Trend magazine. Ms. Platt graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia, and obtained her Juris Doctor degree at the University of Colorado, School of Law. She became a member of the Georgia Bar in 2004. Ms. Platt is an active member of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (Foundation President 2010 – 2011) and the Atlanta Bar Association. Ms. Platt has been practicing law for the last 15 years and is currently concentrates her legal practice in the areas of family law and special education law.

Owner of Family Law Solutions, Inc., Lavonia, GA
Ms. Pothier is a mediator, trainer and consultant, specializing in family law. Ms. Pothier began her career assisting attorneys with the practice of family law more than a decade ago. Since 2014, she has consulted with various law firms to bring the specialized knowledge and training required for the best service of Georgia families. Utilizing her passion for service of others and desire for exceptional quality legal support to be available to the community, Ms. Pothier started Family Law Bootcamps in 2017 to further the practical education and training available to those wanting to learn family law in Georgia, including attorneys, paralegals and other support staff in the firm.

Owner at Champion Firm, P.C.
Mr. Champion is a dedicated trial lawyer who is passionate about fighting for his clients to ensure that they are fully compensated when they are harmed by someone else’s negligence. His philosophy is to provide client-centered representation that is aggressive and thorough so that the client can get the best possible result. In just the last few years alone, he has helped obtain millions of dollars in recoveries for his clients in Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia. In recognition of his success, the National Trial Lawyers organization has consistently selected Mr. Champion as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Georgia, and as a Top 40 Under 40. In each of the last seven years, Georgia Super Lawyers has recognized him as a Rising Star, an honor given to the top 2.5 percent of Georgia lawyers under age 40 or those in practice for ten years or less. Mr. Champion attended Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia. After obtaining his law degree magna cum laude, he was honored to serve in a highly coveted federal judicial clerkship with the Honorable Hugh Lawson in the Middle District of Georgia.

Mia Frieder, Partner at Hilley & Frieder, P.C.
Ms. Frieder focuses her practice primarily on personal injury and medical malpractice litigation. Mia places a particular emphasis on surgical errors, hospital negligence, the failure to diagnose cancer or other diseases, and other forms of medical malpractice. From the firm’s offices in Atlanta, Georgia, where she practices with her husband, Ron Hilley, she provides representation to clients throughout the greater metropolitan area. Ms. Frieder is a lifetime member of the Multi-Million and Million Dollar Advocates Forum, National Trial Lawyers Top 25 for Medical Malpractice, a multi-year honoree of Super Lawyers, peer rated AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5.0 through Martindale-Hubbell and a 10.0 “Superb” peer review rating through Avvo. She is an active member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association where she served on the Executive Council as Chairperson of the Women’s Trial Lawyer Caucus and Editor-In-Chief of the Verdict magazine. She is a current member of the Editorial Board of the Verdict and has written numerous articles on medical malpractice and related topics which have been published nationally. Her most recent article, “An Obligation to Vet” dealing with negligent credentialing was featured in the August edition of TRIAL magazine In her spare time, Mia is very active in the arts in Atlanta, especially the Atlanta Symphony where she is a Founding Member of the Advisory Council. Ms. Frieder and her husband have two children. Their daughter Ilana Hilley attends The Galloway School in Atlanta, and she plays cello with the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra. Their son Blake is a sophomore at The Juilliard School in New York where he studies double bass performance, and he has recently released an album available on all streaming services.

Owner at Locke Law Firm, LLC
Mr. Locke helps people who have been injured and people who have been unfairly convicted from his office in Atlanta. Formerly a public defender, Mr. Locke uses the same passion and relentless advocacy to obtain great results for his clients today. He is also an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law; hosts a podcast about appellate practice; and maintains comprehensive legal resources on his website for lawyers and the public (including his widely-known guide for using the HITECH Act to get cheap medical records). Mr. Locke graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law and the University of Richmond. 

Partner at Bader Scott Injury Lawyers
Mr. Nagel was born and raised in Clayton County, Georgia. He graduated from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School where he served for two years as an editor on the law review. He began his legal career doing public defense work in Henry County where he gained valuable trial experience. He then became an assistant district attorney for the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office. There, he conducted jury trials including rape, murder, trafficking, and armed robbery. He was the only attorney to write his own appeals to the Georgia Court of Appeals as well as the Supreme Court of Georgia. Mr. Nagel began his work in personal injury in a small firm in Norcross. There he handled over 1,000 cases from pre-litigation through litigation. He was personally responsible for over 5 million dollars in settlements for clients throughout the state of Georgia. Mr. Nagel began working for Bader Scott Injury Lawyers in October 2018, where he has overseen hundreds of cases.

Partner at Warshauer Law Group
Mr. Pérez is the managing partner at Warshauer Law Group, where he represents catastrophically-injured clients in medical malpractice, birth injury and wrongful death cases. He is a board-certified civil practice advocate, a distinction held by approximately 3 percent of American lawyers. He also holds an AV Preeminent rating, the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. Mr. Pérez was recognized as a Rising Star in 2014 and 2015, and named a Super Lawyer in 2018- 2020. He serves as a board member of the DeKalb County Bar Association, and he serves on the State Bar of Georgia’s Committee on Professionalism. He is also a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice and the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association.

Owner at Rafi Law Firm
Mr. Rafi first worked at Troutman Sanders LLP, an international law firm with more than 600 lawyers. While there, he defended large companies in personal injury and commercial litigation cases, including defending Georgia’s largest electric utility company in cases involving commercial vehicles. The firm selected him as its “Legal Aid Fellow,” because he fought for low-income individuals whose landlords illegally evicted them or forced them to live in poor conditions. Mr. Rafi still fights for crime victims in Atlanta and throughout Georgia who are injured because of negligence by landlords and property owners. He graduated with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law. While in law school, he was on both the National Moot Court and National Mock Trial Teams. Mr. Rafi gives back each year by helping coach UGA law students in mock trial and moot court. While at Furman, he served as captain of the Mock Trial Team and worked for U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham.

Owner at JRT-AIA Architect, in Concord, New Hampshire
Mr. Tepe is a licensed architect. In practice for more than 45 years, he has been both a member and an officer of large E/A firms and a sole practitioner. His project experience ranges from single-family dwellings to large, multi-million dollar commercial and industrial facilities. As a sole proprietor, his firm specializes in building, fire and accessibility code (ADA) consulting to architects, contractors, insurance and legal professionals and private entities, including third-party plan reviews and accessibility inspections.

Mr. Tepe has been active in the code development process through the AIA since joining the AIA Codes and Standards Committee in 1987. With the creation of the International Code Council (ICC), he participated in the initial development of the International Building Code on the General/Occupancies subcommittee and was the chair of that group for two terms. Mr. Tepe was a member of the International Fire Code Development Committee for two terms and also the IBC Fire Safety and Egress Code Development Committees. Additionally, he served a term on the ICC Code Correlation Committee. He has made numerous presentations to conference audiences on topics related to building code enforcement and interpretation issues.

Mr. Tepe has held all offices at both the state level (AIANH) and the regional level (AIA New England). He was active in the legislative process in New Hampshire to adopt the first statewide set of building codes. He has taught numerous code and accessibility-related issues in New Hampshire, New England, and at BOCA, ICC, BSA and AIA conferences and HalfMoon Education seminars and webinars. He is a past chair of the Building Code Board of Appeals in Concord, New Hampshire. He has also served on several other code and building related state and local committees and groups and is a past chair of the AIA Center for Building Science and Performance Knowledge Community.