Deborah Ebel
Deborah Ebel
Marietta
Georgia (GA)
Family Law
Profile
Deborah Ebel, with 36 years of litigation experience, focuses on all aspects of family law, including divorce, custody, child support, alimony, and custody modification, prenuptials, post-nuptials, legitimation, paternity, family violence, child sexual abuse, adoption, and Guardian ad Litem work, which often involves her performing as a quasi mediator. She handles divorces either through traditional litigation in court, including mediation and late case evaluation, or using the more economic and children oriented collaborative law model. She is co-founder of the Guardian Ad Litem Program in Fulton County, received the S. Phillip Heiner Award for pro bono work in 1991 (helping in starting the Fulton county Guardian ad Litem Program); was awarded the Guardian of the Year Award in 2000; the AVLF's award for best family lawyer in 2008; the American Civil Liberties Union Bill of Rights Award in 1986; as well as the 2005 Ann Liechty Pro Bono Child Custody Award from the American Bar Association, given to one lawyer nationally. In 2005, 2006, and 2007, she was named in Atlanta magazine as on the Top 50 women Georgia Super Lawyers list. She has been selected to the Georgia Super Lawyers list for 2003-2009, and to the Georgia Trend's Legal Elite from 2003 to present. She has been interviewed on 60 Minutes and on The Layman's Lawyer television programs. Ms. Ebel is also a Life Fellow with the Lawyer's Foundation of Georgia, a Master in the Bleckley Inn of Court, a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and on the Advisory Board for the Emory Public Interest Committee which Committee raises money to provide grants, and to select grantees at Emory Law School for, pro bono summer legal internships.
In her prior life at the Atlanta Legal aid Society, Deborah represented clients in complex class action lawsuits, generally on constitutional grounds, in the areas of immigration, unlawful detention, public school access, fair housing, and public benefits. During her first 5 years at McKenna, before her professional life shifted to family law, she handled complex business torts and contract disputes, shareholder derivative actions, defamation lawsuits, and some condemnation work. All in all, Deborah has a vast range of experience in every type of civil litigation, which, she believes, sets her apart from the typical family lawyer, by giving her advanced skills in civil procedure in a variety of courts, in research, in creative thinking and approaches to cases, in all areas of written communication, and in advocacy, all in an environment of integrity, ethics, and professionalism.
Selected To
Georgia Super Lawyers 2009
Georgia Super Lawyers 2008
Georgia Super Lawyers 2007
Georgia Super Lawyers 2006
Georgia Super Lawyers 2005
Georgia Super Lawyers 2004
Top Lists
Top 50 Women Georgia Super Lawyers 2007
Top 50 Women Georgia Super Lawyers 2006
Top 50 Women Georgia Super Lawyers 2005
About Deborah Ebel
Admitted: 1975, Georgia
Honors and Awards:
- 2005 Ann Liechty Child Custody Pro Bono Award awarded by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service to one lawyer/lawfirm each year; 1986 Bill of Rights Award from the American Civil Liberties Union; 1991 S. Phil Heiner award from the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation ("AVLF"); 2000 Guardian ad Litem Award of the Year awarded by the AVLF; 2008 Best Family Lawyer of the Year awarded by the AVLF; Atlanta Super Lawyer 2004-2008 by Atlanta Magazine; Named one of Georgia's Top 50 Female Lawyers 2005 and 2006: Georgia Trend Legal Elite 2003-present; James Magazine Super Lawyer 2006; Outstanding Lawyers of America, Attorney, See below, 1986
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Masters in Social Work, University of Michigan, 1972; Certificate of Appreciation in 2008 by Just Georgia; Speaker, Champions Medal Foundation-2010; Panel Member, Georgia Association of Trial Lawyers-2010
Bar/Professional Activity:
- American Bar Association; Georgia Bar Association; Atlanta Bar Association; Life Fellow, Lawyers Foundation of Georgia; Outstanding Lawyers of America; Montclair Who's Who; Premier Who's Who; Master, Bleckley Inn of Court, 1975
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Established halfway house and hot-line for victims of domestic violence in Ann Arbor, Michigan-1971; established Community Coordinated Child Care Program in Washtenaw County, Michigan-1972; worked on de-populating patients in Ypsilanti State Mental Hospital-1972; worked for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society from 1975-1985; co-founded the Guardian ad Litem Program in Fulton County for children whose parents were involved in a custody dispute-1990; served as guardian ad litem for approximately 50 children in Fulton, Dekalb and Clarke Counties and in the United States District Court, N.D. Georgia - 1990-present; member, Advisory Board of the Emory Public Interest Committee - 2000-present; liason for Long, Aldridge & Norman to the Atlanta Project founded by President Jimmy Carter; past President and Board Member, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation-1992-1999; Arbitrator, Dalkon Shield Class action litigation; volunteer, panel review hearings for Mariel Cubans-1985-1988; teacher, People's Law School, Center for Pan Asian Community Services; Habitat for Humanity-house builder; representation of clients referred by the Atlanta Legal Aid Society in efforts to receive unemployment benefits; Firm Coordinator for Just Georgia and Georgia Appleseed in revision of Georgia's Juvenile Law Code; participant, One Lawyer-One Child Program for deprived children; volunteer Child Advocate in the Juvenile Court of Fulton County, 1971
Representative Clients:
- (1) City of Atlanta: I, along with Jack Watson, was appointed special City Attorney in the late 1980's to represent the City of Atlanta in a lawsuit filed by all the airlines who operated out of Hartsfield International Airport pertaining to who, as between the City and the airlines, was responsible for the day to day operation as opposed to the capital expenditures of the People Mover at the airport. (2) Board of Directors, Coca Cola Enterprises, Inc.: I, along with Jack Watson, defended the individual members of the Board in a shareholder derivative action filed challenging the sale of Coca Cola Enterprises to the Johnston Coca Cola Bottling Company. (3) In the area of family law, a few of the more famous clients have been Evander Holyfield from 1990-1996 (approx.); Otis Nixon; Jamie Dukes; Collective Soul; Big Boi of Outcast. (The names of these representive clients are all found in public records in matters I have handled). , 1985
Educational Background:
- Bronx High School of Science, 1963-1966; University of Rochester, B.A. 1970; University of Michigan, M.S.W. 1972; Emory University School of Law, Juris Doctor 1972-1975.
Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.
