Lawyers / Professionals

 
James F. Neale       
Partner
Court Square Building, 310 Fourth Street, N.E., Suite 300
P.O. Box 1288
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-1288
T: 434.977.2582
F: 434.980.2263
jneale@mcguirewoods.com
 

Mr. Neale's trial practice focuses on high exposure cases in courts across the country. He has substantial mass tort and class action litigation experience and currently serves as co-chair of the firm's food borne illness litigation practice group. His first chair trial experience includes personal injury, products liability, premises liability, contract, commercial, transportation, pharmaceutical and ERISA cases. He has won verdicts in both state and federal court trials.

In addition, Mr. Neale has defended clients in a variety of other adversarial arenas, including high exposure cases before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation and numerous arbitration panels. He has briefed and argued appeals to the Virginia Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th and the 11th Circuits, and the full Virginia Workers Compensation Commission.


Practices & Industries
Honors
  • Named a Client Service "All Star," BTI Consulting, 2011
  • Named One of the "Best Lawyers in America," Product Liability Litigation, Woodward/White, Inc., 2009-2012
  • Named a Virginia "Super Lawyer," 2010-2011
  • Named a Virginia Super Lawyers "Rising Star," 2007-2008

Previous Experience
  • Law Clerk, the Hon. Richard L. Williams, Senior U.S. District Court Judge, Eastern District of Virginia, 1998-1999

Publications
  • Food Safety Law, Law Journal Press (2010)
  • "Responding Rapidly as Inspections and Recalls Rise" (co-authored with Michael R. Daglio, Angela Spivey and John M. Toth), Counsel to Counsel (January 2008)
  • "HMOs, Cost Containment, and Early Offers: New Malpractice Threats and a Proposed Reform," Co-author, 14 J. Contemp. Health L. & Pol'y 287, 291 (1998)

Military Service
  • U.S. Army Officer, 1990-1995
    • Airborne Ranger and Light Infantry Platoon Leader
    • Awarded Ranger Tab, Senior Parachutist's Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Expert Infantryman's Badge

Professional Affiliations
  • Charlottesville Bar Association
  • Thomas Jefferson Inn of Court
 

EDUCATION

University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia, J.D., 1998

  • Winner and Outstanding Oralist, William M. Lile Moot Court Competition
  • Winner, John Kingdon Award for Outstanding Oral and Written Advocacy
  • Winner, Stephen P. Traynor Award for Outstanding Appellate Advocacy

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, B.A., 1990

 
 

ADMITTED

Virginia 1998

West Virginia 2004

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit

Virginia Supreme Court

West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia

 

PLACE OF BIRTH

Ft. Benning, Georgia