Professional Background and Legal Philosophy
Before Andy started his own business, he worked with a prestigious trial firm as an appellate lawyer. He quickly gained a reputation as one of Alabama’s leading experts on appeals, punitive damages, products liability law, procedure, evidence, tort reform, and protecting trial records. During his appellate years, Andy argued scores of appeals to the Alabama Supreme Court, many involving cases of first impression and many more involving seven- and eight-figure verdicts. Remarkably, Andy handled 17 appeals simultaneously with over $100 million worth of verdicts and five cases of first impression challenging the tort reform package passed by the Alabama legislature in 1987.
The Alabama Supreme Court appointed Andy to serve on the Alabama Pattern Jury Instruction Committee. Andy also served as editor for the Alabama Trial Lawyers Journal and served on numerous local rules committees. He has published papers and given lectures to large groups of lawyers and judges across Alabama.
Andy was featured on the Alabama Super Lawyers 2009 list and in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He is board-certified as a civil trial advocate. Andy is one of the top 100 trial lawyers in Alabama and is recognized by the Bar Register as one of the community’s most eminent professionals. Andy has been AV rated (the highest peer rating available) for more than 17 years. In addition to these distinctions, the firm has been named on the Bar Register of Preeminent Law Firms by Martindale-Hubbell for the past 10 years. In 2017, his law firm was named one of Alabama’s best companies to work for.
Another passion of Andy’s is his Safe Driving Program, entitled D.A.N.G.E.R.S. He taught this safe driving course to thousands of local high school students in coastal Alabama and plans to continue this work. His message to the students: “Drive safely and put me out of business!”
Family and Personal Life
Andy grew up on the blue waters of Hollywood, Florida, the fifth of six children. He left Florida to attend Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. At Tulane, he served as president of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Andy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1983. He then attended Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama. Andy served as the articles editor for the American Journal of Trial Advocacy and was awarded the Curia Honoris award by the law school faculty and graduated cum laude.
Andy is married to Jeannie Little Citrin, and they have four children: Sarah, Katherine, Andy, and Gigi. They are the joy of his life and his inspiration to continue to fight for justice.
Licenses and Certifications
- Alabama State Bar
- Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate
Education
- B.A., Tulane University (1983)
- J.D., Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (1986, cum laude)
Professional Associations
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- American Association for Justice
- American Society of Legal Advocates
- National Board of Trial Advocacy
Awards and Recognition
- Supreme Court of Alabama Certificate of Appreciation
- Bar Register of Preeminent Law Firms (2009)
- Alabama Super Lawyers: Top Attorneys in Alabama
- American Jurist Institute: Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys for Alabama
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers (2009-2011)
- Best Companies to Work for in Alabama (2017)
- The National Trial Lawyers Trucking – Top 10
Selected Appellate Decisions
- Alfa Mutual Insurance Co. v. Roush, 723 So.2d 1250 (Ala. 1998).
- Boykin v. Keebler, 648 So.2d 550 (Ala. 1994).
- Campbell v. Williams, 638 So.2d 804 (Ala. 1994).
- Crown Life Ins. Co. v. Smith, 657 So.2d 510 (Ala. 1995).
- Delaney’s v. Illinois Union Ins. Co., 894 F.2d. 1300 (11th 1990).
- Etheridge v. DVA Healthcare Renal Care, 230 So.3d 763 (Ala.Civ.App. 2015).
- Gaut v. Medrano, 630 So.2d 362 (Ala. 1993).
- Hornady v. Truck Line Inc. v. Meadows, 847 So.2d 908 (Ala. 2002).
- Lakeman v. Otis Elevator Co., 930 F.2d 1547 (11th 1991).
- Mobile Infirmary Medical Center v. Hodgen, 884 So.2d 801 (Ala. 2003).
- Pacific Mut. Ins. Co. v. Haslip, 499 U.S. 1 (1991).
- Perkins v. Hartford Ins. Group, 932 F.2d 1392 (11th 1991).
- Randol v. Mid-West Nat. Life Ins. Co. of Tenn., 987 F.2d 1547 (11th 1993).
- Ray v. Anesthesia Associates of Mobile, P.C., 674 So.2d 1250 (Ala. 1998).
- Wright by and through Wright v. Holy Name of Jesus Medical Center, 628 So.2d 510 (Ala. 1993).
- Wyatt v. Otis Elevator Co., 921 F.2d. 1224 (11th, 1990).