Josh Archer Headshot | Large 2023

T. Joshua R. Archer

Partner
  • (404) 962-3556
Download Resume jarcher@balch.com
Education
  • Mercer University School of Law
    J.D., 1994, cum laude
  • Duke University
    B.A., 1990
Bar Admissions
  • Georgia, 1994
About Josh
As regulatory and judicial oversight of business interests intensifies, I look forward to helping my business clients navigate through those challenges.
Q&A
  • What types of clients do you represent?

    I represent business clients across a variety of sectors, including energy, insurance, and industrial. My practice emphasizes resolving business tort and contract claims, defending product liability and personal injury allegations, and settling administrative law controversies for small privately owned companies and large corporations alike.

  • What do you see on the horizon of your area of practice?
  • What do you find most exciting about your work?
  • What legal challenges are you looking forward to tackling in the future?

Select Matters

  • Pole Attachments/Joint Use: Represented multiple electric utilities in contract disputes, negotiations, regulatory proceedings and litigation, involving pole attachment and joint use agreements.
  • Patronage capital class actions: Lead team and arguments resulting in trial court’s dismissal of two class actions, patronage capital lawsuits filed against three named distribution EMCs. In both cases, plaintiffs challenged the EMCs’ patronage capital distribution practices using many legal theories. In general, plaintiffs sought to increase electricity rates and remake how EMCs operate in Georgia. The trial court dismissed the statutory claims because nothing in the EMC enabling act requires EMCs to distribute patronage capital to current or former members. The act simply provides EMCs should address the allocation and disposition of revenues in their bylaws, which all the EMCs did. 
  • Electrical fire claims: Lead investigations of a series of fire claims for electric utility alleging new technology ignited fires. Following investigation, including both scene inspection and laboratory exams, causation was determined not to be new technology, and no suits were filed against the electric utility.

News

    Speaking Engagements

      Credentials

      Education
      • Mercer University School of Law, J.D., 1994, cum laude
      • Duke University, B.A., 1990
      Courts
      • U.S. Supreme Court
      • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
      • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
      • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia
      • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia
      • State Courts of Georgia
      • Supreme Court of Georgia
      • Georgia Superior Court
      • Georgia Court of Appeals
      • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
      Bar Admissions
      • Georgia, 1994
      Professional Affiliations
      • American Bar Association
      • State Bar of Georgia
      • Atlanta Bar Association
      Awards & Accolades
      • Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial

      • The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

      Clerkships
      • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama, Honorable Alex T. Howard Jr., 1994 - 1996