CSKL Announces Attorneys Elevated To Partner In 2021

(JANUARY 4, 2021) - Copeland, Stair, Kingma & Lovell, LLP is pleased to announce three attorneys have been elevated to partner effective January 1, 2021.  We congratulate each of them for this achievement and couldn’t be prouder of the manner in which they have distinguished themselves, both in the courtroom and within the community.

Our newest partners each exhibit our Firm Fundamentals in all that they do. These lawyers continue to grow, shine and demonstrate leadership. We are proud to see their progress, and know that they will help the Firm achieve our ultimate goal of superior client service for years to come.

Clinton F. Fletcher, in the Atlanta office of CSKL, focuses his practice in general liability.  In particular, Clinton has extensive experience in the areas of products and premises liability, trucking, aerospace, construction equipment and material handling equipment.

With respect to Clinton’s aerospace experience, Clinton has defended large air carriers from personal injury and cargo loss claims, applying laws and principles arising out of the Montreal Convention, Air Carrier Access Act, Carmack Amendment and various Federal Aviation Regulations.

As Georgia counsel for two major auto manufacturers, Clinton has significant experience defending warranty claims arising under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and Georgia’s Lemon Law.  On behalf of one auto manufacturer’s financing arm, Clinton defended consumer protection claims in both state and federal courts.

Clinton is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and was named to Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star list consecutively from 2009 to 2014.  He currently is the Georgia State Membership Chair for the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and recently cycled off as chair of DRI’s Recreational Products Specialized Litigation Group.  In addition to his practice with the firm, he is a published author and respected presenter.  A devoted volunteer, Clinton’s most recent service was on the Board of Directors for St. Jude’s Recovery Center, a non-profit, comprehensive addiction treatment center serving the Metro Atlanta area.

Matthew Gass is a new partner in the Firm’s Atlanta office. His practice is focused primarily in the area of commercial litigation. Matt has experience in legal and accounting malpractice and director officer litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Matt was Staff Attorney to the Honorable Chief Judge Ben W. Studdard of Henry County State Court. During his clerkship, Matt was a volunteer coach for a local high school in the State Bar of Georgia’s Mock Trial Competition and a co-chair of the Young Lawyers Division Judicial Law Clerk Committee.  Before moving to Atlanta, Matt worked as a summer associate in Madison Square Garden Company’s legal department.

In 2013, Matt received his Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest School of Law where he was the Senior Notes and Comments Editor for the Wake Forest Law Review, a teaching assistant, and Chief Justice of the school’s Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity chapter. While at Wake, Matt received awards for excellence in Constitutional Law, Trademarks, Intellectual Property Licensing, and Legal Analysis Writing and Research. He graduated summa cum laude from Syracuse University’s Maxwell school in 2008 with a degree in political science. Between college and law school, Matt was awarded the Roth Fellowship to work in the New York State Senate and served one year with AmeriCorps in Boston.

Lacey L. Houghton is based in the firm’s Charleston office and practices general civil litigation across Georgia and South Carolina.  Her current practice focuses on cases involving medical malpractice, correctional healthcare, and premises liability. Lacey handles a wide variety of professional liability matters, and  frequently defends lawyers, accountants, real estate and banking professionals, as well as corporate directors and officers  in errors and omissions liability cases. In addition to serving her clients through the conclusion of trial court proceedings, Lacey has significant appellate experience in state and federal court.

Prior to joining Copeland, Stair, Kingma & Lovell,  Lacey worked at a business litigation firm in Saint Simons Island, Georgia, where her practice included an emphasis on banking and lending litigation, as well as real estate, land use, and development litigation. Lacey held executive leadership roles in both the local and Georgia State Bar Young Lawyers Division, and served as legal advisor for the Board of Directors of United Way of Coastal Georgia.

Lacey earned her B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Georgia, summa cum laude, and her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, cum laude. - (CSKL.LAW)