Who we are:

           Our Firm originated when Kent Beals and Bill Ragsdale, classmates at the University of Virginia Law School, began practice together on January 2, 1980. Ellis Hooper and Bill Seigler joined the Firm in 1981, with the partnership of Ragsdale, Beals, Hooper & Seigler formally created in January 1982. Russell Patterson began his practice with the Firm in 1985.  Hal Gray and Bert Broadfoot joined the Firm in 1999; Brian Morrissey and Ed Mangiafico joined in 2006. As of September 2006, the name of the Firm was changed to Ragsdale, Beals, Seigler, Patterson & Gray, LLP. Our founding partner Kent Beals passed away in 2007.  In 2009, our remaining founding partner Bill Ragsdale passed away, and John Winborne and Ron Reemsnyder joined the Firm as partners.

          We bring together experiences from many different legal backgrounds: large national firms, medium-sized regional firms and local Atlanta law practices.  Our diverse nature is a tremendous asset, in that we have the expertise found in larger legal organizations combined with the knowledge of exactly what our clients need in the way of representation.  Unlike many law firms, we understand and appreciate the differerence between answering a client's question and embarking on a major client representation.   We have the experience and knowledge necessary to address legal problems as they arise in many different substantive areas.

William J. Seigler III, Partner 

Bill is originally from Mt. Airy, N.C.  He attended Davidson College, graduating with honors in history in 1968. He received his Master's in international relations from The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1970 before returning to North Carolina to manage his family's newspaper. During this time, he served as campaign manager in a U.S. Congressional race, taught economics and government at a community college, and completed his active duty training as a 1st Lieutenant and then Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves.   

Bill completed his legal education in two years, receiving a J.D. with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1975, having been elected to the Order of the Coif and Moot Court Bench, and having studied at Oxford, U.K. He practiced with Hansell & Post in that firm's corporate and tax section before forming his own firm. He joined us in 1981.

While his practice is varied, Bill's primary focus is on the representation of closely-held businesses and family enterprises, assisting his clients in the formation of new ventures and the operation of their ongoing enterprises.  In many ways Bill functions as "house counsel" for a number of small to mid-size firms, as well as serving his larger clients.  He assists the principals of those firms in other areas such as real estate and estate planning, real and personal property tax matters, entertainment law, raising additional capital and shareholder/owner/employee relationships.  He has served on the Atlanta Committee on Foreign Relations and has served on the advisory board to a financial institution acquired by a major bank and as an officer in the Tuxedo Park Civic Association, and has served as special assistant at the request of the Georgia Attorney General and the Georgia Insurance Commissioner, helped form a small firm law economics group and has lectured on the formation and economics of small firm law practices.  

Bill and his wife Emily are active golfers.  They have two grown daughters, and reside in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.

W. Russell Patterson, Jr., Partner

Russell was born and raised in Atlanta.  He was admitted to the Georgia bar in 1985, having graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Georgia with an A.B. degree in 1981, and a J.D. degree in 1985, and has been with the firm since that time. Russell specializes in commercial litigation in state and federal courts with particular emphasis on bankruptcy litigation. He has extensive experience representing trustees, creditors, and debtors in all types of bankruptcy cases. Russell has also served as state court receiver, as litigation counsel for Federal Trade Commission Receivers in national telemarketing practices enforcement actions, and as a special assistant attorney general at the request of the Georgia Attorney General and the Georgia Insurance Commissioner in various receivership affairs. 

Russell and his wife Debbie enjoy tennis and play competitively.  They have two children in college, and reside in Gwinnett County.

Herbert C. Broadfoot II, Partner  

Bert received his B.A. degree from Yale University in 1966 and his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1969. He was admitted to practice in Tennessee in 1969 and served four years on active duty in the Navy J.A.G. Corps until 1973. Bert moved to Atlanta and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1974.   

Bert has concentrated his practice in bankruptcy and commercial law for thirty years. He served more than twenty years as a member of the Chapter 7 Trustee panel for the Northern District of Georgia. In addition to acting as trustee in numerous Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 cases, he has represented debtors, creditors, committees and other trustees.  He has also been appointed as a receiver. Bert is a former Chairman of the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Away from the practice of law, Bert is an avid runner.  He and Nancy have three children and several grandchildren, and reside in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.

Herbert H. Gray, III, Partner

Hal received his A.B. degree in 1975 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then attended the Emory University School of Law where he earned his J.D. in 1978.  Hal practiced with Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy (now Bryan Cave) and was subsequently a partner with Varner, Stephens, Humphries & White, LLP before joining this Firm in 1999.

Hal's construction practice involves advising and representing clients in all phases of construction and regarding all types of projects, including commercial high-rise office buildings, hospitals, regional malls and shopping centers, heavy and highway construction, bridge construction, federal government construction and contracting, mass transit construction, condominiums, apartments and dormitories, hotels, industrial and manufacturing plants, fuel storage facilities,  Atlanta Olympic Stadium/Turner Field, Atlanta Olympic/Georgia Tech Village, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and the Georgia World Congress Center.  He regularly represents design professionals (architects, engineers, interior designers and landscape designers), general contractors, program and construction managers, subcontractors, sureties, suppliers and materialmen.

Hal is a member of the Mediation Panel and the Commercial, Construction and Large and Complex Case Panels of Arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association, and the State Bar of Georgia and American Bar Association. He is a registered mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.  He is also a member of the Georgia Academy of Mediators and Arbitrators, and of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta having served as its President from 1991 to 1992.  He also served as a Trustee of the Atlanta Lawyers Foundation from 1993 to 2000.  Hal is the author of "Dispossessory and Distraint Procedure" and "Ejectment" chapters of Georgia Jurisprudence, published by Lawyers Co-op Publishing, and numerous published works on construction topics.  He often lectures both legal and industry professional groups on construction law and alternative dispute resolution (ADR)  matters of interest.

His practice areas include construction law and litigation, real estate law and litigation, ADR, both mediation and arbitration, and alcohol/regulated beverage control law.  Hal has been recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer in construction litigation by Atlanta Magazine.

Hal and his wife Mayme have three children in college.  Hal enjoys playing Blues guitar, and he and Mayme are enjoying once again picking up golf.  They reside in the north Fulton County suburb of Roswell

Brian J. Morrissey, Partner

Brian graduated from Davidson College in 1978 with an A.B. in Economics. He then attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill obtaining his J.D. degree in 1981. Brian practiced with several firms in south Florida and metropolitan Atlanta before joining this Firm in 2006. He is the author of numerous articles and publications and speaks to professional and industry groups on insurance coverage and on construction law topics. He represents clients in a wide-range of business and litigation matters and is admitted to practice in the States of Florida and Georgia. His practice areas are construction, insurance and business law, and commercial litigation. 

Brian has two daughters in college and resides in the Kirkwood neighborhood in east Atlanta.

Edgar S. Mangiafico, Jr., Partner

Ed is an Atlanta native.  Ed has been engaged in an active civil litigation practice since 1978. He specializes in tort, business and insurance litigation and alternative dispute resolution, including personal injury (product liability, premises liability, motor vehicle liability and general liability); professional liability; insurance coverage and contract matters, representing plaintiffs as well as defendants. Prior to joining this Firm as a partner in January 2007, he was a shareholder in Duncan & Mangiafico, P.C.  Ed obtained an A.B., cum laude, from Georgia State University in 1975, and his J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 1978. He was trained as a mediation and arbitration neutral through Resolution Resources, Inc. in 1998, and has considerable ADR as well as trial and appellate litigation experience. He has authored several publications and has spoken at numerous legal seminars on tort and insurance topics.  

Ed's two children are in high school.  He lives in Sandy Springs.  

John W. Winborne, Partner

John is also an Atlanta native.  John has over 30 years' experience in advising insurance companies and policyholders on insurance coverage disputes, principally those involving liability  policies.  Since 1991, John has acted as national coordinating coverage counsel for a group of small insurance companies that ceased issuing policies in the 1980's.  The following are examples of liability insurance coverage issues as to which he has either acted as trial counsel or otherwise advised clients: General Liability Insurance Issues (e.g., trigger of coverage; duty to defend; application of policy limits; late notice; application of “personal injury” and “advertising injury” coverages);  Umbrella & Excess Liability (e.g., drop-down, including effects of  underlying settlements; vertical vs. horizontal exhaustion; “following form” issues);  Business and Construction Torts (e.g., occurrence; business risk exclusions); Professional Liability and Other Claims-Made Policies (e.g., directors & officers; medical; legal; architects & engineers; insurance agents; technology; intellectual property);    Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Issues; Environmental & Toxic Tort Issues and Federal & State Declaratory Judgment Issues. 

John graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1967.  From 1967 until 1970, he served in the United States Navy as an officer on a destroyer.  He then attended the University of Georgia School of Law, where he was a member of the Georgia Law Review from 1971-1973 (Recent Developments Editor, 1972-1973), and received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, in 1973.  He is a member of the American Bar Association's Litigation Section (Insurance Coverage Committee, Co-Chair Comprehensive General Liability Subcommittee, 1991-93) and Torts & Insurance Practice Section.  

 John and his wife Haden live in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.  Their twin daughters and grandchildren live in New York City.  John enjoys struggling with his golf game.

 Ronald D. Reemsnyder, Partner

Ron received his B.A. at Mount Union College graduating cum laude with Honors in 1971.  He then attended Duke University where he received his J.D. in 1974.  He has been a member of the Georgia State Bar since 1974, and has been admitted to practice before the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Georgia, U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia amd the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  He belongs to the Atlanta and American Bar Associations, Defense Research Institute, International Association of Defense Counsel and Product Liability Advisory Council (Sustaining Member).  He has been selected as a "Georgia Super Lawyer" in Litigation by Atlanta Magazine from 2005 through 2009.   Ron's practice area is civil litigation including personal injury, product liability, wrongful death, commercial litigation, insurance and wills and probate.

Ron and his wife live in Big Canoe, Georgia, and are the parents of three grown daughters. 

 Lisa F. Stuckey, Partner

Lisa received her B.A. in 1983 and her J.D. in 1986, both from Mercer University. After her graduation she clerked for two Superior Court Judges in Douglas County, Georgia. In 1987 Lisa went to work as staff attorney for DeKalb County, Georgia where for several years she represented the county in ad valorem tax disputes. She then went into private practice first with Dearing & Klauber then Jones, Morrison, Womack & Dearing before joining Ragsdale, Beals, Seigler, Patterson & Gray, LLP assisting Kent Beals in the ad valorem tax area.  Lisa often lectures on ad valorem tax topics.  

Lisa and her husband Jay have two children.  They live in Lawrenceville, in Gwinnett County.   

Joyce Y. Kim, Associate

Joyce earned an A.B.J. from the Grady  College of Journalism at the University of Georgia in 2003, graduating summa cum laude.  She then continued her education at the University of Georgia where she received her J.D. in 2006.  After several years of practice in the north Atlanta suburbs, she joined our Firm in 2009.

Joyce works alongside Ron Reemsnyder in the Firm's Cumming office, located on Georgia Highway 400 in Forsyth County, Georgia.  Her practice focuses on civil litigation including personal injury, product liability, wrongful death, commercial litigation, insurance, wills and probate. 

Joyce lives in Athens, Georgia and recently purchased her first home there.  She enjoys spending her free time reading and painting.

John W. Ragsdale, Jr., Partner/Of Counsel  

August 23, 1934 - September 2, 2009

Lisa Boardman Burnette, Of Counsel

Lisa obtained her B.S. with honors from the University of South Carolina in 1989. She then attended Emory University, where she was conferred both M.B.A. and J.D. degrees in 1993. While at Emory, she served as the Executive Editor of the Bankruptcy Developments Journal. Lisa’s practice areas include Bankruptcy, Creditors’ Rights, Reorganization, Civil Litigation and Business Law. 

Lisa and her husband Keith have one daughter and live in the Inman Park section of Atlanta, where they are active in the neighborhood civic association.