Commercial Litigation Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants Litigation - Construction Litigation - Real Estate
James R. "Jim" Lance
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
James Lance is an experienced trial attorney who has represented both plaintiffs and defendants for 38 years. He regularly represents defendants in bet-the-company litigation, and has obtained several 7 and 8 figure verdicts, judgments and settlements for personal injury and commercial plaintiffs.
Lance obtained a judgment of $12,933,000 in 2024 for an individual plaintiff asserting an employment claim. In addition to commercial matters, Lance routinely represents individuals asserting serious personal injury and wrongful death claims.
Representing clients in many different types of disputes, Lance has tried cases involving investor fraud, antitrust, unfair business practices, legal malpractice, serious personal injury, maritime injury and other maritime disputes, product liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and a class action investor fraud case on behalf of the San Diego County employees regarding their retirement benefits.
Lance has been continuously selected by his peers as a “Top 50” attorney in San Diego since 2019, and has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2013. He served on the ABOTA membership committee for several years and, in 2024, he became the president of San Diego ABOTA. Lance is a member of the board of directors for CAL-ABOTA, which serves eight California ABOTA chapters and the Hawaii chapter. He also is a board member of the William B. Enright Chapter of the American Inns of Court.
Lance is very active in the community. He coached youth football and baseball for more than 15 years, and presently spearheads a program at an underserved high school in Southeast San Diego, which holds monthly meetings on campus to provide students with information and mentoring for career opportunities in the legal field, potential internships and oral argument competitions.
Overview
- Washington and Lee University, J.D., graduated 1986
- Missouri State University, BS, graduated 1983
- Illinois, Illinois State Bar
- Missouri, The Missouri Bar
- California, The State Bar of
- American Board of Trial Advocates - Associate Member/Membership Committee
- American Inns of Court - Member
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers - Board Member 2010-12
- Illinois, Illinois State Bar
- Missouri, The Missouri Bar
- California, The State Bar of
- American Board of Trial Advocates - Associate Member/Membership Committee
- American Inns of Court - Member
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers - Board Member 2010-12
- Washington and Lee University, J.D., graduated 1986
- Missouri State University, BS, graduated 1983
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Litigation - Construction, San Diego (2021)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Commercial Litigation
- Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
- Litigation - Construction
- Litigation - Real Estate
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Litigation - Securities
Awards:
"Best Wrongful Death Lawyers in San Diego," Forbes Advisor: 2024
Commercial Litigation, Best Lawyers: 2013-2024
Real Estate Litigation, Best Lawyers: 2019-2024
- Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Best Lawyers: 2020, 2023, 2024
- Construction Litigation, Best Lawyers: 2024
- Business Litigation, Super Lawyers: 2007-2010, 2013-2024
Top 50 Southern California Super Lawyers - San Diego Edition: 2019-2024
- “Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate Law,” American Lawyer Media: 2012, 2015
- “Best of the Bar,” San Diego Business Journal: 2015, 2016
- “Top Attorney: Corporate Litigation,” The San Diego Daily Transcript: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
- “Top Influential,” The San Diego Daily Transcript: 2011, 2015
- “Top Lawyers,” San Diego Magazine: 2014-2018
- “Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate Law,” American Lawyer Media: 2012, 2015
- Selected to Best Lawyers in America by his peers for work in Commercial Litigation (since 2013)
- AV® Peer Review rating, Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory: Since 2013
News & Media
Additional Information
Case History
Cases
- Carr, et al. v. Emerald Bay Financial
Mr. Lance obtained a judgment in 2011 for $5,086,688 on behalf of 31 Plaintiffs in a 2-1/2 week securities trial in San Diego Superior Court. The judgment included attorneys fees and costs. Mr. Lance successfully proved claims of Fraud, Constructive Fraud, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Negligence, Financial Elder Abuse, Violations of Business and Professions Code §17200 and Violations of California Securities laws. Before trial, Mr. Lance was able to secure settlements and a stipulated judgment from other defendants for several million dollars.
- September 11th Victim Compensation Fund: Arbitration
Mr. Lance volunteered to represent two families who were victims of the September 11 attacks. He and his Partner David Noonan presented the claims at evidentiary hearings held in New York City as part of the Trial Lawyers Care Program.
- Collins, et al. v. American Honda
Mr. Lance was heavily involved in the prosecution of this nationwide class action regarding transmission defects. Honda agreed to provide a transmission-replacement program to settle the case, which was valued in at more than $180,000,000.
- Cacanindin v. United States of America, et al.: Settlement
Mr. Lance obtained an outstanding settlement in a very tragic and difficult case. Mr. Lance represented the family of an eight year old boy who was struck and killed in a crosswalk in Temecula while rollerblading with his father and brother. The driver was a diabetic who went into insulin shock and ran a red light. Unfortunately, he had no assets and limited insurance. The driver was from New York and had been treated by the VA Medical Center in Syracuse for his diabetes and a heart condition. The physicians in Syracuse prescribed a medication which could potentially block the symptoms of low blood sugar and allow a patient to go into insulin shock without notice. Mr. Lance traveled to New York and was able to secure very damaging admissions from the VA physicians. He filed a lawsuit against the driver and the United States of America (under the Federal Tort Claims Act) based on the actions of the VA physicians. The case involved very difficult factual and legal issues. After extensive investigation and discovery, Mr. Lance was able to obtain $874,000 for the family from the United States, and the $100,000 policy limits from the driver, for a total of $974,000.
- Minor Plaintiff v. Hospital X: Settlement
Mr. Lance settled a medical malpractice case against a hospital for the failure to treat bacterial meningitis, which resulted in severe neurological injuries to a 5 year old girl. The case settled for $2,800,000 prior to trial.
- Wage & Hour Class Action: Settlement
Mr. Lance pursued a class action lawsuit against a national company for failing to pay the business expense of its employees engaged in outside sales. The case settled in 2011. The average payment per class member was over $4,200 for a total settlement of$4,000,000.
- Chappell v. McDonnell Douglas: Trial
Mr. Lance represented in a five week trial against a helicopter manufacturer for serious injuries suffered while working for Star-Kist on a tuna boat. Mr. Chappell was flying the helicopter when it began to shake violently and crashed into the South Pacific. Mr. Lance represented him in a product liability action against McDonnell Douglas, claiming that the main rotor hub assembly was defective, which caused the main rotor blade to depart. The helicopter sank immediately after the crash and was never recovered. Defendant McDonnell Douglas argued that the helicopter was not defective, that no blade loss occurred and that Mr. Chappell was solely responsible for the crash. McDonnell Douglas made no settlement offer before the jury returned its verdict. The case was tried in San Diego Superior Court and the jury awarded Mr. Chappell damages of $2,741,000.
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