Oliver Maner, one of Savannah’s oldest and most respected law firms, is pleased to announce that lawyer and partner William J. Hunter has been named President of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Southeastern Georgia chapter. Hunter recently hosted his first Annual Mixer event as president

Born in Arkansas, Hunter came to Savannah in 2003 and has been with Oliver Maner since that time. Hunter is a member of the State Bar, has served by appointment on the State Bar's Bench and Bar Committee, and is a member of the Federal Bar Association and Savannah Bar Association. Hunter focuses his practice on trial work and litigation and is routinely recognized on prestigious lists such as Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Legal Elite and others. He has been named the "Savannah Lawyer of the Year" by U.S. News' Best Lawyers in multiple practice areas. He is licensed to practice in all courts in the State of Georgia and has handled several cases in many other states. Hunter has done pro bono work in various jurisdictions across the United States seeking the early release of non-violent drug offenders pursuant to the First Step Act.

Over the past several years, Hunter has successfully represented plaintiffs who were severely injured or died in cases against product manufacturers, medical device manufacturers, trucking companies and large industrial or construction companies. Hunter also regularly defends physicians across south Georgia who are sued for medical malpractice. Hunter also does trial work involving serious business disputes, including misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of fiduciary duties. 

In 2016, Hunter was elected to the Board of Directors for Union Mission, Savannah's leading organization for providing assistance to the homeless. He currently leads Union Mission's Executive Committee as Chair of the Board of Directors. He has also served on the administration board of his church, Wesley Monumental. 

Now, Hunter proudly serves as President for the Southeast chapter of ABOTA, an organization whose mission is to preserve the right to trial by jury. Founded in 1958, ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges. ABOTA and its members are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ABOTA membership consists of more than 7,300 lawyers—equally balanced between plaintiff and defense—and judges spread among 95 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.