Andrea L. Pawlak
Top rated Business Litigation attorney in Atlanta, Georgia
Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP
Practice areas: Business Litigation, Business & Corporate, Family Law; view more
Licensed in Georgia since: 2005
Education: Emory University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2026 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2010 - 2021 Call today:
404-418-4110
Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP
260 Peachtree Street NWSuite 2700
Atlanta, GA 30303 Visit website
Details 
Andrea is a partner at Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP, in Atlanta. She handles matters involving business law, commercial law, family law, environmental litigation and compliance, real estate litigation, and more. She serves a diverse client base in metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia.
Andrea is a litigator who is as comfortable in a courtroom as she is working toward the resolution of a case. During nearly 20 years of practice, Andrea has handled a variety of complex civil matters in multiple jurisdictions. Her practice began at a boutique environmental law firm, and she joined SWTW in 2007, primarily handling commercial and business litigation matters. Andrea also handles family law and employment law matters. She has won countless summary judgment motions, hearings, trials, and appeals. Andrea is a pragmatic and detail-oriented litigator. She has received a number of awards and accolades, including being named as a Georgia Rising Star Super Lawyer and then a Georgia Super Lawyer.
Practice areas
Business Litigation, Business/Corporate, Family LawFocus areas
Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Contracts, Custody & Visitation, Dissolution, Divorce, Marital Property, Non-Compete Agreements, Prenuptial Agreements
- 80% Business Litigation
- 10% Business/Corporate
- 10% Family Law
First Admitted: 2005, Georgia
Professional Webpage: https://swtwlaw.com/andrea-pawlak
Bar / Professional Activity
- Middle District of Georgia (2006)
- Admitted to Northern District of Georgia (2006)
- Alabama (2007)
- Associate Editor, Environmental Law Section Newsletter (2009-2012); Mentor, Transition into Law Practice Program for first year lawyer (2011-2012)
- Georgia, 2005
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS LITIGATIONSuccessfully defended a commercial landlord in a long-running Atlanta Beltline property dispute, obtaining summary judgment on all claims. The Court of Appeals affirmed on all but one breach of contract claim, which proceeded to jury trial and was favorably settled at the outset of trial. (September 2025) Secured multiple summary judgement victories for a nightclub client against various claims, including securing a second summary judgement win on a Fair Labor Standards Act case reaffirming the club’s tip policies complied with federal law. Represented a limited liability company against wrongful death and negligence claims successfully obtaining a stipulated dismissal of the case brought by the estate of the deceased in an Alabama lawsuit. Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of a commercial tenant following years of litigation with its landlord. The trial court had granted summary judgment to the landlord on all claims, but the Georgia Court of Appeals reversed on the breach of contract claim, allowing the tenant to continue litigating and ultimately reach a favorable settlement before trial. (May 2025) Together with partner Kevin Ward, obtained summary judgment for the plaintiff, a logistics services firm, and defeated a counterclaim on a breach of contract claim in federal court and favorably settled the damages phase for more than $1.5 million in a consent final judgment. On behalf of a property owner, successfully defeated a motion to dismiss trespass and inverse condemnation claims against a city arising from the city's demolition of the owner's building and the imposition of a six-figure lien for demolition costs. The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s ruling, and the matter was later resolved favorably during our client’s petition for review to the Georgia Supreme Court. (June 2024) Successfully opposed a motion to compel discovery from a non-party, protecting an individual partner from intrusive financial disclosure sought by a judgment creditor, and obtained an award of attorney’s fees on behalf of the non-party. (February 2025) Obtained summary judgment for a plaintiff in a complex business dispute involving claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and conversion, and later negotiated a Consent Final Order that included a six-figure punitive damages award. (June 2024; May 2025) Successfully defended a subcontractor against a motion for summary judgement brought by a general contractor related to “paid-when-paid” arguments. (June 2025) Secured summary judgment for a property seller in a $2.5 million earnest money dispute, successfully defeating all counterclaims asserted by the buyer. (September 2024) Negotiated a favorable resolution on behalf of a lender in connection with a business loan agreement and promissory note dispute. (November 2024) FAMILY LAWSuccessfully settled numerous contested divorce and custody matters. Obtained 71% of the marital assets for client as equitable division of marital property following a jury trial demanded by the other side (April 2022) Represented a wife in a multi-day bench trial in a contested divorce, securing favorable outcomes on the equitable division of marital property, custody, parenting time, child support, and attorney fees, while successfully opposing the paternal grandparents’ claims for custody and visitation. (October 2024) Represented a husband in a contested divorce proceeding, reaching a comprehensive settlement at the commencement of a bench trial on all issues of equitable division, custody, parenting time, child support, and attorney fees; successfully enforced the settlement after the wife refused to sign and obtained an award of attorney fees related to the enforcement motion. (February 2025) Negotiated a favorable modification of alimony on behalf of former husband. (November 2024)
Pro bono / Community Service
- Emory Law Alumni Board, Past Member
- Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Guardian ad Litem
Educational Background
- B.A., Auburn University, summa cum Laude, 2001
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal, Symposium Editor, Emory University School Of Law
- Crisis In The Gulf Of Mexico: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill & The Oil Pollution Act, Co-Author, Environmental Law Section Newsletter (2010 Summer Edition)
- Developers Beware - Grading Your Development Site May Put You on the Hook for an Environmental Clean-Up, Legal Grounds, Perspectives on Real Estate Law (2008)
- Area Limitation State Homestead Exemptions and Zoning: The Sale and Apportionment of "Indivisible Homesteads", Comment, 21 Emory Bankr. Dev. J. 343 (2004)
- Testimony, Georgia House of Representatives, Committe on Banks and Banking (2017)
- Ms. Pawlak was a presenter at the Cliffe L. Gort Seminar-at-Sea in October 2017. She presented on the topic of "The Complexities of Collecting a Money Judgment" and covered areas such as foreign judgments, post-judgment discovery, and collection and levy tools., Speaker, Cliffe L. Gort Seminar-at-Sea, 2017
- Ms. Pawlak presented testimony to the Georgia Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions on proposed legislation in 2017., Testimony, Georgia Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions, 2017
Honors
- Dean's List; Dean's Public Service Award, Emory University School of Law
- Student Bar Association, Emory University School of Law
- Georgia Legal Elite, 2012-2017
- Legal Elite, Georgia Trend Magazine
- Legal Association of Women Students, Board Member, Emory University School of Law
- Moot Court, Semi-Finalist, Emory University School of Law
- Georgia Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2010-2021, Super Lawyers(R)
Office location for Andrea L. Pawlak
260 Peachtree Street NW
Suite 2700
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-418-4110
Selections
5 Years Super Lawyers
12 Years Rising Stars
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 2010 - 2021
