S. Gardner Culpepper, III

Partner

T:	404.420.4623
F:	404.230.0933

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gculpepper@rh-law.com

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Assistant

Tina Campbell

Direct

404.954.7530

tcampbell@rh-law.com

Education

J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School, American Jurisprudence Book Award for Property, Associate Editor, Vanderbilt Law Review
B.A., magna cum laude, Dartmouth College

Judicial Clerkships

Bar Admissions

United States District Court Northern District of Georgia
Supreme Court of Georgia
Court of Appeals of Georgia
Court of Appeals of for the Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit New York

Languages

Overview

Gardner Culpepper specializes in complex commercial litigation and class action defense. Gardner handles trade secret, business tort, product liability, fiduciary duty, false advertising, restrictive covenant and high-value contract disputes. Gardner also served as national lead counsel for one of the country’s largest manufacturers of wood and paper products, successfully defending against multiple putative class actions that asserted consumer fraud, unfair trade practice, breach of warranty and product liability claims. His engagements routinely place him in state and federal court as well as before arbitration panels (including before the International Chamber of Commerce).

Gardner has been frequently recognized as one of Georgia's top commercial litigators and class action lawyers in third-party publications such as Benchmark Litigation, The Best Lawyers in America® and Super Lawyers. Gardner is also a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Top Rated Lawyer. In 2009, he was identified by Atlanta's Daily Report as one of the top 12 lawyers under 40 in Atlanta.

Representative Experience

Won motions to dismiss in multi-million dollar putative state-wide consumer fraud and product liability class actions that were filed in North Carolina and Florida federal district courts. Gardner obtained these victories while acting as lead and national coordinating defense counsel for one of the country's largest manufacturers of building and paper products.
Secured dismissal of $30 million tortious interference and defamation suit filed against a large international business communication solutions company.
Through novel use of the inevitable disclosure doctrine, successfully prevented the threatened misappropriation of trade secrets belonging to a nationally recognized phonetic search technology company.
Obtained favorable results for one of the world’s largest investment banks in non-compete and corporate raiding cases filed in Georgia.
Co-defense counsel with other large national and international firms representing one of the world's largest wireless telecommunications companies in multiple international breach of contract and licensing disputes with hundreds of millions of dollars at issue, including two International Chamber of Commerce arbitrations.
Defeated multiple defamation and business tort cases throughout the Southeast brought against one of the largest telecommunications services providers in the United States.
Co-defense trial counsel in charge of expert witness cross examination in murder case tried to completion in Fulton County Superior Court. Trial counsel in multiple insurance defense matters and arbitrations hearings tried to completion.

Professional & Community Activities

Lawyers Foundation – Fellow
State Bar of Georgia
American Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
Atlanta Bar Association
Atlanta Lawyers Club

Speeches & Presentations

“The Law(s) of Privilege: Trends, Choices and Context for In-House Counsel,” Georgia CLE presentation 2012

Professional Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America® - Commercial Litigation
Benchmark Litigation - Local Litigation Star in Georgia for expertise in the Construction and General Commercial categories
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Top Rated Lawyer
Super Lawyers: rated a Georgia Super Lawyer in the Class Action/Mass Torts; Construction Litigation; and Business Litigation