John E. Hall, Jr. is one of the founding partners of Hall Booth Smith, and he is dedicated to making it the finest litigation firm in the Southeast.
John specializes in the defense of high exposure cases, including medical malpractice, batch claims, construction, commercial litigation, mass torts, transportation, and products liability. During his legal career, he has tried more than 125 cases to resolution.
His expertise in high exposure birth trauma and catastrophic cases resulted in his being named National Counsel for several major insurance carriers. This National Counsel program establishes a litigation approach, which enables a team of specialized attorneys to become involved and assist local counsel on high exposure cases at all phases of the legal process. John also serves on the HBS National Trial Counsel team and provides his experience in security, transportation, products liability, and general liability.
John also maintains a robust corporate practice in International, International Trade and Finance, Arbitration/Mediation, Business Structures, Health Care, and Commercial Litigation.
John is a former member of the Board of Directors of the USLAW Network, a premier organization of independent law firms with offices throughout the United States that provides high quality legal services without unnecessary expense to clients.
He is actively involved in a number of professional organizations and is often invited to speak at industry gatherings and continuing legal education programs. In addition, he is closely involved in developing and providing educational materials to clients.
John serves as an Honorary Consul to the Country of Georgia and is Chairman of the Atlanta-Tbilisi Sister City Committee where he actively engages in developing international relationships between the state of Georgia and the country of Georgia.
Experience
Aging Services
John Hall represents long-term care and senior housing facilities including skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and sub-acute facilities in all phases of litigation. John also maintains a regulatory practice and advises providers of long-term care and skilled nursing services on compliance with Federal, State, and local laws and regulations. His knowledge and experience in the industry also allows him to assist facilities in the handling of internal incident investigations.
Appellate
John Hall’s practice includes arguing complex defense liability cases to Courts of last resort in multiple jurisdictions. He has successfully appeared many times before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals of Georgia and formulates all arguments with the goal of termination of proceedings in favor of the firm’s clients. As a gifted orator, he has often been selected to take a case from trial through final appeal.
Business Litigation
John Hall and HBS’ Business Litigation service area handle nearly every aspect of corporate law from formation and mergers to dissolution. With his background in litigation, John brings an “end in mind” philosophy to the corporate practice that emphasizes the real life effects of every transaction creating solutions for his clients.
Business Transactions
John Hall and HBS’ Business Transactions service area handle mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and reorganizations. John has a broad range of transactional experience including business acquisitions and financing. He works with businesses and enterprises on formation, structure, and financing.
Construction
John has been actively involved in handling complex construction claims and providing legal representation of owners, builders, contractors, subcontractors, and insurers statewide. He is experienced in the litigation and alternate dispute resolution of property damage, permit and code enforcement, and alleged design and construction error matters.
Coronavirus
John Hall is a member of the Coronavirus Strategic Team, which is a dedicated team of experienced attorneys that help businesses, governments, schools, and individuals develop best practices for closures, re-openings, and other complex legal and operational issues that arise during the unprecedented global pandemic. Our team includes attorneys who specialize in medical malpractice, aging services, liability, employment, insurance, regulatory matters, and other areas most impacted by the novel coronavirus.
Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
John Hall has been actively involved with handling data privacy and security claims in which he helped companies devise both preventative and reactive security breach plans. John has an extensive litigation background giving him a unique position to conduct breach investigations and limit potential security threats.
Environmental, Mass Torts, & Land Use
John Hall has represented clients in toxic tort / products liability claims, complex chemical issues (including wood preserving operations and dry cleaning operations), large toxic mold cases, asbestos-related claims, and environmentally related claims.
Health Care
John represents hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care entities in administrative and civil matters. John also consults with hospital risk managers, their administrative teams, and internal hospital committees on a variety of legal issues including but not limited to:
•Medical Records Documentation
•Informed Consent
•General Consent
•Hospital Ethics Committee Issues
•Mental Health Commitment
•Guardianship
•EMTALA
•Risk Prevention
•Peer-Review
•Credentialing
•Medical Staff Issues
•Regulatory Issues
Insurance Coverage
John Hall regularly counsels several major insurers on complex coverage and bad faith matters. He draws on over 30 years of experience interpreting insurance coverage and litigates coverage and bad faith cases in both state and federal courts.
Intellectual Property / Entertainment
John Hall’s intellectual property experience ranges from patent litigation to false advertising claims and technology claims. The practice grew from early defense of infringement cases. His experience in litigating such matters has evolved into a business advisory practice also.
International Business
John and the HBS International Business practice focus on foreign clients - with an emphasis on Germany and other European countries - doing business in the United States on all legal issues they may face. The work primarily includes corporate, contract, employment, and immigration matters as well as both litigation and product liability issues.
Services range from helping clients form a new company in the U.S. to giving continuous legal support and advice as the business is manufacturing, marketing, and selling its products and/or services in the U.S. The work also includes estate matters involving foreign individuals or another country. Successful international practice requires the ability to understand how corporations can be successful regardless of corporate headquarter location, to appreciate the structure and dynamics of different legal systems and the practical consequences these differences make for clients, and to be willing to make the effort to assist clients who come from different cultures and life experiences as they expand their business ventures globally. John leads a team at HBS that can accomplish those goals.
John Hall is involved in several organizations with an international reach. He was instrumental in establishing the relationship between USLAW Network and the Trans European Law Firms Alliance (TELFA), which is an international alliance of independent law firms established in 1989 with more than 700 lawyers throughout Europe.
International Trade
John Hall’s practice involves a variety of international and US business areas. He currently serves as Honorary Consul for the country of Georgia. He is also involved in several organizations with an international reach. He was instrumental in establishing the relationship between US Law Network and the Trans European Law Firms Alliance (TELFA), which is an international alliance of independent law firms established in 1989 with more than 700 lawyers throughout Europe. He continues to be involved in the US Law effort to extend its international partners.
His areas of interest include transnational corporate ventures, including the creation of U.S. entities for foreign business and his work on facilitating US companies doing business abroad. He facilitates in areas of franchising, trade, acquisition, and the necessary contractual relationships to accomplish the same. He is able to bring the firm resources to the area in employment agreements, buy and sale agreements, mergers, and acquisitions.
Successful international practice requires the ability to understand how the law differs from country to country, to appreciate the structure and dynamics of different legal systems and the practical consequences these differences make for clients, and to be willing to make the effort to understand the perspectives and thought processes of clients, co-counsel, and even adversaries who come from different cultures and life experiences. John leads a team at HBS that can accomplish those goals.
Medical Malpractice
For over 25 years, John Hall worked with a vision to establish himself as one of the top litigators in the health care field. He represents hospital entities and health care systems directly in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama. John also represents hospital entities and health care systems throughout the Southeastern United States for various insurancecarriers as part of National Counsel programs. He handles matters involving birth trauma injuries and other high exposure catastrophic injury cases on a regular basis.
Products Liability
From commercial products to advanced medical equipment, John has defended a wide spectrum of manufacturers in products liability actions including trying cases involving pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing.
Professional Malpractice & Ethics
John’s practice includes the representation of attorneys in legal malpractice claims. His broad base of experience in underlying issues makes him especially suited for the defense of lawyers. Additionally, he represents professionals sued for negligence, fraud, and fiduciary breaches in nearly every other area of professional practice though D&O claims in a variety of corporate environments including health care organizations. He has done professional defense for architecture, engineers, insurance brokers, and accountants.
Recognition
•The Best Lawyers in America , Best Lawyers, 2009-2026
•Awarded in: Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants
•AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
•Georgia Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2005-2024
•Most Influential Persons in Georgia; James Magazine; 2012, 2015-2016, 2020-2021, 2023
•Legal Elite; Georgia Trend Magazine; 2010, 2018
•Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
•Most Influential and Politically-Connected Attorneys, James Magazine, 2017
•Lawyer of the Year in the Practice Area of Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants in Atlanta, The Best Lawyers in America, 2017
•Top Attorneys in Georgia, Atlanta Magazine, March 2015
•Top Rated Lawyer in Healthcare Law, American Lawyer & Corporate Counsel Magazine, 2013
•Top 1% Most Viewed LinkedIn Profiles, 2012
•Best Lawyers, U.S. News & World Report, 2010
Presentations
•Sexual Abuse & Molestation Liability Coverage, Losses, and Defense
Crittenden Medical Liability Conference; April 13, 2023
•Effect of Litigation Trends on Captives and Others
Cayman Captive Forum, November 2022
•Taking Back Control of Healthcare Litigation and Negotiations
NCMIC Biennial Seminar, October 2021
•Future of Med Mal: A Rise in Frequency & Severity and How to Combat It
DRI Medical Liability Health Care Law Seminar, July 2021
Publications
•Reviewing MPL Considerations for Long-term Amputation Costs
Inside Medical Liability, January 2022
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, Fall 2021
•Modern Litigation: The Effect and Discoverability of Third-Party Litigation Funding (Part 2 of 2)
DRI - For The Defense, April 2021
•Modern Litigation: The Effect and Discoverability of Third-Party Litigation Funding (Part 1 of 2)
DRI - For The Defense, March 2021
•Sanctions Appeals: Fighting Against Weaponized Discovery
Georgia Defense Lawyer, Winter 2021
•Debunking Trial Fiction: Five Common Myths of Trials and Why We Should Not Be Afraid to Try Cases
DRI - For The Defense, October 2020
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2020
•GAO Reports To Senate On Pre-COVID-19 Infection Control Deficiencies In Nursing Homes
HBS Coronavirus Litigation Blog; June 15, 2020
•Avoid Unconscionable Verdicts: Defending Malpractice in Amputation Cases
DRI - For The Defense, May 2020
•Defending Malpractice in Ampu-tation Cases
DRI - For The Defense, May 2020
•COVID-19 is Very Contagious. BUT...
InsiderAdvantage, March 2020
•The Rise of Mega Verdicts: Challenges and Approaches
James Magazine, January/February 2020
•Life Care Planners: Strategies for the Defense
Medical Liability Monitor, August 2019
•How the Opioid Epidemic Effects Businesses
Atlanta Business Chronicle, September 2019
•Mega-Verdicts on the Rise: Rock Stars, Diversionary Tactics, and Lack of Willingness to Break from Traditional Defense Practices Sway the MPL Verdict Landscape
MPL Association’s Inside Medical Liability Magazine, 2019 First Quarter
•Rising Hospital Settlements and the Shift Away from Defending Claims: Are We Breaking the Backs of Hospitals, Insurers, and Healthcare Consumers?
MPL Association’s Inside Medical Liability Magazine, December 2018
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2018
•Litigation Financing - The Ethical Quandary
DRI - For The Defense - January 2018
•Taking Back Control of Healthcare Litigation
Mercy Healthcare Litigation Attorney Conference, December 2017.
•Are We Afraid to Take Cases to Trial? Five Common Myths of Medical Malpractice Trials and Why more Cases Should be Tried
Inside Medical Liability, A PIAA Publication for the Medical Professional Liability Community; 2017 First Quarter.
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2017
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2016
•Are we Afraid to Take Cases to Trial? Five Common Myths of Medical Malpractice Trials and Why more Cases Should be Tried
Inside Medical Liability, A PIAA Publication for the Medical Professional Liability Community; 2017 First Quarter
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2016
•An Insurer’s Duty to Settle: The Law in Georgia
Georgia Bar Journal, August 2016
•Spoliation Analysis Following Recent Changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
USLAW Magazine, Spring/Summer 2016
•Are We Afraid to Take Cases to Trial? Five Common Myths of Medical Malpractice Trials and Why more Cases Should be Tried
DRI - For The Defense, August 2015
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2015
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2014
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2013
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2012
•Evidence
Mercer Law Review, Annual Survey of Georgia Law; Fall 2011
•Mega-Verdicts on the Rise
Inside Medical Liability Magazine, 2019 First Quarter
In the Press
HBS Attorneys Recognized in 2025 Georgia Super Lawyers & Rising Stars Lists
February 28, 2025
HBS is excited to announce that nine attorneys have been recognized on the 2025 Georgia Super Lawyers & Rising Stars list
