Meet the Advocates
Personal, respectful, honest representation.
Attorney Profiles
Jay Barnes
Law Firm President
Overview
Mr. Barnes is the owner and president of Barnes Disability Advocates. Prior to joining the firm he was a partner at Myler Disability, one of the largest Social Security disability firms in the country.
Mr. Barnes was born and raised in Utah County, primarily American Fork. He moved with his wife and four children to St. George in December of 2009 after purchasing the firm Dabney & Dabney. He is the oldest of 6 siblings, all of whom still live in Utah County with their families. His younger brother, Nathan, was killed in action on July 17, 2007, while in the U.S. Army. A significant part of his disability practice focuses on helping disabled veteran’s get disability benefits. Jay spends a lot of his leisure time in the outdoors, hiking, hunting, and canyoneering.
Practices
Mr. Barnes practices almost exclusively in Social Security disability. He has handled cases of disability caused by many conditions from the extraordinarily rare to the more common conditions like low back pain, depression, bipolar, anxiety, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, degenerative joint disease, arthritis, and many, many others. He handles cases primarily in Utah, but has handled cases in several other states as well including Idaho, Arizon, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. He has argued cases at the appellate level before the 10th Circuit court of appeals and the Federal District Court.
Education
- Associate of Arts – Utah Valley University (1998)
- Bachelor of Arts, International Politics – Brigham Young University (2000)
- Juris Doctor, J. Reuben Clark Law School – Brigham Young University (2003)
Bar & Court Admissions
- Utah State Bar Association (also a member of the Southern Utah Bar Association)
- Idaho State Bar Association
- Supreme Court of Utah
- Supreme Court of Idaho
- Utah Federal District Court
- Idaho Federal District Court
- Colorado Federal District Court
- Federal Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Work Highlights
Mr. Barnes’s experience is quite extensive. He has represented more than a thousand claimants in hearings before the Social Security Administration. He has also handled several cases in the federal appeals courts including cases before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Federal District Courts of Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and others. He has served on the board of the Social Security section of the Utah Association of Justice and has given several community and professional presentations to help others learn about benefits available under the Social Security system.
Professional Activities
Mr. Barnes is an active member of the Social Security section of the Utah Association for Justice. He has given many presentations on law practice management, Social Security appeals strategies and procedures, and law office technology.
He is also a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives. He has given numerous presentations to local organizations such as the Southern Utah Bar Association, Utah Office of Rehabilitation, Red Rock Center for Independence, and the Southwest Behavioral Health Center.
Civic Involvement
Mr. Barnes is an active member of his church and spends time in teaching and leadership roles
.Mr. Barnes is also a member of the National Exchange Club and the St. George Exchange Club. These organizations have a primary goal to reduce child abuse and they donate considerable funds and service hours towards that goal each year. He is a past president and vice president of the St. George Exchange Club Foundation, the foundation arm of the St. George Exchange club that funds the clubs local activities such as the Southern Utah Performing Arts Festival, the Book of Golden Deeds, the Give Me Liberty program in many schools, and the installation of Freedom Shrine memorials in public buildings. He is an active member of the club and participates in multiple events each year in a service role.
Seminars
Mr. Barnes has given many presentations to lawyers and other professionals about Social Security Disability benefits and he is available to do so upon request. He has also given presentations on law office management for Social Security practitioners and law office technology. He regularly participates in local and national programs to increase his skill and understanding of Social Security disability law and the practice of law generally.
He has also given many community presentations to help others understand the Social Security disability process and the importance of disability benefits in our community.
Natalie Bolli-Jones
Associate
Overview
Mrs. Bolli-Jones joined Barnes Disability Advocates in early 2010 with Jay Barnes. She has considerable litigation and appeals experience, including experience in Social Security Disability appeals.
Mrs. Bolli-Jones was born and raised in Eureka, California and moved to Utah in 1995 to pursue her Law Degree. She now lives in Mapleton, Utah with her husband and two children. In her free time she loves to spend time with her family, travel, read, and cook.
Practices
As an associate of Dabney & Barnes, Mrs. Bolli handles the firms Social Security Federal Appeals as well as Social Security Disability cases for our clients who are living in Northern Utah. She has experience in cases before the Federal District Court as well as the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a leading Utah attorney in the area of Social Security Disability and has earned the praise of many of the Federal District Judges in her efforts to represent Social Security Disability Claimants.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Psycholog Summa Cum Laude
- Juris Doctor, J. Reuben Clark Law School Cum Laude
Bar & Court Admissions
- Utah State Bar
- Utah Federal District Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
Work Highlights
Mrs. Bolli-Jones has worked on hundreds of federal court cases all over the country including Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Illinois. She also represents claimants in hearings before administrative law judges in the Salt Lake Office of Disability Adjudication and Review.
Former Social Security decision writer/attorney advisor
Professional Activities
National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives
Utah Association for Justice
Awards & Honors
BYU Law Review
Todd R Renda
Associate
Overview
Mr. Renda joined Barnes disability in 2021. He has been a licensed attorney since 1991. Mr. Renda’s areas of practice have included Workers’ Compensation, Long Term Disability, ERISA, Social Security Disability, and Personal Injury. His practice has included extensive trial work and he has represented his clients in over 100 jury trials, in addition to numerous bench trials.
Practices
As an associate at Barnes Disability, Mr. Renda’s primary focus is Social Security hearings and appeals. He has represented thousands of Social Security applicants at all stages of adjudication before the Social Security Administration. He is experienced in handling all kinds of disability claims including spinal conditions, autoimmune disorders, cardiac and respiratory conditions, and mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. He is also experienced in handling complex cases that involve combinations of many disorders.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts, Economics, Brigham Young University
- Juris Doctor, Seattle University
Bar & Court Admissions
- Washington State Bar
- Supreme Court of Washington
- Washington Federal District Court
- Federal Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Work Highlights
Mr. Renda has represented over 3,500 clients at hearings before Administrative Law Judges. Mr. Renda is also licensed to practice in Federal Court where he has been involved in hundreds of Social Security, Long Term Disability, and ERISA appeals at the Federal District Court and Federal Court of Appeals levels. He is a member of 1-million-dollar verdict club. His involvement in Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation cases has extended to representing his clients on appeal to both the State Court of Appeals and Supreme Court levels.
Professional Activities
Mr. Renda has made frequent presentations for professional continuing education on Social Security disability administrative and federal court issues over the last 30 years.
Personal Highlights
Mr. Renda has been married for 33 years and he and his wife have four children. His hobbies include golfing, temple work, and watching college football and basketball.
Matt Ormsby
Associate
Overview
Disability attorney Matt Ormsby was born and raised in Clearfield, Utah. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Utah State University in Logan, Utah where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems Management. While studying at USU, he worked as the Director of the USU Special Olympics Team. This organization enabled him to work with and help people with intellectual disabilities.
After graduating from USU he attended law school. He earned his J.D. at the University of Virginia. During this time, Matt was busy working as the executive editor of the Virginia Tax Review. He was also acclimating to his role as a father, as he and his wife Jamie had welcomed their first child.
After graduating from the University of Virginia, Matt and his wife were eager to return home to Utah. Upon their return, Matt worked for a year as a clerk at the Utah State Third District Court before opening his own practice in August 2009. For five years Matt worked primarily with bankruptcy and estate planning cases. He then made the change to disability law. He has been working as a disability attorney ever since.
“With this type of law, you help people with an immediate need, and you get to see the immediate results of your efforts.”
When Matt is not busy helping our clients receive the benefits they need; he is spending time with his wife and four children reading, skiing, mountain biking, and hiking.
Sarah Ferre
Office Manager
Sarah is our office manager and insurance specialist. She has worked in Social Security Disability for nearly ten years and has been a licensed insurance agent for four years. Sarah is a Utah native and studied community health at Utah Valley University. She has two adorable little girls and loves spending time with them and her awesome husband. Sarah says the best part about working at Mountain West Disability is the people. She has the best coworkers and loves being able to help our clients achieve a higher quality of life.