Craig Shirley

Craig Shirley is a trial attorney through and through and fights every day for individuals and families whose lives have been forever changed by serious injury. As a former defense lawyer, Craig understands how corporations and insurers evaluate and defend cases, and he uses that insight to hold them accountable.

Born and raised in Dothan, Alabama, Craig earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Auburn University, where he was a member of the Auburn baseball team. After Auburn, he went on to attend Cumberland School of Law, where he distinguished himself as on of the nation's top trial advocates. While at Cumberland, Craig was a member of the National Trial Team, won multiple national trial competitions, including the National Civil Trial Competition, and was twice selected to compete in the invitation-only Top Gun National Mock Trial Competition, finishing as the runner-up for best advocate in the nation. After graduating, Craig has served as both a coach of Cumberland's nationally-ranked trial advocacy program, as well as an adjunct professor, teaching trial advocacy.

After he started practicing law, Craig began his legal career in insurance defense litigation, gaining firsthand experience in how corporations and insurers handle and defend claims against injured individuals. Since joining Hollis Wright in 2021, he has devoted his practice to representing injured clients across Alabama in cases involving automobile and trucking accidents, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, and industrial accidents. 

Craig has handled cases all over the Southeast. Over the years, he has recovered millions of dollars for his clients. In addition to all the settlements, he has tried numerous cases to jury verdicts in which he continuously stands up to powerful defendants, securing meaningful verdicts for his clients when it matters most. In 2025 alone, in the span of just four months, Craig obtained more than $1.25 million in jury verdicts for his clients. Of note: 

• $10 Million Jury Verdict—Jefferson County, Alabama: Craig and HWC Partner Michael Eldridge secured a $10 million jury verdict against law enforcement on behalf of a woman who suffered permanent, life-altering injuries after being attacked by a police canine.
• $2.5 Million Jury Verdict—Montgomery County, Alabama: Craig and HWC Partner Carter Clay secured a $2.5 million verdict for a young woman injured in a collision caused by a police officer.