Dana Maine is a founding attorney of FMG and is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. Ms. Maine is also Co-Chair of the firm’s Real Estate national practice team. She is a highly experienced trial lawyer who has tried several cases to verdict including multiple high exposure jury trials throughout Georgia. She is a member of the Professional Liability Section of the Defense Research Institute and serves on its leadership committee. She also has appeared before the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Maine heads the firm’s Professional Liability National Practice Section, including Lawyer’s (LPL) and Miscellaneous Professional Liability (MPL) practice teams. She has defended attorneys, insurance agents, real estate agents, teachers, corporate officers, and other professionals. She also defends claims against homeowners associations, community management groups and an array of non- profit organizations. Ms. Maine is Vice Chair of the Professional Liability Attorney Network (PLAN), which is a national association of select law firms with significant professional liability practices. She also serves on the leadership committee for the Professional Liability Committee within the Defense Research Institute.

Ms. Maine also has worked as outside counsel to a number of school districts and private schools on a variety of governance and litigation issues including accreditation, policy and practice drafting, teacher renewal and school safety issues.

Ms. Maine also is a former Chair of the Governmental Law Committee for the Defense Research Institute and is recognized as a leading national authority on land use and zoning, education law, law enforcement, and civil rights litigation. She has tried all types of local government lawsuits and has argued a number of significant Section 1983 and constitutional appellate matters before the Georgia Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

A graduate of Agnes Scott College (B.A.), Ms. Maine received her law degree from Emory University (J.D.), where she was a member of the Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal. She has spoken throughout the country on professional liability, education law, and governmental law. Ms. Maine is a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commissioner’s Leadership Institute, and she also is active in a number of other civic and professional organizations in metropolitan Atlanta.

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia

U.S. Supreme Court Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

• “Georgia Supreme Court eliminates ‘judgmental immunity’ defense for attorneys,” FMG BlogLine
• "Georgia Supreme Court: Minor tolling statute doesn’t extend ante litem notice deadline," FMG BlogLine

• RES-Ga McDonough, LLC v. Taylor English Duma, LLP, 302 Ga. 444 (2017).
• Starship v. Coweta County, 708 F.3d 1243 (2013) United States Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
• Covenant Christian Ministries v. City of Marietta, 654 F.3d 1231 (2011) United States Court of Appeals 11th Cir.
• NTY, L.L.C. v. City of Gainesville, GA, 2008 WL 3853412 (2008) Northern District of Georgia
• Griffin Industries, Inc. v. Tommy Irvin, et al, 496 F.3d 1189 (2007) United States Court of Appeals 11th Cir.
• Granite State Outdoor Advertising, Inc. v. Cobb County, GA, 193 Fed. Appx. 900 2006 WL 2373528 (2006) United States Court of Appeals 11th Cir.
• Daley, et al v. Clark, et al, 282 Ga. App. 235 (2006) Court of Appeals Georgia
• Purcell, et al v. Toombs County, GA, et al, 400 F.3d 1313 (2005) United States Court of Appeals 11th Cir.
• Buckner v. Douglas County, GA, et al, 273 Ga. App. 765 (2005) Court of Appeals Georgia
• Mid-Georgia Environmental Management Group, LLP v. Meriwether County, GA, et al, 277 Ga. 670 (2004) Supreme Court of Georgia
• Union County, et al v. CGO, Inc., et al, 277 Ga. 349, 589 S.E.2d 240 (2003) Supreme Court of Georgia
• Lathem Realty v. Cherokee County, GA, 1:01-CV-02451 (2003) Northern District of Georgia
• Meeks v. City of Buford, GA, 275 Ga. 585, 571 S.E.2d 369 (2002) Supreme Court of Georgia

• Defense Research Institute (DRI), Former Chair Governmental Liability Committee, Professional Liability Committee (Steering Committee Member)
• Commercial Litigation Committee
• Appellate Advocacy Committee
• Women in the Law Committee
• State Bar of Georgia, Member
• Federal Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member of Standing Committee on Lawyer Professional Liability
• PLUS, Member

•  2023-2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^®
• Recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a “Litigation Star”
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in America®, 2021 Edition in the field of Municipal Law
• Best Lawyers in America, "Women In The Law", 2016
• Georgia Super Lawyer, 2010-present
• Best Lawyers in America, "Lawyer of the Year" for Municipal Law, 2013
• Atlanta Magazine's Top Attorneys in Georgia, 2010-2013
• Premier Top 100 Trial Attorneys in the State of Georgia

• “What’s Your Verdict? Potential Pitfalls in PL Defense (A Mock Trial)” 2017 PLUS International Conference, November 2017
• "Appealing A Zoning Decision," National Business Institute's Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law Seminar, Atlanta, GA, November 2016
• "What's Your Duty?"--Update on LPL and MPL Developments. Professional Liability Attorny Network, Atlanta, GA
• Lawyers Malpractice Claims- Trial Strategies and Evidentiary Issues, Chicago, IL
• Keeping Damages Down-- How to Evaluate Potential Large Claims and Reduce Exposure, New York, NY
• "First Amendment and Sign Ordinance Litigation," Civil Rights and Governmental Tort Liability Seminar, DRI
• “Section 1983 Claims Challenging Business Regulation,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia
• Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law, National Business Institute
• "Liability for Surface Water Runoff From New Development" and "Land Use Law," Georgia Civil Engineering and Surveying Land Law Seminar.com
• "Constitutional Limitations on Zoning Actions", National Business Institute’s Practice Guide to Zoning and Land Use Seminar
• "Acquisition and Abandonment of Public Roads", Institute for City and County Attorneys
• "Land Use Law", Georgia Land Law for Civil Engineers and Planned Surveyors
• "The Development Approval Process", Land Use Law and Practices