MCCURDY & CANDLER - Key Persons
He has served as a Trustee of Agnes Scott College and Columbia Theological Seminary, and as President of the Decatur Rotary Club. He is a frequent speaker on the history of the City of Decatur. He is presently the senior partner of the firm and devotes most of his practice to Wills and Probate.
Walt Drake graduated from Davidson College in 1966, graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1969, and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia the same year. He joined McCurdy & Candler immediately upon graduating from law school in 1969. He engaged in a general business practice including Wills, probate and estate planning, general corporate services, and real estate. He became a partner in the firm in 1972 and served as Managing Partner from 1987 to 2004.He served on the State Bar of Georgia Board of Governors for eighteen years, and served two terms on the Decatur City Commission and two terms as Mayor of Decatur.
Emily started at McCurdy & Candler, LLC as an intern following her second year at Georgia State University College of Law and continued to gain experience throughout her 3L year. She joined the firm as an associate attorney after her graduation in 2021. Emily's practice focuses on estate planning and probate matters.
A native of St. Simons Island, Georgia, Emily graduated from the University of Georgia in 2013 with a degree in Risk Management & Insurance. She worked in commercial insurance for five years before pursuing her legal education.
While she maintains her practice out of the firm's Decatur office, Emily lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, Conor, and their dog, Disco. In the fall you can find her cheering on the Dawgs at UGA football games. Emily also enjoys reading and running in her spare time.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- General Counsel / Corporate
- Residential Real Estate
George Scott Candler, III is a 1974 graduate of Davidson College and a member of Emory University School of Law's class of 1979. "Scotty III" was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia and joined McCurdy and Candler, LLC in 1979 after working in the firm's title department since the early 1970s. He began in the firm's bankruptcy and foreclosure divisions before transitioning into his current primary practice of residential real estate, including preparation of contracts, boundary line dispute resolutions, purchase and sale closings, refinance closings, and short sale closings. Scotty III is a past president and current Board member of the DeKalb History Center, member and former director of the Decatur Rotary Club, and member of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.
has been with McCurdy & Candler, LLC since the spring of 2011 and practices in the firm's real estate, estate planning, and small business/corporate departments.
McCurdy & Candler is a Decatur-based, service-driven firm that specializes in the areas of real estate, estate matters, and general business law. We pride ourselves on individual attention and accessibility to our clients. A wealth of experience is constantly channeled from our senior partners to our newer attorneys, and a collaborative effort characterizes the expertise we bring to matters. We welcome all inquiries - even those that do not precisely fit within our specialties. A local firm, McCurdy & Candler enjoys connections with many similarly-situated firms and professionals, whom we can recruit to assist with your needs.
Job Titles:
- Member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church
Scotty IV is an active member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church, where he "performs" as a preschool Sunday School teacher, and also participates in the alumni associations of each of his alma maters. Outside of the office, Scotty loves hiking the mountains of North Carolina and attending Atlanta United soccer games. Scotty IV was made a partner with the firm in 2015 and currently serves as the Managing Partner.