Lucy E. Tufts

  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow 
  • National Board of Trial Advocacy, Certified Civil Trial Specialist

Lucy Tufts

Attorney

Admissions

Alabama
Mississippi

Support Staff

Paralegal
Erin Stanford
els@cunnighambounds.com  

Legal Assistant
Sarah M. Austin
sma@cunninghambounds.com   

  • Profile
  • Results
  • Education
  • Affiliations
  • Publications
  • News
  • Involvement

Lucy’s litigation wins speak not only to big results – she has obtained over $300 million in verdicts, judgments, and settlements in the last ten years alone – but also to making things right. Lucy brings a compelling combination of intelligence, grit, sincerity, and compassion to the practice of law. A savvy and tough realist, Lucy understands that the most effective route to justice is through the courthouse. She works intelligently, thoroughly, and tirelessly to help those who have been wronged by others – doing whatever it takes to investigate their case and tell their story.

An Alabama native, Lucy graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in the top 5% of her class. Fueled by a desire to be a force for long-lasting change, Lucy ran a non-profit organization after college and volunteered nearly 200 hours during law school at the Neighborhood Legal Services Program in Washington, D.C., during which she assisted in the representation of those who could not afford legal counsel. She continues to serve the disadvantaged and draw attention to the need for increased diversity through her work on the numerous boards and committees on which she serves, including the Board of the Alabama Association for Justice and the Board of Legal Services Alabama.

Lucy brings her clients keen legal skills coupled with an exceptional level of commitment. When she takes on a case, Lucy takes her role seriously and is in it for the long-haul. A formidable opponent in the courtroom, Lucy is equally tenacious when it comes to ensuring her clients’ stories are heard, understood, and taken seriously.

Featured Results

  • $149.9 million settlement in a class action case involving a health system pension crisis, for which she served as class counsel and successfully argued the appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • $102 million judgment in a massive consumer fraud case
  • $46 million settlement in a products liability case involving a defective marine engine
  • $10 million settlement in wrongful death case involving a tractor-trailer
  • $9 million settlement in a wrongful death case involving two fatalities in a vehicle crash
  • $6.5 million jury verdict in auto collision crash
  • $4.975 million settlement for a design defect claim in an industrial case involving the partial amputation of a limb in a piece of equipment at a local plant
  • $3 million settlement in a class action contract case
  • $2.4 million jury verdict in a fraud case against an insurance company
  • $2 million settlement in a wrongful death case against a management company for improper applicant screening
  • $2 million jury verdict for Sherriff’s Deputy hit by a tractor-trailer
  • $1.725 million jury verdict in a premises liability case involving inadequate inspection policies
  • $1.7 million settlement in a personal injury case involving an industrial accident
  • $1 million jury verdict for a man injured in a collision with a commercial truck
  • $975,000 settlement in a motor vehicle crash for a woman who suffered a rib fracture, cervical and lumbar spine injuries, and leg fractures
  • Numerous other confidential settlements

Recognition & Awards

  • National Board of Trial Advocacy, Certified Civil Trial Specialist (2017 – present)
  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers
    • Fellow (2019 – present)
    • Alabama Co-Chair, State, Province and Country Chairs Committee (2020 – present)
  • Chambers USA, Ranked and Listed (2021 – present)
  • Benchmark Litigation, “Litigation Star” (2018 – present)
  • Best Lawyers in America®
    • Listed (2016 – present)
    • Business Edition "Women in the Law" for Personal Injury Litigation (2016 – present)
  • National Law Journal, named a national “Winning Litigator” (2016)
  • Litigation Counsel of America
    • Barrister, Litigation Counsel of America’s Order of Veritas (2022 – present)
    • Advocate, Litigation Counsel of America’s Order of Certus (2022 – present)
    • Senior Fellow (2023 – present)
    • Fellow (2020 – 2023)
    • Trial Law Institute, Member (2020 – present)
    • Diversity Law Institute, Member (2020 – present)
    • Associate Fellow (2016 – 2020)
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
    • Listed (2019 – present)
  • Super Lawyers
    • Listed as one of the “Top 50: Alabama Super Lawyers” (2019– 2020)
    • Listed as one of the “Top 50: Women Mid-South Super Lawyers” (2018– 2022)
    • Listed as one of the top plaintiff attorneys in Alabama / Mid-South Region (2013-present)
    • Listed as one of Alabama's Rising Stars (2012)
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ 4.9/5.0 Peer Rating
  • Avvo 10.0/10.0 (Superb) Rating
  • Mobile Bay Magazine 2014 Class of 40 Under 40
  • Received the 2012 Distinguished Service Award from the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program (“SAVLP”), which recognized her both for providing pro bono legal representation to members of the community and for helping to raise money for the SAVLP
  • Inducted into the Order of the Coif and graduated in the top 5% of her class at Georgetown University Law Center
  • One of four students selected to Georgetown University Law Center’s National Trial Competition Team (2006 – 2008)
  • Truman Scholar (2003)
  • $149.9 Million Settlement Approved in Health System Pension Crisis
  • $102 Million Judgment Obtained in Massive Consumer Fraud Case
  • $46 Million Defective Marine Engine Product Liability Case
  • $10 Million Collision with Tractor-Trailer Resulting in Death
  • $4.975 Million Settlement in Industrial Case Involving Partial Amputation of a Limb
  • $3 Million Class Action Settlement for Hundreds of Alabamians
  • $2.4 Million Verdict Against Farmers Insurance For Fraud
  • $2 Million Improper Applicant Screening by Management Company
  • $2 Million Verdict for Injuries Sustained in 18-Wheeler Crash
  • $1.725 Million Verdict Against Dollar General for Inadequate Inspection Policies
  • $1.7 Million Verdict for Man in Industrial Fall
  • $1 Million Verdict for Man in Truck Collision
  • Confidential Settlement Reached in Product Liability Case

Education

  • Georgetown University, J.D., magna cum laude, 2008
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham, B.A, English, summa cum laude, 2004
    • Minor: Philosophy of Law; Concentration: Professional Writing and Public Discourse

Affiliations

  • Court Admissions
    • Admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court (2017 – present)
    • Admitted to practice before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (2016 – present)
    • Admitted to practice before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (2014 – present)
    • Admitted to practice before all state and federal district courts in Alabama (2009 – present)
    • Admitted to practice before all state and federal district courts in Mississippi (2019 – present)
  • Bar Associations
    • Alabama Bar Association, Member (2009 – present)
      • Executive Committee of the Young Lawyers Section, Member (2011 and 2012)
    • Mississippi Bar Association, Member (2019 – present)
    • Mobile Bar Association, Member (2009 – present)
      • Chair of the Federal Court Civil Practice Section (2020 and 2021)
      • Mobile Bar Association Women Lawyers, Member (2010 – present)
        • President (2011 and 2013)
        • Vice President (2010)
        • Secretary (2012)
        • Immediate Past President (2014)
    • Baldwin County Bar Association, Member (2016 – present)
  • Professional Organizations
    • Alabama Association for Justice, Member (2009 – present)
      • Officer (2021 – present)
      • Board Member (2015 – 2021)
    • American Association for Justice, Member (2009 – present)
    • Society of Women Trial Lawyers, Member (2019 – present)
      • Advisory Board Member (2020)
    • South Alabama Trial Lawyers Association, Member (2009 – present)
    • Paul W. Brock American Inn of Court, an organization made of up judges and lawyers who meet monthly to discuss matters of ethics, skill, and professionalism in our legal community, Member (2011 – present)
    • Alabama Leadership Initiative ("ALI"), a program through which emerging leaders from across the state explore various issues associated with education, economic development and government, Graduate (2010)
Publications
  • Notable Women: Lucy Tufts
  • Legal Update Winter 2021
  • Legal Update Summer 2020
  • Women for Justice: A Brief Primer on Business Interruptions Claims
  • Legal Update Winter 2020
  • Legal Update Fall 2019
  • Legal Update Summer 2019
  • Legal Update Winter 2019
  • Legal Update Fall 2018
  • To What Extent Are the Contents of Your Client’s Medical Records Admissible?
  • Women for Justice
  • Legal Update Winter 2017
  • Tips From the Trenches- The Statute § 6-5-551
  • Legal Update - Summer 2016
  • Discoverability of De-Identified Patient Records
  • Legal Update - Summer 2015
  • Suggested Strategies for Defeating Removal to Federal Court When There Is Complete Diversity

Community Involvement

  • Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, which provides financial assistance to charitable organizations serving disadvantaged and at-risk families and children in Alabama
    • Board Member (2022 – present)
    • Junior Board Member (2010-2011)
  • Legal Services Alabama, which provides free legal aid through eight local offices serving all 67 counties in Alabama
    • Board Member (2020 – present)
    • Development Committee Member (2020 – present)
  • Impact100 Mobile, which empowers women to award grants that transform our local community
    • Member (2022 – present)
  • Order of the Fuse, which is a group of young professionals who distribute funds to community organizations through a competitive grant process
    • Member (2021 – present)

Don't Settle For Less

AT CUNNINGHAM BOUNDS, WE WORK TIRELESSLY TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE RESULT FOR YOU.
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The Cunningham Bounds Experience

A HISTORY OF LEGAL EXCELLENCE
  • With Us, It's Personal
    Throughout your case, our team will always be accessible, responsive, respectful, honest, and compassionate. Our clients can attest to our high level of service and the longstanding relationships we have forged with them.
  • Committed to Our Community
    We believe in giving back to our community. We provide pro bono (no cost) legal services to those in our community who can’t afford legal representation. We also support local charitable organizations by donating our time, money, and expertise.
  • With You to the End
    Unlike most plaintiff law firms, we have our own appellate practice, which means we can stay involved in your case throughout the appeals process. We keep fighting until the case is over.