Roy E. Barnes

Representing clients in Marietta, Georgia, from the Barnes Law Group, founding partner Roy E. Barnes assists people with legal matters involving personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, civil litigation, class actions and mass torts. 

A licensed practitioner for more than five decades, Mr. Barnes has handled several civil and criminal cases across Georgia and worked on more than 250 cases in federal and state appellate courts. He has spent more than 25 years as a public servant, which began with him being elected as the youngest member of the Georgia State Senate in 1975. Over the years, he assumed various leadership roles in the government and in 1998, he became the 80th governor of the state of Georgia. 

Earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in 1969, Mr. Barnes graduated cum laude with his law degree in 1972. During law school, he was recognized as an Outstanding Senior and chosen to be the president of the Student Bar Association. He gained his license to practice in Georgia and was later admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th and 11th Circuits, the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia and the Northern District of Georgia, the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals.

The recipient of many honors and accolades throughout his legal career, Mr. Barnes has been peer-review rated as AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell. The following are the list of notable awards he’s been honored with by various organizations:

• Georgian of the Year Award and featured on Legal Elite list, Georgia Trend magazine
• Leadership Award, Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity
• Georgian of the Year Award, Georgia Association of Broadcasters
• Distinguished Service Award, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
• Managed Care Leadership Award, Georgia Behavioral Health Coalition 

Mr. Barnes was also awarded with the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Profile in Courage Award in 2003 for removing a confederate symbol from the Georgia state flag during his time as governor.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.