Bloom Sugarman, LLP is pleased to announce that partner Stephen (Steve) M. Parham has been appointed to the Planning Commission for the City of Johns Creek, Georgia. The Planning Commission reviews zoning cases and makes recommendations to the mayor and city council to ensure that requests for rezoning and relief from site-specific zoning conditions align with the city’s comprehensive plan and accompanying regulatory guidelines and ordinances with respect to zoning and subdivisions.

At Bloom Sugarman, Parham counsels clients and tries cases in the fields of commercial business, real estate and tort litigation with a dual eye toward creative dispute resolution and aggressive trial advocacy. He has represented publicly traded and private companies, real estate developers, contractors, joint ventures and partnerships, and individuals in a variety of cases, from partnership and fiduciary duty disputes to foreclosure and confirmation actions.

With professional assistance from private consultants and with input from citizen committees through a series of meetings and public work sessions, Johns Creek adopted its Comprehensive Plan 2030 on Nov. 10, 2008. The plan includes a future development map, a transportation master plan, a green plan and a short-term work program.

Prior to joining Bloom Sugarman, Parham served as assistant general counsel in charge of retail and deposit operations litigation for the State of Georgia for SunTrust Bank. He also served as a partner in the business and real estate litigation practice groups at the Birmingham, Ala.-based law firm Balch & Bingham LLP.

Parham is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Litigation Section and the State Bar of Georgia’s Property Section. Parham received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia, and his law degree from Emory University School of Law.