Birmingham Alabama Personal Injury Attorneys – Wettermark, Holland & Keith
James Wettermark | James Holland | Chris Keith | Vincent Swiney
James H. Wettermark
James H. Wettermark is the senior partner of Wettermark Holland & Keith, LLC. He has spent his entire 25 year legal career representing individuals who have been injured by the wrongful conduct of others.
After graduating from Auburn University with a degree in Economics, Mr. Wettermark attended law school at the University of Alabama graduating in 1978. His academic achievements at Alabama included being the Student Work Editor of the Alabama Law Review, a member of the winning team in the John Campbell Moot Court Competition, and a member of the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society.
During his 25 year career, Mr. Wettermark has been, first and foremost, a trial lawyer. He has tried over 100 jury trials to a verdict. He obtained the largest verdict in the history of the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA)($34,000,000). He obtained what was, at the time, the largest medical malpractice settlement in Tennessee history ($6.2 million). He has obtained multi-million dollar jury verdicts on behalf of clients from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. His cases and verdicts have been featured in the Atlanta Constitution/Journal, the Birmingham News, the Cincinnati Post, the Louisville Courier Journal, the Macon Telegraph, the Florence Times, and the Birmingham Business Journal. His work on behalf of railroad workers injured by toxic chemicals was featured on National Public Radio as well as a four part series by the Louisville Courier Journal.
Mr. Wettermark has received numerous honors and awards from the legal profession. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America. He is Board Certified as a civil trial attorney. He has an "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible award. Most important, he has earned the respect and friendship of the hundreds of clients he has represented.
Mr. Wettermark's greatest successes, however, have come in his personal life. He has been happily married for over 20 years to his wife Joan. He freely admits that he married way over his head. Most important, he is the obnoxiously proud father of Hart, his daughter.
Bar Admissions:
Alabama 1978
Tennessee 1990
Georgia 1991
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
United States District Court Northern District of Alabama
United States District Court Middle District of Alabama
United States District Court Southern District of Alabama
United States District Court Northern District of Georgia
United States District Court Middle District of Georgia
United States District Court Eastern District of Tennessee
Professional Associations and Memberships:
Alabama State Bar
Georgia State Bar
Tennessee State Bar
Alabama Trial Lawyers Association
American Association for Justice
Birmingham Bar Association
Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association
Alabama Civil Justice Foundation
Rosecoe Pound Institute
List of Reported Decision
Bronson v. Umphries, 138 S.W.3rd 844
(Tenn. Ct. App. 2003)
Carr v. Union Pacific Railroad Company, 803 So.2d 427
(La. App. 2001)
Illinois Central Railroad Co. v. Dupont, 190 F.2d 880
(M.D.La. 2001)
Tyner v. Illinois Central Railroad Co., 164 L.R.R.M. 2830; 2000 WL 516218
(S.D. Miss. 2000)
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. Johnson, 740 So.2d 392
(Ala. 1999)
Spooner v. State Farm Mutual Auto Ins. Co., 709 So.2d 1157
(Ala. 1997)
CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Monhollen, 229 Ga.App. 516, 494 S.E.2d 202
(Ga. App. 1997)
McDaniel v. CSX Transportation, Inc., 955 S.W.2d 257
(Tenn. 1997)
Eubanks v. CSX Transportation, Inc., 223 Ga.App. 616, 478 S.E.2d 387
(Ga. App. 1996)
Drexler v. Seaboard Systems RR, 537 So.2d 754
(Ala. 1988)
Oliver v. Local No. 1261 United Transportation Union, 587 F.Supp. 3
(N.D. Ga. 1984)
Rader v. United Transportation Union, 718 F.2d 1012 (11th Cir. 1983)
Yellow Cab Company of Birmingham v. Cotney, 434 So.2d 285
(Ala. Civ. App. 1983)
Winn-Dixie Montgomery, Inc. v. Bryant, 421 So.2d 1254
(Ala. 1982)
Matthews v. Mountain Lodge Apartments, Inc., 388 So.2d 935
(Ala. 1980)
Corhan v. Boothby Realty Co., 379 So.2d 561
(Ala. 1980)
Padgett v. First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Santa Rosa County, 378 So.2d 58 (Fla. App. 1979)
Textron, Inc. v. Whitfield, 380 So.2d 259
(Ala. 1979)
Gilbert v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co., 198 F.3d 362
(11th Cir. 1999)
James R. Holland II
James Holland II (known as “Jamie” to his clients and friends) has come to the practice of law from a unique background. After obtaining a theater degree (with honors) and a pre-med degree curriculum from the University of Alabama and a Master of Fines Arts degree from the University of Southern California, Jamie pursued a career as a professional actor in Los Angeles with several appearances in the soap operas Santa Barbara and Young and the Restless. Leaving his union cards with the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artist behind, Jamie returned to the University of Alabama and obtained a law degree. In law school Jamie’s highest accomplishment was a national finalist in a national mock trial competition. Since graduation in 1992, Jamie has devoted his legal career to representing injured people and their families against Corporate wrongdoing. The majority of his practice has been devoted to pursuing the rights of injured railroad workers, but he has also had significant results in medical malpractice and toxic torts.
In the courtroom Jamie has applied the lessons learned on stage and screen. He is noted for his use of technology and visual presentations in the courtroom. Jamie has repeatedly been asked to speak in seminars to the legal profession on technology and demonstrative evidence. He has served for several years as chairman and an advisor to the Al Cone Trial Seminar for the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers.
In 2004 Jamie earned board certification as a civil trial lawyer by the State Bar of Florida. He has also been recognized by American Registry of Outstanding Professionals.
While some may say that Jamie’s dream as an actor was to be surrounded by women, this dream has been recently realized as a lawyer. When not preparing for trial, Jamie returns home to his wife, Carol, and his three daughters, Elizabeth, Caroline and Catherine. He also has a female dog – Dianna. When not preparing for trial or spending time with his family, Jamie can bee seen on his boat, the Reel Rogue, fishing in tournaments with the Southern Kingfish Association.
Bar Admissions
Florida 1994 (board certified 2004)
Georgia 1993
Supreme Court of Florida
Supreme Court of Georgia
Georgia Court of Appeals
United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
United States District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern District of Georgia
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Professional Associations and Memberships:
American Bar Association
American Association for Justice
Florida Justice Association
Florida Bar
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Georgia Bar
Christopher A. Keith
Originally from Panama City, Florida, Chris appreciates the warm weather and sunshine. Growing up 90 miles from Tallahassee, Chris has a strong passion for his undergraduate alma mater – Florida State University. The first in his immediate and distant family to attend College, Chris excelled. While at Florida State Chris served as the President of Garnet Key Honor Society and was one of a few students selected to attend the Inaugural College Leadership Florida. Chris then attended Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama where he served as the Editor in Chief of the Cumberland Law Review. After graduating from Cumberland with honors and receiving membership in the Order of the Coif, Chris began pursuing his ultimate passion of seeking Justice for his clients in Courtrooms throughout the Country.
Shortly after becoming a founding member of Wettermark Holland & Keith, and only two years out of law school, Chris obtained his first million dollar jury verdict. He joined a small distinguished group of attorneys throughout the Country to achieve such a result in only their second year of practice. That initial verdict, however, was just the start of something big. Over the next four years, Chris amassed over 30 million dollars in jury verdicts and settlements for his clients throughout the Eastern United States. Chris’s success resulted in recognition from National and Local print and television media across the Country and eventually led to him being recognized as an Alabama Superlawyer (2008), a “Leading Plaintiff Lawyer in America,”“Law Dragon’s Leading Lawyers in America,” and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum – quite a feat considering that these types of recognitions are generally bestowed upon lawyers who have been practicing for over twenty years. Chris is entering his seventh year of practice and holds his law licenses in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, Alabama Association for Justice, Birmingham Bar, and various Federal Courts throughout the Country.
Chris has been happily married to his high school sweetheart Angela for ten years. They are the proud parents of two boys – Landon (3) and Braxton (1). When Chris isn’t working or spending time with his family (which is very rare), you can find him on Alabama’s Smith Lake. If you see a fisherman falling out of the boat while trying to land the big fish or a skier so “eloquently” slicing through the water – that will be Chris.
Bar Admissions
Alabama 2001
Florida 2002
Mississippi 2003
United States District Court Northern District of Alabama
United States District Court Northern District of Mississippi
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Professional Associations and Memberships
Alabama State Bar
Florida State Bar
Mississippi State Bar
Alabama Trial Lawyers Association
Florida Justice Association
American Bar Association
American Association for Justice
Birmingham Bar Association
Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Vincent Swiney
Vincent Swiney specializes in workers’ compensation, auto tort, and personal injury litigation. Vincent is currently head of the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Section and also handles Social Security Disability and SSI cases for the firm’s clients as well.
Vincent received his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and his law degree from Cumberland School of Law. He is a member of the American Association for Justice (Workers’ Compensation Section, Social Security Section, Railroad Law Section), the Alabama Association for Justice (Workers’ Compensation Section, Auto Torts Section, Emerging Leaders Section), the Alabama Bar Association (Workers’ Compensation Section, Young Lawyers’ Section), the Birmingham Bar Association (Workers’ Compensation Section, Young Lawyers’ Section), and the Birmingham Inns of Court.
Vincent is licensed to practice in all state courts within the State of Alabama as well as the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama as well as the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.
Vincent is a proud husband and proud father of two young daughters.
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