Clarkesville, GA

Rustin Smith

As a partner in one of the largest law firms in North Georgia, Rustin defended insurance companies and large businesses before co-founding Smith Hulsey. He has handled cases in both federal and state courts, appearing in U.S. District Courts and counties throughout Georgia. He has argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia, and litigated appeals in the Georgia Court of Appeals and U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. Rustin graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia before attending Emory University School of Law, where he was selected for the Dean’s List, received the Dean’s Award, and was recommended for the Kesler-Eidson Trial Techniques Scholarship. Rustin has served on multiple Hall County nonprofit boards, was elected Gainesville Jaycee of the Year in 2011, and was a member of the 2015 State Bar Young Lawyer’s Leadership Academy. Every year since 2018, Rustin’s attorney peers have elected him as “Super Lawyer,” a distinction reserved for only 2.5% of attorneys in the state. He also was voted onto the Legal Elite list as featured in GeorgiaTrend Magazine. Rustin is a Lifetime Member of both the Multi-Million and Million Dollar Advocates Forums, credentials awarded by Top Trial Lawyers in America for attorneys serving as principal counsel in recoveries of over $2,000,000 and $1,000,000 from separate cases.

Ronny Hulsey

Early in his career, Ronny defended big insurance companies at large law firms before devoting his practice solely to helping injured people win claims against insurance companies. Ronny focused his legal education in insurance law, graduating second in his class, magna cum laude from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, where he was elected to Law Review, inducted into the Brainerd Currie Honor Society, and won the Guerry R. Moore Insurance Law Award. Recently, Ronny received state-wide recognition for obtaining a $1 million recovery for a high school track coach struck by a truck while jogging with her students. He recovered ten times the available policy limit after the insurer refused to treat his client fairly. More recently, Ronny represented a pedestrian who was killed when a vehicle left its lane on I-985, and recovered over $1.9 million for the victim’s family.

Patrick L. Jarrett

Patrick has built a reputation among his colleagues as a zealous advocate for his clients. His practice is focused on representing individuals who have been injured as a result of other’s negligence and recklessness. He has years of litigation experience and has tried dozens of cases in the areas of personal injury law, criminal defense, and family law. He has spoken on numerous occasions to the local community and is in training for attorneys and mediators. Jarrett & Price has also established itself as the go-to firm in Georgia for the complex area of healthcare lien resolution. They assist other plaintiff’s attorneys to review and negotiate healthcare liens in order to maximize a victim’s recovery in personal injury lawsuits. Patrick is licensed to practice law in Georgia, Texas, and Alabama. He is admitted to the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Georgia. He is a member of the bar of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.

Ben Price

Ben Price is a Georgia native and a graduate of Georgia State University College of Law. His primary practice area is personal injury law, representing victims who have been injured or killed due to the fault of another. Another primary focus of Mr. Price’s practice is the complicated area of healthcare subrogation and hospital liens. Other plaintiff attorneys regularly hire our firm to determine their clients’ rights to reimburse healthcare plans and other medical benefit providers out of their recovery proceeds. For more on this specific practice area, visit The Lien Resource.

Tricia L. Hise

Ms. Hise takes pride in being your “Bulldog in the Courtroom,” displaying the work ethic and drive necessary in obtaining million dollar verdicts for her clients. A 1999 graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Ms. Hise obtained her Juris Doctor degree in 2004 from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. Ms. Hise returned to her Georgia roots to zealously represent her clients throughout the state. Ms. Hise's experience spans from the state, appellate, and Georgia Supreme Court levels to the Federal Courts as well. Admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 2005, Ms. Hise began her legal career as a Judicial Law Clerk, moved into the trial sector, and maintains a great amount of trial court experience. Ms. Hise's partnership with Mr. Hotard in 2012 has proven to be beneficial for their clients suffering from personal injuries, traffic accidents, motorcycle accidents, and trucking accidents; the firm's reputation of strong representation, successful and proven settlements, and jury awards continues to flourish throughout the state. In December 2014, Ms. Hise was inducted into the Fulton Daily Report's Georgia Verdicts Hall of Fame for her winning $35.8 million dollar verdict in the Melinda McCoy v. Creative Consulting, et al. matter. The firm of Hotard & Hise is highly skilled in assisting families through the emotional turmoil suffered who have lost a loved one in a wrongful death and diligently obtains significant compensation for their loss.

T. Gabriel Hotard Jr.

Admitted in 1992, Mr. Hotard has been a member of the State Bar of Georgia for over 20 years. His dedication to the firm's clients and his trial experiences play key roles in his successful monetary awards. Specializing in Personal Injury, among other areas of practice, Mr. Hotard has a track record positive, proven awards and settlements with awards over $1 million. He practices before Georgia’s State and Federal Courts both at the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Hotard received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia. He subsequently attended Mercer University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree. While at Mercer, Mr. Hotard served as a published member of Mercer Law Review. A former Valdosta, Georgia resident, and former practitioner before the Atlanta-Metropolitan area, Mr. Hotard relocated to Habersham County and began his partnership of Caudell & Hotard, Attorneys at Law. In May of 2012, Mr. Hotard and Ms. Hise began their partnership as Hotard & Hise, Attorneys at Law. Since the establishment of Hotard & Hise, the firm continues its strong practice of successful personal injury, car accident, motorcycle accident, and trucking accident awards for its deserving clients. The firm of Hotard & Hise concentrates on the needs of the family members left behind in wrongful death cases, skillfully obtaining significant awards.

W. Spencer Carr

Spencer Carr is an experienced attorney practicing business, estate planning and probate, and real estate law. Spencer has been practicing law in Georgia since 2000, serving clients in and around Clarkesville, Gainesville, and Cleveland, Georgia. Home and family are your most precious assets; Spencer works to ensure they are protected.