James J. Varellas III

James J. (“Jay”) Varellas, III, has joined Varellas & Varellas, of counsel, after practicing as an attorney at law firms in New York City and San Francisco. Jay has spent much of his legal career litigating large-scale class actions and other complex litigation disputes around the country. While an attorney practicing in New York, he was part of the trial team that tried a multi-billion-dollar class action to a jury verdict in a four-month trial in federal court. He also has trial experience involving claims of bad-faith denial of insurance claims. Over his career, Jay has litigated numerous class actions and other large-scale complex litigation disputes around the country and he has appellate experience before a number of appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He has also provided advice regarding mergers and acquisitions, advised major law firms on ethics and conflict-of-interest issues and represented non-profits in a variety of contexts.

Prior to joining Varellas & Varellas, Jay was an attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York and Fenwick & West LLP in San Francisco. Immediately after graduating from law school, Jay completed a federal clerkship with Chief Judge Jennifer B. Coffman of the Eastern and Western District Districts of Kentucky. Jay is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall).

Prior to receiving his law degree at Berkeley, Jay completed a master’s degree at the University of Sussex as a Fulbright Scholar in the United Kingdom, and he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky. While at the University of Kentucky, he was selected as a Truman Scholar and a Gaines Fellow. After graduating from UK, Jay also worked as a policy analyst for the U.S. Department of Transportation and as a research fellow in the U.S. Senate.

Jay is dedicated to fighting for the rights of individuals who have been injured or wronged by other individuals or corporations.