Horton & Mendez Adds Veteran Workers' Compensation Lawyer J. Michael Mackay as Of Counsel

WILMINGTON , NC, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys, has added J. Michael "Mike" Mackay to its team as an Of Counsel attorney. Mackay brings more than 30 years of experience in North Carolina workers' compensation and civil litigation to the firm.

Mackay has worked on nearly every side of the North Carolina workers' compensation system. He began his career as an insurance defense lawyer at a large Raleigh firm, representing insurance companies and self-insured employers. For roughly two decades after that, he was managing partner of the workers' compensation department at one of North Carolina's largest plaintiffs' firms. He later served as Director of Claims Administration at the North Carolina Industrial Commission, the state agency that oversees workers' compensation claims.

That background fits the firm's approach. Horton & Mendez was founded by former insurance defense lawyers who know how insurers evaluate and fight claims, and Mackay adds an insider's view of the Workers’ Compensation system. We know their playbook, and Mackay knows the system from every seat at the table.

Nick Mendez, Managing Partner, says, "Mike has seen the workers' compensation system from every angle. He's defended claims, administered claims at the Industrial Commission, and fought for injured workers for decades. Very few lawyers in North Carolina know this system as well as he does. For our clients, that means a lawyer who can anticipate every move before it's made."

Mackay was a Board Certified Specialist in North Carolina Workers' Compensation Law from 2006 to 2022. He is a Certified Mediator through the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission and a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Workers' Compensation Section, the North Carolina Advocates for Justice Workers' Compensation Section, and the Durham County Bar Association.

"When you've been hurt on the job, the process can feel stacked against you. I've spent my career learning how that process works and understanding how to use that knowledge for injured workers. Horton & Mendez shares that approach. It's a talented team that knows the insurance company's playbook and isn't afraid to push back," J. Michael Mackay, Of Counsel, explained.

A North Carolina native and double Tar Heel, Mackay earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law and a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from UNC-Chapel Hill. He worked as a newspaper journalist before attending law school. He was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1993 and lives with his family in Raleigh.

With Mackay on the team, Horton & Mendez continues to grow its workers' compensation practice, one of the firm's major areas of focus. The firm handles workplace injury cases throughout North Carolina, from initial claims to denied claims and appeals before the Industrial Commission.

Nick Mendez
Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys
+1 910-668-4420