Distinguished Lawyer Memorial Honoree

Jim Sullivan

Born in Montana in 1922, Jim Sullivan was an outstanding trial lawyer, the founder and patriarch of an important law firm, a mentor to numerous lawyers, and a highly respected member of the San Diego legal community. A member of five bars - District of Columbia (1949); California (1953); North Dakota (1954); Connecticut (1964); and Montana (1966) – he had a national practice and reputation that brought great credit to the San Diego bar. With an easygoing demeanor and a gift for translating complex legal issues into everyday language, Jim Sullivan was known nationally for his expertise in business litigation, where he represented clients in such fields as oil, insurance, brokerage and accounting during 31 years of private practice in San Diego. Mr. Sullivan founded the firm of Sullivan, Marinos, Augustine and Delafield, which today is Sullivan, Hill, Lewin, Rez & Engel. As head of his midsized law firm, Mr. Sullivan stressed continuing education and served as a mentor for young lawyers. By the time Mr. Sullivan founded his San Diego firm in 1967, he had achieved a formidable reputation in antitrust law for Texaco. After earning a law degree at Georgetown University in 1949, Mr. Sullivan joined the antitrust division of the U.S. Justice Department. He defended the oil company in jury trials in federal and state courts throughout the country and became head of Texaco's litigation section in New York City. When he pursued a private practice, he returned to San Diego, where he had been stationed in the Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. A prolific author and lecturer on legal matters Mr. Sullivan was also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an Advocate in the American board of Trial Advocates, and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.