Alston & Bird Partner Joins Atlanta Office Of Burr & Forman

June 26, 2008

Betsy P. Collins, a seasoned litigator whose career spans more than two decades, has joined Burr & Forman LLP as a partner in the law firm’s Atlanta office.  Collins, who most recently was a partner with Alston & Bird LLP, is a skilled trial advocate whose practice includes insurance litigation, class action litigation, complex commercial and business litigation, and securities litigation with an emphasis on responsibilities of directors and officers in privately and publicly held corporations.

“We are thrilled to have Betsy on board,” said Martin Tilson, managing partner of Burr & Forman’s Atlanta office.  “Her broad litigation expertise and significant experience in communicating with juries make her a valuable addition to our insurance and commercial litigation groups here at Burr & Forman.”
     
Some of Collins’ most successful jury trials include representation of insurance clients in matters related to unfair competition.  In 2004 and 2002, she tried cases involving issues with regard to variable annuity products, benefit structures, sales practices and pricing that resulted in verdicts on behalf of her client for $45 million and $50 million, respectively.  Another past trial victory includes a defense verdict in 2004 on behalf of director defendants accused of fraud by silence and breach of fiduciary duty in connection with their simultaneous service on the boards of two public companies with conflicting interests.
   
Previously, Collins served as first vice president and assistant general counsel for a large life insurance company in Birmingham.

Collins has an active litigation practice in both Georgia and Alabama.  Currently, she is contracted to write a book for the Product Liability Institute on the subject of business and commercial insurance lines.  She was named in Guide to the World's Leading Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers, 7th Edition, and Who's Who Legal (Insurance): Georgia 2007.  She received her J.D. degree from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she served as associate editor of the Alabama Law Review, and her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Judson College.

About Burr & Forman LLP
Combining a 103-year history in the Southeast, Burr & Forman LLP's experienced legal team serves clients with local, national and international interests in several industry and practice areas including admiralty & maritime, agribusiness, antitrust & trade regulation, appellate, automotive, business, commercial banking & finance, class actions, commercial litigation, condominium law, construction, creditors' rights workouts & insolvencies, economic development, employee benefits, entertainment, environmental & land use, financial services, healthcare, insurance, intellectual property & technology, labor & employment, manufacturing, mergers & acquisitions, product liability, real estate development, securities, tax law, telecommunications & media, torts, transportation and trusts & estates. Over 200 attorneys in  offices in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee draw from a diverse range of resources and expertise to help clients achieve their goals.  For more information visit the firm's Web site at www.burr.com.

Burr & Forman’s Atlanta office of 35 attorneys also provides a broad range of services.  Specific areas of deep expertise include banking, bankruptcy, communications and media, construction, corporate law, economic development, healthcare, insurance, labor and employment, real estate, securities, and technology.