MORTON G. (SALTY) FORBES of Savannah, Georgia is a founding partner of Forbes & Bowman, now Forbes, Foster & Pool, LLC, a small firm specializing in litigation. He is product liability counsel for a major food manufacturing company and serves as one of its three regional counsel for all other types of litigation. He has significant experience in product liability, toxic torts and construction law. He has tried cases in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Salty has served on Defense Research Institute’s Board of Directors (1999-2001). He is a past president of both the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (GDLA) and the Savannah Bar Association. He is an active member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (State Representative-Georgia and Admission Committee) and the American Employment Law Council. He is also an honorary member of the Alabama Defense Lawyers association. He has been appointed by the Georgia Supreme Court to serve as a special master in lawyer disciplinary proceedings. He has been selected by the Atlanta Magazine as one of Georgia’s Super Lawyers in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. He is a Fellow in both the Georgia Bar Foundation and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Foundation. The International Association of Defense Counsel and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel are by invitation only.
Salty was presented the Inaugural GDLA Distinguished Service Award during its 50th Annual Meeting in June 2017.
He is a General Civil Mediator in Georgia.
He has been AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell for over 25 years.
He received his BA from Wofford College in 1962 and his JD from the University of Georgia in 1965. He was admitted to the Bar on June 10, 1965.
Salty is active in the community affairs of Savannah where he lives with his wife, Lee. He is a past chairman and CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority and has served on the Chatham County Development Authority and the Savannah Symphony Society Board of Directors. He is a member of the Business & Technology Alliance of Savannah and has twice been a delegate from the State of Georgia to the Japan/Southeast Trade Mission. He is a member of the Savannah Benevolent Association.
His other interests include genealogical research and Scottish heritage. He is an active member of the Society of the Cincinnati, State of Virginia, Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Georgia (Governor and Chairman of the Host Committee for the 103rd General Council Meeting in Savannah 2011). He has served as Deputy Governor General of the General Society 2013 – 2017. He was awarded by the General Society of Colonial Wars its Distinguished Service Award on May 1, 2011. He is also a member of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of Georgia, the Scottish American Military Society, the Coastal Scottish Heritage Society, the St. David’s Society of Savannah and the St. Andrew’s Society of Savannah (President 2012 – 2014). He served as chairman of the committee which planned and held the banquet that celebrated the centennial of the joint meeting of the St. Andrew’s Society and the Hibernian Society (1908 – 2008). He is an Elder in his Presbyterian church. In 1992, he organized his church’s first annual Kirkin’ O’ Tartans and has directed the event each year until 2010.
He has been married to Lee Haynsworth Forbes for 54 years. They have one son, two daughters and 14 grandchildren.