LaBarron Boone

LaBarron joined Beasley Allen Law Firm in 1995 and has been instrumental in presenting product liability, consumer fraud and personal injury cases. He was the first African American partner at a major law firm in Montgomery, Alabama.

As a Beasley Allen attorney for over 20 years, LaBarron has handled various cases involving crashworthiness, seatbelt restraint failures, accidental airbag deployments, tractor rollovers, tire tread separation (Ford/Firestone) and consumer and insurance fraud. 

LaBarron was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. He is married to Lori David Boone and has two children, Micah and Logan. They are members of Resurrection Catholic Church.

Community Involvement

LaBarron has taken a special interest in the nation’s opioid epidemic. LaBarron has made it his mission to see that states, counties, cities and hospitals hold accountable those responsible for this senseless tragedy, which now kills more Americans than gun homicides and car crashes combined. He has met with government officials across the country to discuss solutions that will stop the needless loss of lives caused by the opioid crisis. 

LaBarron is involved in many Montgomery-area community and social activities, such as serving on the Cleveland Avenue YMCA Board of Management, Resurrection Catholic Church Board of Trustees, Child Protect Board of Trustees, the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Foundation, and serving on the board of Medical Outreach Ministries (MOM).

LaBarron is a member of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, which works to strengthen and drive economic development for the River Region. He also serves on the Central Alabama Community Foundation Board of Trustees (CACF), one of the largest charitable foundations in Alabama with assets exceeding $27 million.

Previously, he co-chaired the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Ad Valorem Initiative Committee to improve funding for the Montgomery County (Alabama) Public School System. The committee encouraged voters to support an increase in the local property tax, which Montgomery voters successfully approved in the November 2020 general election.

In January 2023, LaBarron began serving as Chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. From January 2021 until the beginning of his term as Chairman, LaBarron served as Vice Chairman.

Previously, he was selected to serve on the Alabama State University 2011 and 2013 Presidential Search Committees.

Led by his mother’s charge to “make the world a better place,” LaBarron also purchased an ownership stake in First Tuskegee Bank, which at the time was the oldest minority bank in the U.S. First Tuskegee Bank’s motto was serving those who need it most, which aligns with Beasley Allen’s mission of helping those who need it most. During LaBarron’s tenure as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the bank started a municipal bond finance department and a wealth management department that substantially increased its revenue and customer base. When the bank was sold, LaBarron was the largest individual shareholder.

Licenses

• Alabama (1995)

Admissions

• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama (1995)

Education

• University of Alabama (J.D., 1994)
• Auburn University (B.S., Industrial Engineering, 1990)

Notable Cases

Ford Explorer Rollover Injury

As the lead attorney, LaBarron’s most recent notable verdict was for $151 million on behalf of  Travaris “Tre” Smith (Travaris D. Smith v. Ford Motor Company) who was left paralyzed after the 1998 Ford Explorer he was riding in rolled over after the driver made an emergency avoidance maneuver to avoid a deer. The jury agreed with Smith that Ford failed to meet its safety guidelines for the Explorer’s rollover resistance requirement and attempted to cover up its defective design. It was the largest product liability verdict in Alabama history.

Michelin Pilot Tire Failure

LaBarron was also the lead attorney in a case that resulted in a Georgia jury finding in favor of the family of Alfred Holt. Holt was killed after a Michelin Pilot tire failed on the recreational vehicle he was driving and the RV crashed into a tree. The case was brought against Southland Motor Home Center, which provided maintenance and service on the RV and had refused to take any responsibility for his death.

Defective Cab Guard Death

In 2017, LaBarron was the lead attorney in a case where the jury awarded $16.8 million due to a defective cab guard. The jury found the cab guard failed to protect a log truck driver from being killed by logs that broke through the truck’s cab when the load shifted.

“Truck drivers face many hazards on the road every day, from weather to unexpected traffic and unpredictable other drivers. One thing they should be able to count on is that the vehicle they’re driving is designed so that they have a reasonable expectation of being safe in the event of a crash,” Boone said in an interview. “In this instance, the manufacturers failed Mr. [Larry] Albritton, and it cost him his life. It is our hope that this verdict will send a message to these and other companies that ensuring their drivers’ and the public’s safety is more important than their bottom line.”

Largest Predatory Lending Verdict in American History

While working in the firm’s Consumer Fraud Section, LaBarron worked on Merriweather v. Whirlpool, a case addressing a notable door-to-door sales and finance scam that resulted in a $581 million verdict. The verdict is the largest predatory lending verdict in American history. As a result of this litigation, the defendant’s finance company left the state of Alabama.

Bucket Truck Electrocution

LaBarron was also one of the attorneys to work on a personal injury suit, Aultman v. Telelect, which involved the electrocution of a bucket truck passenger after a nonconductive part was removed. The jury awarded $116 million in damages.

Publicity

Magazines and Journals

LaBarron has been highlighted in national magazines and journals throughout his career. For example, he was featured in the December 13, 1999, issue of Jet Magazine. The article profiled Merriweather v. Whirlpool and Aultman v. Terex Telelect.

He also has been featured for his work with Johnnie Cochran on suits concerning Enron’s leading role in one of America’s largest financial scandals. In addition, he was featured in the April 2000 edition of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal, in which he discussed the law and how it relates to consumer issues; he was featured as well in The Urban Metro June 2000 issue titled, “Lawyer Make Big Strides in Alabama’s, America’s Legal Community.”

Lectures

His national reputation in the legal community allows LaBarron to lecture and publish numerous articles for practicing attorneys throughout the country.

Most recently, he was a guest speaker at the 2020 National Trial Lawyers Summit. He discussed his experience building and handling a case against Ford over the instability issues in its Explorer as lead attorney in the Travaris Smith case.

On April 30, 2006, LaBarron appeared on WSFA TV as a guest on the Law Call program, discussing personal injury law. He also spoke at the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association Summer Seminar, held August 17-19, 2006, on “The Plaintiff’s Perspective of Evaluating and Preparing a Winning Case.”

He appeared as a guest speaker for the National Bar Association Annual 2003 Judge’s Conference held at Paradise Island, Bahamas, speaking on medical fraud, nursing home litigation and mass torts. He was also a guest lecturer at the 2003 Alabama Lawyers Association Annual Banquet and CLE program on “Use of Computer Technology in the Court Room.” Furthermore, LaBarron was a featured speaker at the Attorneys Information Exchange Group’s 2017 Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The Law & You

LaBarron also used to host a weekly radio show called The Law & You on WVAS 90.7 FM for several years. The program aired each Tuesday at 6 p.m. and LaBarron and his guests took calls from listeners, answered questions and addressed various legal issues.