Founding Attorney James Belote, Esq.

Mr. Belote is highly regarded as a dedicated and compassionate lawyer by his clients and peers. A partner at the Law Offices of Stipe & Belote, Mr. Belote brings a rare level of talent and extensive experience in personal injury litigation to every case he takes on. With 35 years of experience representing the injured in Oklahoma City and the rest of the state, his accomplishments have led to being listed as an Oklahoma Super lawyer for 14 years in a row. He has the highest rating for competence and ethics (AV) by Martindale Hubble.

Meet James Belote

Education

Mr. Belote achieved a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1985, after which he advanced his education at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, achieving a Juris Doctor in 1988. He then joined Stipe & Belote in 1990 as a founding partner. Since the firm’s establishment, he has achieved exceptional success in personal injury law.

University of Oklahoma, Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance, 1985
University of Oklahoma, College of Law, 1988

Bar Admissions

Oklahoma Bar Association, 1988
Texas Bar Association, 1990

Court Admissions

All Oklahoma State Courts
All Texas State Courts
U.S. District Courts, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts in Oklahoma
U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

Licenses

Oklahoma Law License 1988
Texas Law license 1990

Professional Memberships

Oklahoma Bar Association
Texas Bar Association
American Association for Justice
Oklahoma Association for Justice - President (2009)
Oklahoma County Bar Association
Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys
National Trial Lawyers Association

Honor & Accolades

Mr. Belote is a highly accomplished personal injury attorney who has achieved many professional awards and honors over his years in practice.

National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2024
Martindale-Hubbell, rated “AV Preeminent”
AVVO rated “Superb”
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
Selected to Super Lawyers, 2009 - 2023
President of Oklahoma Association for Justice, 2009
Oklahoma Super Lawyers® member (2009 – 2022)
AV rated by Martindale Hubble
National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Oklahoma Lawyers
Trucking Attorneys Top 10
Top-Rated Lawyer 2021

Scope of Practice

Truck Accident Attorney: Mr. Belote is an experienced Truck Accident Attorney and is a member of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. He has successfully negotiated many seven-figure settlements for his clients. He recently represented a truck driver who was injured when her co-driver negligently crashed the semi. The insurance company made a low-ball offer, so Mr. Belote took the case to trial, and the Jury awarded his client 2.5 Million dollars.
Auto Accident Attorney: Mr. Belote has represented hundreds of clients who have been injured in automobile wrecks. Each case is worked-up by Mr. Belote to achieve maximum recovery for the client.
Personal injury litigation: Mr. Belote brings experience, knowledge, and dedication to every personal injury case he takes on.
Nursing home negligence: Our elderly relatives, when residents of a nursing home, can be subjected to physical, emotional, or financial abuse or neglect when in a fragile state, leading to severe health conditions or worse. The responsible parties must be held accountable in these cases.
Civil litigation: A wide range of civil disputes are litigated in civil court, including personal injury cases, product liability cases, and others. The quality and experience of your legal counsel play a significant role in the outcome of a lawsuit brought in civil court.
Product liability: Consumers expect commercial products to be safe to use as directed. When a product has caused injury, illness, or loss of life due to a defect, whether in design or function, a product liability case can be filed against all liable parties.
Wrongful Death: If you’ve suffered the loss of a loved one because of someone else’s negligence, you need a wrongful death attorney. A wrongful death lawsuit can be brought for any number of reasons— car wrecks, truck accidents, motor-carrier accidents, dangerous property defects, or an automobile accident due to a drunk driver. While it can’t bring your loved one back, a wrongful death lawsuit is designed to help you recover costs for his or her medical care, funeral expenses, loss of income, the deceased person’s pain and suffering, and your emotional damages for loss of love and companionship. A wrongful death lawsuit also serves to hold the wrongdoer accountable and to prevent something like this from ever happening again.
Insurance bad faith: Insurance companies do not always act in “good faith.” After consistently paying premiums for many years, the expectation is that the insurance company will act in good faith. It is a shock when an insurance company denies or delays payment or other action that fails to fulfill the obligations to policyholders. In these cases, Mr. Belote can act on behalf of the policyholder to seek justice.