James A. Goldstein

Founding Attorney

After graduating from Emory University’s School of Law in 1980, Jim Goldstein began working for a small law firm that represented the leading banks and corporations on the south side of Atlanta. Jim’s capabilities were quickly noticed, and he was made a partner in less than three years, the fastest rise ever in the firm. After successfully defending Fulton County and other entities in a series of wrongful death trials, Jim concluded that his talents would be better utilized representing personal injury victims and their families.

Jim split from the firm in the mid 1980’s and founded what is now Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC, an Atlanta law firm specifically focused on catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice cases. While the name of the firm has changed from time to time, Jim has been the senior, first-name partner in every practice he has been a part of since 1986. He has been directly responsible for attaining a multitude of multi-million-dollar recoveries upon which the reputation of the law firm is based.

Jim was identified by Fortune Magazine as one of the premier lawyers in the United States. He has been selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (one of the world’s leading legal research institutes) and served on the Steering Committee for Vaccine Litigation by appointment of the judges of the U.S. Court of Claims. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the National Trial Lawyers Association since 2013 and been named to virtually every top Georgia trial lawyer list. Jim’s trial achievements include two past record setting verdicts.

AWARD-WINNING ADVOCACY YOU CAN TRUST

Jim was identified by Fortune Magazine as one of the premier lawyers in the United States. He has been selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (one of the world’s leading legal research institutes) and served on the Steering Committee for Vaccine Litigation by appointment of the judges of the U.S. Court of Claims. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of the National Trial Lawyers Association since 2013 and been named to virtually every top Georgia trial lawyer list. Jim’s trial achievements include two past record setting verdicts.

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Georgia, 1980
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia
• Supreme Court of Georgia
• Georgia Court of Appeals

EDUCATION:

• Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia, 1980 J.D.
• Union College, Schenectady, NY, 1977 B.A. Honors: Cum Laude

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS:

• State Bar of Georgia
• American Association for Justice (AAJ)
• American Bar Association (ABA)
• Atlanta Bar Association
• The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation (FBF)
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA)
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• National Drowning Prevention Alliance

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• Named one of “Pre-Eminent Lawyers in the United States” by Fortune Magazine
• Honored as Fellow-American Bar Foundation
• Selected Georgia’s Best Lawyers (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021); publisher: Wall Street Journal
• Named Litigator of the Year-Personal Injury (2019)-American Institute of Trial Lawyers
• Lifetime Achievement Honoree-America’s Top 100 Attorneys
• Selected “Top 10”-Georgia: National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, (2019, 2020)
• Selected Georgia Top 25 Brain Injury Lawyers; Top 25 Medical Malpractice Lawyers; Top 10 Environmental and Insurance Bad Faith Lawyers; National Trial Lawyers Association
• Selected Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Georgia; National Trial Lawyers Association (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• Selected Top 100 Litigation Lawyers, Georgia, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019: American Society of Legal Advocates
• Selected Top 100 High Stakes Litigators/ Top 100 Medical Malpractice/Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys/Georgia: America’s Top 100 LLC
• Selected Personal Injury Elite Advocate, 2019, 2020: American Institute of Legal Advocates
• Named Bar Registry of Pre-Eminent Lawyers, Martindale Hubbell
• Executive Committee; National Trial Lawyers Association (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• Diplomat; National Trial Lawyers Association
• Steering Committee-U.S. Court of Claims/Vaccine Litigation
• Recognized “Advocate” National College of Advocacy’s Achievement Recognition Program
• Invited Member: Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Selected Top 100 Trial Lawyers; American Trial Lawyers Association (2009)
• Selected Super Lawyer/Georgia
• Commissioned “Kentucky Colonel” Honorable Steven L. Beshear, Governor of Kentucky (2010)