Dad
Composer
Georgia Native
Jonathan is part lawyer and part music composer. Two very different but complementary disciplines. His colleagues often say he is tenacious and brings an incredibly diverse set of talents and unique perspectives to every opportunity.
But to Jonathan, his commitment to Balch is simple. It’s the people and the firm’s commitment to mentoring and training that make him proud to be a part of the team. In Jonathan’s first few years at Balch he had the opportunity to help build a new practice area for the firm. And he didn’t stop there.
Hometown
Atlanta, Georgia
Education
Vanderbilt University Law School, J.D., 2014Emory University, B.A., 2009
Balch invests in its people. This is a place that will help me be the lawyer I want to be – even if it means going to into untested waters.
MY COLLEAGUES
I admire the integrity of my colleagues, especially my mentors. When the people you work with have strong moral compasses, everything else falls into place.BALCH MEMORY
As a first-year associate, I took testimony from multiple witnesses and did the closing arguments in a multi-day arbitration, which is an unusual amount of responsibility for someone just starting out. That experience repeated multiple times in my first few years of practice. That says a lot about the way the firm mentors and supports its lawyers.Without a doubt, the people at Balch are the primary driver for me. We hang out outside of work. Our families get together, and our kids are friends.
WORK FOCUS
My practice covers two main areas – consumer finance and sports. The law in both areas is a fast-moving target. But clients need straight-forward answers and actionable strategies to solve their problems. Trying to state the complex simply or give folks confidence in grey areas is a challenge I truly enjoy. For me, this ties a bit to conducting and composing. There is complexity to the assignment that hopefully results in disparate parts coming together for an elegant solution.
CAREER PATH
Most Balch partners started as summer associates. So, that tells you a lot about the culture of our firm. My mentors have helped define my career path and, because of that, I make a point of keeping an open door for associates and summer associates alike.
ADVICE For UPCOMING ATTORNEYS
Don’t worry about getting projects done; worry about getting them done right. That goes for everything from time management and research to providing our clients with candid advice.LIFE MOTTO
Wyatt Earp said, “Take your time in a hurry." I used to say it to my music and public speaking students. I say it to myself all the time.
MY COMPOSER SIDE
During my first two years working at Balch, I competed in the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s nationwide competition for new music compositions. My work was selected two years in a row and hearing it played by the ASO was truly a life experience. Recently, the ASO’s youth orchestra commissioned a new work of mine, and I continue to serve on the ASO’s Board of Directors. Balch has enabled my participation in the ASO and the community every step of the way.
BOOK CURRENTLY ON MY NIGHTSTAND
I’m on a Southern literary kick. I just finished "Gone with the Wind" from start to finish – it’s no easy task.
Travel Bucket List
China is definitely on my bucket list.
Dual Citizenship
I’m a dual citizen of the USA and Belgium and serve as the Honorary Consul of Belgium to Alabama and Mississippi. Growing up and through early adulthood, we would go to Belgium often to see family. Now that my kids (both dual citizens themselves) are getting a little older, it’s time to start back with regular trips so they can meet all my aunts, uncles, and cousins.
PERFECT DAY
Anything involving my kids.
MY Version of Self-Care
Three things: exercising, reading the newspaper at a leisurely pace, and accomplishing something around the house. I’m not a “sit still” kind of guy.
CELEBRITY LOOK-A-LIKE
I’ve gotten Clark Kent before. I think it's the glasses.
Most un-lawyerly thing I’ve ever done
I signed my mortgage without reading it.