Georgia Bar Foundation Honors Douglas Stewart with its Highest Recognition
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Jan. 22, 2013) – Douglas Stewart, attorney and partner at Stewart, Melvin & Frost of Gainesville, was honored this month by the Georgia Bar Foundation with its highest recognition – the James M. Collier Award.
The Collier Award recognizes extraordinary contribution to the Georgia Bar Foundation, which provides charitable legal services while promoting professional legal standards.
Stewart received the award for being a guiding force for the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program of the Georgia Bar Foundation in the early 1980s. He also helped establish most of the existing policies and procedures that enable the foundation to function so well today, according to Len Horton, president of the Georgia Bar Foundation.
“You might say Doug is the father of the Georgia Bar Foundation,” Horton said. The Georgia Bar Foundation was originally founded in 1967 but was significantly revised during Stewart’s term as its chair and when he was President of the State Bar of Georgia in 1981 – 1982.
Stewart shared the award with attorney Cubbedge Snow of Macon. The award, which has been given for the past seven years, is named in honor of former Georgia Bar Foundation Chairman James M. Collier.
“I am grateful to have been honored by such a fine organization,” Stewart said. “The foundation supports legal services for the poor, aids children involved in the justice system, works to improve the administration of justice, and promotes professionalism in law practice.”
As the senior litigator for Stewart, Melvin & Frost, Stewart has more than 50 years of litigation experience. Recognized throughout the state for his strong client advocacy, Stewart was recently named a Georgia “Super Lawyer” by two separate publications: Law & Politics and Atlanta magazines.
Long active within the State Bar of Georgia, Stewart has served as the organization’s president and treasurer. In 1992, he received the State Bar of Georgia’s highest accolade, the Distinguished Service Award.Stewart also has been a member of the State Bar’s Board of Governors since 1972 and was a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association for 20 years.
Founded in 1936, Stewart, Melvin & Frost specializes in a broad range of legal services, including business law, tax and estate planning, municipal bond financing, real estate transactions, litigation, and mediation services. Based in Gainesville, the firm serves a regional client base throughout North Georgia. For more information, visit its website at smf-law.com or call 770-536-0101.