A licenses trial attorney for 33 years, John has been recognized by numerous professional organizations for excellence. John is licensed in all Georgia trial court, the Georgia Court of Appeals as well as the Georgia Supreme Court. in addition, John is also licensed in the U.S. Supreme Court, the 8th and 11th Circuit Courts of Appeals as well as the U.S. District Court of Georgia Northern division. John has been pro tem judge in several different courts in Georgia. John also serves as a guardian ad litem in Juvenile, Superior and Probate Courts assisting the courts in difficult custody and visitation issues.

Wayne T. Rife is a 1975 Texas A&M University graduate and a former member of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets. Upon graduation, he entered the business world in Pasadena, Texas as a merchandiser with the J.C. Penny Company where he gained invaluable business experience. After four years, Wayne began operating an industrial manufacturing business in Houston, Texas, with sales into Texas and Louisiana. After 11 years of practical business experience, Wayne entered law school in 1986 to pursue a long time dream of becoming a practicing attorney. He graduated from the University of Houston; Bates School of Law, and began his practice with Woodard, Hall & Primm, P.C., a prominent Houston firm. In 1991, Wayne Rife and his family moved to College Station, Texas. Upon moving to the Brazos Valley, Wayne Rife continued the practice of law with an emphasis on civil and commercial disputes and litigation with a focus on business and corporate contracts and disputes, consumer disputes, a wide range of construction matters, school law, real estate disputes, and insurance defense. Having tried many jury trials to verdict in both federal and state courts, Wayne Rife now has an active litigation practice in and around the Brazos Valley, including Brazos County, Grimes County, Robertson County, Burleson County, Madison County, Walker County, and Washington County. He also has administrative and appellate experience having practiced in a variety of administrative venues and appellate courts throughout the state. Education: University of Houston, Bates School of Law, J.D. 1989. Admissions: 1989, Texas, U.S. District Court, Southern and Western Districts of Texas, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Alan M. Rifkin, Managing Partner of Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC (RWL), founded RWL in 1989 after serving as Counsel and Chief Legislative Officer to former Governor William Donald Schaefer and after previously serving in the same capacity to the Senate of Maryland. Alan is Chair of the firm’s Sports Law, Franchise, Facilities, Media Rights and Gaming practice and Co-chair of the firm’s Business and Commercial Transactions practice. He is a well-recognized commercial and business attorney who has represented many national and international corporations and institutions for over three decades. His current areas of practice include business and commercial transactions, complex civil and commercial litigation, sports franchise and media rights, class action suits, and false claims act cases.

Athena Pearl Riley is a former felony prosecutor with the First Judicial Circuit in Shalimar, Florida. She is also a local real estate investor and licensed Realtor with Next Home Cornerstone Realty. Athena’s extensive trial experience and detail oriented personality, coupled with her knowledge of real estate law, has made her the go-to attorney for individuals, investors and businesses alike, seeking Athena’s zealous representation of whatever legal issues they may find themselves facing. Athena’s practice covers a wide range of business litigation issues including simple to complex contract disputes, negligence, breaches of fiduciary duties, partitions, liquor license ownerships, construction defects, unlawful detainers, replevin and defending against federal forfeitures where the government has sought to administratively and judicially seize an individual’s property. She is able to evaluate legal issues with precision, effectively execute all aspects of litigation, and surgically prepare a case for trial. After receiving her Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Criminology from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and being selected to serve as the University’s Chief Justice, Athena went on to graduate from the University of New Mexico School of Law, where she was a member of her law school’s nationally ranked mock trial team, winning Regionals and advancing to Nationals. Athena received a number of distinguished honors during law school, including the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Partnership in Advocacy award, the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) mock trial student of the year award, first place honors in the Mediation Competition, winning and advancing to Regionals in the Negotiation Competition, competing in the invitation only National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) Tournament of Champions, and serving as the President of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Student Association. Athena was subsequently selected to be the National Trial Competition (NTC) Coach for Golden Gate School of Law in San Francisco, California, where she taught for two years prior to relocating to Okaloosa County Florida with her husband, who is a software engineer on Eglin Air Force Base. Athena is very active in her community, having received the 2019 Florida Association for Women Lawyers “Leader in the Law” award, and serving on a number of different local boards including United Way, Boys & Girls Club and the Healthy Start Coalition. Athena is the founding member of the Okaloosa Florida Association for Women Lawyers (OFAWL), and of Franklin’s Tree House Foundation, where her and her husband have created the “Confident Kids!” program which partners with Children in Crisis, Inc, a non-profit organization serving foster children from Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties. In her free time, Athena enjoys running, reading, cooking and exploring the white sand beaches and nature trails of the place she now calls home.