R. James Miller

  • Managing Partner
Photo of R. James Miller

Biography

In 2003, Jim Miller founded Powers Miller with Brian Powers. Brian became Of Counsel at the firm in 2014, leaving Jim as the sole Managing Partner of the firm. From the beginning, Mr. Miller has kept Powers Miller on the cutting edge, providing the highest quality legal services with a responsive, client-centered approach.

Jim has more than 25 years of experience in insurance and self-insured defense. His practice focuses on defending individuals and companies in actions involving products liability, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability and commercial litigation. He has significant experience in representing manufacturers of medical devices in product liability actions.

He is a member of the Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada, Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA) and American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He was selected as a 2022 and 2023 Northern California Super Lawyer in the practice areas of personal injury defense and products liability defense.

Jim has tried many cases to jury verdicts in Placer, El Dorado, Yuba, Yolo, Nevada, Sacramento, Lake, San Joaquin and Merced counties. Included in those trials are nine defense verdicts in cases where he represented a defendant. He has completed over 100 first party binding arbitrations representing insurance companies at the hearings. Further, he has argued cases in the Third, Fifth and Sixth California Court of Appeals which resulted in three published decisions. He has served as a binding arbitrator in uninsured motorist actions.

He has presented numerous seminars on various subject matters relevant to the defense of personal injury actions. Jim also volunteers his time serving as a settlement conference attorney for Placer and Sacramento Counties.

When not working, Jim is a dedicated endurance runner who has completed seven marathons and scores of half marathons. He lives with his wife and daughters in Granite Bay.

Jim can be reached at (916) 540-7628 or [email protected]

Contact Me:

Education

  • Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana
    • J.D. - 1993
  • Valparaiso University
    • B.S. - 1990
    • Major: Accounting

Practice Areas

  • Personal Injury Defense 90%
  • Personal Injury Plaintiff
  • Breach of Contracts
  • Insurance Defense

Bar Admissions

  • California, 1994
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1996
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 1994
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California

Published Decisions

  • Herrera v. Hernandez (2006) 164 Cal. App. 4th 1386
  • Lickter v. Lickter (2010) 189 Cal. App. 4th 972
  • Gonzales v. City of Atwater (2016) 6 Cal. App. 5th 929

Professional Associations

  • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Sacramento Valley Chapter, Member, 2016 to Present
  • Trucking Industry Defense Association, Member, 2005 to Present
  • Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California, Member, 1998 to Present