Dan H. Ball Esq., JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator

Dan H. Ball, Esq., joined JAMS after a 47-year career litigating and resolving disputes. He has represented major corporations, as well as some individual plaintiffs, in matters of every size and complexity. He has served as lead counsel in thousands of cases in state and federal courts across the country and has helped guide clients through trial, settlement negotiations and mediations of both individual cases and mass torts.

Dan’s experience ranges from high-exposure product liability and multidistrict litigation to class actions, mass torts, personal injury and complex business disputes. He also has considerable experience with maritime and railroad litigation. In addition, he has been involved in arbitrations—including sports arbitrations—both as an advocate and an arbitrator.

With a long and distinguished career in high-powered litigation, Dan brings unique qualifications as a neutral case evaluator and discovery master/court-appointed neutral. He has evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of thousands of cases across many substantive areas and jurisdictions—both state and federal—throughout the country. He has also participated in mock jury and focus group exercises and has resolved numerous discovery disputes in collaboration with special masters/court-appointed neutrals and opposing counsel.

Through his decades of experience representing major corporations, insurers and individuals, Dan has gained insights into the many considerations and philosophies that go into the resolution of individual cases and mass litigation. He has applied his trial-tested perspective to the successful resolution of thousands of cases. His experience as a litigator and trial attorney has helped him bring a practical approach to every settlement negotiation and mediation and has assisted in the resolution of even the most difficult litigations. As a Fellow of the American College of Trials Lawyers for almost 30 years and ranked Band 1 by Chambers since 2005, Dan is widely and highly regarded for his judgment, balance and nationwide perspective.

Representative Matters

Pharmaceuticals & Mass Torts

Served as co-lead counsel in nationwide litigation involving claims that a contraceptive medical device caused blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and other injuries; assisted in successfully obtaining summary judgment in seven bellwether cases and over a period of several months and, through multiple mediation sessions, helped negotiate a global settlement resolving approximately 3,800 federal and state claims
Served as co-lead counsel for major pharmaceutical manufacturer for mass tort litigation involving epileptic medication with allegations of birth defects; involved several jury trials and eventual settlement of hundreds of cases
Served as one of the lead counsel in blood thinner medication multidistrict litigation that ultimately resolved thousands of cases
Served as an important member of the national team that represented a major pharmaceutical company in one of the largest nationwide mass torts in history, including as a lead trial lawyer, with ultimate resolution of tens of thousands of cases

Product Liability

Served for almost 20 years as national counsel for a major child car seat manufacturer, achieving resolution in numerous product liability and personal injury cases across the country through trials, negotiated settlements and mediations
Served as regional counsel for a major tire manufacturer and resolved dozens of cases in many states through either trial, negotiated settlement or mediation
Served as member of national and regional counsel teams for a wide range of companies, handling product liability disputes in a wide variety of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, child car seats, tires, automobiles, forklifts, power tools, children’s products, trucks and trailers, and railroad equipment

Class Action & Mass Tort

Served as co-counsel in a multidistrict litigation involving allegations of misrepresentations related to the marketing of child car seats
As lead counsel, represented a major manufacturer of personal care products in a nationwide litigation in numerous venues and assisted in successful resolution through several mediation sessions and months of negotiations
As lead counsel, represented a major motor vehicle manufacturer in a statewide class action involving alleged warranty issues and negotiated statewide settlement
As lead counsel, represented a large pharmaceutical company in an alleged consumer fraud class action litigation involving a pain medication and assisted in a statewide resolution

Personal Injury

As lead counsel, represented trucking company in a serious multi-vehicle accident involving multiple severe injuries; various lawsuits were resolved on the eve of the trial through extensive negotiations over a period of several months
As lead counsel, represented two major railroads over the course of almost 20 years in hundreds of personal injury cases that resolved through trial, mediation and/or settlement for individual negotiation
As lead counsel, reached settlement against a trucking company on behalf of an individual who sustained serious lower-extremity injuries in a motor vehicle accident
As lead counsel, obtained a trial verdict for corporation in a case involving the death of a worker in an industrial accident

Business Commercial

As lead counsel, represented a national railway company in litigation involving allegations of commercial defamation and tortious interference; the case ended with judgment in favor of the railway company and was upheld through all appeals
As lead counsel, represented individual minority shareholders in closely held corporations in two separate litigations, both resulting in settlements
As co-lead counsel, helped reach a settlement for a small business owner in substantial litigation against a major corporation involving claims of breach of warranty and misrepresentation related to the sale of a defective large machine
Served as co-lead counsel on behalf of a financial institution and obtained a verdict in a case involving foreclosure and repossession of extensive farm machinery and livestock

Maritime Admiralty

Over a period of about 10 years as lead counsel and co-counsel, represented several barge line companies in numerous personal injury and property damage lawsuits, handling matters through trials and negotiated settlements

Appellate

Served as lead counsel and co-counsel on all aspects of dozens of appeals in several state and federal appellate courts, many of which involved settlement negotiations and mediations during the pendency of the appeal
Served as lead counsel on various aspects of appeals at the state appellate and Supreme Court levels in major business litigation
Participated in several appellate litigations addressing product liability and personal injury claims related to pharmaceutical products and automotive products

Entertainment & Sports

Served as co-lead counsel in large number of sports arbitration cases over 19 years

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Memberships and Affiliations

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 1997–2025
Emeritus Member, Product Liability Advisory Council, 2024–2025
- Sustaining Member, 1992–2023
Member, Defense Research Institute, 1985–2025
Member, Lawyers for Civil Justice, 2022–2025

Selected Awards and Honors

The Best Lawyers in America, 1997–2026
Chambers USA – Band 1, 2005–2025
Best Lawyers^® Lawyer of the Year – Product Liability Defense, St. Louis, 2018, 2021, 2025
Best Lawyers^® Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Defense, St. Louis, 2015, 2020, 2026
“Benchmark Litigation Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys,” Benchmark Litigation Star, 2022
“Benchmark Litigation Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys,” Local Litigation Star, Missouri, 2021
America’s Top 100 High-Stakes Litigators for Missouri, 2019

Admissions