Jimmy is a native Atlantan and Member of the firm, which he joined in 1984.  He currently serves as Chairman of the firm's Litigation practice group.  He was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1982 and has been admitted to the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court, and the United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia.  He is also admitted to the U. S. District Court of the District of Colorado, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and was sworn into the United States Supreme Court in 1988.  He has been honored as a Georgia Super Lawyer for numerous years.

He served as President of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (2008-2009), and has chaired theGDLA Environmental Committee, the Mid-YearCLE Committee, the Amicus Curiae Committee, and served as editor of the Law Journal.  He is a member of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, the Litigation, Insurance and Product Liability Practice Sections of the Georgia Bar and the Product Liability Section of the Defense Research Institute.  He has spoken on product liability, ethics, professionalism, evidentiary matters, mediation and insurance issues.  Jimmy has also served as General Counsel for the Georgia State Golf Association since 2015.

As a trial lawyer with a heavy emphasis on product liability, general litigation and insurance coverage issues as well as first-party property matters, his practice extends beyond Georgia.  Jimmy has also defended multiple class action lawsuits, including defending claims under the TCPA, class actions involving insurance coverage issues, and class actions asserting product liability claims.  He has been lead counsel and admitted to practice pro hac vice in over 20 states.  Jimmy is also a mediator.  He mediates all manner of private civil disputes and in light of his background and practice experience, primarily mediates disputes involving product liability, insurance coverage, general business and corporate matters, and contract disputes.

Jimmy and his family live in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, where he has been very active in his church and the community.  He has chaired numerous boards and committees within his church including the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, the Board of Stewards and served as Youth and Adult Sunday School teacher and devotional leader.  He has been active in the Boy Scouts and has  coached numerous recreational youth league sports teams as well as AAU basketball.  He is a past President and has served on the Board of Directors of the Sope Creek Elementary School Foundation, a 501(c)3 educational foundation. 

Professional Affiliations

• Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
• State Bar of Georgia
• Defense Research Institute
• Association of Defense Trial Attorneys

Honors & Awards

• Exceptional Performance Citation, Defense Research Institute, 2008-2009
• AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, highest rating for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability
• Georgia Super Lawyer, numerous years
• Past President Georgia Defense Lawyers Association

Speaking Engagements

• Products Liability
• Insurance Issues
• Professionalism
• Evidentiary Matters

Representative Cases Often Cited

• Lima Delta Co., et al. v. Global Aerospace, Inc., 789 S.E.2d 230 (2016).
• Global Aerospace v. Lima Delta, 325 Ga. App. 76, 752, S.E.2d 135 (2013).
• Flintlock v. American Safety, Case No. 11-13275 (C.A. 11, Feb. 26, 2013).
• Katzenmeier v. BPI, 628 F.3d 948 (8th Cir. 2010).
• McDonald Construction Co. v. Bituminous Casualty Corp., 279 Ga. App. 757, 632 S.E.2d 420 (2006).
• Clifton A. Lake, et al. v. Memphis Landsmen, et al., ,W2011-00660-COA-RM-CV (Tenn.App., March 7, 2014)
• Bituminous v. Perkins Hardwood, 190 Ga. App. 231 (1989), 378 S.E.2d 407
• Griffin v. Mansfield Oil, et al, 208 Ga. App. 190 (1993), 430 S.E.2d 82.