Ali Sabzevari is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary's Atlanta office. He practices in the firm's Commercial Litigation and Government Liability practice teams. Mr. Sabzevari represents public and private companies in complex commercial litigation, business disputes, and class actions. He also represents local government entities, including counties and municipalities, in state and federal lawsuits involving a wide range of claims, including civil rights and personal injury. His experience also extends to defending health care providers as well as health care product and device manufacturers against personal injury claims in the life sciences. He has represented clients in several high-profile cases at both the trial and appellate levels as well as in mediation and arbitration proceedings. Mr. Sabzevari has been named in Georgia Super Lawyers – Rising Stars and recognized on the Benchmark Litigation “40 & Under Hot List,” an exclusive ranking of the most talented U.S. litigators 40 years of age or younger.

Mr. Sabzevari has tried multiple cases to verdict and has also obtained numerous favorable results in pre-trial proceedings. Examples of his trial work include:

• Bullard v. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., Case No. 01-16-0004-4651 (2017) (successfully represented one of the largest automotive retailers in the U.S. in arbitration by achieving award denying all claims against dealership) 
• McDonough Village South, LLC v. Sowards, Civil Action File No. 2015-CV-01012-5 (2016) (achieved six-figure judgment on behalf of commercial lessor and management company in breach of contract action)
• Ford v. Woodforest National Bank, Civil Action File No. 2016-CM-2439 (2016) (defended a national bank through trial and achieved defense verdict in client’s favor)
• Grant v. Clayton Cnty., Ga., No. 1:14-CV-1279-TWT, 2015 WL 4744623 (N.D. Ga. Aug. 11, 2015) (achieved dismissal of employment discrimination lawsuit on behalf of employer)
• Thrasher v. Hall Cnty., No. 2:14-CV-00148-RWS, 2015 WL 751715 (N.D. Ga. Feb. 23, 2015) (achieved dismissal of lawsuit filed by individual raising federal Constitutional claims for violations of his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, as well as state law claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress, wrongful/false arrest, false imprisonment, and negligence)
• Bagwell v. Hall Cty., No. 2:14-CV-00195-RWS (N.D. Ga.) (achieved summary judgment for a sheriff’s deputy on allegations of unlawful search, excessive force, and denial of medical care under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and negligence under state law based on the denial of medical care)

As part of his appellate practice, Mr. Sabzevari has handled cases in the United States Supreme Court, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Georgia Supreme Court, and Georgia Court of Appeals. Examples of his appellate work include:

• Authored brief in the United States Supreme Court in Dukes v. Deaton, 199 L.Ed.2d 23 (2017) (successfully obtained denial of petition for writ of certiorari from Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in favor of clients)
• Authored brief in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Ducre v. Archer, 2016 WL 3006843 (2016) (affirming district court's grant of summary judgement to police officer on the basis of qualified immunity)
• Authored brief in the Georgia Supreme Court in Mosley v. Lowe, 298 Ga. 363 (2016) (obtained clarification from the Supreme Court of Georgia that retroactive application of statutory amendments that expanded the right to restrict access to criminal records did not violate state constitutional prohibition against retroactive laws)
• Authored brief in the Georgia Court of Appeals in City of Lovejoy v. Clayton Cty., 335 Ga. App. 881 (2016) (affirming trial court’s decision declaring city’s annexation ordinance null and void)

Mr. Sabzevari received his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, magna cum laude, finishing 12th in his class of 232 students. While in law school, Mr. Sabzevari served as an advocate on Georgia Law’s Mock Trial team and was selected to serve as a pupil in the Chattahoochee Inn of Court. Also while in law school, Mr. Sabzevari interned for Congressman Jack Kingston in Washington, D.C. and the Honorable Richard W. Story of the Northern District of Georgia. He served as a volunteer mediator at the Athens-Clarke County Magistrate Court. As a result of his academic success, Mr. Sabzevari was elected to the Order of the Coif.

He received his B.B.A. in Economics from Georgia Southern University, where he was a member of several honor societies, served as a Student Government Association Senator, and served as President of Phi Alpha Delta, President of Alpha Tau Omega, and President of the Interfraternity Council.