James "Jim" G. Wyly, III
Senior Partner
Businesses and their insurers facing the uncertainties of high-stakes litigation look to Jim Wyly for clear-eyed guidance. After 41 years of trial experience, Jim can quickly and accurately assess the strengths and weaknesses of a case and find the best possible solution. Because he knows how judges and juries see emotional as well as legal issues, his litigation strategies account for all the key factors that drive outcomes. Jim is also a certified mediator and arbitrator. His reputation for pragmatism and fairness on both sides of the courtroom has made him a sought-after neutral who has presided over more than 1,000 cases.
Jim is keenly aware of the pressures that accompany major litigation. He communicates clearly and often, giving in-house counsel, C-Suite executives, claims representatives and boards of directors the information they need to make major decisions. In addition, his results-oriented approach ensures that litigation budgets are used efficiently.
Experience
- Won a unanimous jury verdict exonerating an insurer from damage claims of more than $7 million in a Hurricane Katrina case. After a six-day trial, the jury held that our client had not acted in bad faith or breached its contract in denying plaintiffs' claims, and rendering a defense verdict.
- Secured an arbitration panel decision exonerating an engineering firm in arbitration over an alleged error in design plans for a $10 million+ airport runway resurfacing that allegedly required the plaintiff to rebid the project for an additional $1.5 million.
- In a case involving a lengthy trial and appeal to the Fifth Circuit, proved that an insurance company was not obligated to defend or indemnify a general contractor as an additional insured under a subcontractor's policy.
- Resolved a case for our client, a Biloxi-based casino, involving an elevator company's claim for amounts allegedly due under an elevator/escalator maintenance agreement. The court granted a dispositive motion for the casino, disallowed most of the damages the plaintiff claimed, and found that our client was entitled to damages instead.
- Successfully defended attorneys who had been sued for malicious prosecution, establishing a favorable precedent for defendants in legal malpractice actions.