Christian & Small is pleased to welcome the attorneys of Alford Bolin, LLC, a boutique civil defense litigation firm, and announce the opening of the firm’s Mobile/Baldwin County office. This acquisition expands Christian & Small’s footprint into Alabama’s Gulf Coast region and the Florida Panhandle. Partner Christina May Bolin and Of Counsel Attorneys Helen J. Alford and Gabrielle E. Reeves will continue to operate in their current Baldwin County location under the Christian & Small name.
“We are thrilled to welcome Christina, Helen and Gaby to the Christian & Small team. They bring a wealth of experience that will enable us to better serve and advocate for our clients in South Alabama, Southern Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle region,” Managing Partner Deborah Alley Smith said. “Our firm’s mission and practice areas are aligned with those of Alford Bolin, so this acquisition gives us the opportunity to serve our clients in the Gulf Coast region more efficiently.”
Alford Bolin’s civil defense litigation practice was already complementary to that of Christian & Small, so the merging of these two entities made practical business sense. Areas of focus for both firms included: appellate practice, construction claims, corporate law, employment litigation, financial and business services, general liability defense, insurance coverage and bad faith claims, mediation and arbitration, products liability, professional liability, real property and title issues, and transportation law claims. Bolin, Alford and Reeves also bring extensive experience in helping clients with insurance subrogation and recovery, defending catastrophic property claims, workers’ compensation, environmental claims, and maritime claims.
Another similarity joining the two firms is a shared emphasis on community engagement. Both firms and their attorneys have served their respective communities by investing in youth-centered philanthropy, educational programming and youth sports organizations. Christian & Small’s dedication to being nonstop advocates for education is rooted in building strong community relationships – a commitment that will expand along with the firm’s footprint into South Alabama. Partner Christina Bolin participates and advocates for youth sports in South Alabama and believes in leadership through service.
“I hold myself accountable as a servant leader and consider the contributions that we make to be important investments in the community where we live and work. My family and I are proud to be active participants in the City Youth Sports Program in Spanish Fort, Alabama, and I also value the time I spend with our community’s young people when we have the opportunity to volunteer with our local educational and career-oriented youth programs,” Bolin said.
Meet the Attorneys:
- Partner Christina May Bolin leads Christian & Small’s Mobile/Baldwin County office – defending individuals, businesses, and insurers against lawsuits and liability claims, and assisting clients in the development of strategic solutions to legal disputes and litigation risks. Since 2001, she has defended property and casualty insurers in direct actions involving large property losses, catastrophic casualty claims, complex insurance coverage questions, fraud and bad faith. She is licensed to practice in Alabama, Mississippi and New York, and has also assisted in the assessment and handling of matters in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and Tennessee – representing clients in hundreds of mediations, arbitrations and trials.
- Of Counsel Attorney Helen Johnson Alford is trained and experienced in alternative dispute resolution and is registered to serve as a mediator and arbitrator in state and federal litigation matters. Her practice also focuses on first-party property claims, construction claims, extra-contractual and general liability matters, insurance coverage, medical malpractice, long-term care, product liability and workers’ compensation claims.
- Of Counsel Attorney Gabrielle “Gaby” E. Reeves has been licensed to practice law in Alabama since 1999 and focuses her practice on general civil litigation with a concentration in first-party insurance, personal injury and premises liability defense litigation. Her experience includes representing both corporations and individuals in trial and appellate work, and she holds an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating and an AV® Preeminent Judicial Division Rating from Martindale-Hubble. Reeves has been active in the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program (SAVLP) throughout her career – serving on the SAVLP Board of Directors for more than 15 years. She is currently a member of the SAVLP’s Executive Board, serving as the program’s Vice-President.
“We are excited to join Christian & Small’s talented team of litigators. Being a part of such a well-known, well-respected firm gives us the opportunity to diversify and expand the services we can offer our clients,” Bolin said. “While our name will change, our dedication and client-centered focus will remain a hallmark of our practice.”