Our Firm

Charles T. Huggins, Jr.

Founding Partner

Charles T. Huggins, Jr. is carrying the family torch and interacts with every client with compassion and integrity while providing the highest degree of legal advice. Huggins graduated with a Juris Doctorate in 1992 from the University of Georgia, School of Law. He earned a double Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Sociology from Furman University in 1989. Currently he is a member of the Georgia State Bar, Real Property Law Section, and the Augusta Bar Association. Charles is married to Elizabeth (Beth) and they have two adult daughters, Catherine and Caroline (Callie).

Attorney Charles Huggins is well known in his hometown of Augusta as an avid musician who loves family, his community, and …coffee. But family and community, of course, reigns above a good cup of cappuccino. Quality of service, approachability and integrity signify how Huggins runs his law firm and how he embraces his community. Once you step into his office, you will feel the sense of camaraderie among the staff that is also graciously extended to every client and the community.

Areas of Practice

  •  Residential Real Estate Closings
  •  Commercial Real Estate Closings
  •  Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney
  •  Probate
  •  Entertainment Law

Bar Admissions

  •  All Georgia courts

Education

  •  Furman University, B.A. 1989
  •  University of Georgia School of Law, J.D. 1992

Jeffrey F. Peil

Partner

Jeffrey Peil has helped his clients recover millions of dollars in a wide array of cases. He has also helped corporate clients defend against all types of claims in courts across the United States. As representative examples, he has:

• Recovered over $2.2 million in an arbitration proceeding for a businessman wronged by his business partner.
• Recovered $1.5 million for the citizens of Grovetown, Georgia in a class action lawsuit demonstrating that the citizens were illegally overbilled for water and utility services for years, as well as an additional $150,000 in a Georgia Whistleblower Act lawsuit on behalf of the Billing Clerk who was terminated after reporting the illegal billing scheme in Grovetown.
• Successfully reversed the trial court’s order dismissing a $5 million+ class action on behalf of Georgia State Troopers who were deprived of their wages. See: Dep’t of Pub. Safety v. Justice, 320 Ga. 149, 907 S.E.2d 817 (2024); Justice v. Dep’t of Pub. Safety, 368 Ga. App. 593, 890 S.E.2d 486 (2023), cert. granted (Feb. 6, 2024), aff’d in part, vacated in part, 320 Ga. 149, 907 S.E.2d 817 (2024).
• Convinced the trial and appellate courts to invalidate Lincoln County’s illegal “water availability fee” affecting hundreds of land owners in Lincoln County and hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegally collected fees. Lincoln Cnty. v. Serenity Builders & Dev., LLC, 373 Ga. App. 395, 908 S.E.2d 663 (2024).
• Helped several motor vehicle accident victims obtain six figure settlements for their personal injuries.
• Successfully obtained dismissals of two class action lawsuits filed against a local Georgia business in Federal district court in California. The dismissals were subsequently upheld on appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Recovered a substantial settlement for the family of a victim of a murder-suicide whose insurance company refused to pay life insurance proceeds based upon a mistaken understanding of the Georgia Slayer Statute.
• Obtained post-trial reversals of felony convictions in Georgia Superior Courts, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Georgia Supreme Court. Representative cases include: Pennington v. State, 306 Ga. 854 (2019) (argued in consolidation with McClure v. State, 306 Ga. 856 (2019)); In the Interest of M.C., 345 Ga. App. 863 (2018); Belcher v. State, 344 Ga. App. 729 (2018).
• Tried several bench and jury trials in multiple courts across the United States, including courts in Georgia, South Carolina, and Minnesota

Areas of Practice

  •  Serious Personal Injuries
  •  Class Action Lawsuits for Product Defects
  •  Trademark Protection
  •  Appellate Advocacy
  •  Civil Rights and Whistleblower Claims
  •  Contested Probate Matters

Bar Admissions

  •  Georgia Trial and Appellate Courts
  •  U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Georgia
  •  South Carolina
  •  4th Circuit Court of Appeals
  •  9th Circuit Court of Appeals
  •  11th Circuit Court of Appeals
  •  United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation

Education

  •  University of Richmond, B.A. 2006
  •  Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D. 2014

Jeffrey E. Johnston

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY

Jeff is a dedicated and experienced lawyer who has deep roots in the Augusta area, where he has built his legal career and family life. As a graduate of Evans High School, Jeff showed his competitive nature early on, playing on the basketball team all four years. After high school, he continued with athletics by playing junior college basketball for two years. He then turned his attention to academics, obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Accounting from Augusta State University. His passion for justice and his desire to help people led him to Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, from which he graduated in 2002.

Jeff began his legal career as a law clerk for Superior Court judges J. Carlisle Overstreet and Carl C. Brown, Jr., gaining valuable insights into the judicial process. His dedication to justice then then took him to the role of an Assistant District Attorney, where he honed his trial skills by trying a range of complex criminal cases, from theft to murder. In 2008, he took a another step in his career by opening his own law firm, focusing on personal injury and criminal defense.

Outside of the practice of law, Jeff is a family man, married to his wife Malinda, with whom he has three daughters. He is actively involved in his community as a deacon at West Acres Baptist Church in Evans. He enjoys golf and loves traveling with his family. His professional and personal life are testament to his commitment to his community, family, and to helping others.

Areas of Practice

  •  Personal Injury
  •  Criminal Law
  •  Domestic Law

Bar Admissions

  •  Georgia
  •  Georgia Court of Appeals
  •  Georgia Supreme Court
  •  United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
  •  United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  •  United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia

Education

  •  Augusta State University, B.A. 1998, Summa Cum Laude
  •  Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law, J.D. 2002