James B. Manley, Jr.

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404.885.3080

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For more than 20 years, clients ranging from product manufacturers and public utilities to corporate officers and directors have counted on Jim, a trial attorney, as their trusted advisor and lead defense counsel in high-exposure litigation.

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Two Troutman Pepper Partners Appointed to Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission
Overview
Representative Matters
Insights
Awards

Jim has substantial experience litigating commercial disputes and cases in the areas of consumer product safety and product liability, high-exposure torts and catastrophic injury, and professional and fiduciary liability. He also acts as counselor and advisor to a number of chief legal officers and general counsel in the manufacturing, retail, insurance services, and financial services industries.

In his product liability practice, Jim guides clients in all aspects of product regulation, safety, and potential hazards, including investigations, product recalls and other corrective actions, warnings, and testing. He advises clients regarding compliance with the reporting requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency charged with ensuring product safety, counseling them through national and international product recalls and guiding product and incident investigation teams consisting of subject matter experts from multiple technical and scientific disciplines.

In addition to counseling manufacturers on risk management, warranty-related issues, and warnings-related issues in a non-litigation context, he has successfully tried cases on behalf of Fortune 100 companies in state and federal courts throughout Georgia, and in Texas and Florida, and assisted in the creation of a national litigation discovery program for a Fortune 10 company.

Jim also practices in the area of professional and fiduciary liability, including offering counsel to directors and officers of financial institutions in adversary proceedings brought by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) asserting negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other claims. He also represents directors and officers in proceedings involving corporate governance and professional duties.

Jim has been recognized numerous times as a Pro Bono All-Star for his efforts on behalf of nonprofit organizations focused on the needs of children, women, and families.

Consumer Product Safety and Product Liability

  • Guides clients in all aspects of product regulation, safety and potential hazards, including investigations, product recalls and other corrective actions, warnings, and testing.
  • Advises clients regarding compliance with the reporting requirements of the CPSC, the federal agency charged with ensuring product safety.
  • Counsels clients regarding national and international product recalls.
  • Leads and guides product and incident investigation teams consisting of subject matter experts from multiple technical and scientific disciplines.
  • Counsels manufacturers on risk management, warranty-related issues, and warnings-related issues in a non-litigation context.
  • Advises clients regarding product safety testing.
  • Represents product manufacturers in defense of product liability tort litigation.
  • Successfully tried cases on behalf of Fortune 100 companies in state and federal courts throughout Georgia, and in Texas and Florida.
  • Assisted in the creation of a national litigation discovery program for a Fortune 10 company.

High-Exposure Torts and Catastrophic Injury

  • Represents clients in litigation involving catastrophic injuries.
  • Represented clients in litigation, including wrongful death litigation, involving fires and explosions.
  • Counsels and represents clients in major property damage and personal injury fire cases.

Professional and Fiduciary Liability

  • Counsel to directors and officers of financial institutions in adversary proceedings brought by the FDIC asserting negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other claims.
  • Represents directors and officers in proceedings involving corporate governance and professional duties.
  • Chambers USA: Litigation: General Commercial, Georgia (2022-2025)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2021-2026) and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2020-2026)
  • Benchmark Litigation: “Local Litigation Star” in Georgia (2021, 2023-2025)
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2018, 2021-2022) – independently rated lawyers
  • Super Lawyers®: Georgia (2011-2019, 2022-2023)
  • BTI Consulting Group, Client Service Super All-Star (2016, 2017)
  • Georgia Trend magazine, Legal Elite, (2008-2013, 2015-2017)
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated
Overview

Jim has substantial experience litigating commercial disputes and cases in the areas of consumer product safety and product liability, high-exposure torts and catastrophic injury, and professional and fiduciary liability. He also acts as counselor and advisor to a number of chief legal officers and general counsel in the manufacturing, retail, insurance services, and financial services industries.

In his product liability practice, Jim guides clients in all aspects of product regulation, safety, and potential hazards, including investigations, product recalls and other corrective actions, warnings, and testing. He advises clients regarding compliance with the reporting requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency charged with ensuring product safety, counseling them through national and international product recalls and guiding product and incident investigation teams consisting of subject matter experts from multiple technical and scientific disciplines.

In addition to counseling manufacturers on risk management, warranty-related issues, and warnings-related issues in a non-litigation context, he has successfully tried cases on behalf of Fortune 100 companies in state and federal courts throughout Georgia, and in Texas and Florida, and assisted in the creation of a national litigation discovery program for a Fortune 10 company.

Jim also practices in the area of professional and fiduciary liability, including offering counsel to directors and officers of financial institutions in adversary proceedings brought by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) asserting negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other claims. He also represents directors and officers in proceedings involving corporate governance and professional duties.

Jim has been recognized numerous times as a Pro Bono All-Star for his efforts on behalf of nonprofit organizations focused on the needs of children, women, and families.

Representation Matters

Consumer Product Safety and Product Liability

  • Guides clients in all aspects of product regulation, safety and potential hazards, including investigations, product recalls and other corrective actions, warnings, and testing.
  • Advises clients regarding compliance with the reporting requirements of the CPSC, the federal agency charged with ensuring product safety.
  • Counsels clients regarding national and international product recalls.
  • Leads and guides product and incident investigation teams consisting of subject matter experts from multiple technical and scientific disciplines.
  • Counsels manufacturers on risk management, warranty-related issues, and warnings-related issues in a non-litigation context.
  • Advises clients regarding product safety testing.
  • Represents product manufacturers in defense of product liability tort litigation.
  • Successfully tried cases on behalf of Fortune 100 companies in state and federal courts throughout Georgia, and in Texas and Florida.
  • Assisted in the creation of a national litigation discovery program for a Fortune 10 company.

High-Exposure Torts and Catastrophic Injury

  • Represents clients in litigation involving catastrophic injuries.
  • Represented clients in litigation, including wrongful death litigation, involving fires and explosions.
  • Counsels and represents clients in major property damage and personal injury fire cases.

Professional and Fiduciary Liability

  • Counsel to directors and officers of financial institutions in adversary proceedings brought by the FDIC asserting negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and other claims.
  • Represents directors and officers in proceedings involving corporate governance and professional duties.
Insights

Firm News

Two Troutman Pepper Partners Appointed to Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission

Firm News

Troutman Pepper Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2025

Firm News

Troutman Pepper Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024

Firm News

Troutman Pepper Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2023

See all insights from James B. Manley, Jr.

Awards
  • Chambers USA: Litigation: General Commercial, Georgia (2022-2025)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2021-2026) and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2020-2026)
  • Benchmark Litigation: “Local Litigation Star” in Georgia (2021, 2023-2025)
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2018, 2021-2022) – independently rated lawyers
  • Super Lawyers®: Georgia (2011-2019, 2022-2023)
  • BTI Consulting Group, Client Service Super All-Star (2016, 2017)
  • Georgia Trend magazine, Legal Elite, (2008-2013, 2015-2017)
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated

Top areas of focus

  • Member, Judicial Nominating Commission, State of Georgia
  • Board of Advisors, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
  • Board of Trustees, WellStar Medical System Foundation
  • Board of Trustees, United Methodist Children’s Home of North Georgia
  • Board of Trustees, Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence, 2011-2015
  • Northpoint Community Church
  • Class of 2010, Leadership Georgia

Education

  • Mercer University School of Law, J.D., 1996
  • University of Georgia, B.A., 1993

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia

Court Admissions

  • Court of Appeals of Georgia
  • Supreme Court of Georgia
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia
  • Guest lecturer on torts, University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, Georgia, Spring 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
  • “Motor Vehicle Accidents: Managing the Serious Injury/Fatality,” Natural Gas Claims and Litigation Seminar, Marco Island, Florida, April 30, 2013.
  • “Officer and Director Liability,” Community Bankers Association of Georgia, June 16, 2011.
  • “Practical Advice for Avoiding Litigation and Minimizing Exposure,” Corporate Counsel Institute, Dec. 4-5, 2008.
  • Machinery Dealers National Association Sixth Annual Convention and Business Meeting, May 7-10, 2006.
  • Panelist, “Presenting and Disputing Damages Evidence in Wrongful Death Cases,” Successful Handling of Wrongful Death Cases in Georgia Seminar, July 12, 2005.
  • “Product Liability Jury Charges in Georgia,” ICLE Georgia Product Liability Conference, March 11, 2005.
  • Author, “Bank Directors and Officers Get Judicial Relief From FDIC’s ‘Unfortunate if Not Outright Unjust’ Suit,” Oct. 9, 2014.
  • Co-author, “The FDIC: Breaking Banks With Broken Rules,” Bloomberg Law Reports, Banking & Finance, January 2012.