Michael J. Puglise

Mike Puglise first began his legal career as a Gwinnett County Police Officer in 1982. Enrolling full time at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, Mike took a sabbatical from law enforcement and concentrated on his studies, majoring in criminal justice.

Law enforcement was in Mike’s blood and being a police officer he knew it was his calling. Mike was employed by the City of Lilburn Police Department, Georgia in 1986. He quickly distinguished himself as the first officer in the City to effectuate major felony narcotics arrest and asset forfeitures.

Sports played a significant role in Mike’s life. He placed the City of Lilburn on the map when he won the gold medal in the World Police and Fire Olympics in 1987 in the Judo competition. Lilburn won other notoriety when Mike competed and won gold medals in weightlifting, judo, and karate. Mike still actively competes in these sports today.

Mike quickly rose in the ranks, becoming one of three of Lilburn’s first sergeants. He eventually became second in command directing police operations for the entire police department. However, like policing, being a lawyer was a life long goal and you could say, in his blood, John Puglise, Mikes father, was an accomplished lawyer for the federal government before his retirement in 1981.

Mike chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and attended John Marshall Law School in Atlanta in 1991. Mike studied hard while still working full time as a Lilburn police sergeant. He finished law school two years later and had successfully taken and passed the Georgia Bar Examination prior to graduation. A feat that is not allowed today.In 1993, the Honorable Robert L. Barr, former United States District Attorney for Georgia decided to make a run for Congress. Mike and Bob became friends and formed a joint law office relationship between Gwinnett and Cobb counties. It was during this time that Mike was introduced to white collar crime investigations, political consultant practice, international law and other litigation areas of intriguing interests.

In 1993, Congressman Bob Barr left the practice of law to serve full time in Washington D.C. Attorney Ed Marger took the reigns of the Barr Law Firm and a relationship between Mike and Ed was forged forever. Ed included Mike in areas of law that life long attorneys, much less novice attorneys, never experience. With cases ranging from Haiti to Columbia, Detroit, New Orleans, Alaska, Ed instilled the spirit in Mike not to fear people whose customs, ideology, religion, lifestyle etc that are drastically different from yours. Not only did Mike learn the valuable skill and art of negotiating in different complex situations, he learned that the practice of law is truly exciting and considered to be a gift.

Mike has won multi-million dollar verdicts, represented individuals in high profile cases, appeared in the major media news broadcasts and has established a strong solid law firm serving Georgia, Latin America, and Alaska.

He enjoys a wide variety of outdoor sports from hiking, kayaking to mountain climbing. Recently he completed the first leg of the Alaskan Iditarod Dog sled race.

Mike incorporates his competitiveness into his legal work, believing that a client deserves an attorney who will represent their needs with confidence and zealousness. But above all else, an attorney that is honest and compassionate that their client is a person and not just another business file endeavor.