Balch Law Group

01/16/2026

In the fall of 2017, Brookhaven, Georgia, was asked to abandon a city street so a developer could build a condominium project. The price was too low for a host of reasons. Over the next 12 months and multiple negotiation sessions, the parties could not agree. The road abandonment was denied, and the project did not get built. The developer sued and the case went to trial. The jury found the City, the Mayor, and the City Manager liable for over $6.2 million believing the public officials and the City had unlawfully interfered with the project.

After two trips to the Court of Appeals, and a judge acknowledging her mistakes from the first trial in between, today the case is finally over and the error that was Ardent v. Brookhaven has been vanquished. For the record, we were right all along and it is the work of my co-counsel Ted Meeker and I that preserved the errors and got this result, though no one in Brookhaven will acknowledge that fact today.

01/09/2026

Great win for our client Councilwoman Sondra Walker of the City of Dawson in an election challenge this week in Terrell County. Congratulations, Councilwoman on your well-earned victory and best of luck in your second term.

12/30/2025

The period following Election Day is one of trepidation and challenge for new and returning elected officials. If you are unsure about your options or simply want to see what is available, reach out to our firm for a consultation on how we work with Elected Officials to help create the community they desire.

06/19/2025

We are proud to represent Sheriff Pat Labat in his efforts to keep the people of Fulton County safe.

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat is suing the county over what he says is unconstitutional meddling in the way he spends funds for his office.

07/21/2024

Court tomorrow for a city client defending their law enforcement actions against aggressive opposing counsel. What am I missing?

07/06/2024

Back to our roots as a litigation and dispute resolution firm. We bring our expertise and experience to bear for cities across Georgia when facing intractable problems.

07/12/2023

Proud of our efforts on behalf of the City of Rome on Monday. Our firm will always provide ethical, accurate, and timely counsel to clients in crisis.

05/01/2023

Outstanding time at the IMLA Mid Year Seminar last weekend in DC. Great presentations and information. Thank you to former Soldier Robin Cross for organizing a wreath laying ceremony in honor of IMLA at the Tomb of the Unknowns, with my colleagues and friends Mack McKeller (USN), and Tip Torres (USAF).

04/06/2023

Our firm continues to grow and and expand our local government practice. If your city is ready to take the next step, schedule a conference and let's talk about what we can do to move your community forward in the next decade and beyond.

03/06/2023

It has been our privilege and honor to represent the City of Brookhaven for the last 7-and-a-half years as City Attorney. Too many accomplishments to name and the City is poised to make many more. Best wishes to the City and may you continue to be the beacon of accomplishment and equity that you have been during the past 7 years.

09/05/2022

I am humbled to have been nominated by Brookhaven, Georgia, City Manager Christian Sigman and overwhelmed and thrilled to have been awarded the 2022 International Municipal Lawyers Association Glink Award for Private Practice Public Entity Lawyers. The award recognizes practitioners who excel in the representation of local governments, contribute to the scholarship and development of local government law, and serve their communities outside of the practice of law. Official Ceremony in Portland, Oregon in October.

11/04/2021

Chris's article on litigating claims by transgender incarcerees has been published by For the Defense. Take a look.

By Christopher D. Balch By some estimates, as much as ten percent of the United States population is incarcerated. The cause of this mass imprisonment may be subject to debate (a debate well beyond the scope of this article); but the fact remains that as our citizenry ages, as its demograph- ics cha...