James A. Rice, Jr.
Partner
Jim Rice is the founder and managing partner of Rice McGowan and has more than 25 years of experience litigating high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death cases. He is known in the legal community for his unrelenting commitment to accept nothing less than a full and fair economic recovery for his clients, a philosophy that has produced some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Georgia history. (In 2023, Jim and his trial team secured a $58M recovery from a large international retailer that failed to provide adequate security at one its stores.)
Jim has been recognized for excellence in the practice of law by the industry’s most respected independent rating organizations. For the past 6 years he has been named to the Top 100 List of Georgia Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters and named a Georgia Super Lawyer for close to 20 consecutive years. Jim also maintains an AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is recognized as one of the state’s Legal Elite by Georgia Trend Magazine. His verdicts and settlements are also regularly covered by the industry’s leading legal publications for their complexity and outcomes. (A sample of those articles is below.)
Prior to representing individuals and families in serious injury and death cases, Jim worked on behalf of corporations and insurance companies. This experience provided an insider’s view into the techniques and strategies employed by large well-financed defendants, knowledge that he leverages today for the benefit of the firm’s clients.
“Perspective and experience are very powerful assets in the practice of law, and especially in the areas of catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation. I feel my background in insurance defense makes me a more effective advocate on behalf of our clients and provides an extra layer of determination and understanding about exactly what they are facing when they hire our law firm.” – Jim Rice
Jim earned her Juris Doctor with Honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. He is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia and Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. When not practicing law, he enjoys spending time with his family at the lake and traveling to exciting places both in the U.S. and abroad.
Practice Areas
Personal Injury
Negligent Security
Wrongful Death
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Premises Liability
Products Liability
Honors and Awards
Top 100 List, Georgia Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters
AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Legal Elite, Georgia Trend Magazine
Million Dollar Advocacy Forum
Admissions
Georgia
Florida
Education
University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D. (with honors)
University of Florida, B.A.
Professional Memberships
State Bar of Georgia
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Media Coverage
Woman Injured in Forklift Accident at Major Food Supplier Location Settles Lawsuits for $11M, The Daily Report, November 7, 2022
Couple Injured by Drunken Driver on I-85 Reach $1.5M Settlement, The Daily Report, April 17, 2019
Fulton Jury Awards $43M to Man Shot, Robbed in CVS Parking Lot, The Daily Report, March 25, 2019
Jury Awards $417K Despite Facebook Posts of Injured Man Running Race, The Daily Report, April 23, 2018
$1M Settles Suit for Man Rear-Ended by Alleged DUI Driver, The Daily Report, November 3, 2017
‘Eggshell’ Plaintiff Nets $700K for Minor Bumper-Bender, The Daily Report, June, 2017
Plaintiff’s Icy-Weather Experience Not a Factor in $700K Slip/Fall Verdict, Law.com, December 8, 2014
BAC Home Loans Servicing, L.P. v. Wedereit, 773 S.E.2d 711 (Ga. 2015)
