Michael D. Barnes

Michael Barnes has been engaged in active trial practice for more than 25 years, with a focus on product liability, trucking and transportation, toxic torts, class actions and insurance defense. Barnes is the leader of Wright Lindsey Jennings' Trial Team.

Barnes’ more recent experience includes:

• Counsel for an international oil and gas company in litigation resulting from a release of oil from an interstate pipeline.
• Lead trial counsel in defense of chemical repackaging facility in individual, mass tort and class actions, brought by residents who claimed adverse effects following a massive explosion at the facility.
• Lead trial counsel for major transportation companies in defense of tractor-trailer accident cases, including wrongful death and catastrophic injury.
• Lead trial counsel for metal supplier in product liability litigation following nationwide recall of canned goods.
• Lead counsel for supplier of window coverings in wrongful death action alleging product design defects.
• Lead trial counsel for sports arena in premises liability litigation.
• Lead counsel for oil refinery in personal injury and product liability litigation.
• Lead counsel for several major insurance carriers in various types of insurance coverage disputes.
• Lead counsel for oil/gas drilling equipment company in product liability and personal injury litigation.

Before joining the firm, Barnes served as a deputy prosecuting attorney (1992-93) and as an officer in the United States Marine Corps (1988-91).