Jeff Miller is a member of the firm’s Civil Defense Litigation practice group. Jeff represents his clients in Virginia’s state and federal courts across a wide variety of practice areas, including transportation, hospitality, defamation, and business disputes, both at the trial and appellate level. Jeff has tried dozens of cases, defeated multiple claims at the motions stage, and served as second chair on multi-million-dollar brain injury trials before Virginia juries.
Jeff frequently defends trucking companies in catastrophic injury, brain injury, and wrongful death cases, in addition to his work defending retailers and amusement parks, and litigating various commercial and intentional tort claims. Jeff has extensive experience working with experts in the fields of accident reconstruction, human factors, biodynamics, brain injury medicine, engineering, and other professionals with a range of specialties. Jeff also assists our transportation clients as part of the rapid response team, helping them navigate the crucial minutes and hours immediately after an accident occurs.
Prior to beginning his law career, Jeff studied music and put his talents to use as a professional piano player and entertainer.
- Times played Piano Man by request
- Continents on which I’ve caught a fish
- Holes in one (excluding mini-golf)
-
What do you enjoy most about the practice of law?
I love the problem-solving nature of the practice, as well as constantly learning new things. Every case has a new set of facts to learn, new twists on familiar legal arguments, and new people. Of course, litigation can be competitive, which is also fun!
-
What would you be doing if you did not choose law as a career?
I would probably live in the mountains and make smooth jazz albums.
-
How has your musical career helped you in the practice of law?
There’s nothing that can substitute for experience on stage – whether that’s performing for an audience or arguing a case to a judge or jury. Having that experience helps me keep calm and focused when it’s time to appear in court. The other thing is that you have to be ready to adapt or change course on the fly, both in court and in music, and I’ve found abundant preparation is the best way to be ready for anything.
Education
- University of Richmond School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
- Regis University, B.S., summa cum laude
Experience
- Litigated in all Virginia state courts and US District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
- Tried dozens of General District Court cases to verdict, tried multiple Circuit Court trials to jury verdict as second-chair, and second-chaired two-week federal jury trial resulting in a defense verdict
- Won dismissal of million-dollar premises lawsuit on a pre-discovery motion to dismiss
- Secured dismissal on summary judgement of multimillion-dollar discrimination claim against amusement park security team
- As a research assistant for the Court of Appeals of Virginia, assisted in research and writing for an article on the “do’s and don’ts” of appellate advocacy in Virginia, published in the University of Richmond Law Review’s 2014 Annual Survey
Affiliations
- President of the Henrico County Bar Association (2023-2024); Board Member since 2017
- John Marshall Inn of Court (2018-Present)
- Richmond Bar Association (2015-Present)
- Virginia Bar Association (2015-Present)
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys (2015-Present)
- Defense Research Institute (2015-2020)
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, “Sit Down and Shut Up: The Art of Self-Awareness and Editing in Jury Trials,” Gentry Locke Seminar, Richmond, VA, October 12, 2023
- Co-Presented Defending Freight Brokers and Transportation Intermediaries: New FMCSA Guidance; Preemption Under Ying Ye v. GlobalTranz, a Strafford Webinar on September 28, 2023
- Presenter, “Managing the Insurance Relationship: Making Sure Your Coverage is There When You Need It,” Gentry Locke Seminar, Richmond, VA, September 28, 2022, co-authored by Guy M. Harbert, III.
- Presented the Appellate Section’s Annual Case Law Update: Virginia Cases at the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Spring Sections Seminar 2020
Awards
- Named to Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” List for Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, and Transportation Law (2021-2025)
- Named a Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star in “Civil Litigation: Defense” (2020-2024)
- Named a Virginia Business Legal Elite “Young Lawyer” (2019)
- Awarded Pro Bono Certificate by University of Richmond (2015)
- Order of the Coif (2015)
- CALI for 1st Amendment Law and Antitrust (2014)
- McNeil Honor Society (Inducted 2014)
Published Work
- Author, The Statute Has No Clothes! How Contemporary Free Exercise Clause Cases Stand to Expose the Failings of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Merits of the Smith Standard, prize winning article in the 2015 McNeil Honor Society legal writing competition
- Co-Author with Laura D. Windsor, Another Hoop For Government Contractors: The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order, Summer 2014 Client Alert
- Research Assistant, University of Richmond Law Review: Appellate Law, authored by The Honorable Marla Graff Decker, published in the University of Richmond Law Review’s 2014 Annual Survey
Case Studies
The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.-
News
Aug 2024 -
News
Apr 2024 -
United Parks & Resorts Earned a Defense Verdict After Nearly Seven Years of Litigation The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.Case Studies
Mar 2024 -
Defense Verdict Obtained for Western Express in Rear-end Accident The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.Case Studies
Mar 2024 -
News
Jan 2024 -
Articles
Nov 2023 -
News
Aug 2023 -
News
Jun 2023 -
News
Apr 2023 -
News
Oct 2022 -
News
May 2022 -
Events
May 2022 -
Court Grants Summary Judgment from the Bench in Favor of Big Box Retailer The results of client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter. Past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes.Case Studies
Apr 2022 -
News
May 2021 -
News
Apr 2020 -
News
Nov 2019