Q and A, Richard Hays, Alston and Bird

Michael J. Pallerino

May 1, 2008

Richard Hays is Alston & Bird's new managing partner, assuming the position from Ben Johnson III, who served as the firm's managing partner from 1997 to 2008. Hays also leads the firm's partners' committee, and has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation and was recognized by Super Lawyers magazine:

Business to Business: What are your short-term plans for Alston & Bird? Long term?

Richard Hays: I am committed to maintaining the standards of professional excellence and client service that have been a hallmark of Alston & Bird for more than 100 years. My long-term and short-term goals are the same: assembling the best legal talent with the knowledge and expertise required to serve our clients anywhere in the world.

BTB: Do you have a growth strategy in place?

Hays: Alston & Bird has grown and will continue to grow because we have zealously and successfully represented our clients. Those clients place an enormous amount of trust in our attorneys to handle the issues they confront in a changing economy and world. Those issues are more challenging and complex than ever, so we remain focused on having the lawyers and resources that will provide solutions.

Our strategic approach to geographic expansion is simple: We will be where our clients need us to be. Interestingly, nearly half of our work comes from clients based outside of the states where Alston & Bird has offices. Last year we opened an office in Dallas based on existing demand from clients across the U.S., particularly in the areas of intellectual property (IP) litigation, complex commercial litigation and corporate representation. For many of the same reasons, we are exploring a West Coast presence, as well as international offices.

We will also continue to expand existing practices, create new ones, and strengthen our core practice areas, such as IP and energy. We already have one of the largest and strongest IP practices in the U.S., with more than 150 attorneys practicing IP law 100 percent of the time.

At the same time, we have to be on the forefront of emerging legal issues, such as those coming to the fore on the energy and sustainability front. It is not by accident that we have one of the strongest practices in the U.S. in this arena, covering all of the complicated aspects of this area, including clean technology, carbon management and utility-scale renewable energy project development.

BTB: What is the biggest issue facing Atlanta law firms today?

Hays: One of the greatest challenges we and other law firms face is competition for talent. We're proud to be winning that competition because the culture and values of our firm help us not only attract great lawyers but to retain them.

BTB: What is the biggest issue facing Atlanta businesses?

Hays: Atlanta businesses confront the same issues as most other businesses throughout the country. Like their counterparts elsewhere, they must deal with the consequences of a troubled economy,

the global demand for energy, the credit crisis and new regulatory controls coming out of the subprime turmoil. These are each significant business challenges, and it will take patience and thoughtful leadership to move successfully into what has become a global economy.