Leigh O’Dell

Leigh O’Dell started her journey at Beasley Allen in 1994. She focuses on cases that advocate for the rights of individuals harmed by dangerous products. She helped lead the litigation against Johnson & Johnson regarding the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer, representing more than 70,000 women and their families in their fight for justice.

Early in her career, Leigh followed a calling into vocational ministry. For eight years, she led large-scale events that shared messages of hope and faith with women across the U.S. and around the world. This experience deepened her leadership skills and love for people, shaping her into the fierce, justice- and service-driven advocate she is today.

She has earned widespread recognition throughout her career, including placement on the Best Lawyers Women in the Law list for her work in Health Care, Mass Tort Litigation, and Personal Injury. She has also been selected to The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and the Top 25 Mass Tort Trial Lawyers lists and was named one of the 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers by The Trial Lawyers RoundTable. Within Beasley Allen, she has twice been named Mass Torts Section Lawyer of the Year and received the firm’s Litigator of the Year award. In 2015, she was honored with the Chad Stewart Award for her commitment to faith, family, and the practice of law. She has also earned long-standing recognition from The Best Lawyers in America®, Mid-South Super Lawyers, and Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide. Most recently, she was named to Forbes’ 2025 America’s Top Lawyers list and became the inaugural recipient of the Valkyrie Justice Award in 2026, recognizing her remarkable strength, visionary leadership, and relentless pursuit of justice.

Whether in the courtroom or the community, she brings fierce advocacy and unwavering faith to everything she does. Leigh has played key roles in several major litigations. In addition to the talcum powder MDL, which has resulted in verdicts totaling more than $2.9 billion, she helped lead transvaginal mesh litigation for nearly 100,000 women and contributed to the $4.85 billion Vioxx settlement. Her work is driven by a deep sense of purpose: to advocate for individuals—parents, daughters and sons, sisters and brothers—whose lives have been harmed by corporate wrongdoing.

Leigh is an active member of several professional associations, including the Alabama State Bar, the American Bar Association, the Christian Legal Society, Public Justice, the Federal Bar Association, and the National Trial Lawyers Association, where she serves on the Executive Committee. She also participates in the AAJ Talcum Powder Litigation Group. Additionally, Leigh previously worked with Emory University School of Law’s Institute for Complex Litigation, assisting attorneys through the Bridge to Practice and Next Generation Programs.

Originally from Prattville, Alabama, Leigh is a proud Auburn University alum who loves spending time with family, playing tennis, and cheering on the Tigers. She also serves on the boards of several nonprofit ministries, including Children’s Hope Ministry, Telling the Truth Ministries, Joni and Friends, HOPES (Helping Our Public Education System), and the Jimmy Hitchcock Award.

Education

Leigh earned a degree in accounting from Auburn University in 1990. She graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1993.

While in law school, Leigh served as Managing Editor of the Alabama Law Review and received the Dallas Sands Outstanding Senior Award. Following law school, Leigh had the honor of serving as a law clerk for the late Honorable Ira DeMent, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Alabama.

Licenses

• Alabama (1993)

Beasley Allen lawyers live by our creed of “helping those who need it most”. Our law firm has helped thousands of clients get the justice they desperately needed and deserved.