Our Attorneys
James E. Yavorcik
James E. Yavorcik is a partner at Cubbon and Associates and has been with the firm since 1987. He was admitted to practice in Ohio in 1979 and is also admitted in Michigan and Federal courts. Jim is board certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Prior to joining Cubbon and Associates, Jim was an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, and has also been appointed special prosecutor by the Van Wert and Lucas County Common Pleas Courts on fraud, theft, and homicide cases. He was appointed as special counsel by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 2013 to pursue complex professional negligence claims on behalf of the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee. Jim is a past president of the Toledo Bar Association and the Toledo Area Trial Lawyers Association. He formerly served as a Trustee for the Ohio Association of Justice and is a member of the American Association for Justice. He is also a member of the Ohio State, Lucas County, and Michigan bar associations. Jim is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. He was selected as one of the top 100 trial attorneys in Ohio by the National Trial Lawyers and has been listed as an Ohio Super Lawyer in the field of personal injury law for the past 12 years.
Jim has been selected by his peers to be included in the most recent edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs and was named the Toledo Lawyer of the Year in the personal injury field in 2017 and 2021. He was honored by the Toledo Junior Bar Association in 2025 for his efforts in mentoring young lawyers.
As part of the firm's commitment to continuing legal education, Jim has lectured extensively across Ohio on topics including jury selection, evidence, medical malpractice, settlement negotiation, and professionalism. He has extensive trial and appellate experience, including a successful oral argument before the Ohio Supreme Court on an insurance coverage dispute stemming from a bus crash involving the Bluffton University baseball team.
When not practicing law, Jim can be found practicing guitar and bass and has played with various musical groups in Toledo. He also enjoys golfing and following the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Jim is married to Barbara Culpert Yavorcik, a retired electrical engineer who has been recognized for her advocacy efforts on behalf of autistic individuals in Ohio. They have two grown children, and two granddaughters.
Year Joined Firm
1987
Areas of Practice
90% Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation
5% Other Litigation
5% Mediation and all other areas
Litigation Percentage
95% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Certified Legal Specialties
Civil Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 2007
Bar Admissions
Ohio, 1979
U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1980
Michigan, 1981
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1984
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 2008
U.S. Supreme Court, 2012
Education
University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, Ohio
J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - 1979
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
B.A., Bachelor of Arts - 1976
Honors: Dean's List, 1974 - 1976
Major: Journalism
Published Works
What Every Attorney Should Know About Personal Injury Law, Toledo Bar Newsletter, 2012
Civil Trial Preparation, Ohio State Bar Association, 2005
Representative Cases
Smith v. Erie Ins. Co., 2016-Ohio-7742 (Amicus Curiae brief)
Federal Insurance Co. v. Executive Coach, 128 Ohio St.3d 331 (2010)
Nowell v. Titan Ins. Co., 466 Mich. 478 (2006)
Nichols v. Lathrop Co., 159 Ohio App. 3d 702 (2005)
Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v. Brubaker, 93 Ohio App.3d 211 (1994)
Brinkman v. Toledo, 81 Ohio App.3d 429 (1992)
Lake v. Selective Ins. Co., 2004-Ohio-3150
Partin v. City of Bowling Green, 688 N.E.2d 52 (1997)
State, ex rel. Cosmos Broadcasting Corp. v. Brown, 14 Ohio App.3d 376 (1984)
Texas Ins. Co. v. Rodrigues, 2025-Ohio-417
Classes/Seminars
Jury Selection, Toledo Bar Association
Civil Trial Preparation, Ohio State Bar Association
Ethics, University of Toledo College of Law
Honors and Awards
Toledo Lawyer of the Year - Plaintiff's Personal Injury Law, 2016 - 2017 and 2021
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Plaintiff's Personal Injury Law, 2015 - 2020
Top 100 trial attorneys in Ohio, National Trial Lawyers
Ohio Super Lawyer
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, 2015–2025
Professional Associations and Memberships
Toledo Area Trial Lawyers Association, President, 1992 - 1993
Toledo Bar Association, Past President, 2009 - 2010
Ohio Bar Association, Member
Ohio Association for Justice, Member
Lucas County Bar Association, Member
Michigan bar association, Member
Past Employment Positions
Lucas County Prosecutor's Office, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, 1981 - 1987
Toledo Blade, Legal Affairs Reporter, 1977 - 1981
Pro Bono Activities
Panel Attorney Toledo Bar Pro Bono Program, 1980 - 2016
Ancillary Businesses
Mediation