Areas of Practice
White Collar Criminal Defense
Business / Civil Litigation
Environmental Litigation

James F. Sanders joined Neal & Harwell in 1978 and is one of the firm’s senior members. He has handled legal matters and tried cases throughout the United States for national and international clients and is generally recognized as one of the leading corporate defense attorneys in the country. His clients include individuals as well as several Fortune 500 companies. He is among a select group in the legal profession who corporations often turn to when faced with serious, complex litigation, requiring lengthy trial schedules.

Mr. Sanders was a law clerk for the Honorable Judge William E. Miller of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and for the Honorable Judge Frank Gray Jr., Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. From 1975 through 1977, he served as a trial attorney in the felony section of the Seattle-King County Washington Public Defenders Office.

Mr. Sanders graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1967 and the Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1970. He has lectured at the Vanderbilt University School of Law and has served on several study committees by appointment of the Vanderbilt University Chancellor.

Representative Clients

• ExxonMobil Corporation
• Exxon Chemical Company
• General Motors
• Ingram Industries
• Morgan Stanley
• Corrections Corporation of America
• Berkshire/Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
• Kubota Tractor Corporation
• Mass Mutual
• Purdue Pharma
• Pilot Travel Centers
• SPX Corporation

Notable Cases

• Defense of John Landis in the “Twilight Zone” trial
• Defense of Exxon in the Exxon Valdez criminal and
  civil proceedings

Recognition

• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review,
  highest rating awarded
• The Best Lawyers in America® for more than 10 years – white collar criminal defense
• Corporate Counsel, Best Lawyers in America
• Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition
• Chambers USA, General Commercial Litigation
• Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2006
• Business TN, Best Lawyers since 2004, including Nashville’s Best Criminal Defense Attorney
• Tennessee Lawyer, Best Lawyers
• Nashville Business Journal, Best of Bar

Professional Associations

• Fellow, Tennessee Bar Association
• Fellow, Nashville Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Tennessee Bar Association
• Member, Nashville Bar Association
• Member, Supreme Court Historical Society

Civic & Community Service
Vanderbilt University Law School National Council Franklin Road Academy Board of Trustees, past chairman & member