James L. Ferraro Jr. - Miami, FL

James L. Ferraro, Jr. is a Shareholder at The Ferraro Law Firm, where he represents individuals and government entities in high-stakes litigation involving product liability, toxic torts, environmental contamination, and mesothelioma. Since joining the firm in 2013, Mr. Ferraro has played a pivotal role in expanding its commercial litigation and mass tort practices, including its growing public entity representation in major litigations such as PFAS/AFFF, insulin price-fixing, and opioids.

Mr. Ferraro leads the firm’s mass tort practice and currently serves on two subcommittees within the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2873. He also helped secure a leadership position for the firm in In re: Insulin Pricing Litigation, MDL 3080. As a litigator, he has contributed to numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements, including a $17.175 million verdict in Taylor v. Georgia-Pacific LLC (Miami-Dade County, 2015), where he served as co-lead counsel. More recently, he played a key role in recovering nearly $200 million in PFAS-related settlements for public water systems and approximately $80 million in opioid settlements for two municipalities.

Mr. Ferraro earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, where he received a Dean’s Achievement Award and gained valuable experience as a judicial intern for U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. and as a law clerk at Grossman Roth P.A. He holds a B.B.A. from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, where he double-majored in finance and managing organizations—an academic foundation that informs his strategic, business-oriented approach to complex litigation.

Recognized for his leadership and results-driven practice, Mr. Ferraro has been named among the “Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Florida” and “Top 40 Under 40” lawyers in South Florida, highlighting a career distinguished by early success and continued excellence in complex civil litigation.

Practice Areas:

• Catastrophic Personal Injury
• Product Liability
• Environmental Toxic Torts
• Wrongful Death Attorneys

Education

• J.D., University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida

Honors: Dean’s Achievement Award

• B.B.A., Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Finance and Managing Organizations

Professional Associations

• Florida Justice Association Board of Directors
• American Bar Association
• Miami-Dade Trial Lawyers Association

Awards and Recognitions

• 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of South Florida
• 2021: Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Florida
• 2022: Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Florida

Case Results

• $200,000,000 in PFAS systems settlements on behalf of several public water systems
• $80,000,000 in opioid settlements on behalf of two municipalities
• $17,175,000 in Roy L. Taylor v. Georgia-Pacific (mesothelioma verdict)
• $10,000,000 confidential product liability settlement
• $4,200,000 confidential mesothelioma settlement
• $3,000,000 business dispute arbitration award
• $2,500,000 confidential laryngeal cancer asbestos settlement
• $2,500,000 confidential mesothelioma settlement
• $2,200,000 confidential product liability settlement

Bar Admissions

• Florida Bar
• United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
• United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
• United States District Court, Northern District of Florida

Speaking Engagements

• Presenter, “Overview of 3M and DuPont PFAS Legal Landscape and How to Access Settlement Funds,” Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, December 2023.
• Presenter and Panelist, “PFAS: Navigating Legal, Financial and Technological Challenges,” American Water Works Association (AWWA), Florida Section, February 2024.
• Presenter, “Status of Fort Lauderdale PFAS Litigation,” Fort Lauderdale Infrastructure Task Force Advisory Committee, March 2024.