James Cobb

Practice Areas

James W. Cobb is a trial and appellate lawyer and a founding partner of Caplan Cobb. James represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex business litigation, appeals, class actions, and other significant matters in federal and state courts across the country.

Much of James's work comes through referrals from other lawyers—cases that require a particular combination of trial experience, appellate depth, and judgment under pressure. As one Am Law 100 partner recently put it when referring a complex matter to James: "You and your firm have built a reputation for being the lawyers to call with difficult cases." James’s cases have drawn national attention, including coverage in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He’s ranked by Chambers USA and the Legal 500; is listed in Best Lawyers in America; and has been named to Super Lawyers' list of the Top 100 lawyers in Georgia for multiple years running.

James is also regularly asked to represent professional-services firms in their own business disputes—including multiple Am Law 100 law firms, who are among the most sophisticated consumers of legal services. Clients and co-counsel report that they genuinely enjoy working with James. As one recently said to Chambers USA, “James is great to work with. He is pleasant to be around but devastating to the opposition."

Before founding Caplan Cobb, James served as a law clerk for the Honorable Jacques L. Wiener, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, then practiced with Ropes & Gray in Boston and Rogers & Hardin in Atlanta.

Focus Areas

Business Litigation & Class Actions

James represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex business disputes, including contract litigation and business torts; corporate-governance and fiduciary matters; real-estate disputes; insurance-coverage litigation; whistleblower and qui tam cases; and government-enforcement actions. James also regularly defends class actions, shareholder-derivative suits, and bet-the-company litigation. James’s clients include public and private companies, partnerships, officers and directors, and individuals facing serious financial or professional exposure. James has secured wins at trial for both plaintiffs and defendants; resolved cases for defendants on the eve of trial for a small fraction of claimed damages; and negotiated settlements for plaintiffs worth tens of millions of dollars.

Appeals

James handles both federal and state appeals, often involving issues of first impression. His written and oral advocacy has been described as "of the highest quality" and "masterful." After one argument in Georgia’s Supreme Court, a lawyer who watched the argument described James’s presentation as “quite possibly the finest example of appellate advocacy I’ve heard; it was on par with the best [Supreme Court of the United States] appellate advocates.”

James is also regularly engaged as embedded appellate counsel for cases that are going to trial. Working alongside trial counsel, he helps frame and argue dispositive motions, preserve potential errors, and position the case for appeal.

Antitrust, RICO, & Unfair Competition

James represents plaintiffs and defendants in civil antitrust litigation, RICO cases, false-advertising and unfair-competition disputes, and restrictive-covenant and trade-secret cases. James has served as lead defense counsel in federal antitrust actions raising novel legal issues; defended major companies in civil RICO lawsuits brought under both the federal and state RICO statutes; and both prosecuted and defended competitor lawsuits in a variety of industries. Recently, James obtained a complete recovery—including attorneys' fees—for a large corporate client in a RICO case. And in a federal false-advertising case in which he represented the defendants, James not only secured a complete dismissal of the plaintiff’s claims, but he obtained a significant settlement payment for his client—from the plaintiff.

Special Matters

James often handles matters that require extreme sensitivity and discretion. These include internal corporate investigations; sensitive personnel matters; significant personal disputes; and conflicts over substantial family assets. Matters like these require a particular combination of experience, judgment, and discretion—and an understanding that the specific legal outcome may not always be the most important measure of success.

Professional & Community Involvement

• Master in the Lamar Inn of Court, Emory University School of Law

• Chair of the Trade Secrets Subcommittee of the Business Torts & Unfair Competition Committee (American Bar Association) (2014-2020)

• Chair of the Fraud Subcommittee of the Business Torts Litigation Committee (American Bar Association) (2013-2014)

• Member of the Editorial Board of the Georgia Bar Journal (published by the State Bar of Georgia) (2012 – 2015)

• Director, the Decatur Education Foundation

• Former Trustee, the Wylde Center

• Former member of the Corporate Leadership Council, Fernbank Museum of Natural History

• Former member of Rotary Club of Decatur

• Former Chancellor of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Decatur, Georgia