John Everett Tomlinson

John is a member of Beasley Allen Law Firm’s Toxic Torts Section. His practice focuses on litigating occupational and environmental toxic tort cases involving individuals who have sustained toxic injuries from chemical exposure. In particular, he is working on litigation involving cancer victims with occupational and environmental exposure to benzene. Exposure to toxic chemicals, including benzene, is a risk factor for the development of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). John has developed comprehensive and specific knowledge of the scientific and medical issues unique to this area of practice.

Notable Cases

John also handles cases involving environmental litigation. He has been a leader in the pursuit of claims against BP and other responsible parties as a result of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. John played a significant part in assisting the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee (PSC) in its settlement negotiations with BP. As part of the PSC economic damages team, he personally helped negotiate all of the significant portions of the Business Economic Loss models for the Deepwater Horizon Class Settlement, which are estimated to ultimately result in multiple billions of dollars in compensation for class members.

Leading up to and after the District Court’s final approval of the class settlement, John continued to assist Class Counsel in their efforts to monitor the implementation of the terms of the settlement agreement and assist class members with questions and concerns by serving on several class settlement support teams. His dedication and significant efforts have helped thousands of claimants in the Gulf Coast Areas receive compensation for their losses due to the oil spill.

After joining the firm, John worked in the Consumer Fraud Section, where he was involved in the litigation of several fraud and bad faith cases, including those involving annuities and health, life and property insurance. He has also worked on cases involving business disputes and the False Claims Act. While working in Consumer Fraud, John was able to obtain substantial settlements for his clients.

Professional Affiliations

John is a past president of the Montgomery County Association for Justice, where he has also served as secretary and treasurer, and as a member of the Board of Directors. John is a member of the Alabama State Bar, American Bar Association and Alabama Association for Justice. He also serves on the Selection Committee of the Jimmy Hitchcock Memorial Award, which recognizes Christian Leadership in Athletics for Montgomery County student athletes.

Publicity

As part of John’s work with BP litigation, John was one of several featured presenters for the "BP Oil Spill Reimbursement Webcast," presented by the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA). There were more than 1,000 accountants from states along the Gulf Coast participating, including Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. His presentation was on "Rights of Impacted Parties."

Other speaking engagements included: "Causation Issues under the Oil Protection Act" at the 2011 ABA Section of Litigation and Criminal Justice Joint Annual Conference held April 15, 2011, in Miami Beach, Florida; State Bar of Georgia, Toxic Torts Seminar held in Atlanta on Sept. 30, 2011, panel discussion regarding "Settling Mass Tort Claims - Legal and Ethical Challenges;" and at the CLE Alabama Damages and Remedies Seminar at the University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on the topic of "BP Oil Spill Update."

Awards and Ratings

In 2010, 2013, and again in 2016, John was selected as Beasley Allen's Lawyer of the Year for the Toxic Torts Section.

Background

John graduated from the University of Alabama in 1995, where he received his B.S. degree in commerce and business administration, with emphasis in health care management. John was a member of the 1990 and 1991 University of Alabama football teams under Coach Gene Stallings. He was also a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and participated in collegiate and charity organizations.

Prior to graduating from Faulkner University's Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in 2001, John was employed in the health care field in the Tuscaloosa area, where he received 5 years of managerial and health insurance experience. John joined the firm as an attorney in May of 2002.

Community Involvement

John has a son, Jet, who attends Montgomery Academy. He is a member of First Baptist Church in Montgomery and is involved in many local charity and fund raising events, including Magic Moments and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.