David R. Helmick

David Helmick is a partner in Waldrep, Mullin & Callahan, LLC. He concentrates his practice in civil litigation across business disputes, personal injury matters, government defense, insurance and employment disputes. His experience ranges from representing plaintiffs in personal injury and wrongful death claims, intellectual property disputes and Title IX athletic gender equity cases, to defending elected officials and large corporations.

David is a former prosecutor, and his practice often involves matters with a criminal or governmental element. He has argued in both the Georgia Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, and appeared before the federal courts in Columbus, Macon, Albany and Athens, Georgia. In addition to his experience before Georgia and federal courts, David has also handled matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

David joined Waldrep, Mullin & Callahan, LLC as an associate in 2012 and became a partner in 2015. In the past several years David has:

  • Obtained a defense verdict as lead counsel for two law enforcement officials sued for excessive force;
  • Obtained full dismissal in favor of several law enforcement clients sued over plaintiff's search and prosecution;
  • Secured summary judgment for elected official in action claiming retaliation, discrimination and harassment;
  • Secured recovery for murder victim’s family in federal lawsuit over victim’s life insurance policies;
  • Overturned an insurance company’s denial of benefits to the family of an individual killed in a car wreck;
  • Secured confidential settlement of clients’ false imprisonment claims to their satisfaction and secured multiple six figure settlements for clients injured in motor vehicle collisions.

Prior to joining Waldrep, Mullin & Callahan, David was an Assistant District Attorney in the Muscogee County D.A.'s Office for eight years where he prosecuted major felonies including murders, armed robberies, and complex thefts. As a felony prosecutor he successfully prosecuted a large number of jury trials as lead counsel, argued twice successfully in the Georgia Supreme Court, and represented the prosecution in several capital appeals and eleven appellate opinions.

David 's wife Amy is an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Georgia, where she previously served both as a U.S. District Court law clerk and staff attorney to the U.S. magistrate judge. They have a son and a daughter. David is an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church which he has served in many different ways including as an elected vestry member, usher, lector, and chair of the parish retreat committee. David is a three-time Ironman triathlon finisher and enjoys being part of Columbus' vibrant active community.

Education

Sewanee: University of the South – (2000) – B.A., Member of Swimming & Diving Team

Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University – (2003) – J.D., CALI Awards for Excellence in Real Estate Transactions and Domestic Relations

Professional and Community Affiliations

Columbus American Inn of Court (Barrister)

Columbus Bar Association (President-Elect, 2022-Present)

Columbus Trial Lawyers Association

Lawyers Club of Atlanta

Georgia State Bar Attorney Wellness Committee (2019–Present)

Enrichment Services Program, Inc. (Risk Committee, 2019–2022)

Columbus Aquatics Commission (Board Member, 2017–2022)

Commission on Columbus, Georgia New Government and Judicial Building (2017)

Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce Inter-City Leadership Conference (2017)

Georgia Legal Food Frenzy Competition (City Co-Chair, 2016)

American Red Cross of West Central Georgia (Board Member, 2014–2016)

Northside High School Mock Trial Program (Attorney Coach, 2011–2015)

Columbus–Muscogee County Charter Review Commission (Member, 2011-2012)

Chattahoochee Bar Association (President, 2011)

Trinity Episcopal Church (Vestry Member, 2010–2012)

Licensed and Admitted in:

All Georgia trial and appellate courts

All Alabama trial and appellate courts

All South Carolina trial and appellate courts

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama

U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina