Jay Pontrelli practices with the commercial litigation team. He represents both Plaintiffs and Defendants in a variety of business-related disputes. The matters Jay handles include shareholder disputes, disputes arising from the ownership of closely held companies, as well as lawsuits arising from fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties, contractual breaches, torts and professional negligence.
Over his legal career, Jay has handled litigation involving Articles 3 and 4 of the Uniform Commercial Code, trademark issues, lender liability, medical malpractice, product liability, employee breach of contract cases related to restrictive covenants and for compensation and benefits, dispossessory proceedings, breach of lease agreements on behalf of landlords and tenants, and breach of loan and guarantee agreements. Jay has significant experience in Georgia’s federal and state courts.
Most recently, Mr. Pontrelli worked as an Assistant Attorney General with the Georgia Law Department. There, he specialized in civil rights and constitutional law with cases involving First, Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment issues, as well as issues pertaining to sovereign and qualified immunity. He also handled cases involving the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Georgia Tort Claims Act. Jay began his legal career in private practice at Nall & Miller in Atlanta, then spent 13 years with Stites & Harbison before joining Byrne, Davis & Hicks as their sole litigator.
Jay received his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School where he served as a managing editor of the Law Review. Valedictorian of his high school, Jay also graduated summa cum laude from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in English.
Jay is admitted to practice before all Georgia state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Georgia, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Outside of work, Mr. Pontrelli enjoys travel to Venice, Italy, live music, movies, art, trying new restaurants, wandering the Atlanta Beltline and, when not nursing one or more injuries, playing in a recreational street hockey league.
