About Vaughan & Murphy

THE FIRM was formed in 1980 in Atlanta and has continuously operated here since then. Our practice is limited - as we explain here - so please read on before you contact us. We pride ourselves in providing zealous, aggressive legal representation without having to resort to "scorched earth"� practices. We pride ourselves in our ability to fashion creative approaches to complex legal issues without compromising our professionalism or our client's integrity and credibility.

We strive to serve our clients promptly and in a responsive manner, which, as a lean operation, we are nimble enough to do. And we believe we charge some of the most, if not the most, competitive rates in Atlanta and the Southeast (generally, our senior lawyer rates will approximate those for associate attorneys at the large firms).

Our belief is that you are here because you want to hire an experienced, knowledgeable lawyer to handle whatever problem you have. And our belief also is that you don't want to pay rates that are calculated to cover layers of staff (ours is minimal), palatial offices (ours is functional, but lacks that Ritz-Carlton look) and amenities that may be not be essential to your receipt of legal services. In short, we think a client should be presented with a choice: quality legal representation with or without the "extras."�

WHAT WE HANDLE: We are primarily litigation attorneys who can handle practically any type of business-related claim in federal or state court and in arbitration. We also handle mediation. We prosecute - that is, represent parties asserting claims - and defend civil claims and criminal charges.

We have specialized experience and skill in handling the specific types of business-related cases listed below. Click on each practice area to view a more detailed description.

Antitrust and Trade Regulation (both civil and criminal)
     Including Practice Before the Federal Trade Commission

White Collar Criminal Defense
      Federal Grand Jury Representation

We have specific experience in the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division's ongoing nationwide criminal investigation into bid rigging at public real estate mortgage foreclosure auctions, which has led to investors across the country being charged with mail fraud and violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Trade Secret and Unfair Competition
     Federal Lanham Act claims

We also provide general pre-litigation counseling and, specifically, we have significant experience in the following two areas:
    Federal Antitrust Law Compliance
    Labor and Employment (including restrictive covenants, such as non
    compete, non solicitation and confidentiality contractual provisions)

WHAT WE DON'T HANDLE: We do not have the expertise to provide cost-effective representation of clients in personal injury matters, divorce proceedings or bankruptcy (unless the matter is what is known as an adversary proceeding, in which case, we view representation as a business litigation matter in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and will consider taking the representation). If you want to hire a lawyer for matters involving these kinds of issues and would like to ask for a recommendation, we will do our best to help. For most cases like this, you can call the Lawyer Referral and Information Service operated by the Atlanta Bar Association at (404) 521-0777.

WHERE WE PRACTICE: We have practiced in each of the states in the Southeast (Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Mississippi) and have handled matters in California, New Mexico, Arkansas and New Jersey. We have tried cases as far away as Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Generally speaking, each of our lawyers is able to practice as lead counsel in any federal district or appellate court in the United States.

PARTIES WE REPRESENT: We represent U.S. resident companies and individuals in both criminal and civil matters. However, we have also represented clients that are citizens of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands and, depending upon the nature of the representation, would consider representing other non-U.S based firms or individuals.