- Represented energy company in medical monitoring class action alleging company’s prior operations contaminated soil at a school
- Represented energy company in medical monitoring class action alleging exposure to hazardous substances from nearby facility
- Represented employers in claims alleging occupational disease from worksite chemical exposure
Bio
Jon graduated magna cum laude from West Virginia University with a degree in finance and went on to graduate first in his class from West Virginia University College of Law. Jon represents a broad range of clients on a wide range of issues. He regularly represents clients in the energy, public utility, and other industries in environmental, toxic tort, and workplace injury litigation. Jon has a proven track record of representing those in the financial services industries in suits under the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, and others, in both individual and class action lawsuits as well as arbitrations. Jon also has significant experience in the representation of religious organizations, serving as nationwide litigation counsel for a large religious organization. Significant cases include:
- Defeating class certification on behalf of a pharmaceutical company in a suit alleging unnecessary medical treatment among a putative class of patients.
- Obtaining a defense verdict on behalf of a coal company in a two-week medical monitoring trial on behalf of a class of elementary school children alleging that dust and particulate from nearby operations necessitated monitoring.
- Obtaining summary judgment on behalf of an energy company in a medical monitoring class action alleging prior operations had contaminated properties.
- Obtaining a defense verdict on behalf of a student loan servicer in an action alleging that its servicing of the loan violated the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
- Serving as liaison counsel before the West Virginia Mass Litigation Panel and obtaining summary judgment on behalf of employers alleging that their use of perchloroethylene had caused employees various ailments.
- Representation of a retailer in a data breach litigation.
Jon has successfully argued before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on several occasions. Representative cases include Acord v. Colane Co., 228 W.Va. 291 (2011); Addair v. Litwar Processing Co., LLC, 2012 WL 2914980 (W.Va. 2012); and Elk Run Coal Co., Inc. v. Canopius U.S. Ins., Inc., 235 W.Va. 513 (2015).
When Jon is away from the office, he enjoys spending time with family, hiking, and attending Cleveland Browns games.
Education
- West Virginia University College of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2004)
- Order of the Coif
- West Virginia Law Review, Executive Manuscript Editor
- West Virginia University (B.S. in Finance, magna cum laude, 2001)
Admissions
- West Virginia (2004)
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit (2005)
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia (2005)
- West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals (2004)
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia (2004)
Notable Legal Experience
Work History
- Jackson Kelly PLLC (2004-Present)
Professional Organizations
- Energy & Mineral Law Foundation
- International Association of Defense Counsel
Awards
- Ranked in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Litigation: General Commercial Law in West Virginia (2015-2026)
- Named in West Virginia Super Lawyers® Rising Stars for General Litigation Law (2013-2019)
- Named in West Virginia Super Lawyers® Rising Stars (2012)
Speaking Engagements & Publications
- Author “The Fifth Circuit Strikes the Right Balance” DRI’s For the Defense, November and December Edition, 2025.
- Author “Rezulin’s Ruins: How Far Have We Come In Correcting Its Mistakes?” DTCWV Defender – Fall Edition 2025
- Co-author with Patrick F. Estill, “Close the new backdoor to task training enforcement,” Aggregate Managers magazine, Nov. 2015
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