James R. Jim Lance

James R. Jim Lance

Commercial Litigation

4.0 (1 reviews)
San Diego, California
39+ years experience
Noonan Lance & Boyer LLC
Updated:

Contact Information

701 Island Avenue, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92101
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Bio

James Lance is an experienced trial attorney who has represented both plaintiffs and defendants for 38 years. He regularly represents defendants in bet-the-company litigation, and has obtained several 7 and 8 figure verdicts, judgments and settlements for personal injury and commercial plaintiffs.Lance obtained a judgment of $12,933,000 in 2024 for an individual plaintiff asserting an employment claim. In addition to commercial matters, Lance routinely represents individuals asserting serious personal injury and wrongful death claims.Representing clients in many different types of disputes, Lance has tried cases involving investor fraud, antitrust, unfair business practices, legal malpractice, serious personal injury, maritime injury and other maritime disputes, product liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and a class action investor fraud case on behalf of the San Diego County employees regarding their retirement benefits.Lance has been continuously selected by his peers as a “Top 50” attorney in San Diego since 2019, and has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2013. He served on the ABOTA membership committee for several years and, in 2024, he became the president of San Diego ABOTA. Lance is a member of the board of directors for CAL-ABOTA, which serves eight California ABOTA chapters and the Hawaii chapter. He also is a board member of the William B. Enright Chapter of the American Inns of Court.Lance is very active in the community. He coached youth football and baseball for more than 15 years, and presently spearheads a program at an underserved high school in Southeast San Diego, which holds monthly meetings on campus to provide students with information and mentoring for career opportunities in the legal field, potential internships and oral argument competitions. James Lance is an experienced trial attorney who has represented both plaintiffs and defendants for 38 years. He regularly represents defendants in bet-the-company litigation, and has obtained several 7 and 8 figure verdicts, judgments and settlements for personal injury and commercial plaintiffs.Lance obtained a judgment of $12,933,000 in 2024 for an individual plaintiff asserting an employment claim. In addition to commercial matters, Lance routinely represents individuals asserting serious personal injury and wrongful death claims.Representing clients in many different types of disputes, Lance has tried cases involving investor fraud, antitrust, unfair business practices, legal malpractice, serious personal injury, maritime injury and other maritime disputes, product liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and a class action investor fraud case on behalf of the San Diego County employees regarding their retirement benefits.Lance has been continuously selected by his peers as a “Top 50” attorney in San Diego since 2019, and has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2013. He served on the ABOTA membership committee for several years and, in 2024, he became the president of San Diego ABOTA. Lance is a member of the board of directors for CAL-ABOTA, which serves eight California ABOTA chapters and the Hawaii chapter. He also is a board member of the William B. Enright Chapter of the American Inns of Court.Lance is very active in the community. He coached youth football and baseball for more than 15 years, and presently spearheads a program at an underserved high school in Southeast San Diego, which holds monthly meetings on campus to provide students with information and mentoring for career opportunities in the legal field, potential internships and oral argument competitions. James Lance is an experienced trial attorney who has represented both plaintiffs and defendants for 38 years. He regularly represents defendants in bet-the-company litigation, and has obtained several 7 and 8 figure verdicts, judgments and settlements for personal injury and commercial plaintiffs. Lance obtained a judgment of $12,933,000 in 2024 for an individual plaintiff asserting an employment claim. In addition to commercial matters, Lance routinely represents individuals asserting serious personal injury and wrongful death claims. Representing clients in many different types of disputes, Lance has tried cases involving investor fraud, antitrust, unfair business practices, legal malpractice, serious personal injury, maritime injury and other maritime disputes, product liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and a class action investor fraud case on behalf of the San Diego County employees regarding their retirement benefits. Lance has been continuously selected by his peers as a “Top 50” attorney in San Diego since 2019, and has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2013. He served on the ABOTA membership committee for several years and, in 2024, he became the president of San Diego ABOTA. Lance is a member of the board of directors for CAL-ABOTA, which serves eight California ABOTA chapters and the Hawaii chapter. He also is a board member of the William B. Enright Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Lance is very active in the community. He coached youth football and baseball for more than 15 years, and presently spearheads a program at an underserved high school in Southeast San Diego, which holds monthly meetings on campus to provide students with information and mentoring for career opportunities in the legal field, potential internships and oral argument competitions.

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Awards & Recognition

  • Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Construction, San Diego (2021)
  • Recognized: Commercial Litigation
  • Recognized: Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Recognized: Litigation - Construction
  • Recognized: Litigation - Real Estate
  • Practice Area: Litigation - Securities
  • "Best Wrongful Death Lawyers in San Diego," Forbes Advisor: 2024
  • Commercial Litigation, Best Lawyers: 2013-2024
  • Real Estate Litigation, Best Lawyers: 2019-2024
  • Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Best Lawyers: 2020, 2023, 2024
  • Construction Litigation, Best Lawyers: 2024
  • Business Litigation, Super Lawyers: 2007-2010, 2013-2024
  • Top 50 Southern California Super Lawyers - San Diego Edition: 2019-2024
  • “Top Rated Lawyers in Real Estate Law,” American Lawyer Media: 2012, 2015
  • “Best of the Bar,” San Diego Business Journal: 2015, 2016
  • “Top Attorney: Corporate Litigation,” The San Diego Daily Transcript: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
  • “Top Influential,” The San Diego Daily Transcript: 2011, 2015
  • “Top Lawyers,” San Diego Magazine: 2014-2018
  • Selected to Best Lawyers in America by his peers for work in Commercial Litigation (since 2013)
  • AV® Peer Review rating, Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory: Since 2013

Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013

Education

  • Washington and Lee University, J.D., graduated 1986
  • Missouri State University, BS, graduated 1983

Reviews

M

Melissa Rivera

2 weeks ago

A formidable advocate in high-stakes litigation

Our company retained James Lance to defend us in a complex commercial dispute that threatened our operations. His 39 years of experience, particularly his recognition in construction litigation, were immediately evident. He provided a clear, strategic assessment of our case and his courtroom presence was commanding. We felt secure knowing someone with his background, including handling bet-the-company matters, was at the helm. The outcome was favorable and his expertise was invaluable. The only minor critique is that during the most intense phases, communication from his support staff could lag a day or two, which added some anxiety. Overall, I would confidently recommend Mr. Lance and Noonan Lance & Boyer for any serious legal challenge.

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