Claude M. “Mickey”
Kicklighter Jr.

Litigation Attorney

With over 40 years of legal experience, Mickey Kicklighter brings his unique perspective to represent clients in all types of cases. Mickey is a lawyer that knows the profession from both sides having worked in the public and private sector. He has tried well over a  1,000 cases in the courtroom including more than 75 jury trials; and  negotiated resolutions for over 7,000 other cases. Mickey’s knowledge and experience are the backbone of Kicklighter Law.

Mickey began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for the State of Georgia before being promoted to Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit Court (Liberty, Long, Tattnall, Evans, Bryan, and McIntosh Counties); his duties there were prosecuting felony criminal cases from simple drug possession to murder.

He transitioned into private practice focusing on Plaintiff’s personal injury work. Later, upon relocating from South Georgia to Atlanta he began representing clients through their insurance companies; this gave him the opportunity to garner additional knowledge and insight. While working on the defense side Mickey also worked as a risk management attorney for Cobb County defending government employees from civil claims of all sorts.  He has also represented professional athletes in the NFL and NASCAR as an agent. 

Mickey applies the skills and knowledge he attained from his previous positions to the practice of personal injury law and assisting with obtaining justice for injured victims.

Education
  • Mercer University, B.A. in Political Science, minor in English and Psychology (1979)
  • Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, J.D. (1982)
Professional Activities
  • Member, Military Legal Assistance Program, State Bar of Georgia
  • Member, The National Trial Lawyers
  • Founding, Current member, and Two-time Past President, Effingham County Bar Association
  • Current Member, Bulloch County Bar Association
  • Former Member, Uniform Superior Court Rules Committee, State Bar of Georgia
  • Former Member, Judicial Qualifications Committee, State Bar of Georgia
  • Former Special Master, State Bar of Georgia
Representative Clients
  • Former Counsel, Effingham County Industrial Development Authority
  • Former Counsel, ALCOA Aluminum State of Georgia
  • Former Risk Management Attorney, Cobb County Georgia
Bar Admissions
  • State of Georgia
  • Admitted to the Supreme Court of Georgia
  • Admitted to the Court of Appeals of Georgia
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
Professional Awards and Accolades
  • Voted Best Attorney by readers of Effingham Herald 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022
  • Voted Best Law Firm by readers of Effingham Herald 2020 and 2022
  • Voted Best Attorney by readers of Effingham Magazine 2022
  • Top 3 Finalist, Divorce Attorney, Best of the Coastal Empire 2019 and 2022
  • Top 3 Finalist, Family Law Attorney, Best of the Coastal Empire 2022
Civic Activities
  • Member, Compassion Christian Church – Effingham Campus
  • Former President, Springfield Lions Club
  • Former Vice Chairman, Effingham County CASA Board
  • Former Vice Chairman, The Effingham County Family Connection
  • Founding Member, Leaders Improving the Future of Effingham Committee (LIFE)
  • Charter Member, Statesboro Sunshine Rotary Club
  • Founding Member and Past President, Springfield Revitalization Committee

Attorneys

Kelsey Kicklighter

Kelsey Kicklighter

Associate Attorney

Education
  • Mercer University, B.A. in Psychology, minor in English and Philosophy, cum laude (2015)
  • Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, J.D., cum laude (2018)
Professional Activities
  • Board of Director, Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia
  • Member, Wellness Committee of the State Bar of Georgia
  • Former Young Lawyer Liaison, DRI Government Liability Committee
Bar Admissions
  • State of Georgia
  • Admitted to the Court of Appeals of Georgia
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
  • Admitted to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
Professional Awards and Accolades
  • Bert Hummel Profile in Courage Award (2021)
  • Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Legal Writing (2018)
  • Senior Managing Editor of the Mercer Law Review (2017-2018)
  • Student Editor for Journal of Southern Legal History (2017-2018)
  • Mercer-Oxford Human Rights Scholar (2017)
  • CALI Award for Oxford Human Rights Course (2017)
  • Brief Captain for Jessup Moot Court Team (2017-2018)
Civic Activities
  • Board of Director, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Georgia
Publications

Before joining Kicklighter Law, Kelsey Kicklighter worked for well-respected insurance defense firms in Atlanta, GA, and St. Simons, GA. She defended businesses and insurance companies in a wide array of personal injury cases, including automobile crashes, medical malpractice, institutional negligence, government liability – municipalities and counties, psychiatric facilities, and unsafe property. At Kicklighter Law, Kelsey’s focus is on representing plaintiffs in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases of all types, including cases involving care at mental health facilities and long-term care facilities, premises liability, negligent security, construction accidents, automobile accidents, trucking accidents, defamation, product liability, government liability, and medical malpractice. Kelsey’s insurance defense experience gives her an important understanding and familiarity with insurance companies and how they value and handle personal injury lawsuits. This experience ensures she is able to resolve claims of injured persons quickly, efficiently, and successfully. Currently, Kelsey is a Board of Director for the Young Lawyer’s Division of the State Bar of Georgia and a Board of Director of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Georgia.

Prior to coming to Kicklighter Law, Kelsey wrote on the Psychiatrist-Patient Privilege in Georgia, co-authored the Local Government Law Section of the Annual Survey of Georgia Law in the Mercer Law Review, co-authored an article on the effect and discoverability of third-party litigation funding, Kelsey participated in an interview in the Daily Report regarding her experience with miscarriage, marriage, and work during the pandemic. She received the Bert Hummel Profile in Courage Award from the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia in June 2021.

Kelsey holds a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Mercer University, where she was the Senior Managing Editor of the Mercer Law Review and a student editor for the Journal of Southern Legal History. She was also a Mercer-Oxford Human Rights Scholar, received a CALI Award for the Oxford Human Rights Course, and was given the Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Legal Writing. She was Brief Captain for the Jessup Moot Court Team, a student member of the William A. Bootle American Inn of Court, and a student member of the W. Homer Drake, Jr., Georgia Bankruptcy Inn of Court. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in Psychology from Mercer University, where she minored in English and Philosophy. Kelsey is a South Effingham High School alumni.

Kelsey was raised in Rincon, GA, in Effingham County, where her family roots go all the way back to her great-grandparents, George Carlisle Exley and Addie Shearouse Exley, living and working in Effingham County. She is the daughter of Kicklighter Law’s CEO, Mickey Kicklighter, and the CFO, Kimberly Kicklighter, who she credits with her passion for helping others, work ethic, and love for family, among her other accomplishments. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys spending time with her husband, Trey, their son, Beau, and their two dogs, Bandit and Apollo.

Brian (B.J.) C. Fussell, Jr.

Associate Attorney

Education
  • University of Georgia, B.A. in Political Science, minor in History (2015).
  • Mercer Law School, J.D. (2020).
Bar Admissions
  • State of Georgia
Professional Memberships
  • Current Member Phi Alpha Delta
  • Current Member Phi Delta Phi
Civic Activities
  • Founding member of the Mercer Law Historians.

B.J. Fussell graduated magna cum laude from Mercer Law School in May of 2020 and joined the Kicklighter Law, P.C. team in June of 2020. He has experience working in several different areas of practice, including Criminal Law, Domestic, Personal Injury, Construction, and Property law.

B.J. works in all the firm’s practice areas including construction, personal injury, criminal defense, and family law.

Prior to joining the Kicklighter Law, P.C. team, B.J. worked for private firms in Houston County and Lowndes County. Two of B.J.’s articles were published in the Mercer Law Review during his time as a law student. B.J. received the highest grade in the following classes in law school: Contracts I, Juris & Judgements, Statutory Law, Torts II, Law of Lawyering.

Two of B.J.’s articles were published in the Mercer Law Review during his time as a law student. B.J. received the highest grade in the following classes in law school: Contracts I, Juris & Judgements, Statutory Law, Torts II, Law of Lawyering.

B.J. was born and raised in Coffee County, Georgia by his mother Michelle and his father Brian Sr., a nurse and farmer respectively, and to whom he credits a lot of his achievements. In his spare time B.J. enjoys fishing, hunting, golf, and watching his favorite sports teams the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves, though they have broken his heart on multiple occasions.

Support Staff

Mandy Hargrove

Senior Paralegal, Chief of Staff

[email protected]

Mandy is the law firm’s Chief of Staff and paralegal. She oversees the day-to-day operations and works with individuals facing family law related issues such as adoptions, divorce, custody, child support, and contempt actions.

Colleen Eddy

Estate and Family Law Legal Assistant

[email protected]

Colleen Eddy joined Kicklighter Law in 2019 as a legal assistant and receptionist, handling personal injury and construction defect matters. She is now assisting with family law and estate matters.

Kimberly Kicklighter

Chief Financial Officer

[email protected]

As Mickey’s wife, Kim has been providing support to the firm since its inception. Kim transitioned into the bookkeeping role in 2012. Today, she oversees the financial operations of the firm and its facilities as well as provides support to the attorneys and staff whenever necessary. 

Tiffany Palmer

Paralegal

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Tiffany Palmer is a Claxton native and mother to two beautiful girls. Tiffany began her career as a paralegal in 2006. She joined Kicklighter Law in 2023 assisting attorney Kelsey Kicklighter with personal injury claims. Having experienced the trauma of a terrible automobile accident, Tiffany has firsthand knowledge of the road to recovery. She brings a wealth of empathy, compassion, and knowledge. Tiffany is committed to advocating for our clients and helping them navigate the claims and litigation process.

Heather Harrelson

Paralegal

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Heather Harrelson is a Claxton native who began her career as a paralegal in 2009. She joined Kicklighter Law in 2024 assisting Mickey and B.J. with criminal, civil and family law matters. Heather loves working in the legal industry and has quickly become an asset to the Kicklighter Law team! When she’s not at work, you will find her in the stands cheering on her all-star son, Christian; spending time with her daughter, Taylor; off with her husband, Josh, of 16 years; or being the best Mimi to the sweetest granddaughter, Hartlee June. Heather brings the same passion for her family to work with her daily and it drives her to seek the best outcome for our clients.