Jay Ezelle

Practice Areas

Jay concentrates on complex, high-risk litigation. He has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies, large financial institutions, and major universities in state and federal courts, including national class actions and multidistrict litigation. He has handled a variety of matters, including Title IX, securities fraud, patent and trademark infringement, trade secret disputes, and mass torts.

Career

Jay has practiced with Starnes since 1999 and is the Managing Partner for the firm. Jay has served in numerous leadership roles for the firm, including Chief Strategy Partner, Hiring Partner, member of the Executive Committee, and Head of the Commercial Litigation and IP Litigation Practice Groups. As Managing Partner, Jay is responsible for the execution of firm’s strategy and managing the operations of the firm’s expanding regional footprint.

Jay also maintains an active legal practice providing counsel and solutions for clients with complex and high-risk problems. He has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies in a variety of litigation including national class actions and multidistrict litigation. He has also represented clients involved in mass shootings, infectious disease outbreaks, and nationally publicized disputes ranging from sexual assaults, workplace indiscretions, student suicide, and intellectual property battles. He also regularly provides guidance to hospitals, academic medical centers, and healthcare providers on a variety of compliance and risk-avoidance measures. He also has vast experience in advising universities in high-profile matters ranging from Clery Act, campus safety, employment issues, Title IX, and NCAA investigations.

Numerous publications have identified Jay Ezelle as a leading lawyer. According to Chambers USA, “his ability to quickly comprehend a situation and devise a strategy for moving forward is extraordinary. He has a keen attention to detail and works well with everyone.”

Professional Memberships

Birmingham, Alabama, and American Bar Associations; Alabama Defense Lawyers Association.

Publications

Jay M. Ezelle, “Insights to Litigation,” The Birmingham Business Journal, August 18, 2017.

Jay M. Ezelle and Cole R. Gresham, “Big Verdicts, Limited Discovery: The Rising Importance of Trade Secrets in Alabama,” in the Cumberland Law Review, Vol. 44 at 55 – 77 (2014).

Jay M. Ezelle and C. Clayton Bromberg, Jr., “The Internal Affairs Doctrine in Alabama”, The Alabama Lawyer, Vol. 72, No. 2, at 143 – 147 (March 2011).

Education

Expert in these Jurisdictions

U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit

U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama

Work Highlights

Currently representing approximately 50 corporate entities and their affiliates, including multiple Fortune 100 companies, that are pursuing federal antitrust claims after opting out of a $2.7 billion class action settlement in In re: Blue Cross and Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (MDL No.: 2406), 2:13-cv-20000-RDP (N.D. Ala.).

Represented numerous entities in compliance, regulatory, and pre-suit investigations by using the firm’s litigation experience to conduct a systematic inquiry into practices creating potential exposure and the advising clients on the best practices to minimize those risks. For example, early involvement in a deadly Legionella outbreak at a hospital helped the hospital to manage the response and press coverage and allowed early resolution of all potential claims without a single lawsuit being filed.

Represented numerous companies in trade secret matters ranging from high-stakes litigation involving corporate espionage to advising small companies on how to avoid liability for trade secret misappropriation when hiring or firing employees.

Represented public and private companies, as well as universities, in trade secret disputes, including representing The University of Alabama in a trademark dispute with sports artist Daniel A. Moore that was the subject of press coverage by numerous news outlets including The New York Times, NPR and ESPN.

Represented public and private companies, universities, and individual inventors in patent infringement litigation including Sony, Procter & Gamble, The University of Alabama System, UAB Research Foundation, UAHuntsville, Rice University, and Emory University.

Represented and helped obtain dismissals and/or favorable settlements for numerous global financial institutions in the highly-publicized Enron, HealthSouth, WorldCom, Just for Feet, and Walter Energy securities litigations.

Defended Universities from claims for alleged violations of Title IX as well as advised universities on best practices for compliance with Title IX.