In over 32 years of practice, Jerald “J.R.” Hanks has represented hundreds of companies and individuals in lawsuits throughout Georgia and the Southeast. He has handled well over 1,000 lawsuits involving a wide variety of matters including wrongful death, serious bodily injury, negligent security, premises liability, automobile accidents, construction defects, environmental torts, product liability, defamation, copyright infringement, insurance coverage, and commercial disputes. Mr. Hanks has tried cases on behalf of defendants and plaintiffs at every level of state court in Georgia, the U.S. District Courts, and in numerous arbitrations. He has mediated hundreds of cases throughout his career, in addition to having successfully argued cases in front of the Georgia appellate courts, the Mississippi Supreme Court, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

His clients include Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and individuals. He serves as regional tender counsel for one of the thirty largest corporations in America. Mr. Hanks has also had the pleasure of representing the State of Georgia as a Special Assistant Attorney General.

Mr. Hanks is a registered mediator and arbitrator. His deep experience and broad areas of practice make him an ideal choice to help parties amicably resolve their disputes. He has an AV Preeminent rating through Martindale-Hubbell which signifies that his peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence and legal knowledge. He has also been recognized as a “Top Lawyer” and “Lawyer of Distinction.”

While studying at the University of Georgia School of Law, Mr. Hanks was on the Moot Court Board and Mock Trial Board. He represented the University of Georgia in the International Moot Court Competition and the Intrastate Mock Trial Competition.
Mr. Hanks is actively involved in his community and believes in giving back. He and his wife, Mary, serve on various boards and committees at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, The Cathedral of St. Philip, and Northside Youth Organization, among others. He presently serves on the Board of Trustees of Camp Merrie-Woode in Sapphire, North Carolina. He supports Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Atlanta, The Atlanta Community Food Bank, and the Emmaus House, which works to improve the economic and social well-being of the residents of Peoplestown and the surrounding neighborhoods.