Professional Recognition

  • AV-Rated by Martindale Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers of America
  • Member of Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Top Attorney-Class Action by Avvo
  • Top Rated Class Action & Mass Torts Attorney by Super Lawyers
  • Selected To Super Lawyers: 2012 – 2023

Professional Recognition

  • AV-Rated by Martindale Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers of America
  • Member of Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Top Attorney-Class Action by Avvo
  • Top Rated Class Action & Mass Torts Attorney by Super Lawyers
  • Selected To Super Lawyers: 2012 – 2023

Meet J. R. Whaley

When you, your business, or someone close to you suffers a physical or financial injury, you likely don’t know which way to turn or what to do next. You are probably in an unfamiliar and stressful situation. You need guidance. And you deserve justice.

J. R. Whaley understands the law and how to get results in litigation. J. R. is forward-thinking, accessible, approachable, and responsive. And his reputation for quality and results means you can trust him to get the best results for your case.

Whether you are an individual, small business, medical provider, farmer, or publicly traded company, J. R. Whaley stands ready to help.

J. R. knows how to obtain justice for you.

Complex litigation presents unique challenges. And if you or your business are involved in a complex case, you need an attorney that understands your situation, what the next steps look like, and how to best represent your interests.

J. R. has years of experience trying complex litigation cases in both federal and state courts throughout the country. His clients appreciate his knowledge and experience and judges have even remarked on his unique capabilities. One judge even commented that J. R. exhibited “qualities that every lawyer should possess and display.”

And in just the last several years, J. R. has obtained tens of millions of dollars for his clients through settlements and verdicts.

In addition to complex litigation cases, J. R. also has years of experience working on serious personal injury cases including death, financial injury cases such as consumer disputes and unfair business practices, and disputes between insurance companies and their policy holders.

You deserve an attorney that can serve as a partner and will keep you informed.

You stand to get the best result possible when your attorney’s interests are aligned with your interests. For that reason, J. R. built his law practice to allow him to help you using contingency fee and similar arrangements. In those cases, he only gets paid if you get paid.

J. R. is also committed to being a partner in your search for justice. He is approachable and accessible and believes in staying in contact with his clients to make sure they always know what work he is doing and where their case stands.

J. R. is active in his community.

In addition to his legal practice, J. R. believes in supporting his community and remaining active in his community. He has been chosen to attend leadership programs and serves on a board of a non-profit dedicated to helping young men aging out of the foster care system.

J. R. writes for various publications, including The Legal Examiner and Living Safer. Some of his articles explain the importance of having the appropriate levels of insurance and other issues impacting consumers and businesses.

Because he survived a house fire as a child, J. R. also partners with his hometown fire department to talk about fire safety with children and teaches them the importance of having properly working smoke detectors in their home. With his family, J. R. provides a scholarship to a child of a firefighter attending college in honor of his brother who helped save J. R. and his parents from the house fire.

RELATIONSHIPS.  RESULTS.  START RIGHT NOW.

Education

  • Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
    Juris Doctor, May 1998
  • Louisiana State University
    Bachelor of Arts, History & Political Science, December 1993

Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2012
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1998
  • U.S. District Court, Louisiana Western District, 1998
  • U.S. District Court, Louisiana Middle District, 1998
  • U.S. District Court, Louisiana Eastern District, 1998
  • Louisiana Supreme Court, 1998

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Awards

10.0John Randall Whaley
John Randall Whaley
Rated by Super Lawyers


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  • United States District Court, Western District of Virginia, 2010
  • United States District Court, Central District of California, 2010
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas, 2010
  • United States District Court, Western District of Missouri, 2010
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 2010
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, 2008
  • United States District Court, District of Kansas, 2007
  • United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 2007
  • Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, 2006
  • United States District Court, Northern District of California, 2006
  • United States District Court, Central District of California, 2006
  • United States District Court, District of New Jersey, 2006
  • United States District Court, Western District of Washington, 2005
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas, 2005
  • United States District Court, Florida Middle District, 2005
  • United States District Court, Delaware, 2002
  • “Supreme Court Relies On Earlier Cases To Further Limit Recoveries” Louisiana Advocates, August, 2013
  • “Agricultural Biotechnology: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects ‘Blame-The-Bean’ Defense” Louisiana Advocates, July, 2013
  • “Damasco v. Clearwire – Another Trap for the Unwary?” Louisiana Advocates, January 2012
  • “Dukes v. Wal-Mart: Another Adverse Decision For Class Actions” Louisiana Advocates, August 2011
  • “AT&T v. Concepcion – A Blow to Consumer Rights”  Louisiana Advocates, June 2011
  • “Class Action Law To Be (Re)Shaped by Three Upcoming Supreme Court Decisions” Louisiana Advocates, March 2011
  • “Food-borne Illness Litigation: Critical Questions” Louisiana Advocates, March 2010
  • “Multidistrict Litigation and Bellwether Trials:  Leading Litigants to Resolution in Complex Litigation” The Brief, Fall 2009, 39:1
  • “Will Daubert Challenge Your Class Certification” TRIAL, July 2009
  • “Right To Jury Trial In Louisiana Class Actions” Louisiana Advocates, January 2009
  • Book review, The Science of Settlement, TRIAL, November 2008
  • “Settlement Strategies for Complex Global Litigation” TRIAL, December 2007
  • “The Duty to Find a Knowledgeable Corporate Designee – Or to Educate One” Louisiana Bar Journal, Volume 55, Number 3
  • “Hanks v. Entergy Corp.: The Supreme Court Provides Some Clarity But Leaves A Big Question Unanswered” Louisiana Advocates, February 2007
  • “Pre-Certification Discovery: A User’s Guide” Tulane Law Review, 80 TLNLR 1827
  • “The (Un)Availability of Act of God and Force Majeure Affirmative Defenses After Rita, Katrina” Louisiana Advocates, June 2006
  • “Brill v. Countrywide Homes: Burden of Proof in Remand Proceedings for Class Actions Removed Under CAFA” The Federal Lawyer, May 2006
  • “Knowledge is Power: A Practical Proposal to Protect Putative Class Members from Improper Pre-Certification Communication” Federal Courts Law Review, 2006 Fed. Cts. L. Rev. 2
  • “Gathering Digital Evidence” TRIAL, October 2005
  • “Using Conflicts Principles to Obtain Punitive Damages in Louisiana Courts” Louisiana Advocates, May 2005
  • “Daubert Lite: Daubert’s Role, If Any, at Class Certification Hearings” Louisiana Bar Journal, Volume 52, Number 5
  • “Class Action Settlement of Future Claims” Louisiana Advocates, December 2004
  • “Leveraging Daubert Motions in Class Certification” Strafford Webinar, May 29, 2013
  • “Ethics – What We Need To Know” Louisiana Association for Justice ala carte CLE (Baton Rouge) December 27, 2012
  • “Ethics – What We Need To Know” Louisiana Association for Justice ala carte CLE (New Orleans) December 28, 2012
  • “Professional Orientation” LSU Law School, August 10, 2012
  • “Daubert Motions in Class Certification After Dukes:  Using or Challenging Expert Testimony Amid Divergent Court Standards” Strafford Webinar, May 1, 2012
  • “Teenagers and Safe Driving” Assumption High School Safe Driving Week, April 20, 2012
  • “Class Actions – A Year in Review”  Baton Rouge Bar Association CLE By The Hour, December 30, 2011
  • “Class Action Review – State and Federal” Louisiana Association for Justice Last Chance CLE (Baton Rouge), December 30, 2011
  • Class Action Review – State and Federal” Louisiana Association for Justice Last Chance CLE (New Orleans), December 29, 2011
  • “Personal Injury Claims & the Medicare Secondary Payer Act” Strafford Webinar, September 28, 2011
  • “Professional Orientation” LSU Law School, August 8, 2011
  • “Daubert Motions in Class Certification Proceedings: Strategies for Plaintiffs and Defendants Using or Challenging Expert Testimony at the Certification Stage” Strafford CLE, June 21, 2011
  • “Multi-Forum Litigation:  Strategic Considerations; Leveraging MDL, State Mass Action Coordination, and Other Tactics to Meet Litigation Goals” Strafford CLE, February 24, 2011
  • “Class Action Review” Louisiana Association for Justice Last Chance CLE, December 30, 2010
  • “Class Action Update” Baton Rouge Bar Association CLE By The Hour, December 29, 2010
  • Moderator, Baton Rouge Bar Association Class Action Seminar, November 4, 2010
  • “Daubert Motions in Class Certification Proceedings:  Strategies for Plaintiffs and Defendants Amid Differing Circuit Court Standards” Strafford CLE, October 14, 2010
  • “Gulf Oil Spill Governmental Claims; What’s Recoverable, Who Pays and Who Can Bring the Claims” Louisiana State Bar Association Admiralty Symposium, September 24, 2010
  • “Recent Case Law Review in E-Discovery- Pension Committee and Rimkus” Louisiana State Bar Association Electronic Evidence Seminar,  September 10, 2010
  • Moderator at the American Association for Justice Gulf Coast Oil Spill Litigation Group Seminar, Vancouver, Canada, July 14, 2010
  • “Foodborne Illness:  Ten Critical Questions” American Association for Justice Litigation at Sunrise, July 12, 2010
  • “The Federal Pleading Standard:  Notice A Difference?” American Association for Justice Heart Device Litigation Group Annual Meeting, July 10, 2010
  • Moderator for Harris Martin’s Oil Spill Litigation Conference, June 23, 2010
  • “MDL Status,” Harris Martin’s Oil Spill Litigation Conference, June 23, 2010
  • “A Plaintiff Attorney’s Guide to Daubert & Frye”  TrialSmith CLE, June 8, 2010
  • “Attorney General and Other Governmental Actions,” Louisiana State Bar Association Gulf Coast Oil Spill Symposium, May 25, 2010
  • “Bellwether Trials:  Evolving Trends in Class Action and Complex Litigation, Strategic Use of Bellwethers by Plaintiffs and Defendants,” Strafford CLE, March 25, 2010
  • “Of MDLs, Class Actions, and Bellwethers: Where Will the Toyota Litigation Be Transferred and How Will it Be Litigated? ” Harris Martin Symposium, March 24, 2010
  • “Lone Pine Orders in Class Action, Mass Tort and Products Liability Litigation:  Bringing and Defending Pre-Trial Motions Regarding Exposure, Causation and Damages,” Strafford CLE, February 18, 2010
  • Moderator, Louisiana Association for Justice CLE a la Carte, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 30, 2009
  • “Daubert:  Practical Applications” Last Chance Seminar Review of Louisiana Law, December 10-11, 2009
  • “Daubert Motions in Class Certification Proceedings, Strategies for Plaintiffs and Defendants Post In re Hydrogen Peroxide” Strafford CLE, November 17, 2009
  • “Mass Food Borne Illness Torts:  Procedural – Class Action vs. Individual Causation” LSBA Class Action/Mass Tort Symposium, October 16, 2009
  • “Trial Plans and the Increasing Role, Function and Application of Bellwether Trials” LSBA ClassAction/Mass Tort Symposium, October 17, 2008
  • “Does Daubert Apply to Class Certification?” AAJ Annual Convention, July 12, 2008
  • “Why Should A PI Lawyer Care About Class Actions?” Louisiana Association of Justice CLE Highlights of 2008, January 24, 2008
  • “The Implications of CAFA on Class Actions” Louisiana State Bar Association 19TH Annual Summer School Revisited Seminar, December 14, 2007
  • “Professionalism in Today’s World” Central Louisiana Pro Bono Project’s Last Roundup CLE, December 7, 2007
  • “What Constitutes Appropriate Class Action Notice and Why You Should Care… Due Process, Costs and Practical Efficacy”  Louisiana State Bar Association’s 7th Annual Class Action/Mass Tort Symposium, New Orleans, LA, October 19, 2007
  • “Professionalism – Does It Pay?”  Louisiana Association for Justice, Valuable Litigation Insights, May 18, 2007
  • “Preservation and Spoliation of Electronic Evidence” Louisiana Association for Justice, One More Chance CLE, January 25, 2007
  • “Ethical Issues and The Practice of Law” Louisiana Association for Justice 2006 CLE à la Carte, December 29, 2006
  • “Gathering Digital Data” Louisiana Association for Justice Last Chance Review of Louisiana Law CLE, December 15, 2006
  • “Pre-Certification Communication With Putative Class Members: Issues Associated With When, How, and If Contact Can Be Made” Louisiana State Bar Association’s 6th Annual Class Action/Mass Tort Symposium, October 20, 2006
  • “Electronic Evidence & New Discovery Rules: Are You Ready for 2007?”  LTLA and SeminarWeb Live!, September 20, 2006
  • “Litigation Demographics – Claims, Remedies, Venues, and MDL Issues” Harris Martin Contact Lens Solution Litigation Conference, July 26, 2006
  • “Electronic Evidence- Getting the Evidence You Need” Crossroads American Inn of Court CLE Event, March 21, 2006
  • “Dealing with Daubert” Crossroads American Inn of Court CLE Event, February 23, 2005
  • “Evaluation of a Tort Claim” St. Denis Inn of Court CLE Event, February 22, 2005
  • “Handling Expert Testimony Issues Under Daubert” and associated paper, “Cheairs v. State, DOTD and Louisiana Appellate Courts’ Decisions on Expert Testimony in 2004″ Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association  Aspen Winter Ski Program, February 10, 2005
  • “Alexandria Young Lawyers Bench Bar Conference” Program Chair, 2004
  • “Recent Developments” LSBA Section on Torts, Insurance, Negligence, and Worker’s Compensation Annual Meeting, Destin, Florida 2004, Moderator, Panel Presentation with Hons. G. Thomas Porteous, Richard T. Haik, and Dean Thomas Galligan
  • “Closing the Deal, Papering It, and Doing it Ethically” Louisiana State Bar Association’s Class Action/Mass Tort Symposium, October 2004
  • “Medical Malpractice and You” LSU PreMed Society, 2003
  • “Lawyer Advertising and Ethics” LSU Manship School of Communications, 2003
  • “Federal Practice” Louisiana Association of Paralegals, 2001
  • “The Media and the Administration of Justice” LSU Manship School of Communications, 1999-present
  • OpelousasTrust Authority v. Cleco Corporation, __So.2d __ (Jurisdictional Issue Regarding Class Action on behalf of Consumers)
  • Marsh v. USAgencies Casualty Insurance Company, 957 So.2d 901 (Certification of Insurance Class Action)
  • Marlon Simmons v. CTL Distribution, Inc., 868 So. 2d 918 (Wrongful Death and Survival Action Following Overturning of Molten Sulfur Truck)
  • Johnson v. Ned, 2001 WL 1161270 (Insurance Coverage Issue in Sexual Molestation Case)
  • Mac Hatten v. Schwerman Trucking, 889 So.2d. 448 (Venue Issue Surrounding Toxic Release)
  • In re: Complaint of River City Towing Services, Inc., 199 F.Supp.2d. 495 (Class Action Plaintiffs’ Motion to Dismiss Defendant’s Declaratory Judgment granted)
  • Crutchfield v. Landry, 778 So. 2d 1249 (Insurance Coverage Question Regarding Choice of Law Issues. Position advanced was ultimately accepted by the Louisiana Supreme Court in Champagne v. Ward, 893 So.2d. 773)
  • Flory Trial Competition Winner – 1998
  • Young Lawyers Section Louisiana Law Schools’ Mock Trial Competition Winner – 1998