As a proud native of Charleston, West Virginia, Harry F. Bell, Jr. has dedicated his time to practicing law in West Virginia for over 33 years. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer® by Super Lawyers Magazine, and has been named by The American Trial Lawyer Association as one of the Top 100 Civil Trial Lawyers® in West Virginia.
Harry has participated in nearly one hundred trials, and he has spoken nationally at various seminars, including Mass Torts Made Perfect, The Combined South Carolina Judiciary and South Carolina Bar Annual Meeting, and the West Virginia State Bar Association. He also presented the topic, “MDL Exit Strategies” before the Louisiana State Bar Association’s 10th Annual Class Action/Mass Tort Symposium.
Throughout his career, Harry has been involved in numerous successful class action litigations. He served as Liaison and Co-lead Counsel in the Digitek product liability case (2:08-md-01968), and he served on the Plaintiffs Steering Committee (PSC) during the Comcast Anti-Trust litigation (09-md-02034-AB).
Additionally, Harry served on the PSC and the Plaintiffs’ Co-liaison Counsel for several noteworthy pelvic repair system product liability cases, including American Medical Systems (2:12-md-02325), Boston Scientific Corp. (2:12-md-02326), C. R. Bard Inc. (2:10-md-02187), Ethicon Inc. (2:12-md-02327), and Coloplast Corp. (2:12-md-02387).
He has also served in various capacities as special master and mediator appointed by state and federal courts in West Virginia.
In 1977, Harry began his legal pursuits by graduating from West Virginia University College of Business with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree Cum Laude in Economics, followed by his J. D. degree from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1980.
While in law school, Harry worked as a law clerk for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Upon graduation, he returned to Charleston and began his trial experience as an Assistant Deputy Prosecutor in Kanawha County, West Virginia. Later, he joined the firm of Kay, Casto & Chaney where he subsequently became a partner while learning litigation under his mentor, the late John S. Haight, Esquire. For over a decade, Harry defended numerous product liability and complex civil litigation matters while working for Kay, Casto & Chaney.
In 1993, Harry founded The Bell Law Firm, PLLC, which is recognized as one of West Virginia’s leading complex litigation firms that represents both individuals and businesses in class action, MDL, and medical malpractice cases. The firm and its injury attorneys are also highly regarded for their work with nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect cases.
Bar Admissions
- West Virginia, 1980
- U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia, 1980
- U.S. District Court Northern District of West Virginia, 1981
- U.S. Federal Courts, 1980
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1982
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2004
Education History – Harry F. Bell, Jr.
- West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia
- J.D. – 1980
- West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
- B.S. (Cum Laude) – 1977
- Major: Economics
Fraternities/Sororities
- Beta Gamma Sigma
- Phi Delta Phi
Areas of Practice
Honors, Awards and Associations
- Vice President, Marlyn E. Lugar Moot Trial Association, 1980 – 1982
- West Virginia Super Lawyer, 2009 – 2010
- West Virginia State Bar
- West Virginia Alumni Association, Kanawha Valley Chapter, Past President, 1985 – 1987
- Charleston Civic Center Board, Past Chairman, 1989 – 1992
- Fireman’s Civil Service Committee, Past Chairman, 1989 – 1992
- American Association for Justice
Past Employment Positions
- Kay, Casto, Chaney & Associates, Partner, 1986 – 1993
- Kay, Casto, Chaney, Love & Wise, Associate, 1981 – 1985
- Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Kanawha County, West Virginia, Assistant Deputy Prosecutor, 1980 – 1981
Ancillary Businesses
- Mediator for West Virginia State Bar
- Mediator for U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia
- Mediator for U.S. District Court, Western District West Virginia
Classes/Seminars
- Instructor, Civil Litigation, Marshall University, 1982 – 1986
- Instructor, Mediation Training, West Virginia State Bar, 1992
- Instructor, Mediation Seminar, Charleston Chamber of Commerce, 1993
- Speaker, Automotive Warranty & Product Liability Law
- 11th Annual Class Action/Mass Tort Symposium, Louisiana State Bar 2011, 2012
- Current Status of Federal Litigation, Transvaginal Mesh, Harris Martin Conference, 2012
- Mass Torts Made Perfect
- Mass Torts/Class Actions involving automobile dealer fraud, Annual Bench/Bar CLE, 2005 – Present
- Hot Topics in MDL and Class Action Litigation, Harris Martin Conference, 2012
