Atlanta Legal Legend Ed Buckley Passes Away

Tireless Advocate for Civil Rights Dies After Valiant Battle with Cancer

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, March 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP announces with great sadness the passing of its founding partner, Edward D. Buckley, a tireless champion of civil rights. Buckley’s four-decade career leaves an indelible impact on employment law and constitutional protections in the United States. Buckley, a relentless advocate for the underdog, spent his career fighting on the front lines for those facing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, ensuring justice for his clients.

Buckley passed away peacefully on March 19, 2025, following a valiant battle with cancer. Funeral arrangements at Holy Trinity Parish in Decatur will be announced soon.

Over his career, Buckley became a recognized pioneer in the legal community, proudly representing clients from blue-collar workers to chief executives in every industry across a variety of employment and civil rights cases. Buckley’s expertise spanned sexual harassment, race, age, disability, and religious discrimination, whistleblower protections, FMLA violations, contract disputes, executive compensation, and tort law. Buckley was known for his unwavering empathy, often taking cases that others might shy away from and working relentlessly to find solutions to the most difficult challenges. Through his influence and guidance, Buckley shaped the careers of countless employment and civil rights lawyers.

Buckley’s legal career was marked by numerous landmark cases, from Georgia’s state courts to the highest court in the land. His work reached federal district courts nationwide, the Georgia Supreme Court, the Fourth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, and even the United States Supreme Court. Buckley achieved record-breaking verdicts in employment discrimination and civil rights cases and created caselaw precedent which will be relied upon by lawyers and judges long into the future. Among them, the record-setting $3.47 million verdict in Marshall v. Tidal Wave, the largest single-plaintiff verdict in an employment case in the history of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Smith v. Lockheed-Martin Corp., which defined the Eleventh Circuit’s “convincing mosaic” standard of evidentiary proof.

Buckley’s legacy will live on through the work of Buckley Bala Wilson Mew, which has its origins in the firm that Buckley founded in 2002. In his honor, the firm’s name will remain unchanged, carrying forward Buckley’s commitment to zealous advocacy for civil rights in the workplace and beyond.
“Ed’s reputation earned him respect from attorneys across the country,” said Anita Bala, a partner at Buckley Bala Wilson Mew. “He was the lawyer we all aspired to be—fierce in the courtroom while building genuine relationships with his clients and commanding the respect of opposing counsel and the judges he appeared before. His unique mix of intellect, showmanship in front of a jury, and the ability to connect with people from every walk of life made him a force unlike any other.”

Fittingly, the Daily Report and Law.com just announced that Buckley will be honored with its Lifetime Achievement Award at its upcoming 2025 Southeastern Legal Awards in May. Buckley is also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award and Advocacy Award from the National Employment Lawyers Association of Georgia.

Beyond his legal career, Buckley made a global impact through his nonprofit, Water Life Hope, which provides clean drinking water to impoverished communities in the Caribbean. Through this effort, his dedication to social justice extended far beyond the courtroom, touching lives around the world.

Buckley also authored two books, All the Way Home and Pope Hope.

Ed Buckley’s passing marks the conclusion of a remarkable life dedicated to justice, fairness, and compassion. His influence will continue to inspire future generations of attorneys, advocates, and all those who fight for civil and human rights.

Mark Pettit
Creaxion
mark@creaxion.com
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