Hand Arendall Harrison Sale Welcomes Joe Duncan

Hand Arendall Harrison Sale is happy to announce Joe Duncan has joined the firm’s Birmingham office as a Member.

“We are thrilled to welcome Joe to our Birmingham office,” said Ben Goldman, Birmingham Managing Lawyer. “Joe’s depth of experience in high-stakes litigation, combined with his work shaping Alabama law at both the legislative and appellate levels, makes him an exceptional addition to our firm. He is not only a talented trial and appellate advocate, but also a strategic partner who helps clients proactively manage risk. Joe’s reputation, leadership, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our firm’s values, and we are excited about the impact he will have on our clients and our team.”

Duncan represents clients ranging from family companies to Fortune 500 businesses at both the trial and appellate level. His practice consists of the defense of claims relating to personal injury, product liability, construction defect, contractual disputes, trucking and insurance coverage. Duncan spends much of his time working with clients, contractors and trade groups to proactively reduce the risk of liability using lessons learned from litigation.

Duncan has helped to mold Alabama law in both the legislative and judicial branches. He assisted in authoring legislation relating to contractor liability, contractor licensing, road builder liability, and statutes of repose. He has argued before the Alabama Supreme Court on the subjects of indemnity, personal injury and product liability. In Hosea Weaver and Sons, Inc. v. Balch, the Alabama Supreme Court recognized the “accepted-work doctrine” based on arguments made by Duncan as amicus counsel on behalf of the Alabama Road Builders Association. The Court’s decision reversed a $7.5 million verdict in favor of the plaintiffs and rendered a judgment in favor of the defendant. More recently, in DISA Industries, Inc. v. Bell, Duncan also successfully argued for the Court to reverse a $500,000 verdict in favor of a plaintiff and render a verdict in favor of the Defendant, a manufacturer of a cast iron molding line.

Duncan and his wife, Ellen, live in Vestavia with their children, Porter and Sophie. In his spare time, Duncan runs half marathons, has dabbled in competition BBQ, enjoys traveling and spends much of his time coaching youth sports. Between baseball and softball, Duncan has coached more than 300 games. He earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University, where he played rugby and was a member of the school’s 1999 SECC Championship team. Duncan earned his juris doctor from The University of Alabama School of Law where he served on the editorial board of the Alabama Law Review.

Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC is a regional law firm with offices along the coast of Northwest Florida and throughout the state of Alabama.  Since the start, the firm has maintained a fundamental commitment to providing quality legal services to the clients it serves.  Cases and projects are staffed with the goal of achieving success for the client with maximum efficiency.  With offices in Athens, Birmingham, Mobile, and Fairhope, Alabama; and Florida offices in Destin, Panama City, and Santa Rosa Beach, the firm is uniquely situated among the Southeast’s major law firms to provide legal direction to clients throughout Alabama, Northwest Florida, and Mississippi. Learn more at www.handfirm.com.