John Phillips grew up in Mobile, Alabama — the kind of place where you learn early that the people with the least power often need the most help. He went to the University of Alabama for undergrad and law school, moved to Jacksonville in 2001, and spent the first eight years of his career as a civil defense attorney representing companies like Coca-Cola, Hertz, and State Farm.

He was good at it. And he hated it.

The work paid well, but it meant using his skill set to minimize what injured people received rather than maximize it. So he switched sides — deliberately, permanently. He worked alongside John Morgan, then founded his own firm in 2011 with a premise that hasn’t changed: represent people, not portfolios.

Today, Phillips, Hunt & Walker handles personal injury, wrongful death, criminal defense, family law, medical malpractice, and civil rights cases from their office at 660 Park Street in Jacksonville. John is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and licensed in eight states and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2025, the Forbes Editorial Board named him one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers and one of the Top 20 Lawyers in Florida — editorial recognitions, not paid placements. He holds the largest known jury verdict in Northeast Florida: $495,123,680. But what sets the firm apart isn’t credentials — it’s that John still answers his own phone, still takes cases other firms won’t touch, and still shows up for the Debbies and the Martins and the Williams alongside the headline names.

For the full professional bio, case results, and legal credentials, visit John’s profile at Phillips, Hunt & Walker.