I attended public schools in Mobile, graduating from Murphy High School in 1972 where I was president of the junior class and captain of the tennis team. I graduated from the University of Alabama School of Arts and Sciences with a major in history, and in 1979 I received my juris doctor degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. I immediately went to work for my father and began trying jury trials.

I am a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers), National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Legal Committee, and an executive member of the Mobile Bar Association, along with memberships in local and state orgaizations dedicated to the promotion of the law and civic progress.

One of my brothers is a practicing family physician here in Mobile who provides invaluable advice on all my cases where personal injuries are an issue, and my investigator is a top-notch former FBI agent. My paralegal has prior experience in the banking, medical, and management fields, and her daughter practices law with one of the largest law firms in the south.

My wife, the former Frances Kracke (whose grandfather, Dr. Roy Kracke, was the founding father of the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1944) works as a paralegal at the Mobile County Health Department. My daughter Sarah Beth is a speech therapist; and my daughter Emily works in the trust department at Banktrust.

My family's roots go deep in Mobile and we are pleased to have been serving this community in various professions for more than a century.