Richard Yarborough

Richard F. Yarborough, shareholder in the Firm’s Jackson, Mississippi office, has extensive trial experience in the defense of civil litigation. Mr. Yarborough has tried over 80 cases to jury verdict in 25 different counties in federal and state courts in Mississippi. He was board certified in civil trial practice by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in 1995 and re-certified in 2000 and 2005.

After a varied career in civil litigation, he now focuses his practice on defending toxic tort/chemical exposure/blood disorder cases including claims involving benzene, toluene, xylene and other organic solvents, chlorinated hydrocarbons, PCB, dioxin,arsenic, manganese lead,pentachlorophenol, mercury, chromated copper arsenate, asbestos, silica and pharmaceuticals.

After obtaining a double major in Chemistry and Biology in undergraduate school, Mr. Yarborough also took additional graduate-level courses in biochemistry, toxicology and pharmacology. He formerly worked as a certified medical technician and was director of the blood chemistry laboratory of a large South Mississippi hospital.

EDUCATION:

• University of Mississippi, School of Law, J.D., 1976
• University of Mississippi, B.A., 1974, cum laude

ADMISSIONS:

• Mississippi, 1976
• U.S. District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of Mississippi
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Representative Matters:

• Represented major national building material supply chain and obtained dismissal of all claims asserted by large group of commercial and residential painters who claimed personal injury from exposure to lead-based paints.
• Represented major oil company and obtained its dismissal in claims brought by factory worker that his lymphoma was caused by long-term work-place exposure via air and to dermal volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, zylene).
• Obtained a jury verdict for a chemical company in a suit brought by commercial and residential property owners, who claimed property diminution by virtue of the adjacent chemical company facility being placed upon the Superfund list.
• Represented the manufacturer of phenolic molding compounds named in litigation by approximately 11,000 plaintiffs claiming injuries from airborne exposure to asbestos, obtaining dismissals against all plaintiffs.

Professional Honors & Activities:

• Member – International Association of Defense Counsel
• Member – Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
• Member – American Society of Hospital Attorneys
• Member – American Chemical Society
• Member – Mississippi State Bar