William Trey Jones III
Member

Practice Areas
AppellateBanking and Lender Liability
Breach of Contract
Business Torts
Class Actions
Commercial Litigation
Environmental Law
Governmental Relations
Insurance Litigation
Labor and Employment
Personal Injury, Mass Torts, and Product Liability
Premises Liability
William Trey Jones III
Member
Biography
Trey Jones joined the Brunini Firm in 1999 after serving as law clerk for the United States District Court, Southern District of Mississippi. He practices general civil litigation and focuses on a variety of sub-specialties within that area. Among his many clients, Trey handles litigation for multiple lenders including one of the largest financial institutions in the Southern United States, the world’s largest automaker, one of the world’s largest railroad companies, a major hotel chain and multiple governmental entities. He regularly delivers successful results for his clients in complex, high stakes litigation. Trey was recently selected as one of Mississippi’s “Litigation Stars” for 2022 by Benchmark Litigation. Trey has been selected by Best Lawyers® in America in the fields of Commercial Litigation- Banking, Civil Litigation, Commercial Disputes, Complex Litigation, Mass Tort; and Litigation- Environmental. He has also been recognized as a Benchmark Appellate Star, Mid-South Rising Star, American Lawyer & Corporate Counsel’s Top Rated Lawyer® for Appellate Law and is a Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America.
Trey’s professional and civic activities include membership in numerous state and federal bar associations, and he is also a past board member of the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Jackson Exchange Club, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the MS Arthritis Foundation. He has enhanced qualifications in mediation and has been approved for the Mississippi Supreme Court’s official list of mediators. Trey is available to mediate a wide range of disputes including commercial, employment and personal injury matters.
Education
- J.D., Mississippi College, 1998 Summa Cum Laude
- B.S., Mississippi College, 1995 Summa Cum Laude
Admissions
- Mississippi (1998)
- United States District Courts of Mississippi (1998)
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1998)
- United States Supreme Court (2011)
Community & Professional Activities
- Capital Area Bar Association
- Rankin County Bar Association
- Mississippi Bar Association (Executive Committee Member, Litigation and General Practice Section)
- American Bar Association (Member, Sections on Environmental Law and Litigation)
- Federal Bar Association
- Fifth Circuit Bar Association
- Federalist Society
- American Inns of Court
- Christian Legal Society
- Mississippi College School of Law Fund-Raising Committee
- Rankin County Chamber of Commerce
- Mississippi Supreme Court Official List of Mediators
- Member, Trial law Institute
- Member, Diversity Law Institute
Representative Matters
- Successfully represented one of the largest automobile manufacturers in a civil rights racial discrimination case involving a minority subcontractor. Trey obtained dismissal of the individual plaintiffs’ claims and the dismissal was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit.
- Successfully represented the Mississippi Secretary of State in the Redistricting litigation at the Fifth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court
- Obtained trial and appellate victory for Mississippi Secretary of State in complex litigation involving tidelands on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
- Successfully handled a Mississippi Supreme Court appeal concerning a critical statute of limitations issue for product liability and chemical exposure cases. Following en banc oral argument, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in favor of Trey’s client and held that the statute of limitations begins to run on the date the plaintiff is diagnosed with the disease.
- Obtained victory and summary judgment on behalf of two owners and operators of a wood-treating facility. Trey was successful in obtaining Daubert exclusions of plaintiff’s causation experts and dismissal of all claims.
- Obtained victory and summary judgment on behalf of a major lending institution in a lawsuit in which two plaintiffs sought compensatory and punitive damages based on the bank’s alleged breach of a loan agreement and other wrongful acts in connection with a residential construction project.
- Defended multiple companies in toxic tort environmental litigation involving claims by thousands of plaintiffs alleging exposure to various wood treating chemicals.
- Successfully convinced the Mississippi Supreme Court to reverse of a multi-million dollar jury verdict in Hinds County, Mississippi in which the plaintiff alleged that a lender wrongfully misappropriated Treasury Bills pledged for retainage on public contracts.
- Successfully obtained a judgment and dismissal of a suit filed against a major lending institution where the Plaintiff alleged that his property had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and that he had suffered damages as a result of an erroneous flood zone determination and the failure to obtain flood insurance in connection with the mortgage closing. In a case of first impression for Mississippi state courts, Trey successfully obtained a ruling that lenders are immune from such suits, and all claims were dismissed.
- Successfully litigated an ERISA class action and obtained dismissal of the case. The case involved allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentation and other statutory violations against major lending institution. The dismissal was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Successfully obtained a summary judgment and dismissal of all claims in a suit brought in state court against a major lending institution and one of its loan officers. The plaintiffs in the case alleged claims of breach of contract, fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation and negligent hiring, supervision and retention.
- Successfully obtained a defense verdict in Hinds County, Mississippi, in a suit brought against a lender. The plaintiff alleged that the lender failed to compensate him appropriately for his work assisting in bringing several large custodial accounts to the bank. The jury found for the lender and awarded plaintiff no damages.
- Successfully obtained a summary judgment and dismissal of all claims in a suit in federal court against a lender. The plaintiff alleged various tort claims and violation of banking regulations.
- Obtained victory and summary judgment on behalf of major financial institution in employment discrimination lawsuit in which a former employee alleged discrimination on the basis of national origin, race and retaliation. Plaintiff sought approximately $1 million in actual damages plus punitive damages.
- Obtained victory and summary judgment on behalf of Mississippi county/board of supervisors in a lawsuit involving numerous parties and disputes concerning property access and whether a road was public or private.
- Obtained victory and summary judgment on behalf of major lending institution in a lawsuit where the plaintiff/borrower alleged claims of breach of contract, negligence, wrongful foreclosure and other claims in connection with a VA guaranteed loan. Plaintiff sought unspecified actual and punitive damages. The MS Court of Appeals agreed with Trey and his client and affirmed the dismissal.
Speeches & Publications
- “Maverick or Trendsetter?: Fifth Circuit Addresses Slippery Questions in Employment Discrimination”, 20 Miss. C.L. Rev. 277 (2000)
Honors & Awards
- Best Lawyers® in America:©: Appellate Practice,Commercial Litigation-Banking, Civil Litigation, Commercial Disputes, Complex Litigation, Mass Tort and Litigation – Environmental
- Benchmark© Appellate Star
- Benchmark© Labor & Employment South Star
- Benchmark© Litigation Star
- Mid-South© Super Lawyers: Business Litigation
- 2006 Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Honoree
- American Lawyer & Corporate Counsel’s Top Rated Lawyer®- 2013 Appellate Law
- Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
News
- BRUNINI ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED IN THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA© 2023 EDITION
- Brunini Named Best Law Firm in Mississippi for Third Year in a Row
- Benchmark Litigation has once again named Brunini Law Firm to its annual shortlist for Mississippi Firm of the Year.
- Brunini Attorneys Recognized in the 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers
- President Biden Issues Executive Order Encouraging Federal Limits on Non-Compete Agreements
- 17 Brunini Attorneys Named to 2020 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Benchmark Litigation Has Recognized Eight Brunini Attorneys in its 2021 Edition
- CARES Act Provides Substantial Funding for States, Counties, and Municipalities
- Brunini Recognized by Super Lawyers
- Brunini Recognized As Highly Recommended Firm by Benchmark Litigation 2020
- Brunini Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers
- Brunini Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers
- 2016 Mid-South Super Lawyers
- Jones, Sclafani and Drinkwater Obtain Judgment and Dismissal
- Twenty- seven honored by Best Lawyers® 2017, Four attorneys named “Lawyer of the Year”
- OSHA Delays Proposed Injury and Illness Reporting Rule
- Jones, McNeel and Drinkwater Obtain Summary Judgment in Significant Lender Liability Case
- Brunini’s 2014 Super Lawyers
- William “Trey” Jones, III Selected as a Fellow by the Litigation Counsel of America
- Brunini Lands on the short list in the 2014 edition of Benchmark Litigation