Kelly Michael Hundley

I graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1987. Go Vols! I cut my teeth in a general practice law firm. I handled matters of every kind and description – from high stakes commercial litigation involving millions of dollars to providing day-to-day guidance to businesses large and small on labor and employment issues, and to helping the “mom and pop” business get off the ground. It was a great training ground. As I tell others:

“You welcomed everyone, you listened, and you helped, and you did it without requiring them to mortgage the farm to pay you. For the sake of the client’s pocketbook and my sanity, I learned very early in my career to identify the key issues quickly so we could decide what was the best thing to do.”

Over time I started providing more advice and representation across the spectrum of labor and employment issues to employers. When I moved to Atlanta in 1993, I limited his practice to representing employers in all types of labor and employment lawsuits and disputes. I traveled extensively, appearing in state and federal courts across the state and the country and appearing before a host of administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The yearn for a smaller setting and to help smaller businesses in a climate of high-dollar legal rates led me to join forces with a colleague in 2007 to open our own, small law firm in Decatur, Georgia. There I began to return to my general practice roots. Though I still focused on providing labor and employment advice and representation, I began taking on more traditional commercial litigation and disputes. I had missed some of the variety of my general practice from the early days.

The transformation is complete

I stepped out on my own in 2013 and there and then returned to my roots, kind of. I don’t do everything I did when I started long ago. I know what I like and prefer to handle, and I know what I am best at handling. I will stretch myself from time to time to handle certain matters. However, if I don’t think I am the best person to help, I know lots of other lawyers who can help, and I don’t mind recommending someone else. The goal is always the same -- making sure people get the best advice and representation available even when it’s not me.

Why Blue Ridge?

Why not? My wife and I fell in love with the area years ago, escaping Atlanta for long weekends. Over time, we decided we’d retire someday to the Blue Ridge area. It reminds us a lot of where we were raised. Weary of the hustle bustle and traffic of Atlanta and with technology making it possible to work from just about anywhere, we decided to make the move, build what we hope will be our final home, and move the practice to Blue Ridge.

If you're in the market for a down-to-earth lawyer with the experience you need, email me at [email protected] or call me at (770) 680-4391.