JAMES A. BRADFORD, a Partner in the Birmingham office, has over 27 years of experience in representing individuals and companies in a wide range of litigated matters involving contract, eminent domain, environmental, insurance, landlord/tenant, product liability, professional negligence, real estate, tort, and wills and estates law.  In recent years, his practice has become more concentrated in the area of real estate law, including the law of titles, title insurance, real estate information services, eminent domain, and land use and planning.  A significant portion of his practice is now devoted to eminent domain proceedings on behalf of condemning authorities and to the evaluation and resolution of coverage issues and claims on behalf of a number of title insurance underwrites, title agents, and providers of real estate information services, including the defense of first-party and third-party actions and the pursuit of negotiation and litigation to cure or establish title. 

He has served as trial counsel in dozens of cases in federal and state courts on behalf of condemning authorities, title insurers, title agents, and insured lenders and owners.  He has also represented real estate appraisers and real estate inspectors in suits arising from their involvement in real property transactions.  In addition to handling appeals on behalf of clients, Mr. Bradford has represented the American Land Title Association, the Alabama Land Title Association, the Business Council of Alabama, title insurance underwriters, and public utilities in amicus curiae submissions to the Supreme Court of Alabama. 

In 1996-97, he served as Chair of The Title Insurance Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section.  In 2000, he was elected a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys.  He is also a member of the International Right of Way Association, Alabama Defense Layers Association, and Defense Research Institute.  Since 2003, he has served as a member of the Alabama Board of Bar Examiners.

Representative Experience

• Commercial Union Ins. Co. v. Sepco Corp., 878 F. 2d 1395 (11th Cir. 1989)
• Commercial Union Ins. Co. v. Sepco Corp., 918 F. 2d 920 (11th Cir. 1990)
• Countryside Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc. v. Mutual Benefit Life Ins. Co., 587 So. 2d 987 (Ala. 1991)
• Ex parte Russell Corp., 703 So. 2d 953 (Ala. 1997)
• Fidelity National Title Ins. Co. of Tennessee v. Jericho Management, Inc., 722 So. 2d 740 (Ala. 1998) (for amicus curiae American Land Title Association and others)
• Gaines v. Gaines, 472 So. 2d 1033 (Ala. 1985)
• Gaut v. Medrano, 630 So. 2d 362 (Ala. 1993) (for amicus curiae Business Council of Alabama)
• Henderson v. Alabama Power Co., 627 So. 2d 878 (Ala. 1993)
• Hicks v. Alabama Power Co., 623 So. 2d 1050 (Ala. 1993)
• Isbell v. Alabama Power Co., 477 So. 2d 281 (Ala. 1985)
• Nichols v. North American Equitable Life Assurance Co., 502 So. 2d 375 (Ala. 1987)
• Olympia Produce Co. v. Associates Financial Services of Alabama, Inc., 584 So. 2d 477 (Ala. 1991)
• Russell Corp. v. Sullivan, 790 So. 2d 940 (Ala. 2001)
• Sargent v. Alabama Power Co., No. 1051493 (Ala. June 15, 2007) (affirmance without opinion)
• Smith v. MBL Life Assurance Corp., 589 So. 2d 691 (Ala. 1991)
• Sparks v. Alabama Power Co., 679 So. 2d 678 (Ala. 1996)
• Thornton Properties v. Alabama Power Co., 550 So. 2d 1024 (Ala. Civ. App. 1989)
• Willis v. University of North Alabama, 826 So. 2d 118 (Ala. 2002) (for amicus curiae Alabama Power Company)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• • American Bar Association, Past Chair, Title Insurance Litigation Committee of Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section; Subcommittee Chair, Title Insurance Committee of Section of Real Property, Probate & Trust Law; Member of Real Estate & Probate Litigation Committee of the Section of Litigation
  • American College of Mortgage Attorneys, Fellow
  • Alabama State Bar, Board of Bar Examiners
  • Birmingham Bar Association, Civil Courts Procedures Committee
  • Listed in Alabama Super Lawyers, 2008
  • Alabama Defense Lawyers Association
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • International Right of Way Association
    

NEWS

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Speaking Engagements