Mediation Expertise Areas: General Civil, Personal Injury

Registered Neutral since 2021 with Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Jay completed his undergraduate studies and his master’s degree in philosophy at Georgia State University. Earning his Juris Doctor from Georgia State University’s College of Law in 1993, he began his legal career as a sole practitioner in Decatur, Georgia. In 1995, he gained valuable trial experience prosecuting DUIs and other misdemeanors with the Fulton County Office of the Solicitor General.  Entering the private sector in 1998 as in-house counsel for one of the largest insurance companies in the country, Jay applied the trial skills he learned as a prosecutor to defending both insureds and the insurer in suits arising under automobile and homeowner’s policies.

In October 2017, Jay joined Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser & Eidex. With his experience trying more than 150 jury trials, both civil and criminal, before juries in the State of Georgia, he has earned a well- established reputation as a successful litigator, and unwavering advocate for his clients.

Jay and his wife Victoria reside in Dacula, Georgia.

Affiliations:

ABOTA – American Board of Trial Advocates

Atlanta Claims Association

DRI – Lawyers Representing Business

Former President of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the State Bar of Georgia

“AV” Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell

Get to Know – Jay F. Eidex

Like so many Atlanta natives, Jay has seen the city grow over the years, bringing both new headaches and new opportunities. The upsides vastly outweigh the downsides, Jay believes, these upsides keep Atlanta on the destination city list. And like Atlanta, Jay has continued to grow and flourish in a world of reasoning and problem solving.

A graduate of Lakeside High School, Jay sought a degree in the liberal arts field at Georgia State. As his studies progressed, philosophy became his calling card where he continued to delve deeper. “Nothing specific about the well know philosophers or ancients, Socrates, Aristotle, or Plato necessarily intrigued me outright, it was instead the logical reasoning, precedent and forward thinking that was really where I was interested and excelled.” 

After receiving his bachelors and eventually masters degree in philosophy at Georgia State, the next logical step seemed to be law school. “The more I talked it through, those same elements of philosophy that had always interested me seemed to be part of the daily job in a legal career.” Now, after 30 very successful years as an attorney in the state of Georgia, Jay is stepping into his new role as a Neutral at Sugarloaf ADR.

“Get to a solution that allows everyone to walk away satisfied.” That has long been Jay’s philosophy on mediation as a defense attorney, and something he will now put into practice as a Neutral. “Do not waste time. Avoid the uncertainty of a jury trial where there is an outright winner and loser. Know when to cut to the chase or just altogether cut bait.” 

It becomes clear for Jay that, as a neutral, communication is essential and will almost always aid in the process of moving toward a solution. Being creative, thinking about past precedent and using his years of logical reasoning on the defense side will undoubtedly lead to successful mediation sessions.

At the end of a successful mediation session, Jay gets to go home to his mini-farm in Dacula where he can head to the chicken coop, say hi to his rooster, and collect the daily allotment of eggs his hens have laid. His four dwarf goats greet him on his way to and from; and Fred, his Briard (French Sheep Dog), awaits inside to say hello. Then, it is into the leather recliner he goes to unwind from the day.

Though he would not apply the “deep thinker” moniker to himself, it does not take long interacting with Jay to know the wheels are always turning. Whether he is working through a maze of details in a case at Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser and Eidex or doing prep work for his next session as a neutral with Sugarloaf ADR, one thing always guides his thinking:

“What do we need to do to get to a solution?”