James H. (Jay) Bolin

James H. (Jay)

Bolin

Overview

Jay practices within the Products, Catastrophic and Industrial Litigation Group. He focuses his practice on product liability litigation, toxic tort litigation, environmental litigation, catastrophic events and major claims, incident response and evidence preservation, OSHA and general litigation defense.        

About

Jay Bolin has over 25 years’ experience in product liability litigation, toxic tort litigation and general litigation defense matters. He is experienced in serving as National and Regional Coordinating Counsel in mass tort litigation and developing and coordinating defense across the country. He handles general insurance defense matters in both federal and state courts, product liability disputes for manufacturers and distributors, and chemical exposure cases including benzene and mercury. He is experienced in mass tort litigation includes defending the largest mass tort MDL in history, involving the sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military. Additionally, he has successfully defended numerous environmental and product liability claims related to PFAS.

Jay is also actively engaged in advising and representing clients with respect to emergency incident response and evidence preservation efforts and related inspections, investigations and enforcement actions involving state and federal agencies including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). Jay recently co-authored two OSHA related articles for the Mississippi Business Journal: “LAW ELEVATED – Long-Term Care Facilities: OSHA Monitors Employer Weekly Reports to CMS” (2021), and “LAW ELEVATED – EMPLOYERS BEWARE: OSHA “Coronavirus-Related’ Inspections Citations on the Rise in Late 2020.”

Jay obtained his J.D. from the University of Mississippi and is admitted to The Mississippi Bar, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Bolin’s work has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants.

Experience

  • Representation of chemical manufacturer in thousands of environmental and products liability PFAS claims in state and federal courts nationwide brought by individuals, municipalities, and states alleging groundwater contamination and personal injury as individual claims, consolidated proceedings, and class actions.
  • National wave discovery coordinating counsel for a multinational manufacturing company in the largest mass tort MDL in history concerning sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military.
  • Representation of company in the defense of a mass action defending hundreds of personal injury claims from alleged exposures to mercury.
  • Lead counsel on a putative class action pending in federal court where the plaintiffs are alleging groundwater contamination from various sources, including farming and manufacturing.
  • Experience serving on national coordinating counsel teams in mass tort litigation, developing and coordinating defense across country with trial experience in Mississippi and Texas involving claims of exposure to asbestos containing products.
  • Handles a variety of product liability disputes for manufacturers and distributors in federal and state courts, including commercial and industrial equipment, recreational vehicles and power tools.
  • Member of litigation team for oil and gas industry client in multi-jurisdiction litigation in state and federal courts involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and commercial damages.
  • Represents a wide range of employers across multiple industries in connection with investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), and other agencies. This representation includes coordinating emergency response and evidence preservation efforts after workplace accidents, explosions or other catastrophic events, responding to formal and informal complaints, handling onsite OSHA inspections, investigations, other referrals and handling enforcement actions. Jay has also advised employers on the sufficiency of existing health and safety programs as well as certain policies and procedures and has conducted workplace health and safety audits and inspections.
  • Also assists employers in the other legal issues arising from workplace safety issues, including dealing with the families of the deceased or injured employees, working with worker compensation and other insurers, advising clients with respect to possible civil or criminal proceedings, media inquiries, experts and other potential parties.
  • Handles chemical exposure cases including benzene and products regulated by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act ("FIFRA").
  • Handles defense of claims brought against companies who process, store, transport and dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous material. 
  • King v. Terex Corporation, et al. (S.D. Miss.) trial court granted dismissal of multiple defendants due to lack of personal jurisdiction in an industrial machinery case alleging personal injury.
  • Pounds v. Rogersol, Inc., et al. (S.D. Miss.) trial court granted Daubert Motion in a toxic tort benzene case, and motion for summary judgment.
  • In re Profiler Products Liability Litigation, 2008 WL 1774909, S.D. Ill., April 16, 2008 (NO. MDL. 06‑1748-GPM).
  • Duffin v. Honeywell Intern., Inc., 312 F.Supp.2d 869, N.D. Miss., April 05, 2004 (NO. CIV.A. 403CV389).
  • Atlanta Cas. Co. v. Powell, 83 F.Supp.2d 749, N.D. Miss., June 17, 1999 (NO. 1:97CV189-B-D).

Distinctions

  • BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, 2017-2025
  • Benchmark Litigation
    • Member of the team selected as nationwide Product Liability Firm of the Year, 2018

Bar Admissions

  • Mississippi, 1996
  • U.S. District Courts
    • Mississippi: Northern, Southern
  • U.S. Court of Appeals
    • 5th Circuit

Education

  • University of Mississippi, J.D., 1996
    • Executive Committee, Moot Court Board
    • Outstanding Student, Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders
  • University of Mississippi, M.A., Accountancy, 1991
  • University of Mississippi, B.A., Accountancy, cum laude, 1990

Associations

  • American Bar Association
    • Litigation Section
      • Mass Torts Committee
    • Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice Section
      • Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee
    • Labor and Employment Law Section
      • Workplace & Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
    • Product Liability Committee
  • Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
  • Mississippi Bar
  • Capital Area Bar Association

Papers, Presentations & Publications

James H. (Jay)

Bolin

Overview

Jay practices within the Products, Catastrophic and Industrial Litigation Group. He focuses his practice on product liability litigation, toxic tort litigation, environmental litigation, catastrophic events and major claims, incident response and evidence preservation, OSHA and general litigation defense.        

About

Jay Bolin has over 25 years’ experience in product liability litigation, toxic tort litigation and general litigation defense matters. He is experienced in serving as National and Regional Coordinating Counsel in mass tort litigation and developing and coordinating defense across the country. He handles general insurance defense matters in both federal and state courts, product liability disputes for manufacturers and distributors, and chemical exposure cases including benzene and mercury. He is experienced in mass tort litigation includes defending the largest mass tort MDL in history, involving the sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military. Additionally, he has successfully defended numerous environmental and product liability claims related to PFAS.

Jay is also actively engaged in advising and representing clients with respect to emergency incident response and evidence preservation efforts and related inspections, investigations and enforcement actions involving state and federal agencies including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). Jay recently co-authored two OSHA related articles for the Mississippi Business Journal: “LAW ELEVATED – Long-Term Care Facilities: OSHA Monitors Employer Weekly Reports to CMS” (2021), and “LAW ELEVATED – EMPLOYERS BEWARE: OSHA “Coronavirus-Related’ Inspections Citations on the Rise in Late 2020.”

Jay obtained his J.D. from the University of Mississippi and is admitted to The Mississippi Bar, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Bolin’s work has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants.

Experience

  • Representation of chemical manufacturer in thousands of environmental and products liability PFAS claims in state and federal courts nationwide brought by individuals, municipalities, and states alleging groundwater contamination and personal injury as individual claims, consolidated proceedings, and class actions.
  • National wave discovery coordinating counsel for a multinational manufacturing company in the largest mass tort MDL in history concerning sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military.
  • Representation of company in the defense of a mass action defending hundreds of personal injury claims from alleged exposures to mercury.
  • Lead counsel on a putative class action pending in federal court where the plaintiffs are alleging groundwater contamination from various sources, including farming and manufacturing.
  • Experience serving on national coordinating counsel teams in mass tort litigation, developing and coordinating defense across country with trial experience in Mississippi and Texas involving claims of exposure to asbestos containing products.
  • Handles a variety of product liability disputes for manufacturers and distributors in federal and state courts, including commercial and industrial equipment, recreational vehicles and power tools.
  • Member of litigation team for oil and gas industry client in multi-jurisdiction litigation in state and federal courts involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and commercial damages.
  • Represents a wide range of employers across multiple industries in connection with investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), and other agencies. This representation includes coordinating emergency response and evidence preservation efforts after workplace accidents, explosions or other catastrophic events, responding to formal and informal complaints, handling onsite OSHA inspections, investigations, other referrals and handling enforcement actions. Jay has also advised employers on the sufficiency of existing health and safety programs as well as certain policies and procedures and has conducted workplace health and safety audits and inspections.
  • Also assists employers in the other legal issues arising from workplace safety issues, including dealing with the families of the deceased or injured employees, working with worker compensation and other insurers, advising clients with respect to possible civil or criminal proceedings, media inquiries, experts and other potential parties.
  • Handles chemical exposure cases including benzene and products regulated by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act ("FIFRA").
  • Handles defense of claims brought against companies who process, store, transport and dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous material. 
  • King v. Terex Corporation, et al. (S.D. Miss.) trial court granted dismissal of multiple defendants due to lack of personal jurisdiction in an industrial machinery case alleging personal injury.
  • Pounds v. Rogersol, Inc., et al. (S.D. Miss.) trial court granted Daubert Motion in a toxic tort benzene case, and motion for summary judgment.
  • In re Profiler Products Liability Litigation, 2008 WL 1774909, S.D. Ill., April 16, 2008 (NO. MDL. 06‑1748-GPM).
  • Duffin v. Honeywell Intern., Inc., 312 F.Supp.2d 869, N.D. Miss., April 05, 2004 (NO. CIV.A. 403CV389).
  • Atlanta Cas. Co. v. Powell, 83 F.Supp.2d 749, N.D. Miss., June 17, 1999 (NO. 1:97CV189-B-D).

Distinctions

  • BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, 2017-2025
  • Benchmark Litigation
    • Member of the team selected as nationwide Product Liability Firm of the Year, 2018

Bar Admissions

  • Mississippi, 1996
  • U.S. District Courts
    • Mississippi: Northern, Southern
  • U.S. Court of Appeals
    • 5th Circuit

Education

  • University of Mississippi, J.D., 1996
    • Executive Committee, Moot Court Board
    • Outstanding Student, Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders
  • University of Mississippi, M.A., Accountancy, 1991
  • University of Mississippi, B.A., Accountancy, cum laude, 1990

Associations

  • American Bar Association
    • Litigation Section
      • Mass Torts Committee
    • Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice Section
      • Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee
    • Labor and Employment Law Section
      • Workplace & Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
    • Product Liability Committee
  • Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
  • Mississippi Bar
  • Capital Area Bar Association

Papers, Presentations & Publications