Parker Hudson Wins Inaugural Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Cup
Dec 27, 2021
Parker Hudson is proud to announce that Litigation Partner Jared Miller and Healthcare Associate Jay Bilsborrow secured a collective $300,000 settlement on behalf of a pro bono client in a recent tenant rights dispute. This landmark achievement, one of the largest settlements in the history of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (“AVLF”), underscores the firm’s unwavering commitment to help those who otherwise do not have access to justice.
The lawsuit, brought against the client’s former apartment complex and property management company, highlights the egregious injustices faced by many vulnerable tenants in the Atlanta area. Parker Hudson attorneys first encountered the client at an AVLF Saturday Lawyer Program clinic, where they were moved by his tale of poor living conditions and subsequent wrongful eviction and retaliation by his landlord. Homeless and enduring deplorable living conditions, the client had sought assistance from various low-income assistance programs, only to face further retribution.
“We recognized the urgency and gravity of our client’s situation,” said Jared Miller, lead counsel on the case. “It was imperative to not only secure financial relief but also to hold accountable those who perpetuate exploitation and neglect in our community.”
For the last 40 years, AVLF’s Saturday Lawyer Program has provided low-income Atlantans with access to volunteer attorneys and offered volunteer attorneys a chance to do meaningful pro bono work, including tenant rights cases. Typically, cases involving tenant rights yield modest settlements ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars, if any. However, armed with a deep commitment to justice, Parker Hudson embarked on a multi-year journey to fight for their client’s rights. On behalf of the client, the firm asserted claims for unsafe living conditions, retaliation under Georgia’s landlord-tenant antiretaliation law, and wrongful eviction.
The outcome of this case not only secures life-changing relief for the client but also serves as a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle against absentee landlords and systemic injustice in Atlanta.
“We hope this victory sends a powerful message to landlords and inspires fellow legal professionals to join us in confronting this pressing issue,” remarked Michael Lucas, Executive Director of AVLF. “Together, we can affect meaningful change and uphold the rights of our neighbors.”
Parker Hudson is proud to continue partnering with AVLF on the Saturday Lawyer Program and other meaningful initiatives throughout the year.
About Parker Hudson
We are a mid-sized firm of approximately 60 lawyers passionately dedicated to helping our clients “go beyond”—break through barriers, surmount obstacles and exceed their own expectations. Companies of all sizes look to us for creative, interdisciplinary solutions to their most important problems. The firm's practice areas include commercial finance, corporate and tax law, commercial litigation, healthcare, real estate, restructuring, and more. For more information, visit www.phrd.com.
About Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
Serving Atlanta and Fulton County since 1979, AVLF is the largest provider of free legal services to two groups – low-income tenants and survivors of intimate partner abuse. Our mission is to create safe and stable homes and families by inspiring the fight for equal justice. We believe no one standing up for their rights should have to do it alone. Whatever our clients are up against, we’re here for them. At AVLF, ‘here’ means many things. It means beside them in court; at our downtown legal clinics nearly every Saturday of the year; in our two offices in the Fulton County Courthouse; in our communities’ schools; and in our clients’ homes. For more information, visit www.avlf.org.