Like Father, Like Son

Randall Jordan, more commonly known as RJ, knew early on that he would pursue a career in law. RJ grew up in Glynn County and credits his initial interest in law to two of his parents’ friends. “Mr. Russell Tuten was a congressman, and my parents took me to D.C. often to visit with him at the Capitol and see how government works in person,” says RJ. After learning how fascinated RJ was by the speeches and debates on the House floor, RJ’s dad told him that if he wanted to do that, he needed to be a lawyer. That advice stuck. RJ also spent a lot of time at the home of his best friend, Bob Killian. Bob’s dad, Billy Killian, was a lawyer, legislator, and later a Superior Court judge. RJ enjoyed his wit and “the clever ways he talked about almost anything.” Chris Jordan, the oldest of RJ’s three sons, was born in Chapel Hill, NC, but grew up in Glynn County. Neither parent pushed any of the boys towards a particular career, but when Chris was growing up, the family joke was that he was cut out to be either a lawyer or a priest. As Chris got older, he realized that lawyers had to know how to speak and write, both of which interested him. Chris’ path went from Glynn Academy to Duke University, then to the Vanderbilt University School of Law. Both schools have special meaning to the family. Chris’ grandfather graduated from Vanderbilt, as did Chris’ mother, who later went to Duke for grad school. RJ also received his undergraduate degree from Duke. Chris says that while his school choices were “unimaginative,” they were “great experiences nonetheless.” After law school, Chris joined a large firm in Atlanta and met his wife, Christy, through a mutual friend. Christy was a recent graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and was working in Atlanta. Chris and Christy eventually moved to St. Simons Island so that Chris could practice with RJ. “My wife left her family and a great job to come down, so it was a big decision for us,” Chris notes, “but we’re extremely thankful to live where we live.” Chris joined RJ at The Jordan Firm, and Christy joined Southeast Georgia Health System’s legal team in Brunswick, where she now serves as the general counsel.

In 2017, Chris joined HunterMaclean, a business law firm with offices in St. Simons Island and Savannah. A couple of years later, RJ dis

solved The Jordan Firm and moved to HunterMaclean as well. Both RJ and Chris are wellrespected litigators with a wealth of experience with torts, railroads, and other transportation matters. RJ acknowledges that he and Chris are very much alike in some ways. “We do really enjoy our work and routinely commit lots of time to our practices,” says RJ, “but some wonderful differences are Chris’ youth and superior IT skills. He stays current on frequently subtle changes in the law and in society that allow him to advise his clients effectively.” RJ leans on Chris for those insights. Chris is quick to praise RJ’s work ethic and great instincts, and says RJ is “preternaturally poised,” adding, “if people think we have professional similarities, that means I’m probably doing something right.” One potentially awkward transition from family to work was never an issue, though: what do you call your dad at work? “I’m not sure what it says about us,” says Chris, “but my brothers and I have actu-

ally been calling our dad ‘RJ’ for a really long time. It’s completely second nature to us. But, to be sure,” he quips, “it also comes in handy in court or on big conference calls.”

Striking a work-life balance is a challenge for many, but when you work with family, the challenge is reality. The Jordans agree that their family keeps them in check. “Our families are quick to point out that lawyers talking about law is really boring. So, we’re encouraged to leave work at the office as much as we can,” says RJ. “Fortunately, Chris and I share a lot of the same interests, so finding a non-law subject to talk about is never, ever hard. In fact, it’s great. Chris is a very interesting and entertaining guy, and it’s just fun to have conversations with him about almost anything. Rarely are those conversations tedious.” Chris chimes in that they enjoy “playing golf poorly together.” They also play a lot of music together, “at times competently!” Chris and RJ are both talented musicians and members of different bands: RJ is a drummer, and Chris plays piano and guitar. Chris admits that RJ is a better singer. They also spend a lot of time at the beach, which is especially fun now with Chris’ three kids in the mix.

When asked what they have learned from each other, Chris says that the great advice RJ has given him over the years is too much to recount, but one of the best parts of his job is collaborating with RJ on strategy. “It is truly a gift,” says Chris. He bets even some of their close friends would be surprised how often they laugh at work. “RJ and I try to take our jobs seriously, but not necessarily ourselves or each other.” RJ commends Chris for being more attentive to detail than he is, as not being detail-oriented is dangerous in the law. Chris has made him more aware of such things, and RJ says that has made him a better lawyer, adding that he is “forever blessed to have Chris Jordan as my son regardless of his line of work.”

RJ says their close collaboration has given them priceless insights into each other, and he has respect for Chris’ toughness, instincts, and judgment. Along those lines, a life lesson that RJ wants to pass on to Chris is to trust his instincts. That is often hard to do in the context of legal analysis and advice, because the law can seem rigid and emotionless. “But Chris is a good person and a smart person, so his instincts are usually reliable,” RJ says. “I’d advise Chris to use the law as his rulebook but to not be afraid to trust his gut.”

From Chris’ perspective, litigation is inherently competitive, with each side trying as hard as they can to win. He compares RJ to Lebron in that, when the game is on the line, he’d rather have the ball in his hands. Even in the competitive environment of law, though, RJ is a gentleman above all else. He has had great success conveying to judges and juries that he is, as Chris puts it, “the most reasonable person in the room, and thus the one worth listening to.” Chris explains that it works so well for RJ because it’s not an act, adding, “I hope my kids will treat people the way he does.”

There is such value in learning your craft from the best in the business, but it is truly special when the best happens to be your own father. RJ has been fine-tuning his craft for forty-five years, defending some of the nation’s largest railroad companies and other corporations in high-stakes lawsuits. He has tried countless cases to jury verdicts. For fourteen of Chris’ eighteen years of practicing law, he has worked alongside RJ, gaining invaluable experience and direction. Chris is an aggressive and pragmatic litigator in his own right, but he expects to continue partnering with and learning from RJ. As he puts it, “RJ’s a machine, and I’m just trying to keep up with him.”

The St. Simons office of HunterMaclean is located at 455 Sea Island Road and can by reached by phone at 912.262.5996. For more about their practice, visit huntermaclean.com.