Cook & James Continues Expansion, Adds Five Attorneys to Roster
Atlanta-area real estate law firm, known as the pioneer of "at home" closings, hires Kim Miller, Patrick Watts and Robert Whitesides to close in South Carolina, Bonnie Timms to close in Atlanta, and Sherri Stewart to close in New York state.
ATLANTA, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Cook & James, the Atlanta-area based real estate law firm known for pioneering at-home closings, continues its aggressive expansion by hiring five more attorneys in three states: Georgia, New York and South Carolina. Bonnie Timms will work in the Atlanta area and around Georgia. Sherri Steiner-Stewart will be based north of New York City. In South Carolina, Kim Miller, Patrick Watts and Robert Whitesides (alphabetically) will oversee closings in the Palmetto State.
"It's with great pride that we announce that these five accomplished attorneys have joined the C&J family," said Heather James, attorney and co-founding partner at Cook & James. "Kara and I are confident they all will serve our valued clients with our special brand of Cook & James flair, exceptional style and professionalism."
Bonnie Timms joins Cook & James to work in the firm's Roswell, Ga. headquarters. With a nearly 20-year background in worker's compensation as well as litigating for an Atlanta insurance defense firm, Timms has been working with Cook & James for years on a contract basis. Today's announcement brings her in-house. She holds both her undergraduate and her Doctor of Law (J.D.) degrees from Mercer University, where she was a law school classmate with Heather James.
In South Carolina, where Cook & James has provided legal closing services since early 2019, the firm has hired three additional attorneys.
"The volume of business has picked up significantly in South Carolina so we're thrilled to bring in these three great people to assist Stacey Besser and Chuck Biskobing, our attorneys already serving our clients in the state," said Kara Cook, attorney and co-founding partner at Cook & James.
Kim Miller worked with Cook & James on a contract basis for a year before she joined full time in South Carolina. She was city prosecutor for her hometown of Walterboro, S.C. and has a background in real estate/property law, insurance defense and domestic law. She holds an undergraduate degree from The College of Charleston, a J.D. degree from University of South Carolina School of Law, and also attended graduate school at The Citadel.
Patrick Watts will cover the Columbia area of the Palmetto State for Cook & James. Previously a JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force as well as a trust officer at a bank, Watts has practiced legal estate planning, business organization, real estate transactions and litigation. A graduate of Clemson University with a political science degree, he holds his J.D. degree from University of South Carolina School of Law.
Roberts Whitesides will work in the South Carolina Lowcountry, the eastern region of the state. Previously practicing family law, estate planning and probate law as well as real estate, Whitesides comes to Cook & James from his family law firm, Whitesides Law Office. He holds an undergraduate degree from University of South Carolina and his J.D. degree from Howard University School of Law, which he says was one of the most important and profound experiences of his life.
In New York State, Sherri Steiner-Stewart comes in-house to Cook & James after having worked as a contract attorney since 2014. She supervises the New York team for C&J. Based in Putnam County, about 60 miles north of New York City, Stewart has spent the majority of her 30-plus years practicing residential real estate transactions. She holds an undergraduate degree from Mercy College and a J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School.
"Although we're growing exponentially, Kara and I remain committed to maintaining the very highest level of professionalism as well as throwing in copious amounts of fun and spicey personality at every closing," added James. "We know this group of just-announced attorneys are 100% on board with that. We like to think our clients keep coming back to us because all of us at C&J offer a quite unique brand of closing experience that's efficient and capable but also full of personality."
About Cook & James
Founded in 2006 to fill a void in real estate transaction services, the attorney team at Cook & James is a pioneer of at-home closings. Specializing in refinancing, purchases, corporate relocations and more, team members can be 100% mobile to offer buyers, sellers and real estate agent partners the flexibility of closing anywhere that is convenient, including at-home. Cook & James attorneys and paralegal professionals bring everything needed to the closing to facilitate a smooth experience. Using a proprietary at-home closing platform, the firm's residential real estate legal solutions and expertise include purchases, mortgage refinances, title clearance, deed preparation, corporate relocation assistance and more.
Based in the north Atlanta suburb of Roswell, Ga. with a satellite office in Woodstock, Ga., Kara Cook and Heather James are co-founding partners of the firm, which is also licensed to do business in Connecticut, New York and South Carolina. Learn more at http://www.CookAndJames.com.
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Media Contact
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SOURCE Cook & James
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