The latest addition to Horton & Mendez’s legal roster isn’t just another experienced attorney — it’s someone who has literally sat on every side of North Carolina’s workers’ compensation system. That breadth of perspective is rare, and for injured workers navigating a complex claims process, it could make a meaningful difference.
Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys has brought J. Michael “Mike” Mackay on board as an Of Counsel attorney. Mackay arrives with more than three decades of experience spanning North Carolina workers’ compensation and civil litigation.
Before joining the firm, Mackay’s career traced a full arc through the state’s workers’ comp system. He started out as an insurance defense lawyer at a large Raleigh practice, representing insurers and self-insured employers. He then spent roughly twenty years as managing partner of the workers’ compensation department at one of North Carolina’s largest plaintiffs’ firms. Following that, he served as Director of Claims Administration at the North Carolina Industrial Commission, the state agency responsible for overseeing workers’ compensation claims.
That trajectory aligns closely with how Horton & Mendez operates. The firm itself was launched by former insurance defense attorneys who understand how carriers evaluate and contest claims. With Mackay now on board, the team gains an even deeper look at the inner workings of the Workers’ Compensation system. As the firm puts it, they know the insurance company’s playbook, and Mackay has seen the system from every chair at the table.
Nick Mendez, Managing Partner, highlighted the value of that experience: “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’s credentials are extensive. He held Board Certification as a Specialist in North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Law from 2006 through 2022. He is also a Certified Mediator through the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission and maintains memberships in 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, said.
A native North Carolinian and a double Tar Heel, Mackay earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from UNC-Chapel Hill. Before entering law school, he worked as a newspaper journalist. He was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1993 and resides in Raleigh with his family.
With Mackay joining the team, Horton & Mendez is expanding its workers’ compensation practice, a core focus for the firm. The practice handles workplace injury cases across North Carolina, from initial filings to denied claims and appeals before the Industrial Commission.
Why it matters: Having an attorney who has worked on both sides of the workers’ comp system — and even administered claims at the state level — gives injured workers a strategic advantage in anticipating how insurers will respond. It also signals that the firm is doubling down on this practice area as it continues to grow.
Nick Mendez
Horton & Mendez, Injury & Car Accident Attorneys
+1 910-668-4420
