Howard Spiva teaches Martial Arts Classes at Savannah’s West Broad Street YMCA to Produce Winners on the Matt and Champions in Life. Registration is now open for new students.

Savannah, GA -- (SBWire) -- 08/12/2013 --Long before Howard Spiva became an attorney and founded the Spiva Law Group, he developed a passion for martial arts.

“Karate has taught me important life lessons that I have used throughout my life and my career. It instills values like discipline, confidence and courage,” explains karate-champ-turned-lawyer Howard Spiva. “I wanted to help teach those important life lessons to our children, especially those who may have the means or opportunity on their own.”

So, in 2011 Spiva founded the Savannah Sharks karate team, a non-profit venture that offers free martial arts training to Savannah’s inner-city youth at the West Broad Street YMCA. The response was overwhelming. Since their founding, the Sharks have worked hard, trained hard and have gone on to compete and win at state-level competitions.

“The kids have really taken to it,” said Spiva. “I see in them a commitment to personal improvement both physically and mentally. I think they are better students and better people because of their dedication, and the confidence they have built is truly inspiring.”

Spiva’s commitment to providing opportunities to children is nothing new. As founder of the Justice 4 Children Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, he has grown a reputation as “the kid’s lawyer.”

“I was sitting in my law office looking at pictures of my clients, and I realized so many of them were children - children who has suffered severe trauma,” said Spiva. “While I was happy that I was able to help them, I thought about how much happier I would be if they never needed my help in the first place.”

From that thought grew the Heads in Helmets, Justice 4 Children’s largest outreach program. Heads in Helmets gives away thousands of helmets in an effort to prevent traumatic brain injuries in children and promote safety.

“When bicycle helmets were mandated, related brain injuries decreased by 80%,” explains Spiva. “So, it got me thinking about how many more families could be spared this tragedy through our efforts.

Almost two decades later, that mission is still going strong, and Spiva has teamed with personal injury lawyers from other states to make Heads in Helmets a national effort.

Spiva’s efforts - both with Heads in Helmets and the Savannah Sharks - have received praise from local and national legal associations, business organizations and recently WTOC Savannah named Spiva a “Hometown Hero.” However, at the end of the day, Spiva doesn’t do it for the recognition.

“I do it for the kids," said Spiva. “They deserve nothing but the best.”

About Spiva Lewis LLC
We have assembled a talented group of professionals to bring you the finest in professional legal services.  Our in-house staff consists of five team attorneys, a physician, legal assistants, a paralegal, a claims manager, an investigator, a receptionist, and clerical assistants. Howard E. Spiva has been practicing law in Savannah Georgia for over 25 years. He limits his practice to serious personal injury, wrongful death and litigation with an emphasis on premises liability, trucking, brain injuries and claims involving children.