Andrew Kirk Susong

Attorney & Mediator

Kirk Susong was raised on a farm in Rockdale County, Georgia.  He received his bachelor’s degree (in philosophy) from Washington & Lee University and his law degree from the University of Virginia, where he was an editor of the Virginia Tax Review.  He also holds a graduate degree in philosophy and theology from the University of Chicago.

The bulk of Mr. Susong’s experience is in litigation. He began his legal practice in North Carolina, before working for several years in New York City. He returned home to Atlanta in 2004.  Mr. Susong's areas of practice have included general commercial litigation; white-collar criminal defense; and trust, estate and probate litigation.  His clients have ranged from individuals in small towns to major corporations in nationwide litigation. Interesting cases include:

– Representing the sole beneficiary of a $750 million trust in various disputes with investment companies controlled by adverse family members;

– Defending a Fortune 10 CEO in a criminal investigation when he was accused of filing fraudulent tax returns;

– Defending an investment banker who testified before the U.S. Senate in the criminal investigation of a nationwide tax shelter strategy;

– Defending the founder of a major national technology company in a criminal investigation for allegedly manipulating the exercise of company stock options;

– Defending a prominent Madison Avenue art gallery in a criminal investigation regarding sales tax violations;

– Defending a trustee against claims by her step-children that she had received excessive distributions from a family commercial real estate trust;

– Suing the trustees of a $50 million trust when a beneficiary was penalized for objecting to violations of the trust agreement;

– Suing the beneficiary of a $10 million estate for undue influence she had exercised over her second husband;

– Defending the trustees of a $10 million estate when they were sued by their sister over the distribution of the estate’s furnishings and collectibles;

– Suing a major national bank to terminate a $10 million trust when the bank refused to increase distributions needed by its beneficiaries;

– Chairing the unsecured creditors committee in a $40 million bankruptcy estate arising from a qualified intermediary's decision to invest client funds in auction-rate municipal bonds underwritten by Lehman Brothers prior to its own bankruptcy; and

– Creating and chairing a non-profit corporation which supports a seminary located in the Scottish Highlands.

In recent years Mr. Susong's primary focus has been on mediation. He is registered with the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution, and has used his litigation experience to help parties resolve disputes outside of court. Mediation is often an effective way to reduce the cost and burden of litigation, while also giving parties more agency in determining the outcome of their cases.

On a personal note, Mr. Susong is married to the former Kate MacKenzie; they have two children, Jack and India.  He is a member of ChristChurch Presbyterian Church, and his hobbies include skiing, film, travel and college football.  

Several years ago Mr. Susong took a sabbatical from the law to earn a master's degree in philosophy and theology from the University of Chicago.  His work included papers on Kripke's analysis of Wittgenstein's rule-following paradox (available to the curious here) as well as the implications of Wittgenstein's thought for Calvin's theology of justification (available to the curious here). 

Mr. Susong is an active member of the New York and Georgia Bars, and an inactive member of the North Carolina Bar.  He accepts new clients by referral only, but if you are seeking a mediator please contact him via the link below.