Ken Shigley is president of the 42,250 member  State Bar of Georgia for 2011-12. As president, he serves as a spokesperson for the legal profession and court system. Most other work of the State Bar is delegated to dozens of committees he appoints and to the Bar's 75-member staff.

Mr. Shigley's active trial and litigation practice continues without interruption during his term as State Bar president, with cooperation of courts and counsel in resolving scheduling issues.

His practice focuses on high end personal injury and wrongful death cases, with an emphasis on commercial truck and bus accident cases. In addition, he has extensive experience in cases dealing with automobile accidents, defective products, dangerous premises and insurance coverage.

Mr. Shigley selectively handles catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases arising from motor carrier, tractor trailer, 18 wheeler, semi truck, dump truck, concrete truck, delivery truck, box truck, mobile crane, automobile and bus accidents,  statewide in Georgia, and in other states in compliance with the multijurisdictional practice and pro hac vice rules adopted in those states. He also serves as a mediator in civil cases.

Leadership

• President, State Bar of Georgia, 2011-12   
  
• Other State Bar of Georgia roles: President-elect, 2010-11; Treasurer, 2009-10; Secretary, 2008-09; Executive Committee; Personnel Committee (Chair); Disciplinary Board Investigative Panel; Disciplinary Rules & Procedures Committee; Indigent Defense Committee; Electronic Court Filing Committee (Former Chair); Member Benefits Committee (Former Chair); Professionalism Committee; Tort & Insurance Practice Section (Former Chair); General Practice & Trial Section (Board Member); Georgia Bar Foundation (Trustee); Lawyers Foundation of Georgia (Trustee);
  
• National Board Member, Commercial Trucking Litigation Group, American Association for Justice
• Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform (appointed by Governor Nathan Deal)
  
• Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism
• Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution
• Institute for Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (Trustee).

Honors & Awards

• Certified Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1995-present (1 of 30 in Georgia).
• Fellow, National College of Advocacy
• "AV" (highest) rating in Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, 1988-present.
  
• Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, 1995-present.
  
• "Super Lawyer," Atlanta Magazine, 2004-present.
• "Legal Elite," Georgia Trend Magazine, 2004-present.
• "Who's Who in Law," Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2011.

Publications, Teaching & Speaking

• Author: Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation & Practice (Thomson Reuters West, 2010)
• Frequent lecturer at Georgia and national continuing legal education programs.
• "A Lawyer's Calling," Georgia Bar Journal, August 2011.
• "Stewardship, Calling and Love," Georgia Bar Journal, August 2011.
• "Virtuous Lawyer is Not an Oxymoron," Georgia Bar Journal, October 2011.
  
• Multiple articles published in state and national legal journals.
  
• Former Chair, Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute
• Former Chair, Georgia Insurance Law Institute
• Former Faculty, Emory Law School Trial Techniques Program.

Representative Cases 

All cases are different, and past performance does not guarantee future results, but here are a few representative cases.

• Won $2.3 million jury verdict in rural Georgia county for client who suffered complex leg fracture in head on collision with truck operated for interstate motor carrier.
• Won $1.2 million jury verdict in Fulton County for woman with head and neck injuries who had consumed cocaine and tequila with the driver of sports car in which she was a passenger.
• Obtained $1.3 million settlement – $300,000 above insurance policy limits -- for family of young man killed when rear-ended by tractor trailer on interstate at night
• Made joint damages presentation for group of college of cheerleaders who recovered total of $9.3 million in crash caused by failure of tire on college van.
• Obtained confidential seven figure settlement against auto manufacturer where defective design of antilock brake system led to crash of minivan, resulting in quadriplegia and death.
• Obtained confidential seven figure settlement against manufacturer of sports utility vehicle where defective design of passenger restraint system and roof led to quadriplegia.
• Recovered million dollar policy limit in wrongful death case against small trucking company.
• Recovered $850,000 settlement during trial for neck fusion injury against local dump truck company in Macon, Georgia.

Memberships       

• National Conference of Bar Presidents
• Southern Conference of Bar Presidents 
• Lamar Inn of Court, Emory University Law School
• Lawyers Club of Atlanta 
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association            
• American Association for Justice
• Southern Trial Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association
• Atlanta Bar Association
• Christian Legal Society (since 1974)
  

Education

• B.A., Furman University
• J.D., Emory University School of Law
• National College of Advocacy program at Harvard Law School
• Executive education program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government
  

Personal

• Married, two children in college.
• Elder, Peachtree Presbyterian Church
• Former board chair of child development center, assistant scoutmaster of  Boy Scout troop, youth soccer coach, and board member of a Christian counseling center. 
• National advisory board, Children's Tumor Foundation NF Endurance Team.
  

Other attorneys in the firm of Chambers, Aholt & Rickard, LLP include:

• Eugene P. "Bo" Chambers, Jr.
• Douglas F. Aholt
• Clyde E. Rickard
  
• Dale C. Ray, Jr.