James M. Simpson heads the firm's General Litigation Practice Group.  He has tried more than 135 jury trials to verdict in business litigation and personal injury matters including business torts, products liability, toxic torts and class actions for Fortune 1000 companies in a broad array of industries, representing clients in courts throughout the country. Jim successfully argued the constitutionality of Arkansas's electronic gaming law before the Arkansas Supreme Court.

He regularly represents major product manufacturers and suppliers as regional lead counsel.  His civil litigation defense experience extends to complex litigation involving termination, unfair competition and other trade practices, antitrust, cooperatives, and product distribution.

Jim is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in Mid-South Super Lawyers as a Top 50 lawyer for Arkansas,  and is honored to be a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.  He previously served as President of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

• University of Arkansas School of Law, J.D., 1977
• Staff and Associate Editor, Arkansas Law Review, 1976—1977
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock, B.A., cum laude, 1974

• Insurance: The Products Hazard Exclusion Arkansas Law Review, Vol. 30, Fall, 1976

• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• President-Elect of the Arkansas Bar Association
• American Board of Trial Advocates, Past President, Arkansas Chapter
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
• Selected by attorney peers for inclusion in Mid-South Super Lawyers, since 2006

• CenterPoint Energy/Arkla
• CIGNA Property and Casualty Companies
• Dillard's, Inc.
• Federal Express Corporation
• Johnson & Johnson
• Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
• Merck & Company, Inc.
• Oaklawn Jockey Club, Inc.
• Several Asbestos Producers

• Defended a Louisiana Gas Company in a toxic tort case resulting in a jury verdict for the defense [Morehead v. Arkla]
• Defended J.C. Penney Co. in a complex antitrust case, resulting in the voluntary dismissal of the case by the plaintiff during trial [Razorback Shooting Supplies, Inc. v. J.C. Penney Co.]
• Represented Federal Express Corporation in the defense of a multi-million dollar antitrust case in the United States District Court, resulting in a verdict in favor of Federal Express on a counterclaim. [Airways v. Federal Express]
• Defended Southern Farmers Association (now SF Services), a cooperative, in an antitrust case in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas; the trial ended with the plaintiff's voluntary dismissal of its claim [VPG (Ferti-Lome) v. Southern Farmers Association]
• Represented Producers Rice Mill, a cooperative, as plaintiffs' counsel, and recovered approximately ninety percent of the demand for relief in settlement (Arkansas State Court) [Producers Rice Mill v. Bailey]
• Represented a former Coors products distributor in a wrongful termination case as plaintiff's counsel resulting in a verdict for the distributor of $1.6 million in the United States District Court [Coors of Central Arkansas v. Adolph Coors Company]
• Represented Baptist Medical Systems in a healthcare antitrust case brought by Humana Hospitals of Louisville, Kentucky, resulting in judgment as a matter of law for Baptist Medical Systems [Humana Hospitals v. Baptist Medical Systems]
• Defended Union Pacific Railroad Company in a highly publicized case challenging (within the context of a wrongful death case) the funding mechanisms and methods whereby railroad crossing protection is provided; the result was a jury verdict in favor of Union Pacific Railroad Company on all counts [Zajac v. Union Pacific]

• American College of Trial Lawyers
• American Board of Trial Advocates; Past President of State Chapter
• International Association of Defense Counsel; Chair of CLE Board
• DRI (formerly Defense Research Institute)
• Arkansas Bar Association; House of Delegates and Tenured Delegate for Extended Service; Member, Board of Governors, 2001—2006
• Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel; Charter Member and Former Secretary
• American Bar Association; Litigation Section, Antitrust Section; State Membership Chairman
• Pulaski County Bar Association

• Phi Kappa Phi
• Sigma Nu

• Arkansas, 1977
• United States Federal Court