© 2010 Groth & Makarenko, LLC. All rights reserved.
335 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Suite 2206, Suwanee, Georgia 30024 | call: (770) 904-3590 | fax: (678) 730-7541
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Give us a call at
(770) 904-3590
DID YOU KNOW?
A personal injury lawsuit must be filed within 2 years of the date of the accident.
Once served, a defendant must file an answer to a lawsuit within 30 days, or within 45 days upon payment of court costs.

It typically takes a year or more for a lawsuit to go from filing and service upon the defendant to a jury trial.

Paul L. Groth, Esq.
FOUNDING PARTNER
Paul is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and completed his undergraduate studies in economics at the University of Georgia in 1981, while on a tennis scholarship.  He then competed professionally in tennis throughout the world before entering law school.  Paul earned his Juris Doctor from Georgia State University’s College of Law in 1986.

Paul began his legal career in 1986 in Georgia as a District Attorney for the State of Georgia, where he gained valuable trial experience prosecuting both misdemeanors and felonies.  In 1997, Paul entered the private sector as in-house counsel for one of the largest insurance companies in the country, and applied the trial skills he learned as a District Attorney to defending both insureds and the insurer in suits arising under automobile and homeowner’s policies.

In June 2007, Paul joined Nikolai Makarenko, Jr. to form Groth & Makarenko, LLC.  With his experience trying more than 300 cases, both civil and criminal, before juries in the State of Georgia, he is a well-respected, successful litigator fully capable of protecting his client’s best interests, whether the ultimate resolution of the case is via alternative dispute resolution or trial.  Paul’s practice focuses on civil litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels.  He is admitted to practice before all state courts in Georgia, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  Paul is a member of the Board of the Federal Defender Program, the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association and the Defense Research Institute.  He is the Secretary of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the State Bar of Georgia, and has served as Co-Chairperson of the Insurance Law Institute since 2009.
Nikolai Makarenko, Jr., Esq.
FOUNDING PARTNER
Nik was raised primarily in Germany, due to his father’s service in the United States Air Force.  He completed his undergraduate studies in history at Birmingham Southern College in 1986, while on a tennis scholarship.  Nik earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia’s College of Law in 1989.

Nik began his legal career in Georgia in 1989 as a staff attorney to the Honorable Judge Jack M. McLaughlin of the State Court of DeKalb County, Georgia.  From there, Nik practiced at a well-respected civil defense firm in the Atlanta area for a few years before taking a position as in-house counsel for one of the largest insurance companies in the country.  Nik left that firm to join Cooper & Makarenko, a successful civil defense firm protecting the interests of clients, big and small.

Nik left Cooper & Makarenko in June 2007 to form Groth & Makarenko, LLC with Paul L. Groth.  Nik’s experience trying hundreds of jury trials has earned him the reputation of being a seasoned and successful litigator who will utilize his knowledge of the law to obtain the best results possible for his clients, whether in the courtroom or via alternative dispute resolution.  Nik’s practice focuses on insurance coverage and defense at both the trial and appellate levels.  He is admitted to practice before all state courts in Georgia, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  Nik is a member of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and has lectured for both the Insurance Law Institute, sponsored by the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the State Bar of Georgia, and for various insurance companies to train claims adjusters on how best to handle issues that arise in the claims process so they may better protect the interests of their insureds should litigation arise.
Laura Danielle Johnson, Esq.
ATTORNEY
Laura is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and completed her undergraduate studies in criminal justice at the University of Alabama, where she was the President of Alpha Phi Sigma and a member of Sigma Delta Pi.  Laura was awarded the Chairperson’s Award of Merit from the Department of Criminal Justice, and graduated in 2002.  She then attended Florida State University’s College of Law, where she was awarded the Distinguished Pro Bono Certificate for her service as a pro bono law clerk to the Honorable Judge Kathleen Dekker of the Criminal Division of the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, before graduating in 2005.

Laura began her legal career in 2005 in Florida, where she represented both governmental and corporate employers in workers’ compensation and employment discrimination matters.  She joined Groth & Makarenko, LLC in August 2007 and focuses her practice on insurance coverage and defense at both the trial and appellate levels.  At Groth & Makarenko, LLC, she has aquired valuable experience trying cases, many to a defense verdict, and has had success at the appellate level with cases that involve both matters of first impression in Georgia and cases clarifying points of existing law.  She is admitted to practice before all state courts of Florida and Georgia, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  She has lectured on insurance law for the Insurance Law Institute, sponsored by the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

We are a group of dedicated professionals committed to ensuring that you receive the finest legal services available.

Let our experience work for you!

Areas Served:

North Georgia

Central Georgia