Jeannie Bugg Walston ("Jeannie") is a partner at Starnes Davis Florie.
Practice
Jeannie's practice is devoted to civil defense litigation, including defending federal black lung claims, environmental litigation, defending mass toxic torts, mining matters, workers' compensation litigation, and personal injury defense at both trial and appellate levels. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Alabama as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Jeannie has wide experience in representing mining and mineral companies with various issues, including mineral rights, contractual issues, environmental and toxic tort issues, employment and worker's compensation matters. Jeannie also has significant experience in handling Federal Black Lung claims, especially in light of the recent passage of 1556 of the PPACA.
Highlights
* Currently representing Drummond Company, Inc., a national and international coal mining company.
* Spoke at the Alabama Self-Insurer's Association (ASIA) Meeting in Sandestin in August, 2004, about how to properly defend a worker's compensation case, and spoke at various other CLE's on similar topics. Jeannie also spoke at the 2007 ASIA Summer Conference about defending occupational hearing loss claims, and again at the 2009 ASIA Summer Conference, regarding how to get the most out of the employers right to recovery from a third party in a workers' compensation case.
* Speaks at various workers' compensation meetings and related round table discussions.
* Chaired the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) 2009 Fall "Night of Giving", benefiting the YWCA's My Sisters Closet, in Birmingham, AL.
* Currently serves on the 2010 & 2011 NAWL Annual Program Committee and its Program Sub-committee.
Honors And Awards
Jeannie was selected by her peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America®, 2010 - 2012. Jeannie is also listed in the Martindale-Hubbell's 2012 "Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers" in the Workers' Compensation practice section. This Bar Register is the definitive guide to America's leading women lawyers. Only the most preeminent women lawyers appear in the Bar Register - those that have achieved the prestigious "AV Preeminent" rating, the top ranking in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
She is currently a member of the Defense Research Institute; the National Association of Women Lawyers; the Birmingham and American Bar Associations; Alabama State Bar's Labor & Defense and Workers' Compensation sections; and the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association. Jeannie has also served as a speaker at seminars and various CLE's on defending workers' compensation claims.
While in law school, Jeannie was a member of the John A. Campbell Moot Court Board and participated in other school organizations.
Community Involvement
Jeannie is an active member and Sunday School teacher at Independent Presbyterian Church. She is also a Board Member of the Estelle S. Campbell Charitable Foundation based in Pittsburgh, PA.; a Board Member of the Independent Presbyterian Church's Day School Sub-Committee; a Board Member of the Hero Scholarship Fund for underprivileged youth at the IPC Day School; and serves on the Board of Directors for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama 2011 - 2014. She is also a sustainer member of the Ballet Guild of Birmingham and a member of the Mountain Park Garden Club.
Jeannie has served as chairman of committees in the Junior Women's Committee of 100 and was selected as the 2006-2007 Member of the Year due to her solicitation efforts. She has been involved with Children's Arts Guild; the Robert Reed Gastrointestinal Oncology Research Foundation - Corporate Fundraising; The Pre-School Sub-Committee for Independent Presbyterian Church; various PTA committees; and the Step Forward Walking Group.
Reported Cases
Drummond Co., Inc. v. Harris, 824 So. 2d 775 (Ala. Civ. App. 2001).
Ex parte Warrior Lighthouse, Inc., 789 So. 2d 858 (Ala. 2001).
McCuller v. Drummond Co., Inc., 714 So. 2d 298 (Ala. Civ. App. 1997).
Drummond Co., Inc. v. Bonner, 848 So. 2d 987 (Ala. Civ. App. 2002).
Crown Central Petroleum Corporation v. Patricia Williams, as guardian and next friend of R. W., a minor, et al., 679 So. 2d 651 (Ala. 1996).
Upton v. Drummond Co., Inc., 762 So. 2d 373 (Ala. Civ. App. 2000).
Atkins v. Drummond Co., Inc., 628 So. 2d 591 (Ala. 1993).
Speeches And Publications
* Handling and Litigating Various Coal Mining Claims including: Defending Federal Black Lung Claims with the 3/23/10 Passage of §1556 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA); Defending State Workers' Compensation Claims in Any State; Medicare Compliance; and Handling MSHA Claims, National Business Institute, July 2010 (speech).
* Changes in Federal Black Lung Claims under Section 1556 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Round Table Discussion, West Virginia, 2010.
* Medicare Compliance in light of U.S.A. v Strickler, et al., CV-09-PT-2423-E, including Mandatory Reporting Requirements, Medicare Secondary Payer provisions, Options to Consider in Resolving a Case with a Medicare Claimant, Settlement Options, Future Medicals and Trial Options, and HITECH Compliance, Alabama Self-Insured Association's (ASIA) Semi-Annual Meeting, August 2010 (speech).
* Co-authored publication, "Medicare Reporting Requirements and the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute - Where Do We Go From Here?", Alabama Self-Insured Association's Semi-Annual Newsletter, 2010.
Related News
9/1/2011, Sixteen Starnes Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2012
8/7/2010, Sixteen Starnes Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2011
8/5/2009, Fourteen S&A Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2010