William J. Atkins

Bill Atkins represents clients in medical malpractice, wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has developed unique expertise representing children injured or killed in day care facilities, victims of sexual abuse in youth service, religious or academic institutions, and victims of excessive force by law enforcement officers. He is also a certified mediator and arbitrator.

Bill began his career prosecuting felonies and misdemeanors in Douglas County. He transitioned to civil practice in 2000 and has earned a reputation as a tenacious trial lawyer. He has secured multiple six and seven figure verdicts and settlements for his clients in employment discrimination, civil rights, medical malpractice, and other catastrophic personal injury cases.

Juries have returned multi-million-dollar verdicts in all of Bill’s medical malpractice cases. Bill has also secured multi-million-dollar settlements for his clients in commercial trucking cases, sexual abuse of children by a volunteer in a youth services organization, and the family of a little girl who choked to death in a day care center.

Bill is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association’s Executive Committee. He is a GTLA Champion and PAC member. Bill has given seminar presentations on a variety of topics including medical malpractice, non-emergency medical transport, auto and trucking, trial techniques, employment discrimination and police misconduct.

Bill volunteers his time to serve as co-director of the Walton High School Mock Trial Program. Each year, he recruits lawyers to help teach high school students the fundamentals of trial practice. The team has finished in the top 3 in the Region every year, won a District championship, and earned a spot in the State tournament 2 times, including a run to the final four in 2021.

Bill lives in Marietta with his wife, Kathleen, and Puppy, a delightful 15-pound poodle mix. He has four stepchildren scattered around the country and enjoys frequent visits with them. He plays golf, enjoys sailing and wastes far too much emotional energy rooting for various sports teams.

PUBLICATIONS

• Defeating Qualified Immunity: Excessive Force & False Arrest Cases

2007 GTLA Annual Convention

• Representing Citizens Against Law Enforcement in the Eleventh Circuit

ICLE Seminar: Litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983• Using Depositions Testimony to Avoid Summary Judgment

GTLA Seminar – Depositions: From Good To Great To Winning

• Ministerial Duty Claims Under Georgia Law

ICLE Seminar: Litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983

• Death by a Thousand Cuts: The Expansion of Qualified Immunity Threatens the Continued Viability of Constitutional Torts

GTLA’s Verdict Magazine

NOTABLE PUBLISHED OPINIONS

In Re: J.S.J., 253 Ga. App. 174, 558 S.E.2d 763 (2002)

Finding Juvenile Court acted without jurisdiction to declare child deprived.

Laura Skop v. City of Atlanta, 485 F.3d 1130 (11th Cir. 2007)

Reversing grant of summary judgment in §1983 false arrest case.

Bates v. Harvey, 518 F.3d 1233 (11th Cir. 2008)

Establishing law on entry into home without a warrant to search for minor on “Pick Up Order.”

Randall v. Scott, 610 F.3d 701 (11th Cir. 2010)

Establishing “right to candidacy” as basis for 1st Amendment Retaliation claim.