Hidden Gems: Meet Nigel Phiri of Law Office of Nigel Phiri, Esquire LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nigel Phiri.

Hi Nigel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and spent parts of my childhood in Zambia and South Africa, before eventually relocating to the United States. Growing up across two continents gave me a perspective early on about struggle, resilience, and opportunity.

After moving to the U.S., I graduated from Roswell High School (in Georgia). From there, I enrolled at Georgia State University as a Pre-Law major, and I managed to complete my degree in just three years, graduating cum laude. During my time at Georgia State, I founded a student-run organization focused on helping peers navigate the academic, spiritual, and emotional aspects of college life — an early sign of my interest in mentorship and community. I was also honored to receive the Phil Peters Scholarship in both my junior and senior years.

Next came law school: Mercer University School of Law. There I immersed myself in the rigorous parts of legal training — I earned an Advanced Legal Writing & Researching Certificate, coached on the Wagner National Moot Court Team, and served as Executive Managing Editor for the Southern Journal of Policy & Justice. I also competed in moot court and was recognized for a published article on expert witness integrity.

My legal career began even before graduation: in 2014, while still in law school, I interned for State Farm doing insurance defense work. After law school (2015), I continued along that path, working with major insurance defense firms (like Vernis & Bowling and Cruser & Mitchell) in Atlanta, defending insurers such as Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, GEICO, USAA, and more.

That experience was invaluable — I learned how insurers think, the mechanics and posture of defense, which ultimately sharpened my skills. In 2017, I made a pivot: I joined a small plaintiff’s practice, switching sides to fight for injured individuals against insurance companies. Then in 2019, I joined Morgan & Morgan (the largest plaintiff firm in the U.S.), handling cases in premises liability, auto wrecks, and negligent security. During that time, I secured an $8.8 million verdict in 2021, and was ranked #1 in settlement amounts for the Atlanta premises liability department.

By Q4 of 2021, I felt ready to step out on my own. I launched my own firm in Atlanta, focusing on a smaller number of catastrophic cases so that each client gets real, personal attention.

Outside of law, I have a life: reading, running, basketball, soccer, and time with friends and family. I currently reside in Douglasville, Georgia.

I also believe deeply in giving back. My “Community Law Day” is one effort to provide access to legal assistance for people in Atlanta who may otherwise lack it

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all — but I think that’s what makes the journey meaningful.

I immigrated to the United States from Zambia and South Africa, and that transition alone came with its share of cultural and financial challenges. I was the first in my family to carve out this particular path, and there wasn’t a roadmap waiting for me. Every step — from high school to finishing college in three years, to making it through law school — required grinding harder than most people saw on the surface.

Early in my career, I also had to navigate the reality of starting on the defense side. I was representing large insurance companies, which gave me insight into how they fight to minimize payouts. But at the same time, I knew my heart was on the other side — standing up for people whose lives were flipped upside down by an accident or negligence. That meant making the leap into plaintiff’s work, which wasn’t easy. It was a reset: new networks, new battles, and a different kind of pressure.

And even once I started winning cases and securing significant verdicts, it still wasn’t smooth. Founding my own firm came with every entrepreneurial struggle you can imagine — building infrastructure, wearing multiple hats, marketing, creating systems, and betting on myself when the easier path would’ve been staying at a big firm with security.

What got me through was a combination of faith, persistence, and perspective. I’ve always believed that if I could survive the challenges of my early life — from immigration struggles to being an outsider in multiple spaces — then I could handle the obstacles in the legal profession

We’ve been impressed with Law Office of Nigel Phiri, Esquire LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At the Law Office of Nigel Phiri, Esq., LLC — better known by our tagline 404-GOT-HURT — we focus on fighting for people whose lives have been disrupted by negligence. My firm specializes in catastrophic personal injury cases: car and trucking wrecks, premises liability, negligent security, product liability, and other high-stakes claims where the injuries are life-changing.

What sets us apart is that we deliberately keep our case volume lean. I don’t run a “mill.” Every client gets personal attention and aggressive advocacy. I’ve worked inside the insurance defense world and at the largest plaintiff’s firm in the country, so I know both sides of the fight. That experience lets me anticipate the defense playbook and leverage it for my clients’ advantage.

Brand-wise, I’ve built something unique: 404-GOT-HURT is not just a phone number, it’s a movement. Our slogan – from Pain to Power to Payout — reflects how we approach litigation and life. We fight hard, but we also give people hope that what was meant to break them can be turned into something powerful.

I’m proud that we’re not just about winning verdicts, though we’ve done that — including an $8.8M verdict that ranked #1 in Atlanta premises liability. We’re about giving people their voice back when insurance companies or corporations try to silence them. I also invest in community outreach through efforts like Community Law Day, which gives everyday people access to legal resources they might not otherwise have.

For readers, I want them to know that my brand is built on being Personal. Powerful. Proven. That means when you hire me, you’re not just getting a lawyer — you’re getting someone who treats your case like it’s the most important case in the world, because for you, it is.

What does success mean to you?
For me, success isn’t just measured in verdict amounts or settlement numbers — though those matter because they change lives. Success is when a client who felt powerless walks away with their dignity restored, their medical bills covered, and a sense that someone truly fought for them.

On a personal level, success means freedom — the freedom to build the life I envision for myself, my daughter, and my family back home. It means using my platform to create opportunities for others, to mentor, and to pour back into my community.

And brand-wise, success means authenticity. If my clients, colleagues, or community hear 404-GOT-HURT and immediately associate it with Personal. Powerful. Proven., then I know the message is landing.

Ultimately, I see success as turning pain into power — taking the hardest moments in life and using them as fuel to achieve something greater, whether in the courtroom, at home, or in the community.

Pricing:

• Free unless I win a settlement
• Zero out of pocket to clients

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.npesq.com
• Instagram: @nigelthelawyer
• Facebook: @nigelthelawyer
• Twitter: @nigelthelawyer
• Youtube: @nigelthelawyer