Joseph E. Finley (Joe)

Joe Finley is a litigator and trial lawyer with more than 25 years of experience representing companies in high-stakes business and tort litigation. He focuses on complex construction and commercial disputes in federal, state, and bankruptcy courts, as well as arbitrations and mediations.

For more than a decade, Joe represented the owners of the first two nuclear units built in the United States in more than 30 years, handling litigation over project design, construction, and cost overruns in federal court and bankruptcy proceedings involving the project's engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. He served as lead counsel in a series of construction cases concerning the technological infrastructure of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and has represented engineering firms, contractors, and owners in cases involving design and construction defects, delays, and contract disputes. He also advises clients on contract negotiation and drafting agreements for construction projects. His recent trial experience includes a three-week federal jury trial where commercial property owners sued a financial institution over allegedly fraudulent loans taken out in their names without consent.

Before joining Jones Day, Joe served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps, handling a dozen felony jury trials and more than 50 bench trials and contested sentencing hearings. Joe is recognized by Chambers USA as a leading construction lawyer and serves as a guest instructor for Emory Law School's Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques. In addition, Joe advises clients and speaks at seminars on the impact of generative AI on the legal profession.