P. Michael Freed

Michael Freed is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary’s Atlanta office and serves as Vice Chair of the firm’s national Appellate Advocacy practice section. He is also a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation/Directors & Officers and Tort & Catastrophic Loss practice sections. Mr. Freed focuses his practice on appellate litigation in state and federal courts across the country and is known for his strategic approach to legal problem-solving and persuasive advocacy.

Mr. Freed promotes the strategic advantage of proactive appellate preparation. He frequently collaborates with trial counsel early in the litigation process, long before a case reaches the appellate stage, by drafting dispositive motions, motions in limine and Daubert motions to shape cases favorably. He also serves as embedded appellate counsel at trial, preserving evidentiary objections, identifying critical issues, drafting jury instructions and arguing motions. This front end involvement strengthens clients’ positions for potential appeals.

Mr. Freed represents clients in a wide range of industries and legal matters, including transportation, premises liability, negligent security, product liability, government liability, constitutional claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, insurance coverage, commercial disputes, education, employment, construction, real estate, medical malpractice and legal malpractice. He is a frequent speaker on appellate and litigation strategy topics and has authored numerous legal publications.

Mr. Freed graduated magna cum laude from Georgia State University College of Law, where he served as Editor in Chief of the Law Review. He earned his undergraduate degree from Goshen College in Indiana.

Georgia

Georgia Court of Appeals

Georgia Supreme Court

Northern District of Georgia

U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

• “Ethical Issues and Alternative Fee Arrangements,” New York State Bar Association Journal, Vol. 85, No. 4, May 2012
• “A Roadmap for Determining Coverage for Construction Defect Claims in New York,” LexisNexis, April 23, 2012
• “GEORGIA LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW,” First ed. 2011, contributor
• “GEORGIA GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE,” First ed. 2010, contributor
• “CHAPTER 6: CHOICE OF LAW,” New Appleman on Insurance Law Library Edition, 2009
• “Limitations on Punitive Damages Since State Farm v. Campbell: Lessons for Insurers,” Journal on Insurance Issues, Vol. 6, #4, May 2009

APPELLATE CASES

Reported Cases 

• Washington Street Apartments, LLC et al, v. Fredd, — S.E.2d –, Case No.
  A25A0183 (Ga. Ct. App. 2025)  

• Hicks v. Middleton, — F.4th –, Case No. 22-14324 (11th Cir. 2025) 

• Kearney v. Oppenheimer & Company, Inc., 915 S.E.2d 709 (Ga. Ct. App. 2025) 

• Hall County Board of Tax Assessors v. Oliver Family Investments, 914 S.E.2d 319 (Ga. Ct. App. 2025)    

• Lowe Construction and Development, LLC v. Hudgins, 909 S.E.2d 541 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024)  

• Swinford v. Santos, et al., 121 F.4th 179 (11th Cir. 2024)  

• Boyd v. Frontier Adjusters, Inc., 906 S.E.2d 720 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024) 

• Estate of Tomlinson v. Houston Healthcare, 905 S.E.2d 664 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024) 

• Apple Pie Ridge Homeowners Association, Inc. v. Andrews, 902 S.E.2d 665 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024)  

• Soundra v. AMB Sports & Entertainment, 899 S.E.2d 428 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024) 

• First Acceptance Insurance Company of Georgia v. Watts, 899 S.E.2d 849 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024)  

• College Park Business and Industrial Development Authority v. College Park MOB, LLC, 899 S.E.2d 749 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024)  

• Rounds v. Hall County, 885 S.E.2d 256 (Ga. Ct. App. 2023)  

• Karekezi v. Pinnacle Systems, Inc., 885 S.E.2d 235 (Ga. Ct. App. 2023) 

• Deaton Holdings, Inc. v. Reid, 888 S.E.2d 333 (Ga. Ct. App. 2023) 

• Luke v. Gulley, 50 F.4th 90 (11th Cir. 2022)  

• Emory University v. Neurocare, Inc., 985 F.3d 1337 (11th Cir 2021) 

• LG Chem, Ltd v. Lemmerman, 863 S.E.2d 514 (Ga. Ct. App. 2021)  

• Auto-Owners Insurance Company v. Smith, 798 S.E.2d 93 (Ga. Ct. App. 2017)  

• Kitchen International, Inc. v. Evans Cabinet Corporation, 714 S.E.2d 139 (Ga. Ct. App. 2011) 

• Evans Cabinet Corp. v. Kitchen Int’l, Inc., 593 F.3d 135 (1st Cir. 2010) 

• Kitchens Intern., Inc. v. Evans Cabinet Corp., 993 A.2d 252, 253 (Super. Ct. App. Div. 2010) 

• C. Ingram Company v. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, 694 S.E.2d 181 (Ga. Ct. App. 2010) 

Amicus Cases 

• Taylor v. Devereux Foundation, Inc., 885 S.E.2d. 671 (Ga. 2023)  

• St. Simons Waterfront, LLC v. Hunter, Maclean, Exley & Dunn, P.C., 746 S.E. 2d 98 (Ga. 2013)  

Unreported Cases  

• Breedlove et al., v. Hill et al., 2025 WL 1906057, Case No. 24-11579 (11th Cir. 2025) 

• Wright v. Warren, 2025 WL 1409296, Case No. 23-13930 (11th Cir. 2025) 

• EOI Industrial IV, LLC v. Vinings Vineyard Condominium Association, Inc., et al., Case No. A24A118 (Ga. Ct. App. 2024).  

• Halstead v. Espinoza, 2023 WL 2399288, Case No. 21-13356 (11th Cir. 2023)  

• Postell v. City of Cordele, Georgia, 2023 WL 4364503, Case No. 22-13636 (11th Cir. 2023) 

• Great American Insurance Company v. Allied World Insurance Company, Inc., 2023 WL 3736878, Case No. 22-12496 (11th Cir. 2023) 

• Bouvier v. City of Covington, Georgia, 2023 WL 8015792, Case No. 23-11410 (11th Cir. 2023)  

• Durham v. Aerial Funding, LLC, 2022 WL 2388423, Case No. 21-13847 (11th Cir. 2022) 

• Millspaugh v. Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services, 2022 WL 17101337, Case No. 22-10132 (11th Cir. 2022) 

 

EMBEDDED APPELLATE COUNSEL CASES 

• Serkalem Abebe v. Jose Ramirez, et al., State Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia, Case No. 22-C-03648-S3 (2025) 

• McGee v. Snow Trucking, LLC, et al., State Court of Hall County, Georgia, Case No. 2020SV000684N (2024)  

• Simmons v. Smart Freight, State Court of DeKalb County, Georgia, Case No. 20CV1571 (2024)  

• Annicelli v. Mari, Superior Court of Cobb County, Georgia, Case No. 16-1-9103-48 (2023) 

• Adams v. Claxton, State Court of Fulton County, Georgia, Case No. 16EV005072 (2023) 

• Gordon v. Rowley, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Civil Action No 4:20-cv-00084 (2023)  

• Loeza v. Flex Personnel, LLC, State Court of Fulton County, Georgia, Case No. 21EV004853 (2023)  

• Black v. Newton Medical Center, et al., State Court of Dekalb County, Georgia, Case No. 15A54609E2 (2022)  

• Price v. Employers Mutual Casualty Company, Superior Court of Gordon County, Georgia, Case No. 16CV65969 (2003) 

• Diaz v. The Partnership, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Civil Action No. 1:21-cv-03661 (2023) 

 

Appellate Oral Argument  

• Washington Street Apartments, LLC et al, v. Fredd, –S.E.2d–, Case No.
  A25A0183 (Ga. Ct. App. 2025)   

• Hall County Board of Tax Assessors v. Oliver Family Investments, 914 S.E.2d 319 (Ga. Ct. App. 2025)    

• Hicks v. Middleton, et al., — F.4th –, Case No. 22-14324 (11th Cir. 2025) 

• Swinford v. Santos, et al., 121 F.4th 179 (11th Cir. 2024)   

• Rounds v. Hall County, 885 S.E.2d 256 (Ga. Ct. App. 2023)  

• Deaton Holdings, Inc. v. Reid, 888 S.E.2d 333 (Ga. Ct. App. 2023) 

State Bar of Georgia

Georgia Rising Star, 2010

• “Georgia Tort Reform” – Four-part FMG Webinar Series, 2025
• “Cross-Examination of Experts,” Georgia Premises Liability CLE, October 9, 2015
• “Avoiding Legal Malpractice Claims for New Lawyers,” Georgia Beginning Lawyers Program, February 22, 2016
• “Use of Experts in Product Liability Cases.” Georgia Product Liability CLE, February 24, 2016
• “Avoiding Legal Malpractice Claims for New Lawyers,” Georgia Beginning Lawyers Program, February 23, 2015
• “Trends in Product Liability Litigation” Charlotte, NC, January 6, 2015
• “Avoiding Legal Malpractice Claims for New Lawyers,” Georgia Beginning Lawyers Program, February 24, 2014
• “How to Avoid Legal Malpractice and Legal Malpractice Claims,” Georgia Beginning Lawyers Program, February 25, 2013
• “Challenges Facing Lawyers,” Georgia Real Estate Closing Attorneys Association, February 13, 2013
• “10 Steps for Avoiding Legal Malpractice,” Carlson on Evidence CLE, December 20, 2012
• “Balancing Advocacy and Professionalism in Light of Evanoff v. Evanoff,” Georgia Family Law Institute CLE, May 26, 2012
• “Legal Malpractice: Making Sure You’re Covered and Mitigating Exposure,” Malpractice, Ethics, and Professionalism CLE, September 2011