James J. (“Jay”) Varellas III

James J. (“Jay”) Varellas III is a Lexington, Kentucky attorney whose practice includes class actions, personal injury, nursing home neglect and abuse, insurance disputes, and consumer fraud. He represents individuals who have been injured or wronged by other people or corporations and handles complex litigation involving significant financial and legal issues. His work also includes appellate matters and claims involving bad-faith denial of insurance benefits.

Jay earned a B.A. from the University of Kentucky, graduating summa cum laude with majors in History and International Development Studies. He later completed an M.A. at the University of Sussex as a Fulbright Scholar before earning his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. At Berkeley, he served as an articles editor for the Berkeley Journal of International Law and held leadership roles in student organizations.

Jay has substantial litigation and trial experience in courts across the country. Before returning to Kentucky, he practiced in New York and San Francisco, where he worked on large-scale class actions and other complex disputes. He was part of a trial team that tried a multibillion-dollar class action through a four-month jury trial in the Southern District of New York. His experience also includes personal injury and insurance bad-faith trials, appellate work before the U.S. Supreme Court and Kentucky Supreme Court, and advising on major corporate transactions, legal ethics, and conflict-of-interest issues.

James J. (“Jay”) Varellas III brings a broad background in litigation, public service, and legal analysis to his work for clients. Earlier in his career, he clerked for Chief Judge Jennifer B. Coffman of the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky and worked with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Department of Transportation, and U.S. Senate. He is also affiliated with professional and academic organizations, including the Kentucky, California, and New York bar associations.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Varellas & Varellas PLLC
• Member, Kentucky Bar Association
• Member, The State Bar of California
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, British Fulbright Scholars Association
• Member, Truman Scholars Association
• Board Member, Gaines Center for the Humanities, University of Kentucky

Licensed State

• Kentucky
• California
• New York

Education

• University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Sussex
  M.A.
• University of Kentucky
  B.A. in History and International Development Studies

Awards & Badges