Jim Ferraro
Encyclopedia
Jim L. Ferraro is an American
litigation attorney
best known for representing thousands of blue collar workers in mass tort cases against major chemical companies such as Dupont
. In 1996, he successfully prosecuted the first case in American history against a chemical company for causing a birth defect.
While attending the University of Miami
he played football
for the Miami Hurricanes
for two years, and after serving as a sports agent
for players such as Albert Bentley
and Eddie Brown, founded the Cleveland Gladiators in 2001. He is still majority owner of the franchise. He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor
, and an active member of the Democratic Party
.
in 1957 to Louis and Luella Ferraro of Cos Cob, Connecticut
. Growing up in Greenwich, he played four seasons of high school football. At age 14, he started for the varsity as a freshman defensive end for 1971 St. Mary’s High Blue Knights, earning three letters. He also played baseball
for two years at St. Mary’s. He transferred to Greenwich High School
for his senior year, where he started at inside linebacker
and was the second leading tackler
for the undefeated 1974 Greenwich Cardinals.
After graduating from Greenwich High School in 1975, Ferraro moved to Florida
to attend college at the University of Miami
. He obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1978, and Master of Science in Accounting in 1979. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1980, and obtained his Juris Doctor
in 1983 from the University of Miami School of Law
.
in 1975 and 1976. Later while attending Law School he met University of Miami
quarterback Bernie Kosar
, who would later play with the Cleveland Browns
. Ferraro became a Sports Agent
, and in the early 1980's went on to also represent a number of first-round draft picks from the Hurricane's early championship years, including Albert Bentley
and Eddie Brown (the 1985 NFL “Rookie of the Year
”). Ferraro was on one of two finalists bidding to represent Bernie Kosar in 1985, though Kosar ended up with a local group from Ohio. Shortly after, Ferraro left his sports practice to begin focusing on law.
, where he began working to represent blue-collar workers such as workers that had been exposed to asbestos
. By 1990 his firm was representing thousands of blue collar workers. On June 15, 1997 he opened a second law firm, Kelley & Ferraro, along with Michael V. Kelley in Cleveland, Ohio
. The two firms combined have handled over 50,000 asbestos cases, as well as nation-wide environmental toxic tort cases.
in what was the first case ever prosecuted against a chemical company for causing a birth defect. CourtTV broadcast the trial in its entirely, and it garnered worldwide media attention. Because of the case, in 1997 Ferraro was named a national finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year. Seven years later, the Florida Supreme Court
affirmed the verdict.
. He is also a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Association for Justice, the Florida Justice Association, the Public Justice Foundation, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
team in New Jersey
. The team then spent five years in Las Vegas before settling in Cleveland, Ohio
. Ferraro is still the majority owner of the franchise, and minority partner is his friend Bernie Kosar
. In 2007 the team had the biggest turnaround in the history of the Arena Football League
. The Gladiators had a two and fourteen record, but in 2008 they made it to the final four teams in the playoffs, one game shy of the Arena Bowl Championship
.
, given to U.S. citizens from various ethnic backgrounds who exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives while preserving their heritage, which in his case meant Italian
. Among the 100 individuals inducted that year were Rudolph Giuliani and Yogi Berra
.
, as well as New York City
and Martha's Vineyard
, where he built a compound in West Chop, Massachusetts. He has three children, including James (born 1986), Andrew (born 1989), and daughter Alexis (born 1993).
Along with fellow Italian and business partner Marc Randazzo, Ferraro founded "Randazzo’s Little Italy," a family-style Italian restaurant
in Coral Gables, Florida
.
of the The William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation
, an organization dedicated to urgent worldwide issues. He counts Bill
and Hillary Clinton as his friends.
of Southern Florida, the Children’s Home Society, United Way of Miami-Dade, the Jackson Memorial Foundation and The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. He is also a member of the University of Miami’s Bowman Foster Ashe Society.
For his philanthropy, in 1999 he was inducted to the Order of Saint John Knights of Malta
, a worldwide organization dedicated to helping the sick and the poor. Past recipients include six former U.S. Presidents and Nobel Prize winners.
In 2008 he donated $600,000 to the University of Miami Law School to establish The Ferraro Scholarship, an endowed scholarship fund. He is also a member of the University of Miami’s Bowman Foster Ashe Society, established in recognition of individuals, families and organizations whose contributions are over $500,000. In 2008 he donated $1 million to the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. In 2010, he was chosen as one of the Twelve Good Men by the Ronald McDonald House of Charities of South Florida.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
litigation attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
best known for representing thousands of blue collar workers in mass tort cases against major chemical companies such as Dupont
Dupont
-Companies:*E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , one of the world's largest chemical companies*Du Pont Motors*Gilbert Dupont, a French stock brokerage part of retail banking network Crédit du Nord...
. In 1996, he successfully prosecuted the first case in American history against a chemical company for causing a birth defect.
While attending the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
for the Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
for two years, and after serving as a sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
for players such as Albert Bentley
Albert Bentley
Albert Timothy Bentley is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers and the Oakland Invaders. He played high school football at Immokalee High...
and Eddie Brown, founded the Cleveland Gladiators in 2001. He is still majority owner of the franchise. He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Ellis Island Medal of Honor
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grand-children...
, and an active member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Early life, education
Jim Ferraro was born in Greenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
in 1957 to Louis and Luella Ferraro of Cos Cob, Connecticut
Cos Cob, Connecticut
Cos Cob is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. It is located at 41.033 north, 73.6 west, on the Connecticut shoreline in southern Fairfield County. It had a population of 6,770 at the 2010 census....
. Growing up in Greenwich, he played four seasons of high school football. At age 14, he started for the varsity as a freshman defensive end for 1971 St. Mary’s High Blue Knights, earning three letters. He also played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
for two years at St. Mary’s. He transferred to Greenwich High School
Greenwich High School
Greenwich High School is a four-year public high school in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. The school is part of the Greenwich Public Schools system and serves roughly 2,700 students....
for his senior year, where he started at inside linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and was the second leading tackler
Tackler
A tackler is a workman who repairs defective weaving looms in textile factories in the north of England.Distinguish from Takla Makan, a desert in Chinese Central Asia....
for the undefeated 1974 Greenwich Cardinals.
After graduating from Greenwich High School in 1975, Ferraro moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to attend college at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. He obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1978, and Master of Science in Accounting in 1979. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1980, and obtained his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1983 from the University of Miami School of Law
University of Miami School of Law
The University of Miami School of Law, founded in 1926, is the law school of the University of Miami, located in Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States. The school graduated its first class of 13 students in 1929.- Academics :...
.
Early sports career
Ferraro played football for the Miami HurricanesMiami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
in 1975 and 1976. Later while attending Law School he met University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
quarterback Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
, who would later play with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Ferraro became a Sports Agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
, and in the early 1980's went on to also represent a number of first-round draft picks from the Hurricane's early championship years, including Albert Bentley
Albert Bentley
Albert Timothy Bentley is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers and the Oakland Invaders. He played high school football at Immokalee High...
and Eddie Brown (the 1985 NFL “Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year award is given by a number of sports leagues, mainly in North America, to the top first-time professional athlete of a season. -Principal sports making award:...
”). Ferraro was on one of two finalists bidding to represent Bernie Kosar in 1985, though Kosar ended up with a local group from Ohio. Shortly after, Ferraro left his sports practice to begin focusing on law.
Legal career
After graduating from law school in 1983, Ferraro worked briefly for a civil litigation defense firm. On May 13, 1985 he opened his own mass tort litigation practice, The Ferraro Law FirmThe Ferraro Law Firm
The Ferraro Law Firm, P.A. is an American law firm that is best known for multi-mullion dollar mass tort litigation for victims of asbestos-induced mesothelioma and toxic exposure. Founded in 1985 by Jim Ferraro, the firm is based in Miami, Washington, D.C., and New York City. The firm has...
, where he began working to represent blue-collar workers such as workers that had been exposed to asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
. By 1990 his firm was representing thousands of blue collar workers. On June 15, 1997 he opened a second law firm, Kelley & Ferraro, along with Michael V. Kelley in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The two firms combined have handled over 50,000 asbestos cases, as well as nation-wide environmental toxic tort cases.
Dupont case
In 1996 Ferraro successfully went to trial against DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
in what was the first case ever prosecuted against a chemical company for causing a birth defect. CourtTV broadcast the trial in its entirely, and it garnered worldwide media attention. Because of the case, in 1997 Ferraro was named a national finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year. Seven years later, the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
affirmed the verdict.
Memberships
Ferraro is a member of the Ohio, New York, Florida and Massachusetts Bars, as well as the American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
. He is also a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Association for Justice, the Florida Justice Association, the Public Justice Foundation, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Cleveland Gladiators
In 2001 he founded the Gladiators arena footballArena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The team then spent five years in Las Vegas before settling in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. Ferraro is still the majority owner of the franchise, and minority partner is his friend Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
. In 2007 the team had the biggest turnaround in the history of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. The Gladiators had a two and fourteen record, but in 2008 they made it to the final four teams in the playoffs, one game shy of the Arena Bowl Championship
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
.
Awards
In 2001, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of HonorEllis Island Medal of Honor
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations and intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. The medals honor the contribution made to America by immigrants and the legacy they left behind in the successes of their children and grand-children...
, given to U.S. citizens from various ethnic backgrounds who exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives while preserving their heritage, which in his case meant Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
. Among the 100 individuals inducted that year were Rudolph Giuliani and Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
.
Personal life
Ferraro currently lives in Coral Gables, FloridaCoral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
, as well as New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, where he built a compound in West Chop, Massachusetts. He has three children, including James (born 1986), Andrew (born 1989), and daughter Alexis (born 1993).
Along with fellow Italian and business partner Marc Randazzo, Ferraro founded "Randazzo’s Little Italy," a family-style Italian restaurant
Italian Restaurant
Italian Restaurant is an Italian television series....
in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
.
Politics
Ferraro is an active member of the Democratic Party, and is a trusteeTrustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the The William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation
Clinton Foundation
The William J. Clinton Foundation is a foundation established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on four critical areas:...
, an organization dedicated to urgent worldwide issues. He counts Bill
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Hillary Clinton as his friends.
Philanthropy
Ferraro donates to a multitude of charities annually. He is on the Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish FoundationMake-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
of Southern Florida, the Children’s Home Society, United Way of Miami-Dade, the Jackson Memorial Foundation and The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. He is also a member of the University of Miami’s Bowman Foster Ashe Society.
For his philanthropy, in 1999 he was inducted to the Order of Saint John Knights of Malta
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, a worldwide organization dedicated to helping the sick and the poor. Past recipients include six former U.S. Presidents and Nobel Prize winners.
In 2008 he donated $600,000 to the University of Miami Law School to establish The Ferraro Scholarship, an endowed scholarship fund. He is also a member of the University of Miami’s Bowman Foster Ashe Society, established in recognition of individuals, families and organizations whose contributions are over $500,000. In 2008 he donated $1 million to the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. In 2010, he was chosen as one of the Twelve Good Men by the Ronald McDonald House of Charities of South Florida.