Mediation Expertise Areas: General Civil

Registered Neutral since 2023 with Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution

Douglas attended the University of Mississippi, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy and Leadership with a minor in English. He continued his education at the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he was member of the university’s Negotiation Board, serving as the treasurer and eventual Chairman.

After earning his Juris Doctor, he moved back to his native Georgia and began practice as a staff attorney in the state’s largest criminal defense firm, representing indigent clients in Clayton County. He eventually moved to the Solicitor General’s office in Clayton County, where he prosecuted misdemeanors as a Senior Assistant Solicitor General. His time in these positions allowed him extensive courtroom exposure and first chair trial experience. He joined Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser & Eidex in January, 2020 and his practice focuses primarily on automobile and premises liability defense.

Douglas is admitted to all State Courts in Georgia as well as Georgia’s Court of Appeals.

Douglas and his wife reside in Atlanta, Georgia.

Affiliations:

Georgia Defense Lawyers Association.

Get to know – Douglas A. MacKimm

A Runnin’ Rebel in Bulldog country, that’s where Douglas MacKimm finds himself now as he sinks his roots deeper in Decatur.  For some, this may lead to a quiet allegiance to his alma mater, keeping the arrows from coming his way, but for Douglas, the hostile SEC country just gives him another chance to get his competitive juices going. Walk into his office and you quickly see that Powder Blue Ole Miss helmet proudly displayed. 

A Rome, GA native, Douglas was always destined for a career in the world of law. Attending the Darlington School gave him a unique opportunity at an early age to start polishing those litigation skills. As part of the Discipline Committee at the school, he got to take part in “hearings” related to discipline on campus. “I am not sure when I decided I wanted to be a lawyer, but it was something I decided when I was pretty young and have always pursued.” 

When not taking care of business in the classroom, he was on the lacrosse field where he excelled as an attackman on the team. “Being aggressive, trying to score goals, it fit my personality.” His competitive nature both in the classroom and on the field kept him on track for the future he knew was out there. 

After his time in Oxford as both an undergrad and law student, Douglas quickly got into the criminal side of litigation where he jumped in head first. “I was thrown into my first trial about 3 weeks after I started. A lot was a blur, but I just kept competing, giving whatever I could to the case and trying come out on top.” His humility on full display, Douglas reluctantly admits he won his first case but didn’t relish it, he was already on to his next case.

After 3 years working on the criminal side, Douglas joined Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser and Eidex where he again jumped in head first. Like everything else he had done in life, he attacked each day like he had a lacrosse stick in his hand, looking to put one in the net. 

Mediating from the defense side, Douglas has seen first hand that continuing to move forward is what gets a resolution. As a neutral, he is ready to put it into practice as well. “A strong point is a strong point, a weak point is a weak point. Identifying the facts of a case and then moving forward from there is what allows parties to reach a settlement. Getting together and getting everything on the table usually leads to a satisfactory outcome.”

When Douglas is not knee deep in a case or unwinding with his wife Sarah, who is also an attorney, you can probably find him invested in some kind of sport. Fantasy football, watching the Braves, keeping up on his Rebels, if it has to do with competition, he is probably interested.

“My competitive nature has always served me well. There is a time to attack, a time to let things come to you and a time to step back and see the big picture.” 

As your Neutral, you can be sure Douglas’ competitive drive will lead to resolution.