After serving 16 years on the Supreme Court of Georgia, including almost three as Chief Justice, Harold D. Melton will join the national law firm Troutman Pepper on July 19. Melton, who announced his intention to leave the Supreme Court of Georgia in February, is celebrated for his steadfast commitment to the rule of law, trailblazing leadership, and public service.
Prior to leading Georgia’s judicial branch, Melton served for two and a half years as executive counsel to then-Gov. Sonny Perdue after serving for 11 years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Georgia Department of Law.
“Chief Justice Melton is a distinguished leader who has served our state for nearly three decades,” said Troutman Pepper Chair Steve Lewis. “We are delighted to welcome him to Troutman Pepper where we are certain our clients will benefit from his experience and expertise, particularly in appellate litigation and state attorneys general matters.”
Melton was appointed to the state’s highest court in 2005 by Gov. Perdue and became Chief Justice in September 2018. During the last year and a half, he has been praised statewide for his leadership of the judiciary throughout the pandemic since he first declared a Statewide Judicial Emergency on March 14, 2020.
“While Justice Melton was an esteemed leader on the bench, prior to his public service, he was simply a phenomenal lawyer,” said John West, chair of Troutman Pepper’s Business Litigation Department. “Troutman Pepper is gaining an incredible amount of expertise with his joining, and we are excited he selected us for his next chapter.”
“I spoke with a number of firms and am pleased to be joining Troutman Pepper, which has a talented group of litigators and an excellent reputation for client service,” Melton said. “I look forward to building my practice and applying my experience in ways that can help clients through complex matters.”
Melton earned his JD from the University of Georgia School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University. In November 2020, Auburn renamed its student center after Melton, who as an undergraduate became the university’s first Black Student Government Association president.
Troutman Pepper’s Business Litigation Practice Group is nationally recognized for its work defending and prosecuting high-stakes commercial matters in federal, state, trial, and appellate courts throughout the country. Attorneys are experienced in litigating complex multi-district cases, class actions, and single-case litigations and represent a diverse array of clients from mid-market companies to Fortune 500 leaders.
About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,200 attorneys strategically located in 23 U.S. cities. The firm’s litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from start-ups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients’ most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including health sciences, energy, real estate, insurance, finance, private equity, construction, and technology, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.
