Georgia Local Counsel for the Northern District of Georgia and Georgia State Courts
HKW serves as Georgia local counsel for national law firms, out-of-state attorneys, and companies litigating in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and in Georgia state courts. Based in Atlanta, our litigators provide responsive, practical support tailored to the needs of lead counsel, from pro hac vice admission and local procedure through substantive briefing, hearings, discovery, trial, and appeal.
We understand that a local counsel engagement is not one-size-fits-all. In some matters, lead counsel needs efficient assistance with admission, filings, local rules, standing orders, and hearing coverage. In others, the client benefits from a Georgia litigation team that can contribute actively to strategy, motion practice, discovery, emergency relief, or trial. We define the scope at the outset, coordinate closely with lead counsel, and work to add value without duplicating effort or disrupting the referring firm’s relationship with its client.
Lead Attorneys
For Georgia local counsel matters, clients often begin with: Steven G. Hill and Douglas R. Kertscher.
Why HKW for Georgia Local Counsel
- Deep Georgia court experience: Our lawyers have substantial experience in the Northern District of Georgia and Georgia state courts across a wide range of complex disputes.
- A role tailored to lead counsel: We can provide focused local counsel support or participate as active co-counsel on briefing, discovery, hearings, trial preparation, trial, and appeal.
- Substantive litigation capability: HKW is a trial firm, not a filing service. When the matter requires it, our lawyers can take responsibility for important parts of the case.
- Broad subject-matter coverage: Our litigators handle intellectual property, commercial, employment, trade secret, RICO, fraud, insurance, securities, and other complex disputes.
- Senior-level attention and efficient staffing: We staff local counsel engagements to fit the scope and stakes of the matter, with experienced lawyers involved at the points where judgment matters most.
- Practical court perspective: Steven G. Hill has served twice as a special master appointed to assist judges of the Northern District of Georgia, experience that informs how we organize and present complex disputes.
Northern District of Georgia Local Counsel and Pro Hac Vice Support
The Northern District of Georgia treats local counsel as counsel of record, not as a nominal sponsor. Under the Court’s current rules, an attorney seeking admission pro hac vice generally must designate local counsel who maintains an office in the district and is a member in good standing of both the Northern District bar and the State Bar of Georgia. Local counsel files the pro hac vice application, verifies the applicant’s bar status, authorizes and signs filings submitted by pro hac vice counsel, and assumes responsibility for those filings under Rule 11. Local counsel must also remain available to the Court and opposing counsel and be prepared to act if pro hac vice counsel does not respond.
HKW can assist with:
- Pro hac vice applications, sponsorship, and related admission procedures
- CM/ECF access, appearances, and filing logistics
- Northern District local rules, patent rules, standing orders, and judge-specific case instructions
- Review, authorization, and filing of pleadings and other papers
- Case management conferences, discovery conferences, hearings, and pretrial proceedings
- Local discovery, depositions, subpoenas, and document production issues
- Temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and other emergency proceedings
- Mediation, settlement conferences, local vendors, courtroom technology, and trial logistics
- Substantive briefing, dispositive motions, expert issues, trial, post-trial proceedings, and appellate coordination when requested
Georgia State Court Local Counsel
HKW also serves as local counsel in Georgia state courts, including superior and state courts in metro Atlanta and elsewhere in Georgia. Georgia’s pro hac vice requirements vary by tribunal.
We assist out-of-state counsel with admission, court-specific procedures, filings, scheduling, discovery, hearings, emergency relief, trial preparation, trial, and appeal. Because Georgia state court practice can differ significantly by court and county, we also help lead counsel identify procedural and practical issues early enough to avoid unnecessary delay or expense.
A Role Tailored to Lead Counsel’s Needs
Traditional Local-Counsel Support
When lead counsel wants to retain primary responsibility for the case, HKW can provide focused support with admission, local rules, filing requirements, signatures, service, scheduling, communications with the Court, hearing coverage, and other Georgia-specific needs. We coordinate closely with lead counsel and avoid unnecessary duplication of work.
Active Co-Counsel and Trial Support
When the case would benefit from greater local involvement, HKW can serve as active co-counsel on case strategy, written discovery, depositions, expert issues, dispositive motions, injunction proceedings, mediation, trial preparation, trial, and post-trial proceedings. Our trial experience allows the engagement to expand smoothly if a matter becomes more demanding than originally anticipated.
Matters We Support as Georgia Local Counsel
- Patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and other intellectual property disputes
- Complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, business torts, fraud, and fiduciary-duty claims
- Civil RICO and other multi-party or high-exposure litigation
- Employment, restrictive covenant, wage-and-hour, whistleblower, and discrimination matters
- Insurance coverage, securities, professional liability, and complex tort disputes
- Temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and other time-sensitive proceedings
- Class, collective, and multi-district litigation support where local counsel is required or beneficial
Georgia Court Experience
HKW lawyers have litigated and tried complex matters in the Northern District of Georgia and Georgia state courts involving intellectual property, business disputes, employment claims, trade secrets, fraud, civil RICO, insurance, securities, and other issues. Our Georgia experience includes jury trials, temporary and preliminary injunctive proceedings, discovery disputes, dispositive motions, fee proceedings, post-trial motions, and appeals.
That experience allows HKW to contribute more than procedural familiarity. We understand how local practice affects case planning, discovery, motion timing, settlement posture, and trial preparation, and we can help lead counsel account for those issues from the beginning of the engagement.
Related Litigation Capabilities
HKW’s related capabilities include:
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Business Litigation
- Employment Law and Related Litigation
- Racketeering, Georgia RICO and Complex Civil Litigation
- Trade Secret Litigation
- Patent Litigation
Strategic Questions About Georgia Local Counsel
When is local counsel required in the Northern District of Georgia?
An attorney who is not a regular member of the Northern District bar generally must seek admission pro hac vice and designate qualified local counsel. The presiding judge retains authority over admission, and the applicable rules and case-specific orders should be reviewed at the outset.
What responsibilities does Northern District local counsel assume?
Local counsel is not merely a sponsor. Local counsel files the pro hac vice application, verifies the applicant’s status, authorizes and signs filings submitted by pro hac vice counsel, remains available to the Court and opposing counsel, and may be required to act on the client’s behalf if pro hac vice counsel is unavailable or fails to respond.
Can HKW serve in a limited local counsel role?
Yes. Subject to the duties imposed by the court and the needs of the matter, HKW can provide focused support with admission, filings, local procedure, signatures, scheduling, communications, and hearing coverage while lead counsel retains primary responsibility for the case.
Can HKW participate actively in briefing, hearings, or trial?
Yes. HKW can serve as active co-counsel on strategy, discovery, depositions, expert issues, dispositive motions, injunction proceedings, mediation, trial preparation, trial, post-trial proceedings, and appeal.
Does HKW serve as local counsel in Georgia state courts?
Yes. HKW assists out-of-state lawyers in Georgia superior and state courts and can address the separate admission requirements applicable to the Georgia State-wide Business Court, appellate courts, and other Georgia tribunals.
Can HKW assist with an emergency matter?
Yes. We prioritize matters involving imminent filing deadlines, temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, expedited discovery, or hearings.
What information is needed for a conflicts check?
Please provide the names of all parties and relevant affiliates, the names of counsel, the court and case number if available, upcoming deadlines, a short non-confidential description of the dispute, and the anticipated scope of HKW’s role. Confidential information should not be sent until conflicts have been cleared and an engagement has been confirmed.
