James R. Stovall has represented individuals and organizations in a variety of criminal, civil, and regulatory matters, in trial courts and on appeal. His practice focuses on white-collar defense and complex civil litigation. His cases have involved allegations of securities fraud, accounting fraud, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, investigations by the SEC into broker-dealer and hedge fund trading practices, and litigation concerning the accounting practices of publicly traded companies. Before joining RDJS, Stovall was a partner at Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason & Anello, P.C., in New York City.

A defining moment of Mr. Stovall’s career was his representation of a former CEO (who previously worked in the Reagan administration) facing federal charges of securities fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice. After Mr. Stovall presented the government with a detailed white paper, the prosecutors dismissed the charges. This experience afforded Mr. Stovall invaluable experience in the importance of mastering the details of the business practices at issue in a prosecution or lawsuit, of working with the right experts, and of peeling back conclusory language in witness statements to identify facts inconsistent with the opposition’s legal theory.

Originally from Texas, Mr. Stovall attended law school at Harvard where he met his future wife. After law school, Mr. Stovall moved to New York where he practiced with the firm of Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason & Anello, P.C., ultimately becoming a partner. When his wife, who is a law professor, accepted a position with the Univeristy of Tennessee College of Law, Mr. Stovall moved to Knoxville and joined RDJS. Mr. Stovall and his wife have a daughter and two sons.

Selected Publications:

• “White-Collar Wins in the Supreme Court,” Consigliere, summer 2016.
• “Montgomery v. Louisiana: The Kids Are Still All Right at the High Court,” DICTA, May 2016 (cover article).
• “The Personal Benefit Rule in Misappropriation Cases,” Business Crimes Bulletin (2012).
• “What Goes Up Can Come Down: Discretion to Impose Lower Fraud Sentences,” Business Crimes Bulletin (2011).
• “Stays in Parallel Proceedings: The More Things Change . . .,” Business Crimes Bulletin (2010).
• “How to Use and Not Lose Experts in Criminal Cases,” Business Crimes Bulletin (2009).
• “Judicial Roulette: Recusal Motions in Criminal Cases,” Business Crimes Bulletin (2008).
• “Defendants’ Pretrial Access to Documents in White Collar Prosecutions,” Business Crimes Bulletin (2007).
• “Penance But No Absolution: The Paradox of Corporate Criminal Liability,” Business Crimes Bulletin (2007).