Martin, Jones, & Piemonte - Attorneys at Law

  Michel Phillips began his legal career in 1985 as a law clerk for a U.S. Magistrate, drafting opinions in Social Security appeals to U.S. District Court. Before joining Martin, Jones, & Piemonte firm in 2009, Michel represented Social Security disability claimants in private practice for 12 years. Michel has also worked as a staff attorney for the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Michel obtained his law degree from Mercer University School of Law in 1985, and is a three-time champion on the Jeopardy! television show. Martin, Jones, & Piemonte

Obtaining consistent medical treatment is critical to winning a disability claim.  However, it is also important who is providing this consistent treatment.   For mental impairments such as anxiety and depression, it is best that a mental health specialist (e.g., psychiatrist or psychologist) provide that treatment because they are specialists for mental health.  Accordingly, the opinions and reports from mental health specialists will be given more consideration in a disability claim as compared to a primary care doctors. I typically analogize this premise to that of an electrician and plumber.  If someone was going to get an estimate on plumbing work needed, he/she would not seek out an electrician.  And vice versa, one would not seek out a plumber for an estimate on electrical work.  Having said that, mental health treatment from a primary care doctor is better than no treatment.  But to make a more persuasive disability case as discussed above...

Denise Sarnoff was born and raised in Montana and has lived throughout the state. She graduated from Montana State University with a BS in psychology. After graduation, she spent more than two years in Kenya in the Peace Corps, and upon completion of service there attended law school at J. Reuben Clark School of Law at Brigham Young University. She returned to Montana and clerked for a law firm and then a Montana State district court judge. When she left her clerkship, she joined a small law firm specializing in representing claimant’s in Social Security disability hearings. Denise developed cases and represented claimants at hearings for several years, then left to become a Deputy District Attorney prosecuting primarily child sexual assault cases. It was during this period that she met her soon-to-be husband, married and moved to Pennsylvania. She worked with a law firm in the Philadelphia area for eight years back in the SS disability field, again representing claimants at hearings. ...

Alyssa Van Auken is an associate attorney focused on federal court appeals at Martin, Jones, & Piemonte. She graduated cum laude from Ithaca College with a Bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in politics. She began her work in Social Security law in 2015 following her graduation from Syracuse University College of Law. She worked in the federal court department at a small social security law firm before taking a position as a judicial law clerk authoring federal court social security decisions for a pool of judges in the Northern District of New York. She returned to advocating for clients at the federal court level in April 2020 when she joined Martin, Jones, & Piemonte. Alyssa is admitted to practice in New York and lives in Syracuse. She enjoys reading, attempting to cook new recipes every week, and spending time with her boyfriend and their dog Arya. Martin, Jones, & Piemonte  

Charmaine Gilmore has been a member of our firm since 2016. She is a VA Accredited Claims Agent and serves as the firms Office Administrator.  Charmaine manages all of the day-to-day operations of our Decatur and Charlotte offices. In addition, she is the case manager for our VA clients.  Charmaine received her law degree in August, 2016. She received her master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. Charmaine takes pride in providing the best possible representation for our clients to help them receive the benefits that they deserve.  Martin, Jones, & Piemonte

  Laura Beth Waller is an associate attorney focused on district court work at Martin, Jones, and Piemonte. She started practicing Social Security law about eight years ago while living in the Pacific Northwest. She understands the impact of disability on an individual and their family and applies that perspective to her work.  She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in Spanish and International Affairs. She graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 2010. She went on to earn her LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Washington in Seattle. Laura Beth is admitted to practice in North Carolina and Washington. She is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, where she serves as co-chair of the Education Committee for the Disability Advocacy Section. She is also a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representative...

  Sarah Atkins received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Randolph-Macon College and earned her Juris Doctor at Florida Coastal School of Law in 2012. Sarah discovered a passion for helping the disabled during law school while working with the Florida Coastal Disabilities and Public Benefits Clinic and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid to help low income persons with the Social Security disability claims process.  After graduation, Sarah continued to pursue this passion by representing disabled clients at Social Security disability hearings. Sarah is committed to providing the highest caliber of legal representation to her disabled clients. Martin, Jones, & Piemonte