Kevin Hamilton

Kevin Hamilton was meant to be an attorney. To say that he grew up around the law would be an understatement. As a child, he used to spend many afternoons after school at his father, Joe Clay Hamilton's office on 7th Street in Meridian. He saw first-hand how his father was able to assist so many people who were going through a tough time or to solve a problem that they had encountered.

Before graduating from Meridian High School, Kevin worked summers at the firm, helping as a file clerk and runner, all while trying to soak up everything he could from his father about what it took to be a good attorney and counselor to clients who were in need of help. Upon graduation from MHS, Kevin went on to attend Meridian Community College on an athletic scholarship and then continued on at the University of Alabama in order to pursue studies with an eye toward law school. While at Alabama, Kevin graduated with high honors and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. But instead of continuing his law school studies there, he opted to attend the University of Mississippi School of Law, just as his father had.

During his time at Ole Miss Law, he obtained the top grade for his section, consisting of approximately 150 first-year students, for his performance in both legal research and legal writing for both semesters of his first year, thereby earning the AmJur / American Jurisprudence Award. He also served as a member of both the Mississippi Law Journal and Moot Court Board. Kevin ultimately graduated near the top of his law school class and was one of only five law students chosen to be in Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Upon graduation from law school, Kevin joined one of the largest and most prestigious regional law firms in the Southeast at their main office in New Orleans, where he joined the commercial litigation section and went on to assist numerous Fortune 100 companies in high-stakes litigation that oftentimes involved disputes over tens of millions of dollars.

In late 2006, after having lived in New Orleans through Hurricane Katrina and having been in a serious wreck himself, both of which gave him a chance to see up close and personal the struggles of dealing with insurance companies, he decided to move back home and go into practice with his father in order to help the Davids of the world fight back against corporate and insurance Goliaths. Since moving back home, Kevin has helped hundreds of injury victims throughout the state obtain justice and full compensation for their injury claims. In addition to having obtained five separate million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for injury clients, Kevin has successfully argued numerous cases before the Mississippi Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In recognition of his achievement in helping to obtain justice and a $4,000,000 verdict in favor of his badly injured client, who was offered $0 before the lawsuit was filed, in 2011 Kevin became one of the youngest-ever recipients of the Trial Lawyer of the Year award.

This award is presented by the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association, from its more than 800 members, to the individual who has done the most to advance the rights of injury victims in the state. Kevin has also had the honor of being chosen as the Meridian Star's Best Attorney based upon voting by readers. He has served on the Diversity Committee of the Mississippi Bar Association as well as on both the Amicus Curiae committee and the Board of Governors for the Mississippi Association for Justice.