Alston & Bird has expanded its capabilities in complex litigation and government and internal investigations with the addition of senior trial attorney Terance “Tery” Gonsalves as partner in the firm’s Atlanta office. He joins from Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Chicago.
“Tery is an outstanding litigator who has taken more than 20 jury trials to verdict,” said Kristy Brown, Alston & Bird partner and co-leader of the firm’s Litigation & Trial Practice Group. “He is highly regarded for his legal excellence, business insight, and real-world experience representing and advising clients across a number of hot-button issues attracting the scrutiny of federal and state regulators.”
Bringing almost 20 years of experience, Gonsalves represents clients in a broad range of litigation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings, including arbitrations and mediations. He defends against False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and litigation and high-stakes consumer class actions focusing on claims of consumer fraud, false and deceptive advertising, and unfair trade practices. He also has a national practice counseling clients facing claims under various telemarketing laws, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Gonsalves’ practice spans multiple industries, including higher education. A former deputy general counsel for litigation at a publicly traded proprietary education company that is an Alston & Bird client, he brings a deep understanding of the federal, state, and accrediting agency issues facing institutions in this highly regulated space.
In addition to serving as lead counsel in federal and state court, Gonsalves represents clients in matters before the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Federal Trade Commission. He also represents clients in state attorneys general investigations.
A frequent commentator and writer on FCA and TCPA issues, Gonsalves is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and a Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.
“Tery is well known to a number of our Atlanta partners who have worked extensively with him when he was our client’s deputy general counsel and as co-counsel on various other matters,” said Janine Brown, partner in charge of Alston & Bird’s Atlanta office. “We are excited to have Tery join our team as we continue to add exceptional attorneys to advise clients who face complex litigation and who want trusted legal advisers and innovative strategies for their defense.”
Gonsalves is the most recent litigation partner to join Alston & Bird in Atlanta and follows the 2018 arrival of partners Angela Spivey and Larry Sommerfeld. Nationally, the firm has added 10 new partners to its litigation roster since the start of last year. Representing practices in environmental, product liability, white collar, privacy and data security, and class action litigation, the newly joined partners include Spivey and Sommerfeld, along with: Grant Alexander, Jeffrey Dintzer, and Jeffrey Rosenfeld in Los Angeles; Jenny Kramer in New York; Steve Selna in San Francisco; and Brian Frey, Kevin Minoli, and Jeniffer De Jesus Roberts in Washington, D.C.