John A. Mays, Jr. – Of Counsel

John is a zealous advocate for clients inside and outside of the courtroom. As a trial lawyer, he devotes 100% of his practice to representing the injured and the accused. John has long known that he wanted to represent people, not powerful corporations or insurance companies. John’s has blue-collar roots and has worked a variety of jobs from construction to foodservice to social work. These experiences led John to commit to a life of helping those in need. John understands the helpfulness and dedication that clients deserve when they hire an attorney and takes pride in giving clients the time and respect they deserve. John is particularly thorough and diligent in preparing each of his cases for trial and works to obtain the finest results for each client. Within his first three years of practicing law, John tried several cases to verdict as lead counsel. In his very first jury trial, he obtained a verdict in excess of policy limits. He has won the vast majority of his trials including a bad faith judgment against an insurance company. John is a 2019 Georgia Rising Stars honoree. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor. John and his wife, the former Danielle Britt of Buford, Georgia, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia with their wonderful son and three dogs. When not working, John enjoys bicycling, kayaking, cooking, and gardening.

Admitted: State Bar of Georgia, Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Practice Areas: Workers’ Compensation, Wrongful Death, Catastrophic Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Dog Bites, Trucking Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Elder Abuse, Medical Malpractice, Auto Diminished Value Claims, Insurance Bad Faith, General Civil Practice, Criminal Defense.

Background: John was raised in Rome, Georgia. During college, he began working for the Parker and Lundy law firm in Cedartown, Georgia, where his passion for trial advocacy grew. In law school, he worked for the felony narcotics division of the Macon Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office under Georgia’s Third-Year Practice Act. After law school, John returned to work in Cedartown for a couple years before leaving to join the personal injury litigation firm of Schneider Hammers in Atlanta where he had the opportunity to represent people across Georgia in 30 different counties. He eventually planted roots in Buford, Georgia, where he continues to focus on personal injury/wrongful death, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense. John has obtained millions in results for his clients, including several six-figure results on car accident cases and a seven-figure workers’ compensation settlement within the past 2 years. He has also earned multiple dismissals of misdemeanor and felony charges.

Memberships:

• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
• American Association of Justice
• Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Gwinnett County Bar Association
• Tallapoosa Circuit Bar Association – President, 2013

Education:

• Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, J.D., 2012, President’s List, 2010
• CALI Award – Race, Racism & American Law
• Kennesaw State University – B.S., Sociology, 2007, Magna Cum Laude, Honors
• Model High School, 2003, Honors