Chris Ziegler is a 1992 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. His more-than thirty years of experience representing both defendants and plaintiffs provides an excellent background for his work as a mediator. From 1992 to 2013, he was an associate and partner at a well-respected defense firm where he handled the defense of serious injury litigation matters, including construction site accidents, vehicular accidents, premises liability and other injury matters. Since 2013, his law practice is devoted exclusively to the representation of plaintiff clients in personal injury matters. He has experience as lead counsel trying cases before juries in federal and state courts. He has argued cases before the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court. He began mediating in 2010.

Chris is registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution (GODR).

Debra Smearman obtained her undergraduate degree in Spanish Language and Literature from Kalamazoo College, and she attended law school at Washington University School of Law, earning her JD in 1992. She moved to and began practicing law in Atlanta immediately after law school.

From 1992 to 2002, she worked with a successful plaintiff’s personal injury firm representing people who had suffered injuries. Debra tried dozens of jury trials as lead counsel and resolved countless cases through negotiated settlements, mediations and arbitrations.

In January 2003, Debra began working with a prominent insurance defense firm in Atlanta where her defense practice was focused on injury cases, including multi-party, catastrophic injury and death cases. Debra also defended industrial manufacturers in toxic tort litigation and she defended cities §1983 actions. She remained active with her defense firm for 13 years.

Debra is registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution (GODR).

Korey Albury attended the University of Michigan for her undergraduate studies and finished with high honors in 1999. From there, she earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and then clerked for J. Antonio DelCampo in the State Court of DeKalb County for the next two years. Beginning in 2004, Korey litigated for a prominent insurance defense firm, concentrating primarily on wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases arising from construction and products liability litigation. She also worked on premises liability cases and public sector matters, defending cities and counties from various claims.

In 2010, Korey opened Albury & Hawkins, LLC where she and her partner focused on both personal injury and family law cases. Korey served as lead counsel in numerous trials over the next ten years. In 2020, Korey decided to practice exclusively personal injury, and opened Albury Law Group. Korey has mediated several cases and has assisted other firms with their litigation matters. Korey also handles appeals and assists with brief writing for various Atlanta law firms.

Korey is registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. (GODR).

Todd Yates received his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science and minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia before graduating Cum Laude from Mercer University School of Law in 1990. While Todd has been practicing law for almost thirty-four years, he initially began his career in the insurance defense field where he primarily defended clients in the areas of premises liability, trucking, and vehicular collisions. During this span of his career, he tried numerous cases and spearheaded many appeals to the Georgia Court of Appeals and to the Georgia Supreme Court.

From 2000 to 2010, Todd was a partner at a prominent defense firm where he successfully defended large corporate clients. At the same time, he began to represent people who had suffered personal injuries in all different types of tort actions. Since 2013, his practice has been dedicated exclusively to plaintiffs who have been seriously injured in vehicular accidents and on the premises of another. Todd’s career as an attorney on both sides of injury cases means he has the perfect experience to understand and address the issues he sees on both sides of the cases he mediates.