Atlanta-area real estate law firm Cook & James continued its expansion by hiring five more attorneys in Georgia, New York, and South Carolina. Bonnie Timms will work in the Atlanta area and around Georgia. Sherri Steiner-Stewart will be based north of New York City. Kim Miller, Patrick Watts, and Robert Whitesides will oversee closings in South Carolina.
“It’s with great pride that we announce that these five accomplished attorneys have joined the C&J family,” Cook & James attorney and co-founding partner Heather James said in a release. “Kara and I are confident they all will serve our valued clients with our special brand of Cook & James flair, exceptional style and professionalism.”
Miller worked with Cook & James on a contract basis for a year before she joined full time in South Carolina. She was city prosecutor for her hometown of Walterboro, S.C. and has a background in real estate/property law, insurance defense and domestic law. She holds an undergraduate degree from The College of Charleston, a J.D. degree from University of South Carolina School of Law and attended graduate school at The Citadel.
Watts will cover the Columbia area of the Palmetto State for Cook & James. Previously a JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force as well as a trust officer at a bank, Watts has practiced legal estate planning, business organization, real estate transactions and litigation. A graduate of Clemson University with a political science degree, he holds his J.D. degree from University of South Carolina School of Law.
Whitesides will work in the eastern region of the state. Previously practicing family law, estate planning and probate law as well as real estate, Whitesides comes to Cook & James from his family law firm, Whitesides Law Office. He holds an undergraduate degree from University of South Carolina and his J.D. degree from Howard University School of Law.
“The volume of business has picked up significantly in South Carolina so we’re thrilled to bring in these three great people to assist Stacey Besser and Chuck Biskobing, our attorneys already serving our clients in the state,” Cook & James attorney and co-founding partner Kara Cook said.
Timms will work in the firm’s Roswell, Ga., headquarters. With a nearly 20-year background in worker’s compensation as well as litigating for an Atlanta insurance defense firm, Timms has been working with Cook & James for years on a contract basis. She holds both her undergraduate and J.D. degrees from Mercer University.
In New York state, Steiner-Stewart comes in-house after having worked as a contract attorney for Cook & James since 2014. She supervises the New York team for C&J, based in Putnam County. She has spent the majority of her 30-plus years practicing residential real estate transactions. She holds an undergraduate degree from Mercy College and a J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School.
“Although we’re growing exponentially, Kara and I remain committed to maintaining the very highest level of professionalism as well as throwing in copious amounts of fun and spicy personality at every closing,” James said. “We know this group of just-announced attorneys are 100 percent on board with that. We like to think our clients keep coming back to us because all of us at C&J offer a quite unique brand of closing experience that’s efficient and capable but also full of personality.”