Gerald M. Edenfield, managing partner for the firm, was born and raised in Bulloch County. Lessons on the value of hard work and the privilege of helping others were instilled in him from an early age, growing up on a tobacco farm in rural Stilson, Georgia. He has translated these early lessons into a successful, thriving law practice which has spanned nearly 40 years. After graduating from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in 1970, Gerald practiced law in Atlanta for nine years. While in Atlanta, he had the distinction of learning to practice law in the trenches with real trial lawyers. He was a partner in the firms of Heyman & Sizemore and then Edenfield & Dailey, before returning in 1979 to practice law in Statesboro with the law firm of Allen, Brown & Edenfield.
In 1988, along with Susan Cox, Gerald formed the present law firm, Edenfield, Cox, Bruce & Classens. While he has enjoyed great success on the plaintiff’s side of cases, Gerald has also handled numerous cases for the defense, ranging from personal injury defense to business litigation defense. He has appeared in courtrooms around the state and country on cases ranging from complex business litigation, catastrophic personal injury, and education law issues. He regularly argues cases before the Georgia Court of Appeals and Georgia Supreme Court on issues ranging from insurance law to estate law. Despite his success in the courtroom, Gerald has also been very successful in negotiating settlements in excess of several million dollars. Additionally, he also is counsel for numerous businesses and public school boards.
Gerald is very dedicated to serving his profession, which has culminated in his serving as president of The State Bar of Georgia, the unified professional association that governs the practice of law throughout the state. The State Bar’s membership includes more than 39,000 lawyers and judges. As president in 2007-2008, Gerald dedicated his term to increasing the public’s awareness of the judicial system, the importance of the roles that judges and attorneys fill in upholding justice, and seeking judicial pay raises for the state and federal judiciary. Prior to serving as president, Gerald served as the State Bar secretary (two terms), Chairman of the Legislative Advisory Committee, member of the Executive Committee, and as a member of the Board of Governors for nearly 20 years. Additionally, Gerald is a member of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the American Bar Association, and a “Super Lawyer” in Atlanta Magazine in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Statesboro is Gerald’s home, and he has served Statesboro/Bulloch County as president of the Statesboro Rotary Club, president of the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce, and as a director of the Statesboro chapter of the American Lung Association. He is a director of Farmers & Merchants Bank and has taught courses at Dekalb College and Georgia Southern University and for the State Bar.
Gerald and his wife, Sharon, have been married since 1968 and have two daughters, Sharri and Kristie, both lawyers, and a son, Gerry, a senior at the University of Georgia.
