Jeffrey E. Friedman

205.278.7010
Legal Assistant
Teri Martin 205-278-7080

Areas of Practice

Environmental Litigation

PFAS Litigation

Water Litigation

Mass Torts/Class Actions

Complex Commercial Litigation

Catastrophic Injury

State Bar Admissions

Alabama

Education

J.D., Cumberland School of Law, Samford University

B.A., University of Tennessee

Jeff Friedman graduated from the University of Tennessee and the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University.  

Mr. Friedman’s law practice is litigation driven. As a trial attorney, Mr. Friedman has participated in a wide array of environmental, contract, and high stakes legal disputes. His trials include a landmark victory in the TVA Coal Ash disaster.  He has litigated a number of cases involving professional liability, business disputes, environmental pollution, and catastrophic injury cases.

Friedman has obtained substantial settlements and judgments in favor of his clients and twice was recognized by The National Law Journal in the top 100 verdicts in America (2001 and 2004). Other settlements and verdicts have been the subject of articles in Law 360, Bloomberg and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Mr. Friedman is presently serving as trial counsel in some of the most high-profile environmental cases in the region.  

In his nearly 40 years of experience, Friedman has been lead counsel in some of the most substantial environmental cases in the country including the states of Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee. He was lead counsel in the largest environmental disaster in the history of the State of Tennessee which led to a landmark environmental judgment against the Tennessee Valley Authority and later Jacobs Engineering. Reported environmental cases include major trial wins against China Synthetic Rubber and Continental Carbon for the City of Columbus Ga. He also served as lead counsel against chemical manufacturers for PFAS pollution of the rivers of northern Georgia which resulted in the largest single environmental settlement over PFAS pollution in the country.

Mr. Friedman is a frequent speaker at client seminars and professional organizations. He has spoken and authored articles for several environmental symposiums.  Mr. Friedman has also lectured for The Alabama Bar Institute the Georgia Trial Lawyers and The Cumberland School of Law continuing legal education program.  Another area of Mr. Friedman’s practice includes a commitment to advise and counsel clients in various legal negotiations, mediations, and arbitrations.

  • Professional Affiliations
    • Alabama State Bar Association
    • American Bar Association
    • Birmingham Bar Association
  • News, Honors & Awards

    He holds an AV rating by Martindale Hubbell which is the highest rating for an attorney bestowed by that organization, has been selected as an Alabama (and regional) Super Lawyer and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Friedman was a founding member of, and a current officer in, the Federal Practice Section of the Alabama Bar Association.

  • Notable Cases and

    Representative Clients
    • Represented the City of Rome, Georgia in a case involving PFAS pollution in its drinking water caused by the largest chemical companies and carpet companies in the world, which settled on the eve of trial for $280 Million.
    • Appointed by the Court to Plaintiffs’ Coordinating Counsel in a consolidated multi-plaintiff (800+ plaintiffs) mass tort case against the Tennessee Valley Authority.
    • Lead counsel in largest environmental lawsuit in Tennessee history and obtained verdict for clients at trial. In re TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY ASH SPILL LITIGATION, 2012 WL 3647704.
    • Represents businesses and individuals for economic losses sustained in the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
    • Served as co-lead trial counsel in a mass tort, which resulted in the largest environmental punitive damages award, and attorneys fees award, ever affirmed by the United States 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, under Georgia state law.
    • Also served as co-lead counsel in two related mass tort cases; one involving over 100 plaintiffs and one involving over 50 plaintiffs.
    • Plaintiff counsel for affected trucking company in this mass tort/MDL. We took a central role and leadership position in assisting the coordination of all plaintiff counsel and worked for the common benefit of all affected plaintiffs.
    • Appointed as Co-Lead Counsel for the plaintiffs by the Judge in a consumer data breach case on behalf of thousands of potential plaintiffs.
    • Lead trial counsel for liability phase of the trial, which resulted in a verdict for over 50 plaintiffs who suffered respiratory and other illnesses working at an environmental cleanup site.
    • Lead class counsel in a certified class action against an insurance company involving derivative claims for breach of fiduciary duty on behalf  of policyholders.
  • Personal Information

    Jeff Friedman has been a long time member of the Cumberland Law School Dean’s Advisory Board and serves on charitable organizations such as Cystic Fibrosis. He is a member of Canterbury Methodist Church, is married to Anise C. Friedman and is the proud father of three great children.