Balch & Bingham partner Ben Brewton has become the new chair of the American College of Trial Lawyer's Georgia chapter. Brewton succeeds King & Spalding partner Sally Yates as the head of the group's Georgia State Committee, as the chapter is known.

Brewton joined Balch & Bingham in May to open an Augusta office for the firm, arriving from Augusta civil litigation defense boutique Tucker Long. That was the ninth location for the Birmingham-based firm, which has more than 200 attorneys firmwide, including a 28-lawyer Atlanta office, according to its website.

He has been a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers for 10 years. The group is by invitation only for lawyers "who have distinguished themselves in trial practice for at least 15 years" and are leaders in their local communities, according to the association.

The American College of Trial Lawyers seeks to maintain and improve standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics and the administration of justice through education and public advocacy. Membership numbers more than 5,800 trial lawyers in the United States and Canada but is limited to 1% of the population of any state or province.

Brewton has tried more than 100 jury trials to verdict over his career. His practice is focused on defending significant personal injury and wrongful death claims, and business lawsuits. He has more than 30 years of experience litigating commercial disputes, professional negligence and casualty claims, and insurance coverage issues, mainly for medical practices, doctors, public utilities and other clients in the energy and health care industries.

In other bar leadership positions, Brewton is a past president of the Augusta Bar Association and a past chair of the advisory committee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.