The Scates Law Firm, LLC keeps its Coastal Georgia office on St. Simons Island. Ryan Scates lives on the island with his wife and two children, and the firm also keeps an office in Atlanta for clients around the state. This page is about the coastal office and the people it serves.
Most companies in this part of Georgia are owner operated or family held. They need a lawyer who understands how the business actually runs and gives a straight answer. That is the focus of this office.
The office is on St. Simons Island. From there the firm serves clients in Savannah and Chatham County, in Brunswick and the Golden Isles (St. Simons, Sea Island, and Jekyll), and in Waycross, Statesboro, Hinesville, Jesup, Kingsland and St. Marys, Darien, and nearby towns in southeast Georgia. There is not a separate office in those cities. If you are in Savannah or Waycross, the notes on those pages describe how the work usually comes in.
Business disputes and litigation. When a contract breaks down, a partner relationship goes sideways or a landlord stops honoring a lease, the firm helps you figure out which fights are worth having. The work covers breach of contract claims, partnership and shareholder disputes, non-compete and trade secret matters, commercial landlord and tenant disputes, and responding to demand letters before a suit is filed. Court is a tool, not the first option.
Outside general counsel. Many businesses need regular legal help without a full-time in-house attorney. A general counsel retainer gives you a lawyer who already knows your company, at a predictable monthly cost, for contract review, vendor agreements, employment questions, governance and the everyday issues that come with running a business.
LLCs, corporations and transactions. The firm forms LLCs and corporations, drafts operating and partnership agreements and buy-sell agreements, and handles acquisitions, asset purchases, joint ventures and business exits. Formation decisions are made with the end in mind, because the structure you choose at the start shapes what happens when you sell, bring in a partner or step away.
Real estate. Coastal property work has its own local zoning codes, county dynamics, title issues and coastal regulatory requirements. The firm handles commercial real estate closings, lease negotiation and disputes, zoning and land use, easements and boundary matters, and Golden Isles transactions.
Trusts and succession. For families who hold businesses, real property and trusts, the firm helps with trust administration, business succession and planning how ownership passes to the next generation.
