James A. Prather

OVERVIEW

With more than 30 years of experience, James Prather quickly evaluates a case, sees the end game, then develops a litigation strategy to achieve the desired outcome. Sometimes that means obtaining an early settlement; other times it requires taking the matter to trial. James has the experience and skills to do both, always aligning his strategy with his clients’ business goals.

James started his practice with a focus on property and casualty defense litigation and has grown his practice to include insurance coverage, construction defects, product liability defense, and defense of the transportation industry. He also works with clients to develop policy forms for commercial and personal lines policies. James represents insurers and their insureds in first- and third-party bodily injury and property claims.

James has devoted his practice to preserving business and insurance interests in Louisiana. He serves as General Counsel for the Louisiana Surplus Lines Association and has been honored by his colleagues in the bar and members of the bench with an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available to practicing attorneys. James has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2019.

Representative Matters

• Helped uncover a fraud ring related to commercial trucking, which the media dubbed as “Operation Sideswipe.” Our client was sued by three claimants seeking personal injury damages. All three had spine surgery and demanded more than two million dollars. We proved the accident was staged, ultimately resulting in federal criminal convictions of the plaintiffs and their attorney for his role in the crime.
• Obtained a favorable ruling for a client, reducing a medical expense claim from more than $700,000 to $232,000 by exposing a medical funding scheme.
• Successfully litigated multiple wrongful death suits involving hunting accidents in several states, many resulting in defense verdicts.

PRACTICES

EDUCATION & ADMISSIONS

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• American Trucking Association
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
• Defense Research Institute
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
• Louisiana Bar Association
• Louisiana Claims Association – New Orleans and North Shore Chapters
• Louisiana Surplus Lines Advisory Council
• Louisiana Surplus Lines Association
• Maritime Law Association of the United States
• Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana
• Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association, Legislative Affairs Committee

NEWS