James J. Boland

Partner / Chicago | New York | London

James Boland is a Partner in the Litigation and Insurance Practices of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP. Mr. Boland was a Partner Freeborn & Peters, which combined with SGR in 2023.

Full Bio

Mr. Boland focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and domestic and international arbitration.

He has extensive experience and has represented a variety of corporations, businesses and professional firms in matters involving reinsurance (life & health, property & casualty), antitrust, securities fraud, accountant liability, consumer protection, shareholder and derivative disputes, mergers and acquisitions disputes, including post-closing disputes, and a variety of other commercial matters.

Mr. Boland also has extensive experience in class action litigation, representing corporations and businesses in matters involving antitrust, securities fraud, residential and commercial mortgage practices, false advertising, commercial leasing and other retail sales and marketing practices, and has experience in SEC and other governmental investigations.

Prior to joining Freeborn (now SGR), Mr. Boland was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP focusing on commercial litigation and dispute resolution.

Mr. Boland received his B.A. from the University of Chicago and his J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, cum laude, where he was a member of Order of the Coif.
Representative Experience
- Represented a major U.S. manufacturer in international arbitration relating to $1 billion sale of business to a German conglomerate.
- Represented a foreign manufacturer in international arbitration involving dispute with a foreign supplier.
- Represented major foreign reinsurer in international arbitration involving dispute with retrocessionaire over restatement of retrocession.
- Represented domestic life & health reinsurer in dispute with cedent companies involving management of long-term care business.
- Represented a major foreign reinsurer in defense of adverse arbitral award in the United States and Europe.
- Advised a major foreign pharmaceutical manufacturer in connection with a dispute and potential LCIA arbitration concerning a worldwide co-marketing and promotion of blockbuster drug.
- Advised major domestic company on international arbitration and dispute resolution for worldwide joint venture agreement with South American corporation.
- Advised domestic manufacturer and distributors on international arbitration and dispute resolution for agreements with various Asian, African and Middle Eastern parties, including issues of validity, enforceability and application of Sharia law.
- Represented a Tier 1 domestic automotive supplier in a lawsuit against a Tier 2 foreign supplier related to a long-term international supply contracts with major foreign car manufacturer.
- Represented a private equity firm, principals, and portfolio company in multiple arbitration and litigation proceedings relating to acquisition and restructuring activities.
- Represented a major U.S. oil and gas company in False Claims Act case challenging over two decades of federal royalty payments for natural gas and natural gas liquids extracted from federally leased lands.
- Represented a merging party in private antitrust action seeking to enjoin merger of two major oil and gas companies.
- Represented a fortune 500 manufacturer in mass tort class action relating to operations at an industrial drum reconditioning facility.
- Represented a major accounting firm in nationwide class action asserting pre-bankruptcy violations of federal securities laws.
- Represented a major international auditing firm in securities and common law fraud action brought by companies that sold businesses to audit client in exchange for stock.
- Represented a major manufacturer in nationwide consumer fraud, fraud and breach of contract class action involving sale of analog radios prior to conversion from analog to digital transmission service.
Bar Admissions

Illinois
New York
United States Court of Appeals for the Second, Third, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Education
Undergraduate
- University of Chicago
Law School
- Northwestern University School of Law
Memberships

American Bar Association
International Bar Association
Recognitions

Chambers USA, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Reinsurance, Illinois - 2023, 2024, 2025 (cited in multiple years)
Illinois Leading Lawyers - 2020 (cited in multiple years)
Irish Legal 100 Honoree (2015, 2016)
Publications and Speaking Engagements
- Author, “Client Alert: Supreme Court Clarifies Evidentiary Burden for Rebutting “Fraud on the Market” Presumption of Reliance at Class Certification Stage in Securities Fraud Class Actions,” Freeborn & Peters LLP, June 22, 2021.
- Author, “Client Alert: Supreme Court Holds That SEC’s Power to Obtain Equitable Relief Includes Disgorgement of Wrongdoers’ Net Profits but Leaves Important Questions Open Regarding Its Scope,” Freeborn & Peters LLP, June 25, 2020.
- Author, “Client Alert: Supreme Court Clarifies the Applicability of Domestic Contract Principles to the Enforcement of International Arbitration Agreements,” Freeborn & Peters LLP, June 15, 2020.
- Author, “Client Alert: Supreme Court Expands the Scope of Potential Liability for Secondary Actors in Private Actions for Securities Fraud,” Freeborn & Peters LLP, April 1, 2019.
- Author, “Client Alert: Supreme Court Limits Class Action Tolling, Reducing the Ability of Plaintiffs to File Successive Class Actions for the Same Claims,” Freeborn & Peters LLP, June 18, 2018.
SGR Publications
- Federal Court Finds Qui Tam Provision of False Claims Act Unconstitutional
Press