Clay Barnett

H. Clay Barnett, III joined Beasley Allen in 2007. He focuses on product defect class actions, specifically those involving auto defects. 

Clay began preparing for his legal career in product defect cases at an early age. As a young teenager, he began working on outdoor power equipment and outboard marine engines, spending hours tinkering, troubleshooting and learning. His hands-on experience laid a strong foundation for his practice specialty. Today, Clay holds a prestigious Martindale Hubbell AV rating.

Clay’s extensive background in vehicle and vessel repair and restoration, as well as over a decade’s worth of competition in amateur motorsport events, gives him a unique edge in identifying and prosecuting product defects. He continues his study of automotive design by directing the ongoing repairs and improvements to the BMW E34 racecar he owns and races. In court, Clay has secured hundreds of millions in verdicts and settlements for states and consumers. Among his notable achievements are leading his trial team in California to a $102.6 million jury verdict against GM in an engine defect class action, obtaining a $287 million settlement for Toyota and Lexus owners and a $230 million settlement for Subaru owners for defective Denso fuel pumps, and bringing relief to Toyota van owners with malfunctioning powered rear doors and owners of Ford light-duty pickups with poorly designed brake systems. Clay’s product defect class action practice began with his mechanical analyses that helped Plaintiffs secure a $14.7 billion settlement in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” defect case. Before filing product defect class actions, Clay spent over a decade fighting pharmaceutical companies for fraud and Consumer Protection Act violations, securing major trial victories in Mississippi, such as $30.1 million against Sandoz Pharmaceuticals and $30.2 million against Watson Pharmaceuticals. Clay continues to grow his reputation as a uniquely qualified and formidable trial lawyer in major cases against the automotive and equipment manufacturing giants.

Clay and his wife, Dr. Elise Plauche Barnett, are proud parents of a son and a daughter. Outside of work, Clay loves spending time outdoors and traveling with his family. He has coached his children’s sports teams—football, baseball, and soccer—since they were young, enjoying the process of teaching and celebrating their efforts and good sportsmanship. In his free time, Clay plays tennis, hunts and competes in motorsport endurance racing events across the Southeast. Clay and his children have entered the world of two-wheel motorcross, where they’re learning the sport together. Additionally, he has coached high school mock trial teams, leading two to national competitions, mentored Youth Legislature participants, and served in leadership roles with the United Way and YMCA.

Education

Clay earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1997 and went on to complete his law degree at the University of Alabama in 2001. After graduating, he served as a law clerk for Judge James C. Wood at the Mobile County Circuit Court. Clay then joined the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, where he spent five years prosecuting violent crimes, white-collar crimes, and public corruption. In 2006, he was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney by the U.S. Department of Justice, where his team tried and convicted co-defendants in a major public corruption matter.

Licenses

• Alabama (2001)
• Mississippi (2003)
• Georgia (2022)