Jim Sanders is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with over four decades of experience handling complex litigation and investigations across multiple jurisdictions. He represents corporations and individuals in matters ranging from environmental and antitrust disputes to product liability and defamation claims. His cases often involve extensive discovery, complex expert testimony, and high-stakes courtroom proceedings.
Throughout his career, Jim has successfully led numerous high-profile, lengthy, and challenging trials, frequently leading teams of outside lawyers and in-house counsel. In recognition of his distinguished work, he was elected in 1997 as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers – an honor extended by invitation only to a select group of lawyers who demonstrate exceptional skill and ethical standards.
He is also an active contributor to the Cambridge Forum on Corporate Enforcement, where he engages with thought leaders on issues of corporate compliance and legal accountability. His impact on the legal profession has been chronicled in several books, including Lawyers at Work by Clare Cosslett, Cleaning Up by Dan Legedoff, Special Effects by Ron LaBrecque, and Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power by Steve Coll.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- People v. Landis et al. – Represented director John Landis as co-counsel with the late James F. Neal in the high-profile manslaughter trial arising from the Twilight Zone: The Movie set accident. The case became a landmark in entertainment law, testing the boundaries of director liability and on-set safety practices.
- Exxon Shipping Co. Baker – Served as co-counsel, again with the late James F. Neal, during the litigation stemming from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court and became a pivotal decision on punitive damages in environmental mass torts.
- Allison v. ExxonMobil Corp. – Acted as lead trial counsel in Baltimore County, Maryland, in complex litigation involving hundreds of plaintiffs following a major gasoline pipeline leak.
- In re Southeastern Conference Student-Athlete Litigation – Co-counsel in an antitrust and right-of-publicity action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The case addressed the commercial use of collegiate athletes’ names, images, and likenesses—a precursor to today’s evolving NIL rights landscape.
- In re General Motors LLC Ignition Switch Litigation – Represented the Lead Switch Engineer for General Motors in multiple proceedings connected to nationwide recalls involving the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion. These matters were consolidated into multidistrict litigation addressing safety defects and corporate responsibility.
- Adkisson v. Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. – Defended Jacobs Engineering against claims arising from the 2008 coal ash spill at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee. Plaintiffs alleged exposure-related health issues during the cleanup of one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history.
- CHSPSC, LLC v. Steward Health Care System LLC – Represented Steward Health Care in litigation filed in Chancery Court in Nashville, Tennessee, related to a dispute involving hospital system transactions and contract obligations. The matter was briefly removed to federal court before being remanded.
- SmileDirectClub, Inc. v. NBCUniversal Media, LLC – Defended NBCUniversal in a Tennessee state court defamation action brought by SmileDirectClub, challenging the content of a televised investigative segment. The case tested journalistic protections and the reach of consumer claims in media reporting.
Professional & Civic Engagement
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- American Bar Association
- Tennessee Bar Association
- Nashville Bar Association
- Vanderbilt Law School, Board of Advisors
Honors & Awards
- Recognized in Chambers USA for Litigation: General Commercial and Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
- Recognized in Best Lawyers in America® for Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 1989-Present
