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Leading Florida Appellate and Trial Lawyer

James L. Ferraro is an experienced and accomplished trial lawyer with a long list of accolades and case wins. Ferraro has fashioned his law practice with a focus on cases involving personal injuryproduct liabilitywrongful death, and environmental toxic torts.

For over 20 years, he has focused his career on asbestos / mass tort litigation, achieving major results in injury cases, including jury verdicts totaling multi-millions of dollars. Mr. Ferraro obtained the highest compensatory recovery in a Florida mesothelioma lawsuit in 1995. He also achieved a nationally record-breaking compensatory jury award for a benign asbestos case in 1997.

He was among just 10 finalists from around the country considered for 1997 Trial Lawyer of the Year after being the first to successfully prosecute a case against a major chemical giant whose products led to birth defects. In a nationally televised and recognized case, Mr. Ferraro held chemical giant DuPont responsible after a woman’s baby was born missing eyes after she was exposed to a dangerous fungicide during her pregnancy. The Supreme Court of Florida re-affirmed this verdict seven years later.

Mr. Ferraro later wrote a book about this case called BlindsidedThis book chronicles his experience taking on the industrial giants in a real-life David and Goliath fashion. You can read this incredible courtroom drama and get an insider’s perspective of Mr. Ferraro’s relentless approach to litigation.

Education & Background

A native of Greenwich, Connecticut, Mr. Ferraro graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1978 and, in 1979, a Master of Science degree in accounting. The following year, in 1980, he went on to become a certified public accountant (CPA). He also instructed an accounting class in 1982 at the University of Miami. Then he went to the University of Miami School of Law in 1983 to receive his law degree.

Previous Experience

Mr. Ferraro founded The Ferraro Law Firm in Miami and is one of the two founding partners behind the Cleveland, Ohio firm Kelley & Ferraro LLP. His firms currently represent nearly 50,000 asbestos claimants.

Education

  • J.D., University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida, 1983
  • Master’s Degree, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida; Major: Accounting
  • B.B.A., University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, 1978

Bar Admissions

  • Florida, 1983
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1984
  • Massachusetts, 1985
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1994
  • U.S. Tax Court, 1994
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 2000
  • New York, 2002
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 2002
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2002
  • Ohio, 2003
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2004

Professional Associations

  • American Bar Association
  • Florida Justice Association
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Florida State Coordinator for The Public Justice Foundation
  • Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
  • Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • American Association for Justice
  • National Italian-American Bar Association
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum®
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum®
  • Sports Lawyers Association
  • Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers

Awards

  • Florida Super Lawyer 2014-2023
  • Florida Super Lawyer 2010
  • Florida Super Lawyer 2007
  • Florida Super Lawyer 2008
  • Ellis Island Medal of Honor, 2001
  • Order of Saint John Knights of Malta, 1999

Case Results

Community Involvement

  • William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, Trustee
  • Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Inc., Board of Directors
  • The Children’s Home Society of Florida Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors
  • Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, Board of Directors
  • National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, National Leadership Committee
  • Advisory Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida
  • Bowman Foster Ashe Society at the University of Miami
  • Member of the Board and Advisory Council of United Way of Miami-Dade
  • Jackson Memorial Foundation, Director of the Board

Project Blindsided

Blindsided is the true story of Mr. Ferraro’s relentless fight against one of the top industrial giants in the U.S., DuPont. Mr. Ferraro took on this chemical corporation on behalf of a boy with no eye­­­s—a boy who suffered after his mother was doused with dangerous chemical fungicide outside a u-pick farm. It was this chemical fungicide that was believed to have caused his birth defect, as well the birth defects of numerous other children across the country. While everyone told Mr. Ferraro the battle was unwinnable, he only saw a boy and his family who needed help. Blindsided details the courtroom drama that unfolded over a decade-long battle between a real-life David and Goliath. It depicts how Mr. Ferraro, standing alone, was able to secure justice for a hurting family and hold a negligent chemical company accountable, despite the odds stacked against him.

You can learn more about the story and getting your copy of the book here: http://projectblindsided.com/

Our Attorneys

James L. Ferraro

Founding Shareholder & President

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Verdicts & Settlements

BILLIONS
OF DOLLARS
Recovered for Our Clients

The Ferraro Law Firm is one of the top five asbestos and mesothelioma law firms in the nation in the number of claimants we represent and the total recovery we have obtained for our clients. Our courtroom successes have also given us the financial resources to handle complex cases that require a significant monetary investment on the part of the law firm handling your case.

Drag & Scroll
01

$70,102,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09

$14,088,300

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

10

$14,000,000+

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

11

$14,000,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

12
13

$12,500,000

Product Liability

14

$11,000,000

Product Liability

15

$9,000,000

Talcum Powder

16
17
18

$6,785,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

19

$6,250,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

20
21

$5,500,000

Catastrophic Personal Injury

22

$5,000,000

Product Liability

23

$5,000,000+

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

24

$5,000,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

25
26
27

$3,455,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

28

$2,981,302

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

29

$2,854,159

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

30

$2,500,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

31

$2,000,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

32

$1,800,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

33

$1,500,000

Defective Drugs

34

$1,153,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

35

$1,131,327

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

36

$1,066,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

37

$1,055,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

38

$900,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

39

$800,000

Catastrophic Personal Injury

40

$500,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

41

$450,000

Catastrophic Personal Injury

42

$300,000

Mesothelioma & Asbestos

43

CONFIDENTIAL CASE

Product Liability

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Our Trial and Appellate Attorneys Are Ready to Fight for You

If you were seriously injured, remember that it is crucial to choose the right law firm to represent your interests. We have been doing this for more than three decades, and have the resources you need to challenge any opponent!

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