ALMetro360 July 2018

H AMPTON H ONORED TO S ERVE THE O RGANIZATION AND C OMMUNITY IN N EW R OLE Beasley Allen lawyer Leon Hampton was se- lected to serve as the Vice President of the Alabama Lawyers Association (ALA) at the organization’s an- nual meeting recently held in Negril, Jamaica. Last year, the organization rec- ognized Hampton as the Board Member of the Year. Hampton joins other Beasley Allen lawyers who have helped lead the ALA, including LaBarron Boone, Kendall Dunson, Larry Golston, Navan Ward and Danielle Mason. “I am proud of the work that Alabama Lawyers Association does throughout the commu- nity and I’m honored to serve as Vice President during this admin- istration,” Hampton said. The ALA (formerly known as the Alabama Black Lawyers Asso- ciation) was organized in 1971 to help populations that have his- torically been unrepresented or underrepresented in the legal arena. The ALA provides support services and networking oppor- tunities for members to enhance their effectiveness as legal counsel, and to protect the civil and political rights of all citizens. As a member of the firm’s Consumer Fraud section, Hampton is currently working on class action, employment and whistle- blower claims. Prior to his work at Beasley Allen, Hampton was a prosecutor with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Of- fice. While at the DA’s office, Leon was part of the Violent Crimes Unit and served as a lead counsel on homicide cases. Since joining Beasley Allen in August 2017, Hampton has helped secure verdicts for clients totaling more than $16 million. His courtroom experience was integral to the trial team that ob- tained a $1.9 million verdict on behalf of Leon Battle and exposed the defendant’s fraudulent efforts to hide unsafe working condi- tions. Most recently, Hampton was heavily involved in a whistle- blower case that recovered $14.7 million for Barry Taul. Taul uncovered and reported an illegal kickback and false billing scheme that defrauded the Alabama Organ Center and taxpayers. After re- porting the scheme, Taul suffered physical abuse at the hands of his employers, as well as death threats against him and his family. Hampton is also a member of the Alabama State Bar and serves on the group’s 2017-2018 Election Procedures Review Task Force, as well as the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Hugh Maddox American Inn of Court. He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., where he serves as the chapter’s parlia- mentarian and constitution committee chairperson for the Mont- gomery Alumni Chapter. Hampton is a graduate of Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law and Alabama A&M Uni- versity. ASCA A NNOUNCES R ETIREMENT OF A L H EAD , I TS L ONG -T IME E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR At the June quarterly meeting of the Alabama State Council on the Arts, Al Head, Executive Director of the Council for the past 33 years announced his retirement, effective December 31, 2018. Head summarized a long career with the state arts agency field by saying, “It has been a wonderful and memorable run in a field that is made up of a special group of artists, arts administrators, arts educators, arts patrons and volunteers. The opportunity to con- tribute a bit to the quality of life in Alabama through the arts has been a privilege.” Head who served in state arts agency positions in Florida and Louisiana before returning home to Alabama as council director in 1985 is the longest sitting state arts agency director in the coun- try. Prior to accepting the position in Alabama, Head was the Di- rector of the Louisiana Division of the Arts and Arts Council from 1977 to 1985. As the first state arts director under governmental reorganization he orchestrated the first state appropriation for the Arts Council in Louisiana. His state service began in 1972 with the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and in- cluded a two year period as director of the Stephen Foster Folk life Center. Including the Florida and Louisiana years Head’s tenure in the arts field spans over forty-six years, a four decade period that has experienced significant change in the arts and government. During Head’s time in Alabama he considers, the development of a nationally recognized state folklife program, the creation of the Alabama Writers Forum, the creation of Design Alabama, the creation of the Alabama Dance Council, expanding arts education partnerships and the cultivation of a cultural exchange with Pietrasanta Italy as a few of many highlights. For personal recog- nition on a national level he points to receiving the National Her- itage Award in 2012 given by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Gary Young Award presented to him in 1998 by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies as particularly rewarding. As part of his retirement announcement Head em- phasized his respect and appreciation for the out- standing work of a dedi- cated staff, most having been with the agency for many years. He noted with sincere gratitude the con- tributions of dozens of state council members, in- dividuals appointed by the Governor, who give gener- ously of their time, talents 84 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com CITY BUZZ ................................................................................................................................ Leon Hampton Al Head