LeeAnn Jones has over twenty years' experience representing clients in commercial, mass tort and class action litigation.  She has successfully defended chemical and consumer product manufacturers and consumer service providers in individual actions, consolidated actions, Multi-District Litigation (MDL) proceedings, class actions and arbitrations involving industrial accidents, chemical exposure, product defect and consumer fraud claims in state and federal courts.   Her practice is national in scope, with substantial experience throughout the east coast and southeastern regions, including first-chair trial experience in state and federal courts.

Ms. Jones also has developed and implemented national and regional litigation programs to assist clients in effectively managing and coordinating discovery and litigation.  Her experience in this area includes: serving as regional and national litigation counsel for a major pest control service provider in chemical exposure litigation, serving as national coordinating counsel for toxic tort/product liability claims involving a Fortune 500 manufacturing client, leading a national discovery coordination team for a major national retailer, and serving as Daubert counsel and a member of a national trial team for another large manufacturing client in medical device litigation.

Ms. Jones’ practice is focused in the areas of product liability, toxic tort, pharmaceutical and medical device, and environmental litigation involving complex scientific, technical and medical issues. She has worked extensively with expert witnesses in a variety of fields, effectively utilizing the United States Supreme Court's decision in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals to exclude plaintiffs' experts and achieve successful outcomes for her clients.  She also has represented companies as both plaintiffs and defendants in  a variety of complex commercial, financial institution and business litigation, including claims for breach of contract, lender liability, business torts, fraud, RICO and other business disputes.

Toxic Tort, Product Liability and Pharmaceutical Experience Includes:

• Defense of consolidated claims of over 100 plaintiffs involving injuries allegedly caused by  acute and long-term exposure to ammonia, methylamines and other chemicals released from a fertilizer manufacturing plant.
• Defense verdicts in two jury trials of mass tort claims brought by hundreds of neighbors and former employees of a herbicide manufacturer that produced Agent Orange alleging exposure to herbicides, dioxin and other waste by-products.
• Joint defense of several chemical manufacturers in mass tort action brought by residents of town near an industrial complex alleging the existence of a "cancer cluster" and seeking damages for personal injuries, fear of cancer, increased risk of cancer and medical monitoring. Obtained summary judgment on all claims.
• Defense of pharmaceutical and medical device companies in cases involving a variety of products, including contraceptives, latex gloves, statins, anti-depressants and ephedra-containing supplements.
• Served as national and regional counsel for a pest-control service provider defending claims involving personal injuries and property damage from alleged exposure to pesticides and termiticides, including jury trials and arbitrations.

Class Action and Mass Tort Experience Includes:

• Defense of putative nationwide consumer class action involving claims for personal injury, property damage and consumer fraud arising out of allegations of consumer exposure to chemicals emitted from new carpet. Defeated class certification.  Successfully defended remaining individual claims. 
• Defense of putative statewide consumer class action in case involving claims for property damage and consumer fraud against large national pest and termite control provider arising out of alleged fraud in connection with termite control services and guarantees.  Class was originally certified by the trial court but overturned on appeal to Georgia Court of Appeals. 
• Defeated class certification of claims against chemical manufacturer arising out of two large chemical releases at the client's fertilizer manufacturing plant.
• Representation of financial institution in putative consumer class action involving sale of credit insurance. 

Bar and Court Admissions

Georgia, 1986

United States Supreme Court

United States Courts of Appeals for the Third and Eleventh Circuits

United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Supreme Court of Georgia

Georgia Court of Appeals

Education

University of Georgia, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of Barristers, 1986

University of Georgia, A.B., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1983

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association – Litigation Section
• American Bar Association – Torts and Insurance Practice Section
• Atlanta Bar Association – Litigation Section and Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Section
• Defense Research Institute
• Georgia Association of Women Lawyers
• State Bar of Georgia – Environmental Law and Product Liability Sections
• Stonewall Bar Association

Civic Involvement and Honors

• Georgia Super Lawyer (2007)
• Board Member, Human Rights Campaign
• Board Member, Jerusalem House
• Board Member, Chattahoochee Weimaraner Club
• Volunteer and Mentor, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Team in Training