Seth Hayes

By Ty McClung

For Seth Hayes, litigation department chair and assistant managing member at Jackson Kelly PLLC, success was never solely about building a legal career; it was about building a life in West Virginia.

Growing up in Bluefield, WV, Hayes was surrounded by family, hard work and a healthy dose of humility. As the oldest of three siblings, he learned early the values that would later define his career. His mother worked as a special education teacher while his father practiced law.

“Our family valued hard work, a sense of humor and modesty,” Hayes says. “Bragging—or even perceived bragging—was quickly met by a chorus of extended family members restoring your humility, which actually is great preparation for being an attorney.”

As a child, Hayes imagined himself flying fighter jets like Maverick in “Top Gun” or uncovering ancient treasures like Indiana Jones, but when he turned 9, he realized another path was quietly taking shape.

“Deep down, I always knew I was going to follow in my dad’s footsteps and become a lawyer,” he says.

That journey began at West Virginia University, where he studied business and Spanish as an undergraduate. Hayes then accepted a position as a financial analyst with Owens Corning Inc. in North Carolina. At the time, law school was not necessarily a certainty. In fact, a proposed transfer to the company’s headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, became the catalyst for a life-changing decision.

Unsure whether he wanted to relocate, Hayes took the Law School Admission Test and began exploring legal education as an alternative path. The more he considered his options, the more one thing became clear: he wanted the opportunity to build a career in West Virginia, and there was only one place he wanted to attend law school—his alma mater.

Law school challenged him in ways he hadn’t anticipated, and the Socratic teaching method initially felt frustrating. Over time, however, Hayes came to appreciate its purpose.

“I realized I was learning how to critically analyze a particular issue and react in real time to challenging questions,” he says.

After graduating in 2006, Hayes clerked for Judge David Faber of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The clerkship offered a front-row seat to the judicial process and a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of the state’s most respected federal judges.

“Judge Faber is a judge’s judge, and he treats everyone who comes before him with dignity and respect,” Hayes says. “Yet he also expects the attorneys who appear before him to be prepared and to act professionally to the court and to opposing counsel.”

Following his clerkship, Hayes joined Jackson Kelly’s Morgantown office. What began as an associate attorney position eventually grew into a career spanning nearly two decades. Along the way, Hayes discovered that his legal training could be applied far beyond individual cases.

Today, while he continues to maintain an active litigation practice, much of his work involves guiding strategy for Jackson Kelly’s future. As litigation department chair and assistant managing member, he helps oversee attorneys across multiple offices, addresses emerging industry challenges and works to position the firm for long-term success in a rapidly evolving legal marketplace.

Rather than focusing solely on legal arguments, he spends much of his time analyzing business trends, evaluating technology investments, developing talent and planning organizational growth. Issues such as AI, attorney recruitment, client expectations and market competition all require the same critical-thinking and analytical skills that law school teaches, but applied through a business leadership lens.

“While demanding from a time component, my position within the firm allows me the opportunity to strategize about where the practice of law is headed and how best to position the firm to meet those challenges, which I love,” says Hayes.

In many respects, Hayes has become as much a business executive as a practicing attorney. His role also places him in frequent contact with the firm’s younger lawyers, something he considers one of the most rewarding aspects of his leadership position.

“Older lawyers, myself included at times, can be jaded or resistant to change, but young attorneys are full of ideas, ambition and drive, and I find that energizing,” he says.

Throughout his own journey, Hayes benefited from mentors who taught him not only how to practice law but how to navigate professional relationships, business development and leadership responsibilities. Today, he feels a responsibility to pass those lessons forward.

That same commitment to service extends beyond Jackson Kelly’s offices.

For more than two decades, Hayes has dedicated significant time to the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties, currently serving on the organization’s executive committee and previously holding the role of board president from 2020 through 2022—a period that coincided with the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recognition of his efforts, Hayes received the organization’s Advocate of the Year award in 2022, an honor he considers among the most meaningful of his career.

His dedication to community service stems from a simple philosophy: successful professionals have an obligation to give back.

“This community has given more to me than I could ever provide back in return,” Hayes says.

Despite his accomplishments in the courtroom, Hayes says his greatest accomplishment is his family.

“The practice of law is demanding, and the reality is that sometimes the demands of the job mean you are not able to spend as much time with your family as you would like,” Hayes says. “But I believe I have been able to balance those competing demands of work and family to have both a strong career and a strong family.”

When asked what personal characteristics have contributed most to his success, Hayes does not mention intelligence, ambition or competitiveness. Instead, he points to integrity.

“Integrity is the cornerstone of the legal profession,” he says, “Without integrity, you will never develop the trust of clients, your colleagues or other members of the bar, and any success you achieve will be short-lived.”

Looking ahead, Hayes remains focused on helping Jackson Kelly navigate the future of the legal industry while continuing to mentor the next generation of attorneys. No matter how much the legal landscape changes, one thing remains certain for Hayes: West Virginia will continue to be home.

After briefly living outside the state following college, Hayes realized there was nowhere else he wanted to build a career, raise a family and invest in a community.

“There is a sense of pride in West Virginia that I don’t believe exists elsewhere,” he says. “West Virginia is a special place. It has its challenges for sure, but the culture, the people and the beautiful scenery more than compensate for its challenges.”