Overview

Jessica Phillips has spent her entire career defending first-party property claims and third-party liability claims. She represents some of the nation’s largest insurance carriers as well as third-party administrators in damage disputes and fraud matters involving roofing, arson, theft and contractor claims, among others. Jessica frequently litigates in state and federal courts and handles cases ranging from roofing disputes involving single-family homes to multimillion-dollar fraud claims.

Jessica’s work primarily involves first-party property disputes, and she has developed significant skill in this area. Further, her experience in federal court exceeds that of most of her peers, enabling her to aggressively, effectively and confidently cross-examine arsonists, investigators, water mitigation contractors, roofing contractors and other witnesses.

Jessica has significant experience defending insureds in tort litigation, including slip and falls, intentional act cases and dog bite cases, among others.

Jessica makes a substantial effort to understand the position of each of her clients. She also brings to her work a technical and scientific background that helps her understand the complex issues in a claim. She has developed a detailed understanding of mitigation guidelines, protocols, roofing provisions, building codes, engineering papers, publications and other sources that inform her cross-examinations.

During law school, Jessica participated in two national moot court competitions, including one focused on highly technical federal insurance statutes, which continues to be important in her work today. She also was an active member of the Mercer Law Review, in which she was published twice, and participated in the university's nationally recognized legal writing program.

Awards/Recognitions

  • AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review

Memberships

  • Atlanta Claims Association

  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)

  • Defense Research Institute

  • Southern Loss Association

  • State Bar of Georgia

Interests

Outside of the office, Jessica enjoys doing yoga and spending time with her rescue dogs, Yoshi and Ollie.

Experience

Experience

  • Won a motion for summary judgment on behalf of a nationwide insurance carrier in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia that completely disposed of an arson case.
  • Won a motion for summary judgment that completely disposed of an intentional misrepresentation and fraud case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on behalf of a nationwide insurance carrier.
  • Obtained partial summary judgment that disposed of a punitive damages claim in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on behalf of a nationwide insurer.  
  • Won all of the roughly 20 magistrate court trials she has led on behalf of her clients.

Newsroom

Thought Leadership

Publications

  • Southern Loss Association Newsletter, “Expert Testimony: Separating the Junk from the Jewels Under Federal Rule of Evidence 702,” February 2019

  • Southern Loss Association Newsletter, “Catch Me If You Can,” November and December 2016

Presentations

  • Atlanta Claims Association Annual Educational Conference, “Roofing the Big Tent,” April 2018

  • Middle Georgia Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters Society, Mock Mediation, March 2018

Bar Admittances

  • Georgia
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia

Education

Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University (J.D., 2010)

College of Charleston (B.S., 2004)

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