Hecht Walker Attorney Profiles
Greg K. Hecht, 28 Year Attorney, Principal
- Lead Counsel in over 300 Trials and 1,000 Hearings
- AV Rated Attorney by Martindale Hubbell and Designated Georgia Super Lawyer by Publishers of Atlanta Magazine
- Commercial and real estate litigation, local government, commercial landlord representation, builder and developer representation, land use, property tax appeals, contract drafting, fraud litigation, personal injury and wrongful death, employment, 42 USC 1983, and general counsel for local government and businesses (1995-present)
- Clayton County Staff Attorney (1993-1995) – Land Use, Contract, Employment, 42 USC 1983, Tax Appeal, and Inverse Condemnation Litigation
- Assistant District Attorney (1989-1993) – Also, DEA Atlanta Airport Drug Task Force Special Prosecutor – all convictions upheld on appeal
- Insurance Defense and Plaintiff’s Counsel (1988-1989)
- State Senator (1999-2003) State Representative (1997-1999)
- Recipient, 1999 Georgia Council on Aging’s Legislator of the Year; 1998 Speak Up For Children Award
- UNC-Chapel Hill-BA Degree 1985-Recipient Chancellor’s Award-Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award-Given to One Man and One Woman in Graduating Class “Who Best Demonstrate Unselfish Interest in Human Welfare”
- UGA Law School-JD Degree 1988-Moot Court, Prosecutorial Clinic, and ABA House of Delegates-1 of 2 Law Students in the United States to represent the 40,000 Law Students in the ABA’s Legislative Body
- Recipient, Gideon’s Trumpet Award (2002) – given to one Georgian who best ensures equal justice for all
- Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Professionalism Commission’s Community Service Award – first award given in the state by the commission (1997)
- Greg has been recognized in 2015 and 2016 by his Peers as being one of the State’s Top Lawyers, denoted as “Legal Elite” by the Publishers of Georgia Trend Magazine
- Greg has been recognized in the Global Directory of Who’s Who as one of the Top Lawyers for 2016
Mark C. Walker, 30 Year Attorney, Principal
- Lead Counsel in thousands of Commercial Foreclosure actions
- Lender, Bank, and Creditor Representation in 1,000’s of Matters
- AV Rated Attorney by Martindale Hubbell
- Lead Counsel representing Creditors in Federal Bankruptcy Court for over 20 years
- Author of articles related to Commercial Foreclosure Process and Defenses to Commercial Foreclosure for State Bar of Georgia publications
- Speaker at Georgia CLE Seminars regarding Representation of Commercial Creditors and Commercial Debtors in Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Settings
(Read More about Mark C. Walker)
Jon W. Jordan, 10 Year Attorney, Principal
- Commercial litigation, landlord representation, property tax appeals, quiet title, condemnation, zoning and real estate litigation attorney
- Contract drafting
- Dispossessory and rental obligations
- Prior U.S. Attorney Intern – Philadelphia, PA
- Prior Federal Magistrate Judge Intern
- Selected for Presidential Management Fellows Program
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Mary M. House, 30 Year Attorney, Of Counsel
- Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Family Law, Personal Injury & Wrongful Death, Healthcare Law and Probate Litigation
- Extensive experience in civil litigation and general practice with Atlanta firm of Gorby, Reeves, Moraitakis and Whiteman (1987-1995), and later in Henry County with Meadows & Macie
- Past President of the Henry County Bar Association, and currently on the
Board of Directors for the General Practice and Trial Section for the State Bar of Georgia - Active community involvement-served on the Board of Directors for Leadership Henry, the Henry County Chamber of Commerce, Haven House, Prevent Child Abuse/Henry County, Rachel’s Gift and served as the SPLOST III Advisory Committee Chairman for Henry County
- Shortlisted for judgeship in 2003, 2005 and 2006
- Certified as a Mediator and Arbitrator by the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution in 2007
Of Counsel
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Kirby Glaze, Of Counsel
- Founder and President of Public-Private Partnership Project Management, Inc. (4PM) and President of Community Development Partners, Inc. (CDP), where he oversees professionals involved in project development, management, and marketing.
- Leads seminars in various professional forums, including the University of Georgia’s Office of Economic Assistance, the Georgia Economic Developers Association, and the Georgia Municipal Association.
- Improved countless Georgia municipalities, communities, and governmental entities through his work in public-private projects.
- Served on numerous Quality Growth Resource Teams that helped communities develop strategies for sustainable, quality patterns for growth.
- Recognized by the University of Georgia, the Georgia Municipal Association, and the Department of Community Affairs as one of the “Champions” of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing.
- Honored for his contributions to the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing Program by DCA, the Georgia Municipal Association, the University of Georgia and Georgia Power.
- Recipient of the “Outstanding Leadership in Downtown Development” award by the Georgia Downtown Association and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
- Earned a Bachelor of Arts and a law degree from the University of Georgia.
Matt Poe, Of Counsel
Matthew Poe is Of Counsel to Hecht Walker Jordan PC. Matt uses his analytical strength and eye for details to dissect every element of a complex case and then consider how to put the pieces of the puzzle back together to make the best case for his clients.- Matt is in second decade as a practicing attorney and has the mindset of an
engineer. - He works hard, cares about his clients, and enjoys digging deep into the facts and the law for the interests of his clients.
- These strengths compliment his practice where he concentrates on construction and real estate litigation, re-zoning and land use matters, complex business and general civil litigation matters.
- Matt has been practicing law since his admission to the Bar in the fall of 2009.
Stephen E. Kaplan
I began my legal career in 1977 as a lawyer with the Dallas firm of Lyne, Klein, French & Womble, which later became Lyne & Klein. I was engaged in a civil trial and business transactional practice and also did work on labor & employment matters, antitrust, and estate and trust planning and probate. After Title VII was enacted, my labor and employment work expanded to include discrimination claims.
In 1988 after Lyne & Klein disbanded because of death and retirement of the partners, I set up my own law firm and continued in the same areas of practice. My law firm practice at Stephen Kaplan, P.C. included those areas and construction transactions and litigation, residential and commercial real estate transactions and litigation, and the representation of non-profit organizations. I tried cases in federal and state courts In Texas and appeals before the 5th Circuit and was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.
I demonstrated expertise in a diverse range of practice areas involving both litigation and transactional work. I achieved strong results in such areas as administrative law, banking & finance, construction law, estate & trust planning, mergers & acquisitions, real estate law, and taxation law. Personally, I represented clients before courts and agencies including EEOC, OSHA, NLRB, Texas Commission on Human Rights, and US Department of Labor. I also furthered the development of multiple types of legal entities based on client goals and business dynamics. I attained consistently strong results for estate and trust planning clients by crafting personally tailored estate and trust plans in addition to facilitating effective administration.
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Michael A. Yonks
Michael Yonks has been practicing law for over 38 years. Michael serves as general counsel for various small and medium size businesses. Serving local, regional, and international clients, his areas of practice include contracts, incorporations, real estate law, employment law, and personal injury.
EDUCATION:
- B.A., Economics, Indiana University, 1981
- J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1984
PROFESSIONAL LEGAL EXPERIENCE:
- Founder Yonks & Associates P.C. 1998 – Present
- Managing Partner: Bergman, Yonks, Stein & Bird, LLP, 1991-1998
- Partner: Gutow & Yonks, P.C., 1989-1991
- Associate: Mauro, Wendler, Sheets, Blume & Gutow, 1987-1989
- Associate: Lyon & Smith, 1985-1987
(Read More about Michael A. Yonks)
Karen Kenner Scott
Attorney Karen Kenner Scott is an accomplished legal strategist with deep expertise in real estate law, business law, and code enforcement defense. Known for her results-driven approach and unwavering commitment to client success, she brings a rare blend of prosecutorial, defense, and private practice experience to every matter she handles.
Before establishing The Scott Law Firm, LLC, Attorney Scott practiced at a prominent real estate and business law firm where she gained extensive experience representing property owners, developers, and business clients in complex transactions and disputes. She also built a strong public service career as Assistant Solicitor General in both Fulton and DeKalb Counties, culminating in her promotion to Deputy Chief Assistant Solicitor General in DeKalb. In that role, she led her unit to repeated success in prosecuting complex land use, zoning, and code enforcement cases. She has also served as a public defender, sharpening her trial advocacy skills and gaining a comprehensive perspective on the justice system. This unique combination of leadership, courtroom skill, and regulatory insight gives her clients a decisive advantage in high-stakes property and compliance matters.
Her professional excellence has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Rising Star Award from the New Rock Legal Society, the Michael Hancock Award from the DeKalb Lawyers Association, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys Scholarship, and the National Black Law Students Association Rodney Pulliam Scholarship.
Attorney Scott is also a committed leader in the legal community. She is active in the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers and has been selected for several prestigious leadership programs, including Emerging Leaders of DeKalb in 2018, GABWA’s Judicial Public Official Academy in 2023, the GAWL Leadership Academy in 2024, and the Leadership Rockdale Class of 2025.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Georgia and her Juris Doctor from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Outside of her legal practice, she serves on her children’s school council, sits on the board of More Than Conquerors, Inc., and is an engaged member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is married to Roderick Scott and is the mother of two exceptional daughters.
As Of Counsel, Attorney Scott collaborates closely with the firm’s attorneys to deliver sophisticated, client-centered solutions in real estate, business, and regulatory law while continuing to lead her independent practice at The Scott Law Firm.