James M. Stanley, Jr.

Jim is an experienced trial attorney who has litigated over 100 civil cases, including 25-30 eminent domain cases, to a jury’s verdict. He is a Board-Certified Specialist in Appellate Practice and has been counsel in over 100 cases on appeal to the NC Supreme Court, NC Court of Appeals and the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

North Carolina has been home to Jim and his family since 1978. Jim grew up in Georgia, and upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, he served as an officer in the US Army in Panama, Vietnam and Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. He continued his service as an officer in the Army Reserves when he returned to his home state of Georgia to further his education. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, and Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia where he was a member of the Georgia Law Review and the Order of the Coif.

Jim moved to North Carolina immediately upon graduation to begin his legal career. His legal experience includes serving in private practice, as in-house counsel for an insurance company, and as a government attorney with the NC Department of Justice where his responsibilities primarily involved representation of the condemning authority in eminent domain cases and other real property valuation issues for approximately 20 years as an Assistant Attorney General and a Special Deputy Attorney General. He advised the Secretary of Transportation and other Department of Transportation senior staff on legal issues impacting major public works projects. He concluded approximately 100 eminent domain cases per year either through jury trial to verdict or by settlement, which generally involved a formal mediated settlement conference process. Worked with and prepared the Department’s appraisal and engineering expert witnesses for trial, took depositions of property owners’ appraisal and engineering expert witnesses, and litigated hearings pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 136-108 to define the compensable areas and interests that were taken by the Department. To broaden his knowledge and understanding of the condemnation and appraisal processes, Jim took various formal courses offered by the Appraisal Institute, including fundamental Appraisal Principles and Condemnation Appraising.

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