Mr. William Jonathan Martin II

Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP

Jonathan Martin is an Equity Partner and Office Managing Partner (Macon, Georgia) with Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, a national law firm that has focused exclusively on management-side on labor and employment law since 1946. With 250 attorneys in 15 states, the firm has been designated as a “Go To” Law Firm by both Corporate Counsel and Fortune magazines. The firm is also top-ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s - Best Lawyers/Best Law Firms. Jonathan was previously the national co-chair of Constangy’s Traditional Labor Practice Group.

Jonathan is a graduate of the Terry School of Business, University of Georgia, (B.B.A., Banking & Finance, cum laude), and a graduate of the Mercer University School of Law, (J.D., magna cum laude), where he served as the administrative editor of the Mercer Law Review.

Prior to private practice, Jonathan served as a military lawyer in the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, where he also held an appointment as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Jonathan currently serves in the Georgia Air National Guard, where he holds the rank of Colonel.

Jonathan focuses his practice on employment discrimination litigation for management, defending corporations in lawsuits arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as related state laws. Jonathan also represents management in traditional labor law issues under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and in wage & hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The former chairman of the State Bar of Georgia’s Employers’ Duties & Problems Committee, and the former state-wide Chairman of the Georgia Department of Labor’s Georgia Employer Committee (a public-private partnership representing over 1,600 employers), Jonathan conducts extensive management training on labor and employment law subjects for corporations and government agencies throughout the United States. Jonathan has also served on the FMLA Subcommittee and the Labor Relations Committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Jonathan has also testified as an expert before the Georgia Senate on labor relations issues affecting the State of Georgia. He is also General Counsel for the Georgia Mining Association.

For more than 20 years, Jonathan has been a contributing co-author to the Mercer Law Review publishing an annual article on Labor & Employment Law for the Annual Survey of Georgia Law. He is also Chapter Editor of ABA/BNA publication, THE DEVELOPING LABOR LAW (7th Edition & Supplements), and he co-authors an article on Labor & Employment Law for Mercer Law Review’s Eleventh Circuit Survey (GA, AL, FL).

In 2006, Jonathan was selected as a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers®.

In 2007, Jonathan was named one of GEORGIA TREND Magazine’s “40-under-40,” which recognizes “Georgia’s Best and Brightest – rising stars in business, politics, the arts, nonprofits and education.”

In 2012, Jonathan was awarded the Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® rating, the highest-possible rating for an attorney for both ethical standards and legal ability.

In 2013, Jonathan was named a “2013 BTI Client Service All-Star.” Of 307 lawyers nominated nationally by in-house counsel, Jonathan was identified as one of 28 labor and employment attorneys who were “Client Service All-Stars,” an honor reserved for those that set themselves apart by keeping a close eye on changing trends in the regulatory and legal landscape.

In 2020, Jonathan was named in 27th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, which lists the top 5% of attorneys in private practice in the United States. In 2021, Jonathan was named again in the 28th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, as well one of GEORGIA TREND Magazine’s “2021 Legal Elite.” Jonathan was selected in the 2022 and 2023 The Best Lawyers in America© as well.