John A. Mays, Jr. – Of Counsel

John is a zealous advocate for clients inside and outside of the courtroom. As a litigation and trial attorney, he devotes most of his practice to personal injury and wrongful death cases. John has long known that he wanted to represent people – not insurance companies. He strives daily to give clients the time and respect they deserve. Within his first three years of practicing law, John tried several cases to verdict as lead counsel. In his first jury trial, he obtained a verdict equal to six-times the medical bills and in excess of policy limits and has since won a majority of his cases 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 with their wonderful son and three dogs. When not working, John enjoys spending time with family, cooking, and watching the Georgia Bulldogs.   

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:  Wrongful Death, Personal Injury, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Car Accidents, Worker’s Compensation, Dog Bites, Trucking Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Elder Abuse, Medical Malpractice, First-Party Insurance Claims, Auto Diminished Value Claims, Insurance Bad Faith, General Civil Practice, Criminal Defense.

Background: John was raised in Rome, Georgia. At 19, he took an opportunity to work for the Parker and Lundy law firm in Cedartown, Georgia, where his passion for trial advocacy grew. He went to college and eventually to law school where 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 at Parker and Lundy before eventually leaving to join the injury litigation firm of Schneider Hammers in Atlanta where he represented people across the State of Georgia. He finally planted roots in Buford, Georgia, at Chandler, Britt and Jay where he serves as Of Counsel. He has obtained millions in results for his clients, including multiple six-figure results on injury cases, a seven-figure workers’ compensation settlement, and several dismissals of misdemeanor and felony criminal 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 Scholar
• Model High School, 2003, Honors