Betsy P. Collins

Partner

Ms. Collins is a creative thinker who enjoys the challenge of solving her clients’ legal problems whether they be great or small. Over her more than three decades of experience, she has learned to take a holistic approach to representing her clients in litigation matters. The ability to bring a 360-degree holistic perspective was derived, in part, by having served in in-house positions for corporate clients where she had to understand the intricacies of the corporations’ business operations and challenges in order to fulfill her duties as corporate counsel. Also, Ms. Collins has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in jury trials, a fact which enhances her ability to see the big picture. Ms. Collins has experienced the ultimate compliment for a practicing attorney which is to be retained by former adversaries.

Her practice has included insurance-related litigation, personal injury litigation, insurance coverage litigation, insurance defense, class action litigation, construction litigation, commercial, litigation, business litigation, unfair competition and trade practices litigation, as well as securities litigation with an emphasis on responsibilities of directors and officers including related insurance coverage issues. In addition, Ms. Collins’ wide-ranging insurance litigation practice also has included cases involving securities products of life insurance companies and other insurance-related securities, race distinct mortality pricing, burial insurance, claims practices, “vanishing premium” provisions, child-term riders, deceptive pricing, market conduct, sales practices, policy exchange programs, unfair competition, non-compete agreements, and life insurance company taxation. Ms. Collins has also served as in-house counsel for a large family of life and health insurance companies and at a company specializing in petroleum reclamation and recycling where she was involved in all manner of corporate and business activities including renegotiating credit facilities, mergers and acquisitions, documentation of business and commercial contracts, managing and handling human resources and employment issues.

Ms. Collins is a partner at Busch, Reed, Jones & Leeper, P.C. and focuses her practice in the following areas of the law:

Bad Faith Litigation
Business Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Duties of Corporate Directors and Officers
First Party Insurance Litigation
Insurance Coverage Issues
Personal Injury and Property Damage Litigation

Ms. Collins has represented clients in both State and Federal Courts in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas, New York, and California. She has also handled federal appellate matters in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals as well as appellate matters in Alabama, Georgia, and California. Ms. Collins has assisted clients through countless alternative dispute resolution proceedings like mediation and arbitration.

Ms. Collins has been recognized for her legal skills in Alabama SuperLawyers, Georgia SuperLawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Top 25 Women Lawyers in Alabama, Who’s Who Legal, Georgia Insurance, and The World’s Leading Insurance Lawyers. She has been rated by Martindale-Hubbell™ as an AV Preeminent Rated Lawyer.

Ms. Collins was born and raised in Southeast Alabama near the state lines with Florida and Georgia. She is a 1982 graduate of Judson College, the fifth oldest women’s college in the United States. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in English, she obtained her law degree in 1985 from The University of Alabama School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the States of Alabama and Georgia.

Ms. Collins is an empty nester now but raised three daughters while maintaining a successful and demanding law practice. Her three grown daughters are her pride, and her young grandsons are her joy. Aside from her grandchildren and Crimson Tide Football, Ms. Collins’ passion is literature and creative writing. In the past, she worked towards a graduate degree in creative writing at the University of South Alabama, and currently she enjoys being involved in a writers’ critique group with her writer friends.

Education

Judson College – 1982
The University of Alabama School of Law – 1985

Bar and Court Admissions

Alabama, 1998
Georgia, 2000

Experience

Busch, Reed, Jones & Leeper, P.C., 2021-present
Aaron Oil Company, 2015-2020
Burr & Forman, 2008-2015
Alston & Bird, LLP, 2002-2008
Baxley, Dillard, Dauphin & McKnight, 1997-2002
Liberty National Life Ins. Co./Torchmark Corp., 1993-1997
Spain & Gillon, 1985-1993