334.262.1911
Meet the McPhillips Shinbaum LLP Attorneys
McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP has built its reputation on being “The People’s Law Firm.” Learn more about the people who have helped to build this reputation by reviewing their personal biographies below:
| Aaron J. Luck, Partner | Julian L. McPhillips, Retired Founder |
Call the McPhillips Shinbaum LLP Attorneys
From our office in Montgomery, the McPhillips Shinbaum LLP attorneys represent clients throughout Alabama, focusing primarily on Montgomery, Autauga, and Elmore counties. Call today at 334.262.1911 or contact the firm online to schedule your initial consultation.
Aaron J. Luck
Partner
Attorney Aaron Luck is a partner with McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP. Aaron’s primary practice areas include personal injury, auto negligence, wrongful death, contract law, and dram shop cases.
Born into a Marine Corps family in Wisconsin, Aaron spent his early life traveling the world with his parents. He lived in Asia and Europe during his school years. After attending Auburn, Aaron served in the Marine Corps for two years. His brother, Josh, retired from the Marine Corps as a Harrier pilot after 20 years of service. After graduating from Jones School of Law, Aaron joined the firm in 1997. Aaron has become well known for obtaining tremendous results for clients. He served as co-counsel in Daniels v. East Alabama Paving, a case which resulted in a verdict of more than $7 million.
Aaron is happily married to his wife Amy. They have two children, Lacy and Adam.
Admissions
- Alabama, 1997
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
Education
- Thomas G. Jones School of Law, Faulkner University, J.D., 1997
- Officer Candidate School, U.S. Marine Corps, 1992
- Auburn University, B.S., 1991
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- Montgomery County Bar Association
- Alabama Trial Lawyers Association
James G. Bodin
Partner
James “Jim” Bodin joined the firm as a law clerk in 1995. He became a partner with the firm of McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP in 2006. Jim’s practice areas include auto negligence, wrongful death, premises liability, insurance claims, appellate practice, and criminal defense. Throughout his 21-year legal career, Jim has represented over 900 clients and has achieved numerous six-figure injury settlements for his clients.
Representative Appellate Cases
Ex parte Kenneth Bentford v. Tri Star Development, Inc., 719 So. 2d 778 (Ala. 1998);
Michael A. Pretl v. Robert H. Ford, 723 So. 2d 1 (Ala. 1998);
Beatrice E. Oliver v. Patricia Towns, 738 So. 2d 798 (Ala.1999);
Beatrice E. Oliver v. Patricia Towns, 770 So. 2d 1059 (Ala. 2000);
Robert W. O’Ferrell v. United States of America, 253 F.3d 1257 (Ala.) 11th Cir., 2001;
Angela Jackson et al. v. Cavalier Manuf. Inc., 823 So. 2d 1237 (Ala. 2001);
Angela Jackson et al. v. Cavalier Manuf. Inc., 823 So. 2d 1237 (Ala. 2001) (cert. denied, 535 U.S. 986, 152 L. Ed. 2d 464, 122 S.Ct. 1536, April 15, 2002);
Lyles v. Pioneer Housing Systems, Inc., 858 So. 2d 226, (Ala. 2003).
Gayle Pittman v. United Toll Systems, Inc., 882 So. 2d 842, (Ala. 2003).
Griffin, et. al v. Blackwell , 57 So. 3rd 161, (Ala.Civ.App. 2010).
Jimmy Johnson vs First Acceptance Insur. Co., Inc. 227 So. 3rd 77 (Ala.Civ.App. 2017).
Elliott v. Allstate Insurance Co., 254 So. 3rd 882 (Ala. 2017).
Admissions
- Alabama, 1997
- U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Alabama
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th and 11th Circuits
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
- District of Columbia, 2003
Education
- Thomas G. Jones School of Law, Faulkner University, J.D., 1996
- University of Louisiana, Lafayette, M.A. in History, 1993
- Nicholls State University, B.A.,1992
- Central Catholic High School, 1986
Professional Memberships and Affiliations
- Montgomery County Bar Association
- Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association
David Sawyer
Partner
In 2018, David Sawyer joined the law firm of McPhillips Shinbaum as of counsel. He works primarily with Senior Partner Julian McPhillips on civil rights and appellate cases, as well as running his solo practice “K. David Sawyer”. In addition to practicing in Alabama’s State and Federal Courts for 13 years, Mr. Sawyer served as the Deputy Circuit Clerk of the Jefferson County Circuit Court from 2013-2018, legal counsel for the Administrative Office of Courts from 2003-2013, and law clerk to Hon. Alva Maddox of the Alabama Supreme Court from 1990- 1991.
Admissions
- Alabama, 1991
- U.S. District Court, Middle Northern & Southern Districts of Alabama
- 11th Circuit Court of Appeals
- Alabama Supreme Court
Education
- Cumberland School of Law, Juris Doctor, Birmingham, Alabama, 1990
- Princeton University, B.A. History/American Studies, Princeton, New Jersey, 1987
Julian L. McPhillips
Retired Founder
Senior Partner, President, and Founding Attorney
Click here for a full biography on the life and times of Julian McPhillips.
Julian McPhillips was the only Montgomery attorney listed in the Employment and Labor section of Super Lawyers Business Edition 2014.
Admissions
- New York, 1972
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, 1975
- Alabama, 1975
- Supreme Court of Alabama, 1975
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama, 1976
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1976
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1982
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 1982
Career Highlights
- Senior Partner, President and Founding Attorney, McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP and predecessor firms, 1978–2014
- Assistant Attorney General, State of Alabama, 1975–1977
- Chief Counsel, Alabama Securities Commission, Alabama Banking Department, 1975–1977
- Associate Counsel, American Express Company, 1973–1975
- Associate Attorney, Davis, Polk & Wardwell, 1971–1973
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- American Association of Justice, 1979–2014
- Alabama Association for Justice, 1979–2014
- American Bar Association, 1972–2014
- Alabama Bar Association, 1975–2014
- Montgomery County Bar Association, 1975–2014
- Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association, 1980–2014
- Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 1980–2014
- Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 1972–2014
- Ordained minister, Global Evangelical Christian College Seminary & Accrediting Commission, January 2005
Civic Affiliations
- Co-founder, former senior warden and member, Christ the Redeemer Episcopal Church, 1981–2014
- Member, Holy Spirit Anglican Church, 2007–2010
- Co-founder, president, and board chairman, Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, 1987
- Board member, Alabama World Affairs Council, 1979–2009
- Member, Board of Visitors, St. James School, Montgomery, Alabama, 2005–2011
- Co-founder, president, and board chair, McPhillips International Center for Religious and Racial Reconciliation
- National board member, Anglicans for Life
- State board member, Alabama Lawyers for Life
- The Auburn Black Caucus
Public Distinctions
In an Associated Press feature story in state-wide newspapers in 1983, McPhillips was referred to as the “Public Watchdog of Alabama” and a 1984 Montgomery Advertiser column named McPhillips as the “Private Attorney General of Alabama.” In the 1997 Montgomery Advertiser “Reader’s Choice Award,” McPhillips was voted by Montgomery Advertiser readers as “Best Attorney in Montgomery.” McPhillips is the subject of a book first published in 2000 and republished in 2005 entitled “The People’s Lawyer: The Colorful Life and Times of Julian L. McPhillips, Jr.” (NewSouth Books).
Honors and Awards
- Alabama State Conference NAACP Attorney of the Year Award, 2011
- Candidate, Alabama Attorney General, 1978 (finished second in a nine-candidate race)
- Candidate, U.S. Senate, 2002 (made Democratic Primary runoff, but lost)
- Twice-elected delegate to Democratic National Convention (1980, 2000)
- Winner, 1985 Communication & Leadership Award, Toastmasters International
- Leadership Award, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 2000
- Legacy of the Dreamer Award, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 2001
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Consciousness Award, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 2003
- Humanitarian Award, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 2005 (presented jointly to Julian and Leslie McPhillips)
- Humanitarian Award, Alabama State Association of Elks, 2008
- Individual Community Leader Award, Alabama Citizens for Life, 2008
- Wrestling awards
- All-American collegiate wrestler at Princeton University, 1967
- Two-time Eastern AAU heavyweight wrestling champion (1971, 1973)
- Finalist, 220 lb. class, 1972 Summer Olympics tryouts
Publications
- Author, “From Vacillation to Resolve: The Role of French Communist Party in the Resistance Movement Against the Nazis, 1939–45” (unpublished thesis, Princeton University,1968)
- Co-author, “The People’s Lawyer: The Colorful Life and Times of Julian L. McPhillips, Jr.,” 2nd ed., NewSouth Books, 2005
- Author, “History of Christ the Redeemer Episcopal Church”, NewSouth Books, 2005
Kenneth Shinbaum
Of Counsel
Kenneth Shinbaum joined McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP in 1986. Kenneth’s primary practice areas include personal injury, automobile and truck accident litigation, employment law, civil rights law, government administrative law, premises liability, wrongful death, commercial motor vehicle accidents, and constitutional law.
Admissions
- Alabama, 1977
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Alabama
- Appellate Mediator, 2004–present
Education
- University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., 1977, L.L.M. in Taxation, 1987
- Member, Bench and Bar Honor Society
- Member, John A. Campbell Moot Court Board
- Tulane University, B.S., 1974
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- Alabama Association for Justice
- Alabama Bar Association
- Montgomery County Bar Association
- Montgomery County Association for Justice
- Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution
Publications and Presentations
Kenneth has been a presenter at various continuing legal education seminars on topics relating to the field of employment law, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Joseph C. Guillot
Of Counsel
Attorney Joseph Guillot joined the firm in 1999, starting its military practices. A former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Joe brings the discipline and tenacity he learned as a soldier into the courtroom in support of his clients. His primary practice areas include employment law, federal and private employment discrimination, administrative law, personal injury, and criminal law.
Admissions
- Alabama, 1999
- U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Alabama
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
- Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
Education
- Thomas G. Jones School of Law, Faulkner University, J.D., 1999
- Editor-in-Chief, Jones Law Review
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, M.A.S., Aeronautical Science, 1985
- Nicholls State University, B.S., Engineering Technology, 1976
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- Alabama Bar Association
- Montgomery County Bar Association
- Montgomery County Association for Justice
- Alabama Association for Justice
