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© 2007, Lee Tarte Wallace
Overview
First in her class at Vanderbilt University, Lee Wallace is an honors graduate of Harvard Law School. After a prestigious clerkship on the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Ms. Wallace began practice in Atlanta. Now, nearly 20 years later, she has worked on legal matters in 20 different states.
In a poll of 24,000 Georgia lawyers, Lee Wallace was voted a “Georgia SuperLawyer” for the fourth straight year. She also was named one of the top 50 female lawyers in Georgia, and one of the top 10 product liability lawyers in the state. This year Georgia Trend magazine named her one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite.”
Lee Wallace was named one of the 2007 Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Georgia by The American Trial Lawyers Association.
Lee Wallace also chaired the Product Liability Section of the Georgia State Bar. She has served on several committees of the Georgia Bar, including the Disciplinary Rules and Procedures Committee, which wrote the ethical and disciplinary rules that now govern Georgia attorneys. She was Vice Chair of the Membership Services Committee of the Georgia Bar, and has been a member of the Bar’s committees on Communications and Judicial Procedure & Administration.
Lee Wallace is one of 50 permanent Masters in the Bleckley Inns of Court at Georgia State University Law School.
Ms. Wallace is president-elect of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers.
Lee Wallace is editor of a book on medical negligence. Ms. Wallace has lectured at dozens of legal seminars around this country and in Canada, and has published articles on a variety of topics ranging from spoliation of evidence, to constitutional protections for clergy, to product liability.
Lee Wallace sits on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation.
Lee Wallace served on the Atlanta Bar Association’s Judicial Selection and Service Committee, and chaired that bar’s State Courts Committee. Ms. Wallace served as a member of the Emerging Issues Committee of the American Bar Association’s Tort and Insurance Practice Section.
Ms. Wallace co-chaired the Consumer Affairs Committee of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and edited GTLA’s Verdict magazine for two years.
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Education
Lee Wallace graduated summa cum laude and first in her class from Vanderbilt University. A Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Scholar, Ms. Wallace majored in English, with minors in economics and mathematics. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. Ms. Wallace was a senator in the Student Government Association and Speaker of the Student Senate. She was a member of the debate team, winner of the Houston Oratory Contest, and First Place individual speaker at the SIU Regional Debate Tournament. Ms. Wallace was awarded the Founder’s Medal in Oratory.
Lee Wallace graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1987. She was a research assistant for Professor Laurence Tribe, and an editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy in 1984-1985. She was founder and chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Symposium. She was elected class representative for the class of 1987.
Work History
After graduating from Harvard, Lee Wallace clerked for Judge James C. Hill of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ms. Wallace worked for a large downtown Atlanta firm for her first several years of practice.
In 1992, Lee Wallace began to practice plaintiffs’ personal injury law at the firm that is now Butler, Wooten, & Fryhofer. Ms. Wallace practiced at that firm for nine years, the last five as a partner. After stints at two other litigation boutiques, Ms. Wallace now has her own law firm.
In a poll of 24,000 Georgia lawyers, Ms. Wallace was named a “Georgia SuperLawyer.” She also was named one of the top 50 female lawyers in Georgia, and one of the top 10 product liability lawyers in the state.
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Articles by Lee Wallace (Downloadable)
Available in PDF Format
Right Under Your Nose:
How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried Within Your Road Wreck Case Files
How to Recognize and Develop a Product Liability Case
Spoliation of Evidence
Ethical Considerations:
To Whom Does the Lawyer Owe His Duty?
Current Trends in the Post-Banks Era:
An Update on Design Defect Law in Georgia
Developments in the Evidentiary Rules Applicable to Product Liability Claims: Intervening Causes
Other Similar Incidents
Taking Charge of Your Career:
Becoming a Leader in Your Organization and Community
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Publications
Lee Wallace has published a number of articles on topics ranging from the First Amendment to plaintiffs’ personal injury.
Ms. Wallace is editor of a 2004 book on medical negligence.
An article Ms. Wallace wrote for The Brief , the magazine put out by the American Bar Association’s Tort and Insurance Section, was selected to be republished in a “Best of the ABA” collection.
Read some of Ms. Wallace’s web page articles now:
Types of Cases
Auto Products Liability
Bacterial Infections
Car & Truck Accidents
Medical Malpractice
Product Liability
2004
Malone on Medical Negligence
Lee Wallace, Editor
April 2003
Georgia Bar Journal
Spoliation of Evidence
September 2000
The Best Articles Published by the ABA
A publication of the American Bar Association’s General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section
Right Under Your Nose: Spotting Product Liability Suits Hidden within Your Road Wreck Case Files
Spring 2000
The Brief
A publication of the American Bar Association’s Tort and Insurance Practice Section
Right Under Your Nose: How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried within Your Road Wreck Case Files
March 2000
The Practical Litigator
How to Recognize the Top 10 Auto Product Defects
Spring 1999
ATLA Women Trial Lawyers Caucus Newsletter
Right Under Your Nose – How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried within Your Road Wreck Case Files
Summer 1999
Verdict
A publication of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
An Update on Design Defect Law in Georgia and Current Trends in the Post-Banks Era
Spring 1996
Verdict
A publication of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Verdict Interview: A Bit of History
Winter 1995
Verdict
A publication of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Verdict Interview with Chief Justice Benham
1989
The Catholic Lawyer
A publication of the St. John’s Law Review
Clergy Arbitrator Liability
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Speaking Engagements
Lee Wallace speaks and publishes frequently on legal topics. She has been invited to guest lecture at Emory Law School, and to lawyers in several states and Canada. She has spoken at the annual conventions of the American Bar Association and the American Trial Lawyers Association. Her speeches have covered topics ranging from product liability to spoliation of evidence.
3/16/06
John Marshall Law School, GAWL Chapter
Mentoring for Women Lawyers
2/21/06
Columbus, Georgia, GAWL Chapter
Mentoring for Women Lawyers
11/05
Savannah, Georgia, GAWL Chapter
Mentoring for Women Lawyers
10/28/05
ICLE Georgia Personal Injury Practice Seminar
Offers of Judgment
9/19/05
Women in the Legal Profession
Sponsoring organization: Women in the Profession Section of the Atlanta Bar
Rainmaking
5/19/05
Taking Charge of Your Career seminar
Sponsoring organization: National Association for Women Lawyers
Becoming a Leader in Your Organization and Community
1/24/05
Application of the Daubert Case in Georgia
Sponsoring organization: American Inns of Court, Bleckley Inn
“Should Daubert Be Adopted in Georgia?”
1/29/04
Starting Your Own Practice
Sponsoring organization: Atlanta Bar Association Sole Practitioner/Small Firm Section
Flying Solo
1/23/04
Mentoring
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Association for Women Lawyers
Keynote address, Mentoring
11/20/03
Trial Law Seminar
Sponsoring organization: Cobb County Trial Lawyers Association
Ethical Considerations: To Whom Does the Lawyer Owe His Duty?
10/24/03
Preparation for Tort Cases
Sponsoring organization: ICLE
How to Recognize and Develop a Product Liability Case
7/22/03
Preparation for Tort Cases
Sponsoring organization: American Trial Lawyers Association
How to Recognize and Develop a Product Liability Case
1/24/03
The Art of Advocacy
Sponsoring organization: ICLE
Ethics
12/13/02
Georgia Product Liability Seminar
Sponsoring organization: Product Liability Section of the Georgia Bar
Spoliation
10/25/02
All-Star Seminar on “Georgia Law of Torts: Preparation for Trial”
Sponsoring organization: ICLE
Ethics and Professionalism in Discovery
7/23/02
2002 American Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention
Sponsoring organization: Products Liability Section, ATLA
Why Juries Award Punitive Damages in Products Cases
5/17/02
11th Annual Product Liability Institute
Sponsoring organization: Product Liability Section of the Georgia Bar
Chair of section sponsoring seminar
4/4/02
Flying Solo
Sponsoring organization: Institute of Continuing Legal Education
Getting Started On Your Own
11/30/01
Auto Torts XXIV
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association
How to Spot a Product Liability Case
11/9/01
Sponsoring organization: Product Liability Section of the Georgia Bar
Chair of section sponsoring seminar
Cross Examination of Experts
7/16/01
ATLA Annual Convention in Montreal, Canada
Sponsoring organization: American Trial Lawyers Association
Right Under Your Nose: How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried Within Your Road Wreck Case Files
5/30/01
Damages: How to Overcome the Toughest Part of the Case
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
The Three R’s of Punitive Damages: How to Maximize Punitive Damages in Your Cases
5/22/01
10th Annual Product Liability Institute
Sponsoring organization: Product Liability Section of the Georgia Bar
Automotive and Tire Product Liability Issues
4/30/01
Georgia Products Liability Practice for Paralegals
Sponsoring organization: HalfMoon, L.L.C.
Right Under Your Nose: How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried Within Your Road Wreck Case Files
4/5/01
Solo and Small Firm Success
Sponsoring organization: Institute of Continuing Legal Education
Right Under Your Nose: How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried Within Your Road Wreck Case Files
7/25/00
International Student Christian Fellowship
The American Justice System
6/9/00
9th Annual Product Liability Institute
Sponsoring organization: Product Liability Section of the Georgia Bar
Right Under Your Nose – How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried within your Road Wreck Case Files
4/29/00
Georgia Personal Injury Practice for Paralegals
Sponsoring organization: HalfMoon, L.L.C.
Right Under Your Nose: How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried Within Your Road Wreck Case Files
3/00
Georgia State Law School Christian Fellowship
Ethics and Practicing Law
3/00
The Amos Group
Women and the Law
12/99
Cobb County Bar Association Meeting
Right Under Your Nose: How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried Within Your Road Wreck Case Files
11/99
Emory Law School
Product Liability Law and Practice
10/99
Hawaii State Bar Association Annual Seminar
Sponsoring organization: Hawaii Bar Association and Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association
Right Under Your Nose: How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried Within Your Road Wreck Case Files
8/99
American Bar Association Annual Meeting
Sponsoring Organization: Tort and Insurance Practice Section of ABA
Right Under Your Nose – How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried within your Road Wreck Case Files
5/99
DeKalb Lawyers Association Annual Seminar
Right Under Your Nose – How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried within your Road Wreck Case Files
3/99
DeKalb Lawyers Association Meeting
Right Under Your Nose – How to Tell if a Product Liability Suit is Buried within your Road Wreck Case Files
4/30/98
Trial Advocacy: Masters of the Art
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Trial Briefs that Make a Difference
3/1/96
Details that Make the Difference
Sponsored by: Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Paralegals’ Section
Other Similar Incidents
2/23/96
Product Liability Institute
Sponsoring Organization: Product Liability Section of the Georgia Bar
Recent Developments in the Evidentiary Rules Applicable to Product Liability Claims: Other Similar Incidents and Intervening Causes
1/26/96
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Annual Motor Vehicle Wreck Seminar Atlanta, GA
Ethical Considerations in the Trial of a Personal Injury Case:
To Whom Does the Lawyer Owe His Duty?
1995
Western Trial Lawyers Association Auto Products Seminar
GM Fuel-Fed Fire Cases
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Professional and Community Involvement
Lee Wallace is President-elect of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation.
She has been a member of the Board of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers and the Sole Practitioner/Small Firm section of the Atlanta Bar, and has chaired committees for both groups. She also was secretary of that group, and co-chaired its Brown Bag Luncheon program.
Lee Wallace served on the Atlanta Bar Association’s Judicial Selection and Service Committee, and chaired that bar’s State Courts Committee. Ms. Wallace served as a member of the Emerging Issues Committee of the American Bar Association’s Tort and Insurance Practice Section.
Ms. Wallace co-chaired the Consumer Affairs Committee of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and edited GTLA’s Verdict magazine for two years.
She also served as GTLA parliamentarian. In cooperation with the Chamblee Georgia Police Department, the University of Georgia Extension Service, and the DeKalb Safe Kids Coalition, Ms. Wallace organized a GTLA drive to provide free bicycle helmets to children who did not have them.
Ms. Wallace has served as a member of the Emerging Issues Committee of the American Bar Association’s Tort and Insurance Practice Section.
Lee Wallace is a member of the American Bar Association, and has spoken at its annual meeting. She also served on the Emerging Issues Committee of the ABA’s Tort and Insurance Practice Section.
Lee Wallace is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, and has spoken at several of its annual meetings.
Lee Wallace and her husband George have been married since 1994 and have two children. The Wallaces attend ChristChurch Presbyterian. After a spinal cord injury in 1983, George did rehabilitation at Shepherd Center. In 1998, Shepherd Center opened a short-term living facility across from ChristChurch, and the Wallaces saw an opportunity to express their gratitude. They founded a ministry through their church that takes welcome bags to the residents of the facility, and hosts special events such as cookouts, a Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Caroling.
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Representative Cases
Lee Tarte Wallace handles high-stakes litigation, taking the side of people who have been catastrophically injured by a wrongdoer who now refuses to take responsibility for the wrong that was done. Lee handles cases where defective products, bacterial contaminations, medical malpractice, rape or sexual abuse, large trucks, or car wrecks have caused terrible injuries or wrongful death.
Lee has been admitted pro hac vice and has litigated cases in numerous states around the country.
Here is a representative sampling of successful cases in which Lee has represented - by herself or with a team - the person who was injured, or the family of the person who was killed. Unless otherwise indicated, the amount of the settlement in each of these cases was confidential and therefore cannot be disclosed.
Legionnaire's Disease
Confidential settlement
Six members of a family contracted Legionnaire's Disease while sitting near the whirlpool at a hotel. Legionella bacteria were breeding in the filter of the whirlpool, and became airborne. The whirlpool logs showed that the whirlpool had been poorly maintained in the months leading up to the incident, and continued to be poorly maintained in the months following the incident. Lee also sent Freedom of Information Act requests to every county in which the hotel chain had a hotel. She obtained damning records showing that other hotels in the chain had had their pools shut down due to maintenance and bacterial problems. Georgia.
GM Pickup Fuel-Fed Fire - Death
$104,000,000 jury verdict, with subsequent confidential settlement
A high school student was driving home in a GM pickup truck which had its fuel tank outside the frame rails of the vehicle. A drunk driver struck the student’s truck in the side. The fuel tank of the pickup truck was punctured and the high school student was burned to death. Member of litigation team. Georgia.
Product liability -- Serious personal injury
$750,000 settlement
A young man was seriously injured when his leg was caught in the unguarded roller on a carpet-manufacturing machine. A protective cage was already in place, but it had been placed behind the rollers instead of in front of them.
Auto Collision
$100,000 settlement
A hard-working Romanian immigrant suffered broken bones when a car crossed the center line and struck his vehicle head-on. The case settled for the full amount of the insurance policy without suit being filed.
Suzuki Samurai Rollover - Quadriplegia
$32,000,000 verdict, with subsequent confidential settlement
A young woman was a passenger in a Suzuki Samurai, which rolled over, rendering her a quadriplegic. Member of litigation team. Missouri.
Auto Collision
$100,000 settlement
A middle school gym teacher was hurt when her car was struck by a careless driver. She broke her pelvis in five places and broke six ribs. Her injuries made it very difficult for her to be as active with her gym students as she had been. The case settled for the full amount of the insurance policy without suit being filed.
Auto Collision
$100,000 settlement
A woman was proceeding straight down the road. A driver in a nearby turn lane suddenly turned directly in front of the woman, injuring her and totaling her car. The case settled for the full amount of the insurance policy without suit being filed.
Birth-Related Infant Brain Injuries
Confidential settlement
An infant was born with catastrophic brain injuries because she had been deprived of oxygen immediately before birth. The family had requested a C-section, but the doctor delayed it. The injuries could have been prevented if the hospital and doctor had performed a C-section in time. Georgia.
Boarding School Rape
Confidential settlement
A boy attending a boarding school was raped by an older classmate. Members of the school administration had encouraged sexual misconduct and created an atmosphere that fostered several acts of abuse, including this one. Georgia.
Officer and Director Fraud
Confidential Settlement
The CEO of a company discovered the company’s President had taken money from the company. When he came forward with the information, the President and the company sued him. The CEO counter-claimed, and the case was settled by the company dropping the case against him and paying him money.
Suzuki Samurai Rollover - Brain Injury
Confidential settlement
A young man was driving a Suzuki Samurai that rolled over after it was struck by another vehicle. He suffered severe brain injuries. Since GM and Suzuki had joint ventured on another SUV, the Sidekick, Lee filed motions in the Detroit, Michigan, court, forcing GM to disclose documents that revealed critical facts about the Samurai. Michigan, Georgia.
Seatbelt Failure Causes Ejection - Brain Injury
$40,000,000 jury verdict, with subsequent confidential settlement
A van was struck on the passenger side by another vehicle. The driver of the van was wearing her seat belt, but it came off in the collision. The driver flew out the passenger side window of the van, and landed headfirst on the pavement, suffering catastrophic head injuries. Member of litigation team. Georgia.
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GM Pickup Fuel-Fed Fire - Death
Confidential settlement
After a collision punctured the fuel tank of his GM pickup truck, a young man died in the ensuing fire. The pickup truck had its fuel tank outside the frame rails of the vehicle. Member of litigation team. Oklahoma.
County Government Raids Business, Falsely Accuses Owners
$8,000,000 settlement
A county government raided a small business, confiscating its computers and all of its files. The county government accused the small business owners of drug smuggling. The charges were completely false, but the business owners lost their reputations and their business. Member of litigation team. Georgia.
GM Pickup Fuel-Fed Fire - Severe Burns
Confidential settlement
Two brothers, one a father of two, were riding in a GM pickup truck with the fuel tank outside the frame rails. The tank on their truck ruptured when their truck was struck by another vehicle. One of the men got out of the truck, but he went back in when he realized his brother was trapped. Both young men lived, but were badly burned. Member of litigation team. South Carolina.
Toyota 4Runner Rollover - Brain injury
Confidential settlement
A legal secretary was driving a Toyota 4Runner. When she got two wheels off the road, and corrected to get back on the road, the 4Runner rolled over. The secretary suffered catastrophic brain injuries. She could no longer walk, feed herself, or talk or communicate in any way. Member of litigation team. Georgia.
Dodge Van Fuel-Fed Fire - Severe Burns
Confidential settlement
A woman was driving a Dodge van to make deliveries. She stopped when a highway construction worker signaled traffic to stop, but the driver behind her missed the signal and collided with the back of her van. The fuel tank on her car ruptured, and a fire erupted. The woman managed to escape the burning van, but not before she was badly burned over 67% of her body. Member of litigation team. Georgia.
Suzuki Samurai Rollover - Paraplegia
Confidential settlement
A college student was a passenger in the back seat of a Suzuki Samurai. The Samurai fishtailed on ice, and rolled over. The college student was thrown from the vehicle and became a paraplegic. Member of litigation team. New York.
Suzuki Samurai Rollover - Paraplegia
Confidential settlement
A high school student was a passenger in a Suzuki Samurai. The Samurai rolled over, killing the young man. Member of litigation team. West Virginia.
© 2007, Lee Tarte Wallace
The contents of this article: (a) should not be considered or relied upon as legal, financial or other professional advice in any manner whatsoever, and (b) may be considered advertising under some state’s Bar Rules. Unless otherwise stated, no article or text at this Internet site is, has been, or will be updated or revised for accuracy as statutory or case law changes following the date of first publication. Always consult with your lawyer and/or your other professional advisors before acting.
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