Trial Lawyer in Athens Since 2002
Athens, GA Attorney for Timber Trespass, Business Law and Federal Criminal Defense
Athens GA attorney M. Eric Eberhardt is a former state prosecutor and trial specialist protecting Georgia landowners, business owners and people facing federal charges.
- Former state prosecutor
- Practicing law since 1993
- Serving Athens since 2002
Talk With an Athens Law Firm That Answers
When Your Land, Your Business or Your Freedom Is on the Line
Most people call a lawyer on one of the worst days they have had in a while. A logging crew cut across your property line and took decades of growth with it. A partner stopped honoring the agreement your company was built on. Federal agents left a card at your door, or a target letter arrived in the mail. Each of these problems moves fast, and each one rewards the person who acts early with the right help.
M. Eric Eberhardt has spent more than 30 years in Georgia courtrooms, first as an insurance defense lawyer, then as an Assistant District Attorney trying the most serious cases in the state, and now in private practice from the Five Points area of Athens. As an Athens GA attorney, he knows how the other side builds a case because he has built them. He puts that experience to work for property owners, businesses and individuals across Georgia.
30+Years in Georgia Courtrooms
Practice Areas
Legal Services From a Trusted Law Firm in Athens, GA
The firm focuses on three areas where experience in the courtroom makes the biggest difference to the result. Each matter gets direct attention from Eric, your Athens GA attorney, from the first phone call through the final resolution, whether that comes at a negotiating table, in mediation or in front of a jury.
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Timber Trespass and Tree Damage
Recovery for landowners whose timber, trees, woods or landscaping were cut, poisoned or damaged by loggers, contractors, landscapers or neighbors, anywhere in Georgia. Eric works with knowledgeable arborists to value what was lost.
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Business Law
As a business attorney Athens GA owners can call directly, Eric handles forming LLCs and corporations, profit and nonprofit, drafting operating agreements, bylaws and partnership papers, and representing owners in contract disputes, disputes among owners and business litigation as plaintiff or defendant.
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Federal Criminal Defense
A federal criminal defense attorney Athens GA families can turn to, Eric defends federal drug, firearm and white collar charges, with regular practice in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia and a working command of the federal sentencing guidelines.
Trees and Timber
Timber Trespass Claims for Georgia Landowners
A single healthy, decades-old tree can be worth $25,000 or more on its own, sometimes more than the land beneath it. That is why a cut across the line, a careless clearing job or a dose of herbicide drifting from next door is far more than a nuisance. Georgia legislators passed laws to help owners recover these losses, and Georgia law allows a harmed owner to recover civil penalties for wrongful damage to trees and timber.
The firm handles three common patterns. Timber companies and loggers fail to identify or mark the correct tract, or simply harvest across a property line. Landscapers and contractors damage home site trees, tree lines and woods while working on a neighboring lot. A neighbor uses Roundup, other weed killers or heavy clearing that crosses onto your land. Eric represents owners in all three, anywhere in the state of Georgia.
How a Timber Trespass Attorney Proves What You Lost
The first offer in a tree case is often the lowest number anyone can justify: the pulpwood price of the logs, or the cost of a sapling to replace a hundred year old oak. The real value of mature timber, shade trees and wooded buffers is something a qualified expert can document, and Georgia law gives you tools to recover it.
Eric builds each claim on evidence rather than estimates:
- Photographs of the stumps, the damaged trees and the property line, taken before anything is cleaned up
- An arborist's assessment of species, size, age and condition of what was lost
- Survey and deed records showing exactly where your tract ends
- The applicable Georgia statutes and the civil penalties they allow
That groundwork is what moves a responsible party from a lowball offer toward the fullest recovery the law permits.
Trees Were Just Cut or Damaged? Photograph Them Today
Stumps get ground, brush gets hauled off and a damaged tree line can be cleared within days. Take pictures of every stump, every damaged trunk and the property markers before anything changes, then call Eric. Early documentation is often the difference between a full recovery and an argument over what used to be there.
Wide shots that show the stumps against the property line help, and so do close photos of each cut with something in the frame for scale. Keep any notes about who was working nearby and when, along with names of companies, trucks or crews you saw. Hold on to old photos of your land too, since they show what stood there before.
A Criminal Defense Attorney in Athens, GA Who Has Prosecuted Cases
Eric graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1993 and was admitted to practice that same year. As an Assistant District Attorney he tried and prosecuted the most serious criminal cases, including death penalty cases, homicides, felony sexual assaults, kidnappings, armed robberies and felony DUIs. He still serves as the Traffic Court Solicitor in Oconee County. That background shapes every defense he builds, because he knows where a prosecution's case is strong and where it is not.
On the civil side, Eric has helped clients facing serious injury or grave financial loss obtain the recovery they were due, through out of court settlements, mediation or trial, whichever served them best. He is admitted to practice in all courts in the State of Georgia, the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Georgia.
Working With Your Athens GA Attorney, Step by Step
Every matter follows the same disciplined path, so you always know what is happening and what comes next.
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Tell Us What Happened
Call the office or send the form. Eric listens to the facts, asks the questions that matter and tells you plainly whether and how the firm can help.
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Review the Evidence
Records, photographs, contracts, charging documents and expert opinions are gathered and studied so the strengths and risks of your position are clear.
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Set the Strategy
You get a personalized plan, whether that means a demand letter, negotiation, mediation, motions to suppress or dismiss evidence, or preparing for trial.
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See It Through
Eric keeps you informed at every stage and responds quickly to your questions until the matter is resolved, in or out of the courtroom.
Why Clients Choose This Athens Law Firm
People hire Eric for the same reasons their neighbors have since 2002: real courtroom experience, straight answers and a lawyer who handles the case personally. From the first call to the final hearing, clients work one on one with Eric rather than being passed between associates.
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Former State Prosecutor
Years as an Assistant District Attorney trying homicides, death penalty cases and other serious felonies give Eric an inside view of how cases are charged and tried.
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Thousands of Cases Resolved
Eric has tried and resolved thousands of cases in the Athens area over more than 20 years of serving the community.
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Recognized by Peers
Named one of the Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys in 2020 and a Distinguished Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, and a past president of the Toombs Circuit Bar Association.
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Rooted in Athens
A Furman accounting graduate and Georgia Law alumnus, Eric is a board member and past president of Athens Area Habitat for Humanity and has coached the Athens Academy Mock Trial Team.
What Clients Say About Their Athens Attorney
Reviews from clients the firm has represented appear here as they are posted, in the clients' own words.
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Yesi Lopez
5 months ago
Rated 5 out of 5
The best attorney we’ve ever had. I wish more attorneys were like them. In a very stressful case everhardt was there for us when we needed them the most.
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Work Shawn
8 months ago
Rated 5 out of 5
Very knowledgeable and patient—highly recommend.
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Tara Ewing
5 years ago
Rated 5 out of 5
Great people to work with!
Customer
Call Law Offices of M. Eric Eberhardt, LLC at (706) 549-1965.
Serving Athens, Northeast Georgia and Landowners Statewide
The office sits on South Milledge Avenue in Athens, a short drive from the University of Georgia campus and downtown. Eric serves clients throughout Athens-Clarke County, Oconee County and the rest of Northeast Georgia, and appears in courts across the state.
Tree and timber damage claims are handled anywhere in Georgia, from the pine stands of South Georgia to the hardwood ridges of the North Georgia mountains. Federal criminal matters are defended in the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia.
Business clients range from owners forming their first company to established Athens businesses working through a contract dispute or a disagreement among partners. For every client, the goal is the same: clear advice, steady communication and a strategy built around the outcome that matters most to you.
Common Questions
Questions for an Athens GA Attorney
What should I do if someone cut trees on my property?
Photograph every stump, damaged tree and property marker before anything is cleaned up, and keep any survey or deed records you have. Do not sign anything or accept an offer based on pulpwood value or the cost of a sapling. Then call Eric, who works with knowledgeable arborists to document what the trees were actually worth and to apply the Georgia laws that let owners recover civil penalties.
Do you handle tree damage cases outside Athens?
Yes. Claims for damage to trees, timber, woods and landscaping are handled anywhere in the State of Georgia. Whether the land is a family tract in Northeast Georgia or timberland several hours away, Eric can review what happened, work with an arborist to value the loss and pursue the people responsible on your behalf.
Can you help me form an LLC or corporation in Georgia?
Yes. The firm advises and assists clients in forming business entities such as limited liability companies and corporations, both profit and nonprofit. That includes making the necessary filings with the appropriate government offices and preparing documents such as bylaws, operating agreements and partnership papers, so your business starts on solid footing.
What federal charges does the firm defend?
Eric represents people facing federal charges of all types, including drug charges, firearm charges and white collar crime charges. He regularly practices criminal defense in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia and knows the federal system, including the sentencing guidelines, from the first appearance through resolution.
Will I work directly with the attorney?
Yes. Clients work one on one with Eric throughout the legal process. He explains the process, the legal and factual issues that could affect the outcome, and your options at each stage, and he keeps you informed and responds quickly to your questions until the matter is resolved.
Speak With an Experienced Athens Attorney Today
Whether your trees were cut without permission, your business faces a dispute, or you or someone you love is under federal investigation, the sooner you talk with an experienced Athens GA attorney, the more options you keep. Call the office or send a short message, and Eric will help you understand where you stand and what to do next.