Michael D. St. Amand

Michael J. Rust

Contact Information

Address:
1700 Atlanta Plaza
950 East Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30326


Phone:
404-870-7383


Fax:
404-870-1083


E-mail:
mds@grsmb.com


Website


 


Videos





Biography

Michael D. St. Amand practices civil litigation, with specialization in the areas of insurance defense and insurance coverage. He serves as statewide counsel for large and small insurance companies, as well as private corporations. He has extensive jury trial experience and serves as lead trial counsel in federal and state court cases.

Mr. St. Amand has extensive experience training attorneys throughout the state and has made presentations at a number of continuing legal education seminars on ADR and mediation, premises liability cases, challenging and cross-examining expert witnesses, and defending punitive damage claims. He has also led and participated in numerous client seminars on various casualty insurance issues. He is a member of the Atlanta Claims Association, Atlanta Bar Association and the State Bar of Georgia.

Mr. St. Amand began practicing law with Messrs. Gray and Rust upon graduation from law school in 1988 and was joined by Messrs. Moffett and Brieske in 1990 and 1994, respectively. Mr. St. Amand is a 1982 graduate of The Westminster Schools, Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated, with honors, from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas in 1985, and received his law degree, cum laude, from the University Of Georgia School Of Law in 1988. Mr. St. Amand’s academic honors include: Bryant T. Castellow Scholarship Award (UGA); National Merit Scholarship (Trinity); Special Presidential Scholarship (Trinity); First Graduate of Trinity University Honors Program (1985); Mortar Board; American Jurisprudence Trusts and Estates Award; and Russell Best Brief Award (UGA).

 

Mr. St. Amand in the News:

Current Employment Position(s):

Partner

Areas of Practice:

  • Animal Bites — Defense
  • Animal Bites — Plaintiff
  • Assault & Battery — Defense
  • Assault & Battery — Plaintiff
  • Bad Faith
  • Commercial Insurance
  • Complex Litigation
  • Defamation & Privacy — Defense
  • Defects
  • Federal Appellate Practice
  • Federal Trial Practice
  • Insurance Subrogation
  • Life & Health
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents — Defense
  • Motor Vehicle Accidents — Plaintiff
  • Police Misconduct
  • Premises Liability — Defense
  • Premises Liability — Plaintiff
  • Property & Casualty
  • Slip and Fall — Defense
  • Slip and Fall — Plaintiff
  • State Appellate Practice
  • State Trial Practice
  • Wrongful Death — Defense
  • Wrongful Death — Plaintiff

Litigation Percentage:

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions:

Georgia, 1988

U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 1988

U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit

Education:

  • University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, Georgia, 1988
    J.D.
  • Honors: Cum Laude
  • Honors: Bryant T. Castellow Scholar
  • Honors: American Jurisprudence Trusts & Estates Award
  • Honors: Russell Best Brief Award
  • Honors: Mortar Board
  • Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, 1985
    B.A.
  • Honors: Cum Laude
  • Honors: With Honors
  • Honors: National Merit Scholar
  • Honors: Special Presidential Scholar
  • Major: Political Science

Published Works:

Co-Author, Agency Section of Georgia Jurisprudence: Employment Law (Treatise), Lawyer, West/Lawyers Co-Operative Publishing, 1995

Representative Clients:

GMAC Insurance

Auto-Owners Insurance Co.

Representative Cases:

Duncan v. Integon General Ins. Corp., 267 Ga. 646 (Georgia Supreme Court 1997)

Jackson v. Dunkin’ Donuts, Inc., 211 Ga. App. 598 (Georgia Court of Appeals 1993)

Barton Malow Co. v. Metro Mfg., Inc., 214 Ga.App. 56 (Georgia Court of Appeals 1994)

Sinclair v. Orozco, 205 Ga.App. 498 (Georgia Court of Appeals 1992)

Bergan v. Time Ins. Co., 196 Ga.App. 78 (Georgia Court of Appeals 1990)

Allen v. Allstate Life Ins. Co., 31 Fed.Appx. 929 (United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit 2002)

Classes/Seminars Taught:

Winning Ways with Direct and Cross-Examination: Guiding Principles for the Civil Litigator in Georgia, National Business Institute Seminar, 1997

Independent Medical and Psychiatric Examinations, ICLE, 1998

Closing Arguments in Punitive Damage Trials, ICLE Seminar, 1998

Chair, Atlanta Claims Association Convention Seminar, 1998

Direct Examination of Medical Experts, ICLE-GA, 2001 – 2002

Art of Cross-Examination, National Business Institute, 2001

Analyzing Damages in PI Cases, National Business Institute, 2000

Conducting an Effective Cross-Examination in Georgia, Lorman Educational Services, 2001

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Mortar Board
Member

Atlanta Bar Association
Member

State Bar of Georgia
Member

Atlanta Claims Association
Member

Fraternities/Sororities:

Pi Sigma Alpha

Phi Delta Phi

Honors & Awards:

Recipient, American Jurisprudence Trusts and Estates Award

Recipient, Russell Best Brief Award

Pro Bono Activities:

Secret Santa Project (Atlanta Bar Association), 1999 – Present

Zaban Night Shelters, 1996 – Present

Olympic Volunteer

Park Pride Project

Rails to Trails Project

Christmas in April Project

Public Service Committee (Atlanta Claims Association)

Atlanta Community Food Bank, 1994 – Present

Big Brothers of Atlanta

Birth Information:

September 11, 1964, Quantico, Virginia