Hezekiah Sistrunk Jr.

I have been a trial lawyer for over thirty five (35) years. My practice focuses largely on the litigation of complex disputes involving common law, statutory law, contract law, physician and hospital liability law, products liability law, commercial, corporate and business issues, catastrophic personal injury cases and class action/mass torts/pharmaceutical litigation. 

I have prosecuted and defended hundreds of litigated matters before state courts, federal courts and administrative agencies and tried over 100 cases to verdict.

I have lectured on medical  professional liability issues, complex litigation issues and trial techniques and presented risk management and risk assessment seminars for various clients. In addition to my trial experience, lecturing and advising clients, I have served as  a mediator in hundreds of matters.

I am a National Partner and President of The Cochran Firm, Chairman of the National Firm's Executive/Management Committee and Managing Partner of the Firm's Atlanta office. The Cochran Firm has 28 offices located in 17 states.

My professional recognitions include being named as one of the "Top 100 Lawyers" in the State of Georgia by the National Trial Lawyers Association. I have earned an "AV" Preeminent rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, the highest achievable rating given to an attorney. I have been designated a Georgia Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine from 2007 - 2022.  I was selected as a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and named by Men Looking Ahead News Magazine to its 2011 annual "Power List of Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Lawyers".  

In November 2011 I was inducted ino the Gate City Bar Association Hall of Fame.  The Gate City Bar Association is the oldest African-American Bar Association in the State of Georgia.  Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the Association's highest award. 

In March 2012 I was inducted as a Fellow into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL).  Chartered in 1954 to facilitate the administration of justice, promote the rule of law internationally, and elevate the standards  of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession, IATL limits its invitation-only membership to 500 lawyers from the United States. IATL selects only those lawyers who have demonstrated excellence in courtroom advocacy throughout their careers. 

In April 2014 I received the Clarence Darrow Award during the Mass Torts Made Perfect Conference.  The Clarence Darrow Award recognizes dedication and excellence in the legal profession and is given to jan attorney who has demonstrated exceptional conviction in his work.  

In July 2014 I received The National Bar Association's Maynard H. Jackson Legacy Award.  The award is presented to an honoree for empowering the future and providing leadership in our communities as did the late Honorable Maynard H. Jackson, Jr.  

I was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2015 for my work in the area of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs and in the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 editions for my work in the areas of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs and Products Liability Litigation-Plaintiffs. The 2021 and 2022 listing also included my work in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action-Plaintiffs. In 2019 I was named “Lawyer of the Year" for my work in Products Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs in Atlanta. Only a single lawyer in a specific practice area and location is honored with a "Lawyer of the Year" designation.

In January 2015 I was installed as President of The National Trial Lawyers Association.  The National Trial Lawyers Association is a professional organization comprised of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in each state.  I currently serve on the Executive Committee of The National Trial Lawyers (2008-2022).  

In March of 2015 I was included on The a Lawyers of Color Fourth Annual Power List.  The Power List is a comprehensive catalog of the nation's most influential minority attorneys and non-minority legal diversity advocates, including corporate general counsel, law firm managing partners, law school deans and the highest ranking government attorneys.  

In April 2015 I was selected for membership in The National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC).  Lawyers selected for membership in NADC receive the designation of Nation's Top Attorneys. Only the top one percent of attorneys in the United States is selected for membership in the NADC.

In January 2016 I was designated a Senior Fellow by the Litigation Counsel of America.  Senior Fellow status in the honorary society is reserved for advanced commitment to and support of the Litigation Counsel of America, the Diversity Law Institute and Trial Law Institute.  

In October 2016 I was selected  by America’s Top 100 Attorneys as a Lifetime Achievement recipient. This once-in-a-lifetime, by invitation only, honor is given to less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys practicing in the United States.

In December 2016 I was elected as a Fellow by the American Bar Foundation (ABF).  The Fellows is an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars who have been selected by their peers to become members of The Fellows.  Membership in The Fellows is limited to less than one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction.  

In February 2017 I was the recipient of the Lawyers of Distinction Award.  This certification is bestowed upon the top 10% of lawyers practicing in the U.S. and is granted based upon objective evaluation of an attorney’s qualifications, license, reputation, experience and disciplinary history. 

The National Trial Lawyers Magazine, from 2017 through 2020, selected me as  a participant in The Round Table: America's 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers, a very select group of the very best and outstanding trial Lawyers in the nation who have achieved extraordinary success in the courtroom and in the legal profession.  

In April 2018 I was inducted into The Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame.  The Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame recognizes and honors those few individuals, both past and present, who have left an indelible mark on the American legal tradition through a lifetime of service to the American public, the Constitution and the American trial bar.

From 2019 through 2022 I was selected for inclusion in the LAWDRAGON 500 Leading Plainfiff Consumer Lawyer guide. The guide presents the best of the U.S. plaintiff bar who specialize in representing individuals who have suffered injuries from accidents, pharmaceuticals, civil rights abuse and other torts. The 500 lawyers selected bring their cases as individual matters as well as in class actions.

In January 2020 I was selected as an honoree on The Lawyers of Color Fifth Power List. The power list recognizes the most influential minority attorneys and allies in the nation.

In February 2021 I was recognized by Lawyers of Color as one of the Ten Most Influential Black Lawyers of the Decade.

In March 2021 I was named by Trial Lawyer Magazine and The National Law Journal as a 2020 member of America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers.

In July 2021 I was designated by The Litigation Counsel of America (“LCA”) as a member of The Order of Centurions, comprised of Fellows of the LCA who have tried to verdict one hundred or more jury trials in trial courts of record and The Order of Certus, comprised of Fellows of the LCA who have made at least three oral arguments before state appellate courts or Canadian Federal or Provincial Courts of Appeal and/or two oral arguments before the United States Courts of Appeals and/or one oral argument before the United States Supreme Court or the Supreme Court of Canada.

The National Bar Association honored me with the Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Journey to Justice Award during the annual convention in July 2021. The award is presented to an attorney who exemplifies the spirit of fighting for minority communities and the courage to take on hard cases that pushes us forward as a community and a society.

In March 2022 I was selected to America's Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys® for Georgia. Less than one-half percent (0.5%) of attorneys in the United States will ever receive this award, making it the premier achievement for Personal Injury Attorneys throughout the nation.

I graduated, with honors, from N.C. State University and attended Duke University Law School as an Elvin R. Latty scholar, graduating with a J.D.  

I, along with my litigation teams, have obtained over $1 Billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients in a vast array of areas, including commercial and complex litigation, environmental litigation, products liability litigation, police misconduct and municipal liability cases, auto, trucking and vehicle accident cases, medical malpractice and professional liability cases and class action/mass tort/pharmaceutical litigation.