About Us
On January 1, 2023, nine partners from the firms of Harben, Hartley, & Hawkins, LLP and Thompson, Sweeny, Kinsinger & Pereira, P.C., merged to create the new firm of Pereira, Kirby, Kinsinger & Nguyen, LLP. The formation of our new Firm continues the tradition established by the two predecessor firms—one that dedicates its law practice to representing public school districts and local governmental entities across the state.
It presently provides legal advice to more than two-thirds of the public school districts throughout the state in addition to many other municipalities and local governmental entities. The firm also serves as general counsel to the Georgia School Boards Association and has a close, advisory relationship with the Georgia School Superintendents Association and Georgia Association of Educational Leaders.
As members of the National Council of School Attorneys, the Georgia Council of School Attorneys and the Local Government and Education Law Sections of the State Bar, the firm stays current on all legal issues at the national and state level. Members of the firm frequently make presentations at educational conferences throughout the state and nation.
Characterizing its practice as a “general practice for a specialized clientele,” the firm provides legal advice and expertise to handle any and all needs of a school district, municipality, or other local governmental entity, including fair dismissal personnel issues, allegations of employment discrimination and EEOC complaints, other personnel disputes, student discipline issues, student tribunal hearings, civil rights claims, personal injury actions, federal and state constitutional claims and other litigation, special education and other legal issues involving disabled students, contracts, leases and other business needs, policy and rule development, construction disputes, bond and SPLOST issues and other financial matters.
History of the Firms
On January 1, 1980, Sam Harben and Phil Hartley formed the Gainesville, Georgia, law firm of Harben & Hartley. At the time, they represented three local boards of education in Georgia, but their interest in public education and in the representation of local boards of education was a motivating factor in the decision to form the firm and soon became the focus of the firm’s practice. At the same time, educators and boards of education were facing many new challenges from Congress, state legislatures and the courts. In Georgia, teachers were granted a new set of rights under the Fair Dismissal Act. In Washington, Congress passed a new law setting forth an elaborate process to individualize instruction for certain disabled students and many civil rights statutes creating protection based on race, gender, national origin, religion, age and disability. Courts, at the state and federal level, were more and more frequently called upon as an arbiter of student or employee or citizen rights. With its interest in public education, the firm eventually limited its practice exclusively to the representation of public educational entities in the state of Georgia. In April, 2008, the firm expanded and became Harben, Hartley & Hawkins.
For over 39 years, Thompson, Sweeny, Kinsinger & Pereira, P.C. has represented Gwinnett County School District in a practice devoted primarily to education law, local government law and civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels in both State and Federal Courts. Its broad based school and local government practice includes fair employment matters, land condemnations, land use and zoning matters, student rights, special education matters and workers compensation. The firm has represented the City of Duluth, City of Sugar Hill, City of Grayson, City of Lawrenceville, and the City of Tucker, in addition to Downtown Development Authorities.