Lee Javins

By Sierra Worden

Lee Javins grew up deep in the hills of Rock Creek, WV, outside of Madison. His father was a coal miner like many others in the Coal River Valley.

Growing up in a rural area did not allow Javins and his sister to walk up and down the street to play with their neighbors. When he got older, his mother joined other local parents in taking the kids back and forth from Rock Creek to Madison so they could participate in youth sports and other activities.

At age 5, Javins’ grandfather helped spark his interest in finance.

“He opened a savings account for me with $5. I thought it was $500,” Javins says. “I studied finance in college and went to law school with the intention of using the two degrees to become an investment banker. Somewhere along the way I became a country lawyer.”

A lesson that has served Javins well in his legal career relates to his time on West Virginia University’s (WVU) football team when he decided to walk on in 1986. What he lacked in talent he made up for in enthusiasm, which led to him volunteering to play two different positions. One of his positions was on special teams where he played every game, but he only got to play his actual position, linebacker, when WVU was up by an insurmountable lead.

“Consequently, I got good at neither. It wasn’t until after I was done playing that I realized that by trying to be all things to all people, I may not have made the most of my situation,” Javins says.

After graduating from law school, Javins was hired by Shaffer & Shaffer in Madison—an opportunity he would not take for granted.

“Although I wasn’t top of my class, they were great about hiring people from Madison,” he says. “When I was at Shaffer & Shaffer, I got to work on a little bit of everything, which is common in small-town practice.”

Javins’ time at Shaffer & Shaffer shaped the way he practices law, and he is immensely grateful for the time he spent at the firm.

After two years at Shaffer & Shaffer, Javins realized he was doing a variety of different things, but he did not feel like there was one special task that he was good at, a similar feeling to his days on the football field.

“Around that time, I had a case against Guy Bucci, who remains one of the best trial lawyers I know. After the case concluded, Guy offered me a job with one simple promise—he said, ‘In three years you will be a better trial lawyer,’” Javins recalls. “Even though I loved working at Shaffer, I knew this was my best opportunity to focus on the craft of being a trial lawyer.”

Javins never strayed from his roots; in 1996 he began working for Bucci as a trial lawyer. The firm had several cases involving coal mining injuries, which was something that piqued the interest of Javins.

“Because my father and nearly every cousin were coal miners, I had built-in experts ready and willing to explain underground coal mining,” Javins says. “On several occasions, a cousin would take me underground on a weekend to show me how a particular process or machine works. To this day, I still discuss any issue that involves mining with my father. He usually has excellent insight, and if he doesn’t, he knows someone who does.”

Soon after, Tim Bailey joined the firm, and the two were able to develop a specialized practice that focuses on mining and workplace injuries known as deliberate intent. Bailey, like Javins, was familiar with the industry because his father was a coal miner.

“From that point forward, Bucci Bailey & Javins took a leading role in workplace litigation,” Javins says. “Thirty years later, my law partners JR Carter, Ryan Stewart and Taylor Norman remain at the forefront of workplace litigation.”

Javins says although the names on the letterhead may have changed, this is still the focus of the firm. This firm was built upon representing working people and their families, and this begins with believing there is honor in work. This is what inspires him and the work he does for his clients.

“Today, the notion of hard work or manual labor is not often honored,” Javins says. “Yet, for people who have spent a career honing their craft, be it as a coal miner or other trade, they provide an important contribution to society. Unfortunately, many don’t see it that way.”

Many of the clients that are seeking help from the firm have been injured on the job, and sometimes they are unable to continue their crafts, or even provide for their families.

Early in his career in Madison, Javins would say everyone wants a Charleston lawyer, and now he is a Charleston lawyer of more than 30 years. During that time, he married his wife, Kim, and raised his daughter, Grace. He considers his family to be his greatest success.

“We live in West Virginia because it’s home,” Javins says. “My wife and I grew up here and still have loved ones who live here.”

The inspiration for his commitment to service is his wife, Kim. She volunteers at the food pantry at Covenant House and provides rides to individuals without a vehicle through Faith In Action. This is something Javins has brought into his firm. The partners all have strong ties with their respective communities.

“Countless sports teams, band uniforms and theatre productions have benefitted from BJ&C sponsorship,” Javins says. “Reconnecting with our respective communities through charitable giving is one of the most worthwhile things we do.”