Ben Harris
PARALEGAL
Candy Knickerbocker
Phone : (251) 441-9256
Related Practices:
Business and Corporate
Employment, Labor and Workers’ Compensation
Insurance Defense
Oil and Gas
Education:
A.B., Economics, Davidson College, 1959
J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 1962
Mr. Ben H. Harris Jr.
In his current role as Of Counsel, Ben Harris’ extensive trial experience serves him well as he advises his fellow attorneys at Johnstone Adams on their current cases. He focuses on general civil litigation, including personal injury, wrongful death, oil and gas, asbestos, telecommunications, real estate, construction, bad faith failure to pay insurance claims, and workers’ compensation. He has done a significant amount of trial work on behalf of Exxon Mobil Corp.
Ben is a seasoned litigator who has successfully argued lawsuits in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, Supreme Court of Alabama, U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ben and his partner Bill Hardie made local case history in a criminal representation defending an armed robbery case in which the first successful use of the Miranda Decision in the Circuit Court of Mobile County was employed.
Ben’s hallmarks are his ability to successfully arrive at practical solutions for his clients and his quiet, assured demeanor, which is seemingly at odds with his successful trial record. Although admittedly a bit shy, Ben says his competitive nature takes over in a court room and he attributes his productive record to that competitive spirit combined with a well-honed analytical nature.
HONORS + AWARDS
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers of America in the fields of
- Employer’s Workers Compensation Law, 2008
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, since 1970
- Most Outstanding Alumnus, University of Alabama School of Law, 2003
- William D. Scruggs, Jr. Service to the Bar Award, Alabama State Bar, 2010
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation, inducted in 1988
- Fellow, Alabama Law Foundation, inducted in 1995
- Professional and Community Involvement
- Past President, Alabama State Bar
- Past Member, Board of Governors, American Bar Association
- Past Member, Executive Council, National Conference of Bar Presidents
- Past President, United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Historical Society
- Past Chairman, Magistrate Selection Committee, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama
- Past President, Alabama Law School Foundation
- Past President, Alabama Law Foundation
- Past President, Alabama Bar Foundation
- Past Member, Board of Directors, Alabama Defense Lawyers Association
- Past Chairman of the Board, UMS-Wright Preparatory School
- Past President, Paul W. Brock Inn of Court
- Past President Mobile Track and Field Association
- Past President, Murray House (assisted living) Founder of Azalea Trail Run (10K)
- Past Member, Allocations Committee, Mobile United Way
- Past Board Member, American Red Cross (Mobile Chapter), Mobile Family Counseling Center
- Past President, Boys and Girls Club Served two years as a Lieutenant, U.S. Army Field Artillery, primarily at Fort Hood, Texas
- Successfully defended a client in a personal injury case where the client hit a police officer giving a ticket to the driver of another vehicle on a highway in Mobile.
- Successfully defended a large oil company in a case involving a kickback scheme in a large oil field that involved taking in excess of fifty depositions, including one deposition of two witnesses at the same time.
- Served as a lead lawyer in the first asbestos case in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama taking the first asbestos litigation deposition in Mobile.
- Successfully served as lead counsel in an 11-day jury trial representing a large telecommunications company in a suit involving the termination of a long-time contractor of the company.
- Successfully defended a large construction company in federal court against multiple claims involving the construction of a major hospital in Mobile.
- Defended major oil company in litigation for personal injury related to H2S exposure obtaining a very good result, and successfully defended such client in a claim related to gas pipeline installed under the bottom of Mobile Bay;
- Defended trucking company in wrongful death case and personal injury case as a result of a dump truck jumping the center median and striking an on-coming vehicle, obtaining a good result;Publications
- Alabama Lawyer, multiple columns
- S. Eleventh Circuit Historical News, Presidents Column
- Mobile Bar Association Monthly Bulletin, multiple columns
- Past President, Alabama State Bar
- Past Member, Board of Governors, American Bar Association
- Past Member, Executive Council, National Conference of Bar Presidents
- Past President, United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Historical Society
- Past Chairman, Magistrate Selection Committee, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama
- Past President, Alabama Law School Foundation
- Past President, Alabama Law Foundation
- Past President, Alabama Bar Foundation
- Past Member, Board of Directors, Alabama Defense Lawyers Association
- Past Chairman of the Board, UMS-Wright Preparatory School
- Past President, Paul W. Brock Inn of Court
Past President Mobile Track and Field Association - Past President, Murray House (assisted living) Founder of Azalea Trail Run (10K)
- Past Member, Allocations Committee, Mobile United Way
- Past Board Member, American Red Cross (Mobile Chapter), Mobile Family Counseling CenterPast President, Boys and Girls Club Served two years as a Lieutenant, U.S. Army Field Artillery, primarily at Fort Hood, Texas
- Spoken at meetings of multiple bar associations throughout the State of Alabama
- Presented programs and spoken at meetings of the Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference, Alabama Defense Lawyers Association and meetings of National Conference of Bar Presidents, at meetings of the U. S. Eleventh Circuit Historical Society and at Fort Rucker U. S. Army Helicopter Training Base Law Day Ceremony
- Speaker at an induction ceremony for a U. S. District Judge, a portrait presentation of U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge and at a retirement ceremony for Circuit Judge of Escambia County, Alabama, and at the dedication of the Hugo Black U. S. Courthouse in Birmingham
- Served as an escort for Justice Anthony Kennedy of U. S. Supreme Court at a U.S. Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference.