James L. Young

Partner
James L. Young
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Biography
Professional experience
Education
Biography

Jim Young is a versatile and effective outsourced general counsel and corporate generalist. He is a qualified arbitrator and mediator and avid proponent of alternative dispute resolution procedures in lieu of litigation. With three decades of deal-making experience, Mr. Young is uniquely qualified to help resolve business disputes by bringing adverse parties to the negotiation table.

He previously worked with Cox & Smith (now Dykema) in San Antonio and Mayor, Day & Caldwell (now Hunton Andrews Kurth) in Houston in the corporate, securities and transactional practice groups. In 1990, Mr. Young became General Counsel for Acap Corporation in Houston, a publicly held group of insurance companies engaged in acquiring other life, accident and health insurance companies or blocks of life, accident and health insurance policies in force. He later served as Associate General Counsel with the Conseco Companies, a Fortune 500 insurance and financial services firm.

Mr. Young has deep experience with turnarounds including the HealthMarkets Companies (Deputy General Counsel), Saxon Publishers, Inc. (General Counsel), Southwestern Life Holdings, Inc. (General Counsel), the Transport Companies (Corporate Counsel) and the Statesman National Life Insurance Company (General Counsel).

Through the course of his career as solo general counsel for emerging businesses and as the head of legal departments for larger organizations, Mr. Young has encountered a full range of issues likely to arise in the course of the business life cycle. Through this experience, he has developed broadened business and managerial perspective as an active participant on several senior management teams, enabling him to guide clients through legal challenges while still relating to them on a business level.

Mr. Young currently serves as an adjunct professor at Collin College teaching law and government subjects, and has served as an adjunct professor of law at Texas A&M University School of Law and as an adjunct professor in the undergraduate paralegal studies program at Texas Wesleyan University.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Credentials

  • Roster of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association (AAA – Commercial, Employment, Consumer and Appraisal Umpire Panels)
  • Arbitration Panel, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA – Securities Arbitration)
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Service Panel, American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)
  • Hearing officer, City of Fort Worth, Texas (employee discipline appeals)
  • Arbitration Panel, Council of Better Business Bureau Auto Line Program (National)
  • Appraisal Umpire Panel, Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Property Damage Claims
  • Arbitration Panel, Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas (Dallas)
  • Arbitration Panel, Better Business Bureau of The Heart of Texas (Fort Worth)
  • Arbitration Panel, Fee Disputes Committee, Dallas Bar Association (public interest dispute resolution program, Dallas, Texas)
  • Mediation Panel, American Arbitration Association (AAA – Commercial, Employment & Consumer Panels)
  • Mediation Panel, Texas Department of Insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association Property Damage Claims
  • Mediation Panel, Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center (public dispute resolution program supporting Dallas County state courts)
  • Director, Employment Mediation Clinic, Texas A&M University School of Law, Fort Worth, Texas (2013-2017) and Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, Fort Worth, Texas (2012-2013)
  • National Mediation Panel (Dallas Region), Motors Liquidation Company (formerly General Motors Corporation) Bankruptcy Alternative Dispute Resolution Program (2010)
Professional experience
  • Cox & Smith (now Dykema)
  • Mayor Day (now Hunton Andrews Kurth)
  • Acap Corporation (General Counsel)
  • Conseco Companies (Assoc. General Counsel)
Education
  • University of Houston College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
  • Rice University, B.A. in Managerial Studies and Political Science