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Harold Franklin, a partner in King & Spalding’s Trial and Global Disputes Practice, specializes in defending corporations in complex and high-stakes product liability litigation. A member of the firm’s nationally ranked Automotive and Transportation Pharmaceutical/Medical Device teams, Harold’s national litigation and trial practice focuses heavily on high stakes individual and mass tort (MDL and Class-Actions) product liability litigation in the automotive, life sciences, and consumer products industries.  His practice has also included high-exposure business disputes and internal investigations. Harold has represented many of the world’s largest corporations in complex “bet-the-company” litigation and trials.  Harold is recognized nationally for his profile as a litigator and is a member of the Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC), comprised of the world’s leading product manufacturers and the top product liability defense counsel.

His six most recent trials include a high-profile federal court automotive product liability trial, which was selected and featured in 2014 by the Daily Report’s “Litigation Department of the Year” award publication. 

Harold has also served as in-house counsel (through secondment) for a global product manufacturer, where he was responsible for selecting and retaining outside counsel and managing complex product liability litigation throughout the United States.  More recently, Harold was selected by one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers to serve as one of its national written discovery counsel and also as trial counsel (along with three other trial counsel with other law firms) of a high-profile bellwether automotive product liability case. 

Harold is a 1990 graduate of Emory University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Spanish. Prior to entering the legal profession, he served as vice president of an insurance brokerage firm specializing in group benefit plans for many of the nation’s leading insurance companies. Harold received his Juris Doctor from the Georgia State University School of Law in 1999. During law school, he served as a Student Judicial Clerk to the Supreme Court of Georgia.  While in law school, Harold received numerous awards in local, regional, and national trial and appellate competitions.

A recognized civic leader, Harald has engaged heavily in and led pro bono and community service endeavors in both the legal profession and broader community throughout his career and he has served on numerous national and local boards. Harold is a past president of the Gate City Bar Association, Georgia’s oldest historically African-American bar association, and more recently served as president of Atlanta Bar Association, the largest voluntary bar association in the Southeast United States.

With almost two decades of extensive involvement and key leadership roles in external and internal Diversity and Inclusion initiatives in the legal industry, Harold serves as King & Spalding’s Diversity Chair.  In addition to chairing the firm’s Diversity Committee, Harold leads the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion (“D&I”) leadership team and drives the firm’s internal and external D&I programs and initiatives. 

Harold serves on the national Executive Board of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (“LCCRUL”) and as Regional Vice Chair for the organization. He is the Chair of Georgia Election Protection (through the LCCRUL), a non-partisan, pro bono initiative to help ensure the integrity of the electoral process and fair elections.  He serves as Board Chair for the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and recently completed his term as Board Chair for the Truancy Intervention Project. 

In 2009, Harold was selected by the Georgia United States Congressional Delegation to serve on a 13 member Federal Judicial Advisory panel to the delegation regarding Presidential appointments to selected judgeships on the U.S. District Courts, U.S. Attorneys, and U.S. Marshals in Georgia.  Harold was recently nominated and appointed by the federal judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia to a three-year term on the Court’s 15 member Federal Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel. 

Harold has lectured locally and nationally on both legal and pro bono related topics ranging from evidentiary issues involving product liability law, to deposition strategy/best practices, to Voting Rights and Non-Partisan Election Protection initiatives, to Ethics in the legal profession. Keynote speaking engagements include: 2008 Bench and Bar Keynote Speaker at the Georgia State University College of Law; 2009 Election Protection Keynote Speaker at 25th Anniversary of the World Conference of Mayors; and 2009 Law Day Keynote Speaker (A Legacy of Liberty - Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial) at the Georgia State University College of Law.

Harold was selected by his peers in 2023 for inclusion in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for his expertise in Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants.  Harold also has been named as a Georgia Super Lawyer (2008-present) by Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine, as a Legal Elite by Georgia Trend Magazine, recognized by the Daily Report in 2007 as 1 of the Top 15 Lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40, and in 2016 by the Daily Report as a Georgia Attorney of the Year Finalist and he has been recognized by Legal 500 USA (Mass Tort Defense) for his national profile as a litigator and leading practitioner in his field.  In 2020, Harold was honored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle with the Outstanding Voice for Diversity & Inclusion Award.  In addition, Harold has been recognized consistently (2018 – present) by Best Lawyers in America as a leading practitioner in his field.  In 2020, Harold was honored by the Daily Report with its Professional Excellence Award and was also honored as a Georgia Trailblazer.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Georgia State University

B.A., Emory University

Florida

Georgia

Spanish

Best Lawyers in America 2017 - Present


Benchmark

Recognized for his national profile as a litigator


Legal 500

Georgia Super Lawyer


Super Lawyers, 2008-Present

Recognized as Legal Elite


Georgia Trend, 2006

2016 Attorney of the Year Finalist (1 of 5 lawyers statewide)


Daily Report

Ranked as one of the top 15 lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40 and featured in a cover story


Fulton Daily Report, 2007

Commitment to Equality Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2012

Justice Benham Community Service Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2016

Presidential Award


National Bar Association, 2007-2009, and 2012

Ranked as a "Rising Star"


Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine, 2006-2007

Outstanding Lawyer Award


Gate City Bar Association, 2012

Man of the Year Award and Law and Justice Award


Men Looking Ahead Magazine, 2016

Men of Influence Award


Atlanta Business League, 2015

Service Award for leadership & service in founding the Justice Benham Law Camp


Gate City Bar Association, 2009

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Recognition

Best Lawyers in America 2017 - Present


Benchmark

Recognized for his national profile as a litigator


Legal 500

Georgia Super Lawyer


Super Lawyers, 2008-Present

Recognized as Legal Elite


Georgia Trend, 2006

2016 Attorney of the Year Finalist (1 of 5 lawyers statewide)


Daily Report

Ranked as one of the top 15 lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40 and featured in a cover story


Fulton Daily Report, 2007

Commitment to Equality Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2012

Justice Benham Community Service Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2016

Presidential Award


National Bar Association, 2007-2009, and 2012

Ranked as a "Rising Star"


Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine, 2006-2007

Outstanding Lawyer Award


Gate City Bar Association, 2012

Man of the Year Award and Law and Justice Award


Men Looking Ahead Magazine, 2016

Men of Influence Award


Atlanta Business League, 2015

Service Award for leadership & service in founding the Justice Benham Law Camp


Gate City Bar Association, 2009

Matters

Served as trial counsel in four high-stakes product liability cases, three of which resulted in complete defense verdicts and the fourth in a zero dollar judgment.

Served as trial counsel in high-profile automotive product liability case in federal court and obtained favorable settlement on the eve of closing arguments.

Served as one of two national written discovery counsel for one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers in high stakes “bet-the-company” product liability litigation.

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Close

Matters

Served as trial counsel in four high-stakes product liability cases, three of which resulted in complete defense verdicts and the fourth in a zero dollar judgment.

Served as trial counsel in high-profile automotive product liability case in federal court and obtained favorable settlement on the eve of closing arguments.

Served as one of two national written discovery counsel for one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers in high stakes “bet-the-company” product liability litigation.

Represented global automobile manufacturers in high stakes product liability personal injury litigation. Led and supervised defense of automobile manufacturers in cases (individual and consolidated actions) involving the designs of air bags, roofs, seat belts, steering, brakes, throttle control systems, and overall vehicle structure.

Deposing fact and expert witnesses in complex product liability actions across the country and arguing evidentiary, substantive, procedural motions, dispositive and pre-trial motions.

Worked from abroad by playing active role in time sensitive and highly complex corporate internal investigation (in Spanish) of European energy company after it restated its oil and gas reserves. Provided analysis of numerous corporate governance issues.

Represented global beverage company by conducting review and analysis of trial and appellate court records (in Spanish) involving licensing agreement dispute between various distributors and sub-licensees in South America.

Represented global manufacturer in depositions (in Spanish) in complex product liability action. Prepared analysis of deposition proceedings, directed negotiations and secured global settlement.

Served as lead counsel in providing advice and counsel to one of the world’s largest manufacturers by conducting comprehensive review and analysis of document retention policies and associated records retention schedules and providing recommendation regarding policy implementation throughout engineering and manufacturing functions within the corporation.

Served as member of King & Spalding team that served as national coordinating counsel and trial counsel in product liability litigation involving antidepressant medication, including in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Mass Tort Program, ranked number one in the American Tort Reform Association’s 2010 list of “Hellhole Jurisdictions.” Led and managed numerous case teams in all aspects of fact and expert discovery, including the depositions of fact witnesses, medical doctors, and expert witness preparation.

Served as lead counsel for public sector investigative body in contentious and high profile ethics investigation.

Matters

Served as trial counsel in four high-stakes product liability cases, three of which resulted in complete defense verdicts and the fourth in a zero dollar judgment.

Served as trial counsel in high-profile automotive product liability case in federal court and obtained favorable settlement on the eve of closing arguments.

Served as one of two national written discovery counsel for one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers in high stakes “bet-the-company” product liability litigation.

See more

Close

Matters

Served as trial counsel in four high-stakes product liability cases, three of which resulted in complete defense verdicts and the fourth in a zero dollar judgment.

Served as trial counsel in high-profile automotive product liability case in federal court and obtained favorable settlement on the eve of closing arguments.

Served as one of two national written discovery counsel for one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers in high stakes “bet-the-company” product liability litigation.

Represented global automobile manufacturers in high stakes product liability personal injury litigation. Led and supervised defense of automobile manufacturers in cases (individual and consolidated actions) involving the designs of air bags, roofs, seat belts, steering, brakes, throttle control systems, and overall vehicle structure.

Deposing fact and expert witnesses in complex product liability actions across the country and arguing evidentiary, substantive, procedural motions, dispositive and pre-trial motions.

Worked from abroad by playing active role in time sensitive and highly complex corporate internal investigation (in Spanish) of European energy company after it restated its oil and gas reserves. Provided analysis of numerous corporate governance issues.

Represented global beverage company by conducting review and analysis of trial and appellate court records (in Spanish) involving licensing agreement dispute between various distributors and sub-licensees in South America.

Represented global manufacturer in depositions (in Spanish) in complex product liability action. Prepared analysis of deposition proceedings, directed negotiations and secured global settlement.

Served as lead counsel in providing advice and counsel to one of the world’s largest manufacturers by conducting comprehensive review and analysis of document retention policies and associated records retention schedules and providing recommendation regarding policy implementation throughout engineering and manufacturing functions within the corporation.

Served as member of King & Spalding team that served as national coordinating counsel and trial counsel in product liability litigation involving antidepressant medication, including in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Mass Tort Program, ranked number one in the American Tort Reform Association’s 2010 list of “Hellhole Jurisdictions.” Led and managed numerous case teams in all aspects of fact and expert discovery, including the depositions of fact witnesses, medical doctors, and expert witness preparation.

Served as lead counsel for public sector investigative body in contentious and high profile ethics investigation.

Credentials

J.D., Georgia State University

B.A., Emory University

Florida

Georgia

Spanish

Best Lawyers in America 2017 - Present


Benchmark

Recognized for his national profile as a litigator


Legal 500

Georgia Super Lawyer


Super Lawyers, 2008-Present

Recognized as Legal Elite


Georgia Trend, 2006

2016 Attorney of the Year Finalist (1 of 5 lawyers statewide)


Daily Report

Ranked as one of the top 15 lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40 and featured in a cover story


Fulton Daily Report, 2007

Commitment to Equality Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2012

Justice Benham Community Service Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2016

Presidential Award


National Bar Association, 2007-2009, and 2012

Ranked as a "Rising Star"


Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine, 2006-2007

Outstanding Lawyer Award


Gate City Bar Association, 2012

Man of the Year Award and Law and Justice Award


Men Looking Ahead Magazine, 2016

Men of Influence Award


Atlanta Business League, 2015

Service Award for leadership & service in founding the Justice Benham Law Camp


Gate City Bar Association, 2009

Close

Recognition

Best Lawyers in America 2017 - Present


Benchmark

Recognized for his national profile as a litigator


Legal 500

Georgia Super Lawyer


Super Lawyers, 2008-Present

Recognized as Legal Elite


Georgia Trend, 2006

2016 Attorney of the Year Finalist (1 of 5 lawyers statewide)


Daily Report

Ranked as one of the top 15 lawyers in Georgia under the age of 40 and featured in a cover story


Fulton Daily Report, 2007

Commitment to Equality Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2012

Justice Benham Community Service Award


State Bar of Georgia, 2016

Presidential Award


National Bar Association, 2007-2009, and 2012

Ranked as a "Rising Star"


Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine, 2006-2007

Outstanding Lawyer Award


Gate City Bar Association, 2012

Man of the Year Award and Law and Justice Award


Men Looking Ahead Magazine, 2016

Men of Influence Award


Atlanta Business League, 2015

Service Award for leadership & service in founding the Justice Benham Law Camp


Gate City Bar Association, 2009