James M. Barber

James Barber was born and raised in Richwood, Nicholas County, West Virginia. He is the son of longtime Richwood attorney Jim Barber, and his wife Mary. James graduated from Richwood High School in 1977 and attended West Virginia University . After graduating from the College of Engineering with a Mechanical Engineering degree, James attended West Virginia University's College of Law as his father had. Upon his graduation in 1984, James went to work at the Charleston firm of DiTrapano & Jackson, learning his trial skills from Rudy DiTrapano and Rod Jackson. James left D&J in 1992, joining Doug Hunt for five years. After 2 years at a firm doing primarily asbestos litigation, James started his own successful firm in May of 2000. James has tried cases throughout West Virginia and has lectured several times at seminars presented by the West Virginia College of Law Continuing Legal Education office. James and Laura, his wife of 25 years, reside in Charleston where they have raised five daughters. James has coached youth, travel, junior high and high school soccer for nearly 15 years, and served as assistant coach for the girls soccer team at George Washington High School for 9 years. For a decade, James has contributed to the community by serving as President of the Kanawha-Charleston Soccer Foundation, a non-profit group which owns and maintains soccer fields for use by the local community. James can often be found at the fields mowing and performing other maintenance. James is an avid fly fisherman, snow skier and Mountaineer football & basketball fan.

• Owner, since 2000

• James Humphreys & Associates, Associate, 1997 - 2000
• Hunt & Barber, Partner, 1992 - 1997
• Ditrapano & Jackson, Associate, 1984 - 1992
• Languages
• English

• "The Art of Damages" Seminar. Topic: Life Care Plans, WVCLE, 1991
• "Litigation" Seminar. Topic: Current Insurance Law Issues, WVCLE, 1993
• "Insurance Law" Seminar. Topic: Automobile Liability Insurance- The Plaintiff's Perspective, WVCLE, 1994
• "Insurance Law" seminar. Topic: Automobile Insurance Update, WVCLE, 1995
• "Litigation" Seminar. Topic: Deliberate Intent Actions, WVCLE, 1999
• "Insurance" seminar. Topic: Recent Insurance Law Opinions, WVCLE, 2000
• Plaintiff's Asbestos Litigation Seminar: Asbestos Hot Tops in Steel and Aluminum Plant cases, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2000

• Kidwell v. Westinghouse Elec. Co.
• Citation: 358 S.E.2d 420
• Court: W.Va.
• Year: 1986
• Serial Number: 1987088958
• Powderidge Unit Owners Assoc. V. Highland Properties
• Citation: 474 S.E. 2nd 872
• Court: WV
• Year: 1996
• Payne v. Weston
• Citation: 466 S.E. 2nd 161
• Year: 1995
• Miller v. Lemon
• Citation: 459 S.E. 2nd 406
• Helmick v. Jones
• Citation: 452 S.E. 2nd 408
• Year: 1994
• Overbaugh v. McCutcheon
• Citation: 396 S.E. 2nd 153
• Year: 1990
• Calacino v. McCutcheon
• Citation: 356 S.E. 2nd 23
• Year: 1987

• West Virginia, 1984
• U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia, 1984
• U.S. District Court Northern District of West Virginia, 1984
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1984

• America Association for Justice
• West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association (Member)
• West Virginia State Bar