James J. (“Jay”) Varellas, III

Prior to joining Varellas & Varellas, Jay practiced as a litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York and Fenwick & West in San Francisco, where he litigated large-scale class actions and other complex litigation matters around the country. While practicing in New York, he was part of the trial team that tried a multi-billion-dollar class action to a jury verdict after a four-month trial in the Southern District of New York. He also has trial experience involving claims of bad-faith denial of insurance claims and personal injury. In addition, Jay has appellate experience before a number of courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and the Kentucky Supreme Court. He has also provided advice regarding major corporate transactions, advised other law firms on ethics and conflict-of-interest issues, and represented non-profits in a variety of contexts. Immediately after law school, Jay served as a law clerk for Chief Judge Jennifer B. Coffman of the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky. At Varellas & Varellas, Jay leads the Class Action Practice and also handles cases involving personal injury, nursing home neglect and abuse and insurance and consumer fraud.

Jay is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall), where he served as an articles editor for the Berkeley Journal of International Law, and he is also the founding co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and Political Economy. Prior to receiving his law degree, Jay completed a master’s degree at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom as a Fulbright Scholar, and he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky. While at UK, he was selected as a Truman Scholar and a Gaines Fellow. Jay has also worked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Senate.

A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Jay is dedicated to fighting for the rights of individuals who have been injured or wronged by other individuals or corporations.