Shelby Grubbs applies his long-term experience in complex commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution to resolve—efficiently and expeditiously—even the most difficult cases.

Prior to joining JAMS, Mr. Grubbs was with the U.S. law firm of Miller & Martin PLLC, most recently as managing member of its Atlanta office. He served as lead counsel on matters in various disciplines, including business and commercial, consumer protection, copyright, corporate governance, defamation, employment, ERISA, wage and hour, securities, state antitrust, product liability, trademarks, trade secrets, trespass and insurance. He also represented clients in class actions and served as coordinating counsel monitoring and supervising related class cases in multiple U.S. jurisdictions. His work included matters arising under the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. He was lead U.S. counsel in cases involving parallel proceedings in Luxembourg, Mexico and the United Kingdom, and counsel in arbitrations in the United States, Europe and Asia. In addition to being admitted to practice in Tennessee and Georgia, he has been admitted pro hac vice in Alabama, California, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. All the while, Mr. Grubbs served as an arbitrator, mediator and early neutral evaluator as time permitted.

Mr. Grubbs’ dispute resolution experience includes work as an arbitrator, mediator and court- appointed special master. As an arbitrator, he has served in cases administered by JAMS, AAA, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) and the International Court of Arbitration (ICC). He is also a panelist for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as well as the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR).  He has served as sole arbitrator, panel chair and wing arbitrator.  His experience as a court-appointed special master has included personal injury claims against state sponsors of terrorism, a claim brought by the United States against a major health insurer to recover over $1 billion in Medicare payments, claims alleging RICO and securities fraud violations and claims by property owners alleging water pollution

Mr. Grubbs has an extensive track record of professional involvement within the legal community. He is currently a member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR and the Arbitration Committee of the U.S. Council on International Business (USCIB). From 2014 to 2017, he was the executive director of the Atlanta Center for International Arbitration and Mediation (ACIAM), a component of the Georgia State University College of Law (GSU). He has taught international commercial arbitration as a member of the adjunct faculty at GSU, the Emory University School of Law and the Vanderbilt University School of Law.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• More than 40 years of complex commercial litigation involving business and commercial, construction, intellectual property, securities, product liability and insurance disputes
• Substantive experience as an arbitrator, mediator and court-appointed special master
• Arbitrator on domestic and cross-border disputes related to construction, consumer, corporate governance, employment, energy, franchise law, products liability and securities
• Mediator in matters involving various areas of law, including class action litigation, breach of contract and general commercial claims, contract, employment, personal injury, wrongful death, product liability and securities

Representative Matters

Selected Arbitration Experience by Subject Matter

Company Law:

• Sole arbitrator in dispute regarding limited liability company operating agreement, tax issues and corporate governance

Construction:

• Sole arbitrator in disputes involving construction of metropolitan subway system
• Wing arbitrator in dispute involving replacement of process parts in oil refinery
• Wing arbitrator in dispute involving solar energy farm

Consumer Finance:

• Sole arbitrator in cases involving application of Dormant Commerce Clause to interstate loan contracts

Employment:

• Sole arbitrator in commission dispute involving textile sales
• Sole arbitrator in 42 U.S.C. §1981 case
• Sole arbitrator in Title VII (race and gender) cases
• Sole arbitrator in Age Discrimination in Employment cases
• Sole arbitrator in multiple wage and hour cases involving employee/independent contractor status

Environmental:

• Special Master in Shults et al v. Champion International Corp. – Appointed by US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to divide settlement proceeds among 1200 class members
• Special Master in Beach et al v. Unisys Corporation – Appointed settlement master by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to explore resolution of multiple claims of ground water pollution.

Franchise:

• Sole arbitrator in dispute arising out of fast-food franchises
• Sole arbitrator in dispute arising out of franchises for magazine publication

Health Care:

• Special Master in United States v. Provident Life & Accident Beach – Appointed by US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to compute damages owed in Medicare secondary payment litigation

Insurance Brokerage:

• Sole arbitrator in dispute involving commissions for origination of insurance contracts

International:

• Special master appointed by U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Cabrera et al v. Islamic Republic of Iran to consider personal injury claims against state-sponsored terrorism
• Sole arbitrator in dispute involving export of clothing from US to Canada
• Sole arbitrator in dispute involving alleged breach of contract relating to sales into allegedly exclusive Latin American territory
• Sole arbitrator in personal injury claims by seafarers in international waters
• Sole arbitrator in dispute involving attorneys’ fees in dispute in Thailand
• Wing arbitrator in dispute involving replacement of process parts in oil refinery in United Kingdom

Non-Compete:

• Wing arbitrator in dispute involving non-compete agreement relating to construction contracting
• Sole arbitrator in three related cases regarding independent contractor or employee status of entertainers
• Sole arbitrator in dispute involving non-compete agreement relating to concert bookings

Securities:

• President of panel and wing arbitrator in multiple securities claims arising in broker–customer context

Personal Injury:

• Special master appointed by U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Cabrera et al v. Islamic Republic of Iran to consider personal injury claims against state-sponsored terrorism

Products Liability:

• Sole arbitrator in personal injury claim arising out of use of contraceptive device

Public Utilities:

• President of arbitration panel in claim against public utility involving natural gas supply agreement

Selected Mediation Experience by Subject Matter

Securities

• Special Master in Faucet et al v. White - Appointed by US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to conduct proceedings to explore settlement in 15 plaintiff claim pertaining to management of industrial gas company. Settlement achieved

Class Action & Mass Torts

• Mediated settlement in class action claims against county government alleging Eighth Amendment violations
• Mediated settlement of attorneys fee dispute following settlement of securities class litigation

Construction

• Mediated settlement in dispute concerning government construction project

• Mediated settlement in dispute concerning construction of office complex and multi-level parking garage

Franchise & Distribution Law

• Mediated settlement in franchise dispute involving fast food restaurants

Employment

• Mediated various disputes involving Title VII claims

Energy

• Mediated international dispute regarding sale of refinery

Environmental

• Special Master in Beach v. Unisys - Appointed by US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to conduct various proceeding to explore settlement in 60+ plaintiff ground water contamination case. Settlement achieved

Software

• Mediated settlement of international dispute regarding software licensing

Technology

• Mediated settlement in international dispute involving tracking devices and associated software

Products Liability

• Mediated settlement in wrongful death claim against automobile manufacturer

Selected Litigation Experience by Subject Matter

During his time in private practice, Mr. Grubbs served as lead counsel on a range of matters spanning various industries and issues. These include the following:

Arbitration/International Arbitration

• Lead counsel in U.S. proceedings in federal court in Georgia opposing enforcement of a Luxembourg award against a Spanish travel company and coordinating parallel proceedings in Mexico and Luxembourg
• Lead counsel in domestic arbitration involving consumer electronics on behalf of a Dutch multinational
• Lead counsel in a domestic securities arbitration
• Lead counsel in Singapore arbitration involving technology transfer

Business and Commercial

• Lead counsel for Canadian company in a 60-plus-plaintiff securities case with parallel cases in state courts in North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas
• Lead counsel in Tennessee state court for 100-plus limited partners in claims arising out of limited partnership to mine coal
• Lead counsel in trespass cases against wireless telephone company in federal court for Western District of Tennessee and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Counsel for FDIC in directors’ and officers’ liability and fidelity bond cases arising out of bank failures and bank receiverships

Employment/ERISA/Class and Collective Actions

• Lead counsel in constructive discharge case in federal court for Middle District of Tennessee involving California-based talent agency
• Lead counsel in employment class claims against consumer products company in federal and state courts in Ohio, including Ohio Court of Appeals
• Coordinating counsel in employment class claims against consumer products company in federal and state courts in Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas
• Lead counsel in ERISA litigation in federal courts in Georgia and Tennessee
• Lead Tennessee counsel for TV network and production company in First Amendment defense of employment class claims in federal court for Middle District of Tennessee
• Lead counsel in employment class action claims against Big Four accounting firm in federal court for Middle District of Tennessee
• Coordinating counsel in wage and hour collective actions against consumer products company in federal and state courts in California

Personal Injury and Mass Torts

• Lead counsel in products liability claim involving acetylene gas in federal court for Western District of Tennessee and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Lead counsel in Tennessee state court defamation prosecution against pest control company
• Lead counsel in Georgia state court in mass tort claims involving manganese exposure

Insurance

• Lead Tennessee counsel in Tennessee Court of Appeals in state antitrust litigation involving assigned risk pool for workers’ compensation insurance
• Lead counsel in life insurance litigation against Canadian-based insurer in state court in Georgia involving “other insurance” provision and viaticated policy
• Lead counsel for Texas-based insurer in life insurance cases seeking rescission following viatication transactions in state court in Tennessee
• Counsel in RICO litigation in federal court for East Tennessee against insurance-rate-setting organization
• Lead counsel in insurance coverage litigation in Tennessee Court of Appeals

Intellectual Property

• Lead counsel in copyright litigation regarding manual for use in obtaining Medicare reimbursement
• Lead counsel in trademark litigation regarding use of name for country music band
• Lead counsel in trade secrets litigation involving golf equipment
• Lead counsel in defense of Italian roofing tile manufacturer in opposing claims in the U.S.
• Counsel for German manufacturer in U.S. trade secrets litigation involving dental equipment
• Lead counsel for Japanese food service company in U.S. contract and trade secrets litigation

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.

Memberships and Affiliations

• Member, American Bar Foundation (ABF)
• Member, Atlanta Bar Association
• Board Member, Atlanta International Arbitration Society (AtlAS)
• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
• Member, Chattanooga Bar Foundation
• Member, Georgia Arbitrators Forum
• Member, Georgia State University College of Law  Board of Visitors, (2013 – 2017)
• Member, ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
• Member, State Bar of Georgia
• Member, Tennessee Bar Foundation
• Chair, Tennessee Supreme Court Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution (1996-1999)
• Member, Dean’s Advisory Council, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University (2011 – 2019)
• Member, United States Council on International Business (USCIB)
  • Arbitration Committee
  • Chair, Southeastern U.S. Subcommittee (2018-2022)

Selected Awards and Honors

• Atlanta Lawyer of the Year – International Commercial Arbitration, Best Lawyers in America, 2023
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2001–2024
• Listed in Atlanta Super Lawyers, 2013–2023
• BTI Client Service All-Star, BTI Consulting, 2011 and 2014
• Greyfred Gray Public Service in Mediation Award, Tennessee Association of Civil Trial Mediators, 2011 
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2001–2023

Selected Publications

• Contributor, “Transparency and International Arbitration,” Mealey’s International Arbitration Report, December 2022.
• Editor, AtlAS Desk Book 2022: The International Lawyer’s Dispute Resolution Manual, Atlanta International Arbitration Society, 2022
• Co-Author (with Alexander Vey), Georgia Chapter, Interim Measures in the United States in Aid of Arbitration, JURISNet 2022. 
• Editor, International Civil Procedure, Kluwer, 2003
• Lead Author, U.S. Chapter, Global Arbitration Review Know How: Litigation, 2018
• “Choosing Applicable Law in International Arbitration Provisions,” Daily Report, 2017 
• “Cross-Border Dispute Resolution for Corporate Counsel,” Daily Report, 2016
• “Let’s Celebrate the Opening of the Atlanta Center for Mediation and Arbitration,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2015
• “International Arbitration: A Business Opportunity for Atlanta,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2014
• Co-Author, “International Commercial Arbitration, Southern Style,” Tennessee Bar Journal, Sept. 2012

Selected Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, “Arbitration: Recent Developments,” 29th Annual ADR Institute, Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, November 2023
• Panelist, “Looking Forward:  Dealing with Disruption, GAR Live Atlanta, September 2023
• Panelist, “Hot Topics in International Litigation,” Florida Bar International Law Section Global Forum, April 2022
• Speaker, “Virtual Hearings,” Online WIPO Mediation and Arbitration Workshop, December 2021
• Speaker, “Fall Symposium: Virtual War Room on Hybrid and Virtual Arbitrations,” Charlotte International Arbitration Society, October 2021
• Moderator, “AtlAS at 10: Past, Present and a Bold New Future for International Arbitration,” Atlanta International Arbitration Society, September 2021
• Co-Moderator, “Arbitrability: Who Decides What Is and Is Not Arbitrable? Judges or Arbitrators?” Atlanta International Arbitration Society, October 2020
• Co-Moderator, “Obtaining Evidence From Third Parties in Domestic and International Arbitration,” Atlanta Bar Association, October 2020
• Co-Moderator, “Arbitrability: Who Decides What Is and Is Not Arbitrable? Judges or Arbitrators?” American Bar Association/Russian Arbitration Association, September 2020
• Moderator, “A Remote World: Lessons and Predictions for Adaptation,” World Law Group, May 2020
• Panelist, “International Commercial Arbitration in an Era of Retreating Globalism: How to Deal With the Backlash Against Globalism,” Tortola, BVI, November 2019
• Chair, “The Year in Review: A Guide Through the Essentials,” Second Annual GAR Live Atlanta, Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, September 2019
• Speaker, “Drafting Effective Clauses and Submission Agreements for IP Disputes,” WIPO Workshop, Fundamentals and Trends in IP and Tech Mediation and Arbitration, Atlanta, March 2019
• Co-Chair, ICLE 12th Annual Arbitration Institute, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, March 2019
• Chair; Ethics, Regulatory and Procedural Issues in International Practice; Georgia Chief Justice’s Convocation on Professionalism and the Global Community; Atlanta; November 2018
• Chair; “America’s Panel: Skills & Cultures: The Road Ahead for International Arbitration,” Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, November 2018
• Co-Chair, GAR Live Atlanta, Atlanta, March 2018
• Co-Chair, ICLE 11th Annual Arbitration Institute, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta, February 2018
• Co-Moderator, “Recent Developments in International Commercial Arbitration,” Atlanta International Arbitration Society, February 2018
• Panelist; “Emergency and Expedited Relief in International Commercial Arbitration;” Sixth Annual Arbitration and Investment Summit – Caribbean, Latin America and Emerging Markets; Nassau, Bahamas; January 2018
• Panelist, “Choice of Law in International Commercial Arbitration,” Second Annual CPR Canada Regional Meeting, Toronto, September 2017
• Panelist, “U.S. Federal Court Intervention in International Commercial Arbitration,” Federal Bar Association, Atlanta, September 2017

Background and Education

• Partner, Miller & Martin PLLC, 1994–2020
• Managing Member, 2018–2020
• Partner/Member, 1994–2014
• Chief Executive, Atlanta Center for International Arbitration and Mediation, Georgia State University College of Law, 2014–2017
• Shareholder, Grant Konvalinka & Grubbs P.C., 1981–1994
• J.D., University of Alabama Law School, 1975
• Editorial Board, Alabama Law Review
• Bench & Bar Honor Society
• B.A., University of Mississippi, 1971