Jere Beasley, the senior member of the firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., has practiced law as an advocate for victims of wrongdoing since 1962. During his career, he has tried hundreds of cases. Jere's numerous courtroom victories include landmark cases that have made a positive impact upon our society. One such case prompted a major automobile manufacturer to recall its unsafe vehicles, while another made a major tractor manufacturer put rollover protection on all of its tractors. Still another prompted a major insurance company to seek out thousands of its policyholders who had been wronged in an effort to correct their policies.
Jere Beasley established a one-lawyer firm that officially opened on Jan. 15, 1979, and he filed his first case on behalf of the practice on Jan. 17, 1979. Now, it has been 30 years since he began with the intent of “helping those who need it most.” Today, the firm is known as Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., still located in Montgomery, Alabama. Beasley Allen is one of the country's leading firms involved in civil litigation on behalf of claimants, having represented hundreds of thousands of people. The firm employs more than 250 people in Montgomery, including more than 60 attorneys.
The driving force behind Jere's success has been his intense commitment to his clients. Jere is, without a doubt, one of the leading trial lawyers in the entire country and a leading advocate for those who have been wronged. He has appeared as a lecturer throughout the country at numerous legal seminars and other events.
He has been profiled in Time Magazine, Business Week, and many other noted publications. Jere has tried over 30 cases that have resulted in verdicts greater than one million dollars, including 15 verdicts that exceeded 10 million dollars. He is also regularly included inThe Best Lawyers in America, a traditional database of more than 16,000 lawyers in 30 specialties, all of whom have been chosen as “the best” by their fellow attorneys. He was also named the Best Lawyers' 2014 Montgomery Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year.” Jere also has been selected to Alabama Super Lawyers for 2008, 2009 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; Chambers USA Leading Lawyers list for 2010 and the Lawdragon 500, Leading Lawyers in America rankings for 2010. Jere, along with Beasley Allen Shareholder W. Dee Miles, was recognized by Business Alabama magazine on its 2012 list of the 10 largest Alabama jury awards in the past five years, for their work on the AWP/Medicaid Fraud litigation.
Jere has been selected as a finalist for Public Justice’s 2014 Trial Lawyer of the Year, along with the other members of the trial team, for his work in the verdict against Toyota in Bookout, et al v. Toyota that was tried in Oklahoma City, Okla., in October 2013. This award is given by Public Justice to the lawyer or trial team making the most outstanding contribution to the public through precedent-setting litigation in the last year.
Chambers USA quotes sources as saying Jere is “an excellent lawyer who gets good results for his clients.”
In March 2011, Jere was honored by the Southern Trial Lawyers Association (STLA) with the “War Horse” award. This recognition celebrates the nation's most outstanding trial lawyers. Acknowledged leaders in their communities, the recipients have been active in practice for more than 30 years, demonstrate outstanding skill as trial advocates, and show exceptional commitment to furthering the cause of justice.
He also was selected by The Trial Lawyer magazine as a 2011 member of The Round Table: America's 100 Most Influential Trial Lawyers. This selection places him among the top 100 civil plaintiff and criminal defense attorneys in the United States.
Jere was co-lead counsel in the record $11.9 billion punitive damages award against ExxonMobil Corp. on behalf of the state of Alabama. The claims by the State of Alabama were based on breach of contract and fraud. Beginning in 1993, Exxon had cheated the State by intentionally underpaying royalties on natural gas from the Mobile Bay field. The future anticipated gain to Exxon, as a direct result of their fraudulent conduct, would have been almost one billion dollars.
Jere's areas of practice include litigation in Products Liability, Insurance Fraud, Business, Nursing Home, Personal Injury. He is an active member of the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
In addition to his trial practice, Jere is actively involved in many civic endeavors, such as the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Lions Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Jere currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. In 2006, Jere was named “Citizen of the Year” by the March of Dimes. He has been personally involved with the agency since the early 1980s. In January 2010, he was selected as the recipient of the Montgomery Sunrise Rotary Club's Commitment to Service Award, recognizing his dedication to helping others and improving the community and the River Region.
Jere is married to the former Sara Baker of Adamsville, Alabama. They have three children – son Jere Jr. and daughters Julia Anne Beasley and Bee McCollum – and six grandchildren – all girls! Jere is an avid follower of Auburn University sports and Boston Red Sox baseball. He is an active member of St. James United Methodist Church, where he serves as a member of the Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC).