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 comradery among the staff that is also graciously extended to every client and the community.

History

Huggins Peil, LLC traces its roots to the law firm of Huggins and Allen, P.C., which was founded in 1981 by Charles “Tom” Huggins Sr. The elder Huggins spent the majority of his practice with this firm, specializing in real estate law. Attorney Tom Huggins was known by his friends and business colleagues for his keen intellect, quick wit, and genuine humility, and was highly regarded as a leader in both his profession and community.

While the elder Huggins is no longer with us, his son, Charles T. Huggins, Jr., and Jeffrey F. Peil are carrying on his legacy of providing exceptional legal representation at fair prices.  There is no case too small or too large for Charles and Jeff to consider.

If you want something as simple as a will or something as complex as taking on the United States Government in federal court, the lawyers at Huggins Peil will sit down with you and find the best course of action.

Photo of Charles & Jeffrey

The Huggins Peil Firm Today

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

Brianna Peil

LAW CLERK
Brianna joined the Huggins Peil team as a law clerk in October 2023. As a registered student attorney, Brianna assists the firm with representing their clients in the Columbia County Accountability Court while she completes her Juris Doctor.

Upon graduation from the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law in May 2025, and successful completion of the July 2025 Bar Examination, Brianna will join Huggins Peil as an Associate Attorney.

Brianna earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Hamline University in 2016. Originally from Minnesota, she now resides in Evans, Georgia with her husband, Jeffrey Peil, and their four boys.

Stephanie Jones

PARALEGAL
Stephanie grew up an Army brat. Born in Bangkok, Thailand, her family relocated to Augusta upon her father’s retirement from the military. She is a 1983 graduate of Evans High School. She relocated to Greenville, South Carolina in the late 1980’s where she received her paralegal degree from Greenville Technical College. She returned to Augusta in 2018.
 
Stephanie has two adult children and one grandchild. Her hobbies include reading, gardening, baking, crocheting and spending time with her family and pets. 

Alexa Duncan

Paralegal
Alexa moved to Aiken County, South Carolina from Connecticut in 2019 to pursue her Bachelor of Political Science degree at USC Aiken. Since graduating in 2022 she has been working towards obtaining her master’s degree and hopes to attend law school in the near future. 
 
Outside of the office, Alexa spends most of her time with her horses in Aiken.

Jena Hutton

EVICTIONS SPECIALIST
Jena Hutton began her career as a dedicated Evictions Specialist with Evictly in 2021. With a keen understanding of eviction procedures, lease enforcement, and tenant disputes, Jena provides guidance to property owners, managers, and our legal team to help ensure an efficient and lawful eviction process. 
 
Jena, originally from Washington State, has lived in Georgia for over 25 years. However, her heart will always belong to the Pacific Northwest, which is where she learned her love for the outdoors, kayaking, camping, and hiking. In her time off, Jena enjoys spending time with her two teenage sons and their pet bearded dragon.

Jamie Wedincamp

Receptionist
Jamie joined the Huggins Peil team in July of 2024. Prior to that, she studied at Vanguard University of Southern California concentrating on Early Childhood Education & Theology. She also began studies in Youth Ministry at her local church. 
 
Jamie resides in Martinez with her mother, father and sister. In her spare time, she likes to surf (when she can), hike, paddle board, and go on adventures with her Siberian Husky Luca. She also enjoys building modified vehicles & computers with her partner Zach.

Nicole Wilson

Closing Secretary

Nicole Wilson joined Huggins Peil, LLC in February, 2018 after obtaining her Associate’s Degree of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies from Augusta Technical College. Her previous five years of experience in Augusta’s Legal community has prepared her well for working closely with Huggins Peil clients in a variety of roles.

Nicole grew up in Augusta, and is now a proud resident of Columbia County along with her husband Jack and daughter Alexandra.

Emma Arzate

paralegal

Emma Arzate joined the Huggins Peil team in September 2022 as a Paralegal. She obtained a certificate in Legal Assisting from Kaplan University in 2017. Emmas determined nature is a great fit for working closely with the firm’s professionals and their clients.

Emma grew up in West Georgia, and with her husband, Matt, recently settled in Grovetown after twenty years traveling the country with the military. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, knitting, baking, and spending time with her three children, Payten, Makenna, and Levi. 

Carrie Wolfe

office manager

Carrie Wolfe has worked with the Huggins Firm in a variety of capacities since 1995, and currently serves as an accounts manager and administrative assistant. The experience she has gained by occupying a variety of positions in the office allows her to assist where needed and help keep the office running as smooth as possible.

Carrie and her husband Ben are long-time Augusta residents and have 3 children.