Balch & Bingham Welcomes Eight New Associates

Balch & Bingham is pleased to welcome eight new associates to the firm: Cody Austin, Nicholas Elliot Brown, Katherine Carey, John Collier, Tripp DeMoss, Christy Boardman Kuklinski, Samantha Renshaw, and Lindsey Yerby. These attorneys will work across the firm’s footprint in its nationally recognized Banking & Financial Services, Energy, Corporate & Commercial, Public Policy & Government Relations and Litigation Practices.

Cody Austin joins the Gulfport office as a member of the Banking & Financial Services Practice. Cody received his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law, summa cum laude, in 2022. While earning his J.D., Cody served as the editor-in-chief of the Mississippi Law Journal. His practice areas include real estate, government contracts, and corporate & commercial. Cody is licensed to practice in Mississippi.

Nicholas Elliot Brown joins the Birmingham office as a member of the Litigation Practice. He received his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law in 2016. He represents clients in all phases of litigation in both state and federal courts. Prior to joining Balch, Nicholas clerked for Alabama’s 10th Judicial Circuit’s Civil Division, supporting both the Honorable Michael G. Graffeo and the Honorable Marshell Jackson Hatcher. He is also a member of the Alabama and Birmingham Bar Associations, the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, and the Defense Research Institute. Nicholas is licensed to practice in Alabama.

Katherine Carey joins the Atlanta office as a member of the Litigation Practice. She received her J.D. from Emory University School of Law, cum laude, in 2022 and served as the executive managing online editor for the Emory Law Journal. Katherine was recognized with the 2021 Rhonda Heermans Award for editing excellence and won “Best Brief” at the 2020 Emory Moot Court Society Stange Competition. She served as a judicial extern at the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Katherine previously served on the board of the Broadleaf Writer’s Association and, since 2017, has been active with the Oglethorpe University Alumni Association. Katherine is licensed to practice in Georgia.

John Collier joins the Birmingham office as a member of the Litigation Practice. He earned his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2022. John works on a variety of civil litigation matters and assists clients during all phases of litigation in both state and federal courts. John is licensed to practice in Alabama.

Tripp DeMoss joins the Montgomery office as a member of the Litigation Practice. Tripp earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2017 and previously worked in private practice for another firm. He has experience with cases involving a variety of claims including premises liability, labor and employment, civil rights, and construction defects. Prior to entering private practice, he clerked for the Honorable R. Austin Huffaker, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Tripp previously served as a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives, as a legislative officer in the U.S. Department of Labor, and as a government affairs/regulatory attorney at a prominent Alabama trade association. Tripp is licensed to practice in Alabama and the District of Columbia.

Christy Boardman Kuklinski joins the Birmingham office as a member of the Corporate & Commercial Practice. She received her J.D. from The University of Alabama School of Law, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, in 2017. Christy has a diverse practice with a focus on securities and corporate work.  Prior to joining Balch, Christy worked as an investment banker in New York, clerked for the Honorable R. David Proctor in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, and was in private practice with another firm. Due to Christy’s breadth of experience working with highly-regulated institutions, clients seek her assistance in all phases of their businesses, from transactions to regulatory compliance to securities and other complex litigation. Christy is licensed to practice in Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and New York.

Samantha Renshaw joins the Birmingham office as a member of the Energy Practice. She earned her J.D. from The University of Alabama School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2022 as well as a Certificate in International Law. Samantha was recognized with Order of the Coif, Order of Samaritan, and received the Pro Bono Excellence Award. Her practice focuses on regulatory, licensing, and compliance issues for nuclear utilities across the U.S., as well as concentrations in privacy and cybersecurity. Samantha is licensed to practice in Alabama.

Lindsey Yerby joins the Birmingham office as a member of the Public Policy & Government Relations Practice and assists clients on a variety of political law, public policy and legislative matters. She earned her J.D. from Cumberland School of Law and her MBA from Samford University in 2022. Lindsey previously served as a staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. Lindsey is licensed to practice in Alabama.