Lola M. James was born May 17, 1955 in New York, New York   She was admitted to the New York bar in 1981 and the Pennsylvania bar in 1990.   Other admissions include the U.S.D.C., Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York and Western District of Pennsylvania.  Ms. James attained her J.D. at St. John’s University Law School, Jamaica, New York, in 1980 after earning her B.A., magna cum laude, from Queens College, C.U.N.Y., in 1977. 

For the past five years, attorney James has served as National Counsel for a manufacturer named in asbestos litigation.  In her capacity as National Counsel, Ms. James has developed and implemented effective defense strategies nationwide.  In addition, she has designed a comprehensive case management plan that allows for effective administration of hundreds of case dockets in numerous jurisdictions.  Ms. James has achieved a remarkably high pre-trial dismissal rate for the client, significantly limiting defense costs.

Attorney James has extensive experience defending other types of product liability claims, including lead exposure and design defect cases.  She has litigated actions arising out of the construction of skyscrapers, including site accidents, property damage, contract disputes and coverage issues.  Ms James has volunteered as a pro-bono speaker for the ACBA Neighborhood Legal Services Association.

She is presently a member of the Civil Litigation Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Allegheny County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.