Michael Jackson

Practice Areas

Appellate Law

Employment Law

Labor & Employment Litigation

Employment Contracts

Unfair Trade Practices, Trade Secrets, and Noncompete Law

Drug Testing

Constitutional Law and Civil-Rights Litigation

State and Local Government/Public Sector Law

Alternative Dispute Resolution/Arbitration Mediation

Commercial and Business Litigation

Construction Law

Insurance Litigation

Church Law

Election Law

Intellectual Property Litigation

Technology & Privacy Law

Career

Michael L. Jackson is a member at Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC and has been at that firm since 1994. His labor-and-employment-law work includes employment litigation, discrimination, contracts, drug-free workplaces, drug testing, litigation prevention, and employment policies. He frequently represents parties in appeals and other post-judgment proceedings in many types of cases. He is also experienced in construction law, commercial and business litigation, insurance litigation, constitutional and civil-rights litigation, state and municipal governments, arbitration, and other methods of alternative dispute resolution. As the attorney of record in more than ninety appellate cases and more than seventy-five reported appellate decisions, his record includes challenges to federal jurisdiction, class certification, municipal immunity, competitive-bid disputes, liens, civil-rights claims, tort claims, challenges over the enforcement of arbitration agreements, discovery and venue disputes, and claims under consumer-credit laws.

Michael has handled fraudulent-misrepresentation, fraudulent-suppression, and negligence claims, as well as derivative and minority-shareholder “squeeze-out” claims. He has also worked on cases concerning the powers of local governmental entities and several election contests.

Michael was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University in 1990 with a B.A. in political science. Michael attended law school at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, where he graduated with honors in 1993. While at the University of Texas, he served as an associate editor of the Texas Law Review. He also received the Best Brief Award. After his graduation from law school, Michael served as a law clerk to the Honorable Hugh Maddox, associate justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. Michael is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Alabama state courts, and Alabama federal district courts.

Professional Memberships

Alabama State Bar (including the appellate-law section, federal-court-practice section, and the labor-an-employment law section)

Birmingham Bar Association

Federalist Society

Christian Legal Society

Defense Research Institute

Alabama Defense Lawyers Association

Work Highlights

Wilder v. City of Hoover, No. SC-2025-0842, 2026 WL 1355821 (Ala. May 15, 2026); Pinpoint Locating, Inc. v. Water Works & Gas Bd. of City of Red Bay, No. SC-2025-0376, 2025 WL 3493309 (Ala. Dec. 5, 2025); Carter v. City of Montgomery, 108 F.4th 1334 (11th Cir. 2024); Moore v. City of Hoover, 722 F. Supp. 3d 1236 (N.D. Ala. 2024); Ex parte Cowgill, 301 So. 3d 116, 117 (Ala. 2020); Butler v. City of Hoover, No. 2:18-CV-01069-CLM, 2020 WL 3791870 (N.D. Ala. July 7, 2020); Thurman v. Judicial Correction Servs., Inc., 760 F. App’x 733 (11th Cir. 2019), cert. denied, No. 18-1291, 2019 WL 1571931 (U.S. May 28, 2019); Ray v. Jud. Correction Servs., Inc., 333 F.R.D. 552 (N.D. Ala. 2019); Ex parte Carter, 275 So. 3d 115 (Ala. 2018); Citizens Bank & Tr. v. Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distrib. Co., Inc., 228 So. 3d 469 (Ala. Civ. App. 2017); Home Health v. United States Dep’t of Health & Human Servs., No. 7:08-CV-168-PWG, 2010 WL 11561593 (N.D. Ala. Feb. 24, 2010), report and recommendation adopted, No. 7:08-CV-00168-RDP, 2010 WL 11561592 (N.D. Ala. Mar. 23, 2010); McDermott v. Tabb, 32 So. 3d 1 (Ala. 2009); ClimaStor IV, L.L.C. v. Marshall Constr., L.L.C., 4 So. 3d 452 (Ala. 2008); Wagner v. White, 985 So. 2d 458 (Ala. Civ. App. 2007); S.P. v. E.T., 957 So. 2d 1127 (Ala. Civ. App. 2005); Ex parte E.T., 895 So. 2d 271 (Ala. Civ. App. 2003); W.T.M. v. S.P., 889 So. 2d 572 (Ala. Civ. App. 2003); Serra Chevrolet, Inc. v. Hock, 891 So. 2d 844 (Ala. 2004); Serra Toyota, Inc. v. Johnson, 876 So. 2d 1125 (Ala. 2003); Ex parte Woodward, 859 So. 2d 425 (Ala. 2003); Woodward v. Roberson, 789 So. 2d 856 (Ala. 2001); Ex parte Third Generation, Inc., 855 So. 2d 489 (Ala. 2003); Ex parte Third Generation, Inc., 820 So. 2d 89 (Ala. 2001); National Auction Group v. Hammett, 854 So. 2d 65 (Ala. 2003); Taylor v. Siegelman, 230 F. Supp. 2d 1285 (N.D. Ala. 2002); Thrasher v. Ivan Leonard Chevrolet, 195 F. Supp. 2d (N.D. Ala. 2002); Alexander, Corder, Plunk, Baker & Shelly, P.C. v. Jackson, 811 So. 2d 506 (Ala. 2001); Ex parte Jefferson County Sheriff’s Dep’t, 806 So. 2d 1262 (Ala. Civ. App. 2000); Jefferson County Comm’n v. ECO Preservation Servs., L.L.C., 788 So. 2d 121 (Ala. 2000); Ex parte Employers Modern Life Co., 772 So. 2d 433 (Ala. 2000); Ex parte Brown, 781 So. 2d 178 (Ala. 2000); James v. James, 769 So. 2d 356 (Ala. 2000); Boackle v. Bedwell Constr. Co., 770 So. 2d 1076 (Ala. 2000); Ex parte Alfa Fin. Corp., 762 So. 2d 850 (Ala. 1999); Eubanks v. Hale, 752 So. 2d 1113 (Ala. 1999); Crimson Indus., Inc. v. Kirkland, 736 So. 2d 597 (Ala. 1999); Ex parte Woodward, 738 So. 2d 322 (Ala. 1998) Brilliant Homes, Ltd. v. Lind, 722 So. 2d 753 (Ala. 1998); Ex parte Collins, 717 So. 2d 771 (Ala. 1998); Mitchell v. Probate Court of Jefferson County, 689 So. 2d 17 (Ala. 1997); Roe v. Mobile County Appointment Bd., 676 So. 2d 1206 (Ala. 1995).

Languages Spoken

English

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Alabama, 1993

U.S. Supreme Court, 1999

U.S. District Court Southern District of Alabama, 1999

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2018

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 1995

U.S. District Court Northern District of Alabama, 1994

U.S. District Court Middle District of Alabama, 1993

Experience

Alabama Supreme Court, Law Clerk to the Honorable Hugh Maddox, 1993-1994

Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC, 1994-present

Personal

Michael’s personal interests include computers, technology, college football, college basketball, and church activities, including teaching children’s Sunday school. He is a CASA volunteer and advocates for abused and neglected children in Jefferson County Family Court. He especially enjoys family activities with his wife and children.

Education