James Goines

James Goines has only represented insurance carriers, third-party administrators, self-insured employers, small businesses, and corporations in all aspects of workers compensation defense since obtaining his California bar license in December 2011.

Before joining Morgan & Leahy, Mr. Goines was an Associate Attorney for a workers compensation defense firm in San Diego where he covered every southern California board. He moved home to the Bay Area in 2016 and since then has appeared in almost all northern California boards. Mr. Goines has practiced at 22 of the 24 boards showing his experience throughout the entire state.

Mr. Goines obtained his Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law in April 2011 and was immediately admitted to the California Bar in December 2011. He graduated from the University of California at Davis in 2007 and received two Bachelors of Arts degrees: a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in History.

At U.C. Davis, Mr. Goines was the captain of the Club Baseball team, worked three jobs for spending money doing construction, delivering pizzas, and at the UC Davis bookstore, and spent a semester studying in Siena, Italy where he traveled to 18 countries, 10 on his own. He has now been fortunate to travel to 32 countries, with a goal to see 100; visiting and learning about other cultures is a passion.

During law school he worked for the San Diego Public Defenders Office, the San Diego Multiple Conflicts Office, and the California Innocence Project where he represented 12 inmates claiming factual innocence.

Legal defense is why he went to law school and is what he does best.

Mr. Goines was born and raised in the Bay Area and now lives in San Francisco with his long-time wife, 2-year-old son, and dog Miles Davis. They continue to travel, attend live music shows, and advocate for the environment. Mr. Goines and his family spend a lot of time in Golden Gate Park and exploring the City, California, and the Globe. His family follows the 49ers to a road game each year, and they own seats licenses and season tickets for the 49ers and Giants, as well as being avid Warriors fans.