Baton Rouge Litigation Lawyers Kean Miller LLP Home
Jay M. Jalenak, Jr.
PartnerJay Jalenak is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1990 and practices in the litigation group. Jay represents clients in toxic tort litigation, commercial and business litigation, and personal injury defense. He has particular experience in the defense of area industrial and petrochemical facilities. He has experience in warranty, asbestos defense, welding rod litigation, toxic tort defense, premises and products liability claims, and regularly represents major businesses.
Jay is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Jay is a Past President of the Baton Rouge Bar Association, and was recently recognized with the David A. Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Pro Bono Award by the Louisiana State Bar Association.
Representative Experience
- Management and supervision of a docket of more than 1,000 claims of asbestos exposure and injury
- Experienced in the successful evaluation and negotiation of settlements in class actions, mass toxic tort cases, and individual asbestos and chemical exposure claims
- Extensive experience in discovery and case strategy in exposure litigation
- Obtained summary judgment dismissal of over 6,000 claims in a toxic tort release class action (approximately 97% of remaining class claimants)
- Successfully defended a wrongful death claims involving nitrogen asphyxiation in confirmed spaces
- Successfully defended claims of Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) from alleged toxic exposure
- Represented major chemical manufacturer in class action/mass tort toxic release claims
- Ongoing representation of major recreational products manufacturers with regard to warranty claims, dealer disputes and issues before the state regulatory agency
- Successfully defended and obtained dismissal of proposed nationwide class action warranty claim
- Successfully defended and obtained dismissal of antitrust and RICO claims
- Successfully defended claims of "wrongful inducement" against an area casino
- Served as local defense counsel in a complex securities litigation action and in the defense of officers and directors in associated claims of misrepresentation and violations of Blue Sky Laws
- Successfully defended claims of fire alarm defect
Education
Jay earned his B.A. from Hampden-Sydney College in 1987. He earned his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1990.
Admissions
- Admitted, Louisiana, 1990
Memberships
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana State and American Bar Associations; Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel; Wex S. Malone American Inn of Court (Executive Committee, 2000-2003, Chair 2002-2003)
Articles, Publications and Presentations
- Ethics, Louisiana Bankers Association Bank Counsel Conference, December 2015
- Ethics, Louisiana Association of Corporate Counsel, September 26, 2014
- Louisiana Class Actions, Southern University Law Center (Civil Pre-Trial Procedure), February 2012
- Ethics, IPT Income Tax Symposium/IPT Advanced Sales Tax Academy, Arlington, Virginia, November 2012
- Ethics, ABA Tax Section/IPT Joint Meeting, March 20, 2012.
- Ethics, Loyola Law School CLE, December 10, 2011.
- Ethics, Louisiana Association of Corporate Counsel, September 24, 2010.
- Louisiana and Federal Civil Procedure, Baton Rouge Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, March 27, 2010.
- Louisiana and Federal Civil Procedure, Louisiana City Attorneys Association, March 27, 2010.
- Summary of Louisiana Marine/Recreational Product Warranty Laws for Members' Section of the website of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
- Professionalism, Bench Bar Conference, 2000.
- Ethics, Bench Bar Conference, April 2001.
- Ethics, Wex Malone American Inn of Court, March 2002; Bench Bar Conference, April 2002; Baton Rouge Young Lawyers Section CLE, July 2002, Ascension Parish Bar Association, December 2002.
- Professionalism, Louisiana State University Law Center CLE, September 2002, November 2002.
- Professionalism, Bench Bar Conference, 2003, Baton Rouge Young Lawyers Section CLE, July 2003, Wex Malone American Inn of Court, August 2003.
- Ethics, Southwest Louisiana Bar Association, December 2006.
- Professionalism, Bench Bar Conference, April 2007; Baton Rouge Young Lawyers Section CLE, July 2007, Baton Rouge Bar Association, December 2007.
- Ethics, Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Bar Association Tax Section and Louisiana Department of Revenue, 2009.
- "Lone Pine Orders in Class Action, Mass Tort and Products Liability Litigation, Bringing and Defending Pre-Trial Motions Regarding Exposure, Causation and Damages, On-Line Webinar CLE, 2010.
Community Service
- Alumni Board, Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program
- Secretary to the Board of Directors, Southeast Legal Services Corporation
- President, Capital City Kiwanis Club
- Recipient, Judge Joseph Keogh Memorial Award, 2001
- Recipient, Michelle Pitard Wynne Professionalism Award, 1999
- President, Treasurer, Secretary and Board of Directors, Baton Rouge Bar Association
- Chairman and Council Member, Young Lawyers Section, Baton Rouge Bar Association
- Chairman, Baton Rouge Bar Association Bench Bar Conference Committee
- Chairman, Baton Rouge Bar Association Legal Directory Committee
- Pro Bono Project Volunteer, Double Century Club Member, Baton Rouge Bar Association
- House of Delegates, Louisiana State Bar Association
- Vice President, Congregation B'nai Israel Synagogue
- Board Chair and Board of Directors, Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
- Executive Steering Committee, Fest for All, 2003-2005
- Board Member, Garden District Civic Association
- Member, Advisory Committee, YMCA Week Without Violence
- Member, Community Partnership Division Planning Council, Capital Area United Way
- Chair, Developing Children and Youth Committee, Capital Area United Way
- Board of Directors, Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge
- Chairman, 1995 Holocaust Memorial Service and Lecture
- Baton Rouge Business Report's "40 Under 40," 2000
- Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2001
- Chair, Baton Rouge Community Partnership Panel, Louisiana Bar Foundation
