For Immediate Release
February 4, 2019
B I R M I N G H A M — Starnes Davis Florie is pleased to announce that Jay Ezelle has been chosen as the firm’s new Managing Partner. Mr. Ezelle will be responsible for managing the operations of the firm’s expanding regional footprint. He succeeds Robert P. MacKenzie, III, who will return to his litigation practice full-time after serving as managing partner.
“The role of a managing partner is to set and execute the firm’s strategy, and that’s why Jay is a perfect fit. He has served our firm ably in a variety of roles, including as a member of our Executive Committee, as Hiring Partner, and most recently as Chief Strategy Partner. He is a gifted lawyer and a trusted leader,” Mr. MacKenzie said. “We’re pleased and excited Jay has assumed this role.”
Mr. Ezelle will continue to represent clients in addition to his management duties.
“I am honored and excited to help our firm chart its course during a time of significant change in the legal profession. Now, more than ever, it’s important that we focus on creative ways to solve our clients’ problems, improve their outcomes, and enhance their overall experience,” Mr. Ezelle said.
Long regarded as a premiere, “go-to” litigation firm, Starnes has also steadily developed a reputation for its broader expertise using its lawyers’ unique trial experience to advise clients on how to avoid the courtroom through internal investigations, regulatory and compliance matters, and risk assessment and avoidance. The firm has offices in Birmingham, Mobile, and Nashville.
Mr. Ezelle has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies in a variety of settings, including national class actions and multidistrict litigation. He has also represented clients involved in mass shootings, infectious disease outbreaks, and crisis management for nationally publicized conflicts.
As Managing Partner, Mr. Ezelle will have responsibility for managing the firm’s business and deploying its strategic initiatives. “My charge is simple. I just have to continue the vision set when our firm was founded over forty years ago. Our firm exists to serve its clients and solve their problems. That is our lodestar, and it provides the firm a clear direction for how we can continue to evolve and improve to do more for our clients,” Mr. Ezelle said.
Jay is actively involved at the Cathedral Church of the Advent. He also volunteers as a board member for a number of non-profit organizations, including United Ability Foundation and the Advisory Board of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.
To learn more about Starnes and how we do more for our clients visit StarnesLaw.com.
