Savannah L. Wharton
Biography
Savannah L. Wharton is a Partner in Rutherford & Christie’s Atlanta office. She practices complex civil defense litigation, in both state and federal courts, including pro hac vice appearances across the southeast, focusing on premises liability, premises security, dram shop liability, wrongful death, construction liability, automobile and trucking liability, indemnity, breach of contract, and third-party liability, and coverage disputes.
Savannah earned her J.D., magna cum laude, and Advanced Certificate in Environmental Law, from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. After graduating in the top 3% of her law school class, Savannah returned to her home state of Georgia and began her legal career with Rutherford & Christie.
Savannah’s practice includes defending national restaurant and quick-service brands, department stores and retailers, general and subcontractors, janitorial service providers, trucking companies, property owners and managers, individuals, corporations, and insurance companies against varying claims of all degrees, from the investigation phase through discovery, dispositive motions, and trial. Savannah has secured numerous bench trial, discovery motions and summary judgment wins for Rutherford & Christie’s clients. Savannah seeks creative solutions to assist clients in resolving claims quickly and efficiently.
Savannah is admitted to practice law in State and Superior Courts across Georgia, the Court of Appeals of Georgia, the Supreme Court of Georgia, and in the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Georgia and the Middle District of Georgia. She is also admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of New York, Second Judicial Department.
- Practice Areas
- Representative Cases
- Education & Bar Admissions
- Memberships & Awards
- Past Seminars & Publications
Practice Areas
- Automobile & Trucking Liability
- Aviation
- Church & Religious Institutions Liability
- Construction Liability
- Coverage Disputes
- Dram Shop
- Environmental and Property Disputes
- Foodborne Illness
- Indemnity, Breach of Contract, & Third-Party Liability
- Insurance Company Defense
- Premises Liability & Security
- Wrongful Death
Representative Cases
- Mingo v. GPS Hospitality, LLC (Burger King franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 21EV000893 (March 2023) (granting summary judgment)
- McCampbell v. RTM Georgia (Arby’s Corp. franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 19-C-05444-S2 (Jan. & Feb. 2023) (granting five Daubert motions)
- Ward v. GPS Hospitality, LLC (Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 21-C-06194-S5 (Sept. 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- Duncan v. HOA Restaurant Holder, LLC, Civ. Act. No. 20-C-02007-S2 (July 2022) (Court of Appeals affirming summary judgment)
- Robinson v. DM Richardson Enterprises, LLC (Chick-fil-A franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 20A79808 (June 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- Henry v. Ashley Lipinski, Civ. Act. No. 21SCE0085-MH (June 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- Robinson v. Hurt & Hurt Restaurants (McDonald’s franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 2019CV0687 (May 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- McCampbell v. RTM Georgia (Arby’s Corp. franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 19-C-05444-S2 (April 2022) (granting partial summary judgment)
- Sagejova v. Pappas Restaurants, Inc., Civ. Act. No. 19-C-08385-S2 (Sept. 2021) (granting summary judgment)
- Smart v. Palmaccio Management Corp., No. A21A0705 (Ga. Ct. App. Aug. 13, 2021) (affirming summary judgment)
- Womac v. McDonald’s Restaurants of Georgia, No. A21A1028 (Ga. Ct. App. Aug. 12, 2021) (affirming summary judgment)
- Butler v. Apple Georgia, LLC (Applebee’s franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 19-C-07273-S5 (June 2021) (granting motion to strike Plaintiff’s Complaint)
- Greater Hall Temple Church of God v. Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company, Civ. Act. No. 2:17-cv-00111-LGW-RSB (S.D. Ga. April 2021) (defense verdict)
- Stern v. Pettis d/b/a Chick-fil-A of Tifton FSU (Chick-fil-A franchisee), 357 Ga. App. 78 (Ga. Ct. App. Aug. 20, 2020) (affirming summary judgment and Daubert exclusion)
- Phillips v. Arnold, Civ. Act. No. STCV1800134SA (July 2020) (granting partial summary judgment)
- Greater Hall Temple Church of God v. Southern Mut. Church Ins. Co., 820 Fed. Appx. 915 (11th Cir. 2020) (affirming triple Daubert exclusion)
Education & Bar Admissions
- B.S.E.S., magna cum laude, University of Georgia, 2016
- J.D., magna cum laude, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, 2019
- Supreme Court of New York, Second Judicial Department, 2019
- Georgia State and Superior Courts, 2019
- United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia, 2020
- United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, 2021
- Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2021
- Supreme Court of Georgia, 2021
Memberships & Associations
- Georgia State Bar
- Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
- New York State Bar
Past Seminars & Publications
Smart Parking Solutions – (Editor & Project Manager: Jennie C. Nolon Blanchard, Esq., MEM, LEED AP+BD&C; Lead Student Author & Research Assistant: Savannah Bowling; Contributing Student Author & Research Assistant: Rachel Breslin)
Savannah L. Wharton
- Email: slb@rclawllp.com
- Phone: (404) 917-0453
- Download vCard >
Biography
Savannah L. Wharton is a Partner in Rutherford & Christie’s Atlanta office. She practices complex civil defense litigation, in both state and federal courts, including pro hac vice appearances across the southeast, focusing on premises liability, premises security, dram shop liability, wrongful death, construction liability, automobile and trucking liability, indemnity, breach of contract, and third-party liability, and coverage disputes.
Savannah earned her J.D., magna cum laude, and Advanced Certificate in Environmental Law, from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. After graduating in the top 3% of her law school class, Savannah returned to her home state of Georgia and began her legal career with Rutherford & Christie.
Savannah’s practice includes defending national restaurant and quick-service brands, department stores and retailers, general and subcontractors, janitorial service providers, trucking companies, property owners and managers, individuals, corporations, and insurance companies against varying claims of all degrees, from the investigation phase through discovery, dispositive motions, and trial. Savannah has secured numerous bench trial, discovery motions and summary judgment wins for Rutherford & Christie’s clients. Savannah seeks creative solutions to assist clients in resolving claims quickly and efficiently.
Savannah is admitted to practice law in State and Superior Courts across Georgia, the Court of Appeals of Georgia, the Supreme Court of Georgia, and in the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Georgia and the Middle District of Georgia. She is also admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of New York, Second Judicial Department.
- Practice Areas
- Representative Cases
- Education & Bar Admissions
- Memberships & Awards
- Past Seminars & Publications
Practice Areas
- Automobile & Trucking Liability
- Aviation
- Church & Religious Institutions Liability
- Construction Liability
- Coverage Disputes
- Dram Shop
- Environmental and Property Disputes
- Foodborne Illiness
- Indemnity, Breach of Contract, & Third-Party Liability
- Insurance Company Defense
- Premises Liability & Security
- Wrongful Death
Representative Cases
- Mingo v. GPS Hospitality, LLC (Burger King franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 21EV000893 (March 2023) (granting summary judgment)
- McCampbell v. RTM Georgia (Arby’s Corp. franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 19-C-05444-S2 (Jan. & Feb. 2023) (granting five Daubert motions)
- Ward v. GPS Hospitality, LLC (Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 21-C-06194-S5 (Sept. 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- Duncan v. HOA Restaurant Holder, LLC, Civ. Act. No. 20-C-02007-S2 (July 2022) (Court of Appeals affirming summary judgment)
- Robinson v. DM Richardson Enterprises, LLC (Chick-fil-A franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 20A79808 (June 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- Henry v. Ashley Lipinski, Civ. Act. No. 21SCE0085-MH (June 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- Robinson v. Hurt & Hurt Restaurants (McDonald’s franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 2019CV0687 (May 2022) (granting summary judgment)
- McCampbell v. RTM Georgia (Arby’s Corp. franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 19-C-05444-S2 (April 2022) (granting partial summary judgment)
- Sagejova v. Pappas Restaurants, Inc., Civ. Act. No. 19-C-08385-S2 (Sept. 2021) (granting summary judgment)
- Smart v. Palmaccio Management Corp., No. A21A0705 (Ga. Ct. App. Aug. 13, 2021) (affirming summary judgment)
- Womac v. McDonald’s Restaurants of Georgia, No. A21A1028 (Ga. Ct. App. Aug. 12, 2021) (affirming summary judgment)
- Butler v. Apple Georgia, LLC (Applebee’s franchisee), Civ. Act. No. 19-C-07273-S5 (June 2021) (granting motion to strike Plaintiff’s Complaint)
- Greater Hall Temple Church of God v. Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company, Civ. Act. No. 2:17-cv-00111-LGW-RSB (S.D. Ga. April 2021) (defense verdict)
- Stern v. Pettis d/b/a Chick-fil-A of Tifton FSU (Chick-fil-A franchisee), 357 Ga. App. 78 (Ga. Ct. App. Aug. 20, 2020) (affirming summary judgment and Daubert exclusion)
- Phillips v. Arnold, Civ. Act. No. STCV1800134SA (July 2020) (granting partial summary judgment)
- Greater Hall Temple Church of God v. Southern Mut. Church Ins. Co., 820 Fed. Appx. 915 (11th Cir. 2020) (affirming triple Daubert exclusion)
Education & Bar Admissions
- B.S.E.S., magna cum laude, University of Georgia, 2016
- J.D., magna cum laude, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, 2019
- Supreme Court of New York, Second Judicial Department, 2019
- Georgia State and Superior Courts, 2019
- United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia, 2020
- United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, 2021
- Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2021
- Supreme Court of Georgia, 2021
Memberships & Associations
- Georgia State Bar
- Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
- New York State Bar
Past Seminars & Publications
Smart Parking Solutions – (Editor & Project Manager: Jennie C. Nolon Blanchard, Esq., MEM, LEED AP+BD&C; Lead Student Author & Research Assistant: Savannah Bowling; Contributing Student Author & Research Assistant: Rachel Breslin)