Wicker Smith Orlando shareholders Richards Ford and Patrick Mixson recently obtained a defense verdict following an eight-day medical malpractice trial in Hernando County, Florida. They represented the hospital in a case involving the alleged failure to diagnose a bowel perforation following a laparoscopic gynecological surgery performed on the day before the first of three straight days of presentation to the ER. Plaintiff claimed that the co-defendant surgeon negligently perforated her bowel during the surgery and failed to recognize it,… Continue Reading

With the help of the client’s industry contacts, the Rivkin Radler team, consisting of Jeffrey Rust, Michael Cannata and Frank Misiti, was able to track down the New York headquarters of an international counterfeiting operation whose reach extended all the way to the shores of Dubai. Specifically, the Rivkin Radler team was able to identify not only the shell corporations behind the illicit scheme, but also the individual responsible for spearheading its operation which sought… Continue Reading

Larson • King, LLP (St. Paul, MN) Several Larson • King lawyers recently helped secure a trial win for a large manufacturing client in a mass tort case. Following a multi-week trial in Magoffin County, Kentucky, where the plaintiff asked for compensatory and punitive damages totaling $75 million, the jury returned a defense verdict finding no defect in the product. The trial team was led by Angela Beranek Brandt and included Brad Bultman. Larson •… Continue Reading

Patrick E. Foppe, member of Lashly & Baer, P.C. in St. Louis, Missouri, recently obtained summary judgment for American Millenium Insurance Company (AMIC). Zurich and Amazon had sued AMIC in an insurance dispute seeking more than $10 million in damages. The United States  district Court for the Western District of Missouri found that AMIC owed no legal duties to Zurich and Amazon in AMIC’s handling of an underlying wrongful death trucking accident case. Amazon Logistics,… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith (Central Florida) Rick Ramsey and Kyle Schmitt secure defense verdict in medical malpractice case Wicker Smith partner Rick Ramsey and associate Kyle Schmitt secured defense verdicts on behalf of three doctors in a medical malpractice trial in Flagler County, Florida. The plaintiff sued the firm's clients, alleging failure to diagnose and treat an aspirated iron pill. The plaintiff allegedly aspirated the pill, spent 11 days in the hospital under the firm's client's care,… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith (Central Florida) Wicker Smith Orlando Partner Michael D’Lugo and Naples Partners Kevin Crews and Heidi Panepinto, recently prevailed in an appellate matter heard by the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal. The underlying matter involved injuries allegedly sustained in a dog bite incident that occurred on a Naples boat dock in April 2017. Plaintiff claimed that he suffered injuries to his hip, back, and neck, as a result of the incident; and, over… Continue Reading

Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP (Westechester, NY) Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP Partner Nicholas Paslow received a successful arbitration defense victory for the firm’s clients, a property owner and contractor. The case involved the firm’s clients’ construction project, which was located adjacent to the plaintiff’s building. Plaintiff claimed structural damage to its property as a result of excavation at the neighboring project. Prior to the arbitration, plaintiff received approximately $2 million in prior payments from… Continue Reading

Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP (Westchester, NY) In a recent win for Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP, Partner John W. Bieder obtained a summary judgment in a labor law case, dismissing all claims against the client. The Court further ordered Third-Party Plaintiff to reimburse all legal expenses expended during the course of the litigation. In this matter, in which the Plaintiff suffered injuries due to a collapsing wall during debris removal, John was able to establish that… Continue Reading

A team from Hanson Bridgett LLP successfully defended Leprino Foods Company, the world’s largest mozzarella cheese maker and top producer of whey protein and dairy ingredients, in a class action in which the plaintiffs sought more than $100 million for alleged non-compliant meal and rest breaks at the company's largest plant in Lemoore, California. After a four-week jury trial in federal court in Fresno, California, the jury returned a unanimous defense verdict after just over an… Continue Reading

Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin (Atlanta, GA) On June 26, 2024, Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin partner Wayne S. Tartline, working with associate Chang Zhou, obtained a defense verdict in an auto collision case in the State Court of Gwinnett County after three days of trial. At trial in Gwinnett County State Court, the plaintiffs testified that their life activities were significantly limited due to the injuries sustained in the collision. Plaintiffs asked for an… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith (South Florida) Wicker Smith Miami Partner Jaime Baca and Associate Alina Gonzalez obtained a defense verdict in an automobile negligence case on behalf of United Automobile Insurance Company in Miami-Dade County in February. This was an admitted liability case resulting from a minor motor vehicle accident. Plaintiff claimed injuries to her neck and back, but mostly focused on injuries to her right shoulder, for which she underwent an arthroscopic procedure. The medical bills… Continue Reading

Rivkin Radler LLP (Uniondale, NY) Jeremy Honig and Henry Mascia victorious at Appellate Division, Second Department; Glenn Egor and Chris Mango secure favorable order for insurance carrier Jeremy Honig and Henry Mascia represented a commercial tenant in a landlord-tenant dispute. The landlord tried to terminate the client's long-term lease with below-market rent when the client exercised its right to extend the term until 2033. The landlord claimed the client, an LLC, had no rights under… Continue Reading

Bovis Kyle attorneys Christina Gulas and Edward “Ward” Pankowski obtained a defense verdict following a three-day jury trial in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The trial was the culmination of a lawsuit that stemmed from a December 26, 2015, fall at the defendant’s used car lot. During closing arguments, plaintiff’s counsel asked the jury to award $640,000 to the plaintiff in damages. The defense focused on the plaintiff’s history of slip and falls dating back to 1991,… Continue Reading

Carr Allison (Northwest Florida) Carr Allison shareholders Kyle Weaver and Chris Barkas in Tallahassee, Florida, obtained a favorable verdict after a four-day jury trial in an automobile liability case. The issues of fault for the accident and permanency of the plaintiff's injuries were hotly contested. In closing, the plaintiff asked for roughly $2,000,000, but the jury returned a verdict of $37,000, which was reduced to slightly more than $2,000 by the Court after the trial.… Continue Reading

Rivkin Radler’s expertise was on full display in a series of appellate victories on behalf of a commercial real estate client. The team of Erez Glambosky, Jeremy Honig and Henry Mascia, all partners in the firm, worked on behalf of a client, a commercial tenant operating a parking garage in Manhattan. The client faced an onslaught of eviction attempts by its landlord, who alleged that our client failed to repair a parking garage as required… Continue Reading

Roetzel & Andress, LPA (Ohio) Lidia Ebersole and Chris Cotter of Roetzel & Andress, LPA obtain unanimous defense verdict Lidia Ebersole and Chris Cotter of Roetzel & Andress, LPA obtained a unanimous defense verdict following a jury trial in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas (Toledo, Ohio) on behalf of a regional transit authority in a case involving two events related to bus operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first incident, Plaintiff alleged… Continue Reading

Mike Magee of MehaffyWeber had a huge transportation appellate win. The Supreme Court of Texas in a per curiam decision on May 10, 2024, determined whether an accusation of race and gender prejudice directed at opposing counsel was incurably harmful. In the case, MehaffyWeber's client's tractor-tailer rear-ended the plaintiffs. They sued the truck driver's owner and requested $12 million in non-economic damages. MehaffyWeber argued that the jury should award her $250,000. In closing, Plaintiff's counsel… Continue Reading

Wickers Smith (South Florida) Two summary judgments in one day in Lee County, Florida (Premises Liability) Wicker Smith partner Drew Vogt argued Motions for Summary Judgment in two separate matters on the same day in Lee County, Florida, and won them both. In the first case, a slip and fall case on behalf of Publix Supermarkets, evidence showed that the plaintiff walked over the incident area three times in a matter of moments before slipping… Continue Reading

Max Gershenoff, Janice DiGennaro, and Yonatan Bernstein successfully defended Wigdor LLP, a prominent Manhattan law firm that specializes in cases involving sexual harassment and misconduct, against claims that it engaged in supposed wrongdoing while representing one of its clients. In Black v. Ganieva, et al., S.D.N.Y. Case No. 1:21-cv-08824-PAE, billionaire plaintiff Leon Black had alleged in federal court that Wigdor made defamatory statements and committed RICO violations while representing its client in connection with a… Continue Reading

Cammack and Draughn obtain defense verdict in a premises liability matter Partner Krista Cammack and Associate Oscar Draughn of Wicker Smith’s Orlando office obtained a defense verdict in a premises liability matter in May on behalf of a major department store client in Volusia County, Florida. This case arose from an incident outside the department store’s location at a Daytona Beach shopping mall. While exiting the store on a rainy day, the plaintiff slipped and… Continue Reading

Jonathan Bruno and William Schleifer secured a pre-answer dismissal of claims for fraud and civil conspiracy against Rivkin Radler's client, a real estate attorney. The plaintiff/seller alleged that their client was fraudulently caused to sell his property based upon false statements and a fraudulent appraisal. Rivkin represented the plaintiff/seller's attorney at the closing. The plaintiff alleged that the firm's client failed to advise him that he would be forced to leave the property after it… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith Orlando partners Richards Ford and Patrick Mixson obtained a defense verdict following a seven-day wrongful death medical malpractice case in Osceola County, Florida. The plaintiff, the estate of the deceased, claimed on behalf of his surviving spouse that the 57-year-old decedent died from a pulmonary embolism two days after an arthroscopic meniscectomy surgery performed by the firm’s client, an orthopedic surgeon, in December 2014. The plaintiff claimed that the firm’s client improperly failed… Continue Reading

Attorney Mark J. McGhee of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC obtained a dismissal of all claims against seven current or former employees of the City of Parkersburg, including the mayor, fire chief, and former chief of police. The City of Parkersburg employees were sued for alleged civil rights violations related to the enforcement of zoning ordinances and the arrest of the Plaintiff. Plaintiff claimed that his 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendment rights were violated. The case… Continue Reading

Murchison & Cumming LLP (Los Angeles, CA) Jury awards $1.6 million verdict after $37 million demand After a 17-day trial, a Los Angeles County jury reached a verdict in a case involving a self-employed compound pharmacist who was injured during a yoga class when a stretch band detached from the wall and some metal pieces of the band struck the base of her skull. Scott L. Hengesbach of Murchison & Cumming represented the yoga studio.… Continue Reading

A Hanson Bridgett team led by partners Raymond Lynch, Matthew Peck, and Judith Boyette secured two unanimous appellate decisions in favor of clients, the City of San Jose, the city manager and the Board of the Federated City Employees Retirement System. "This case was procedurally complex and hotly litigated," said partner Raymond Lynch. "It was a complete team victory, resulting in two successful summary judgment motions following extensive written and deposition discovery." In July 2017,… Continue Reading

Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP (Westchester, NY) Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP Associate Leslie Luke successfully defeated plaintiff’s appeal of the denial of a motion for summary judgment in the First Department. The case involved a construction accident in which the plaintiff alleges to have fallen on debris and a wet, greasy substance in a claimed passageway. Plaintiff moved for summary judgment under Labor Law 241(6), claiming a violation of New York Industrial Code 23-1.7(d).… Continue Reading

A Wyoming Federal Court ruled in favor of a Williams, Porter, Day, and Neville (WPDN) client represented by attorneys Erica Day, Stuart Day, and Keith Dodson. WPDN represented an insurance company sued by a client who said that the company failed to make appropriate payments under an uninsured motorist coverage provision. The plaintiff asserted breach of contract claims and bad faith claims. The plaintiff argued that they had underinsured motorist coverage, and the insurer breached… Continue Reading

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC Partners Steve Bullington and Cory Tyzska obtained a unanimous defense verdict for a medical malpractice case.  This case involved allegations of medical malpractice arising from a neurologist’s workup of a patient’s complaints of left-sided symptoms of weakness, shaking, and loss of control.  Six weeks after the workup, the patient suffered a stroke and has residual permanent injuries. Plaintiff alleged that the neurologist was negligent for failing to order vascular imaging,… Continue Reading

Moran Reeves Conn (Richmond, VA) MRC attorneys prevail in business disputes appeal, premise liability matter, deliberate indifference case Moran Reeves Conn’s (MRC) Marty Conn and Stewart Pollock won an appeal in a business dispute that involved allegations of breach of contract and fraud for which Plaintiffs sought millions of dollars in damages. Conn and Pollock tried the case in November of 2022 and prevailed on all but two counts of breach of contract, which they… Continue Reading

  Sweeny, Wingate & Barrow, P.A. (Columbia, SC) attorneys Ryan Holt and Grace Brown recently obtained a defense verdict for a regional grocery store. Plaintiff alleged that a grocery store employee was pushing a cart too quickly, startling the plaintiff and causing him to fall and break his wrist. His attorney asked the jury for $385,000. The jury found the store and the employee not negligent and placed 100% liability on the plaintiff. Continue Reading

Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC attorneys Sam Fox and Morgan Villers obtained an award of summary judgment for their client in the Circuit Court  of Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The client, a Greenbrier County physician, had been sued for alleged medical negligence involving the interpretation and analysis of a tissue specimen obtained through a needle biopsy. The Court granted summary judgment on the basis that the plaintiff had failed to prove that the physician had proximately… Continue Reading

Carr Allison (Birmingham, AL) Carr Allison shareholders Tom Oliver (Birmingham) and Glenn Smith (Mobile) successfully tried a serious injury case in Mobile, Alabama, for one of the firm’s longstanding motor carrier clients. The case was tried against the top plaintiff firm in South Alabama. Continue Reading

On October 5, 2023, a litigation team led by Hanson Bridgett partner Alexandra Atencio secured the dismissal of a putative class-action lawsuit on behalf of long-time clients the Golden Gate Bridge Highway &  Transportation District (District) and the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA). “The dismissal is a testament to the collaboration and resilience that so many of our attorneys put forth throughout the lengthy duration of this case,” said Atencio. “We are thrilled about this… Continue Reading

New York’s Appellate Division, First Department handed Century 21 another critical and decisive legal victory in the ongoing dispute over the fate of the famed department store. Century 21’s longstanding right to remain in its flagship store in lower Manhattan was fiercely challenged by its landlord who claimed that Century 21’s leasehold interest had been effectively terminated in January 2022.  Rivkin Radler’s team, led by Managing Partner Evan Krinick and Partners David Grill and Evan… Continue Reading

Lashly & Baer, P.C. (St. Louis, MO) Stephen Beimdiek obtains defense verdict for trucking client In a multi-vehicle transportation case tried in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri, where the plaintiff last made a settlement demand of $4.1M and asked the jury for an award of $6M to $9M during closing arguments, Stephen L. Beimdiek of Lashly & Baer, P.C. in St. Louis, Missouri obtained a verdict where the plaintiff was found to… Continue Reading

On January 13, 2023, the Nebraska Supreme Court confirmed dismissal of an alleged personal injury claim against Baird Holm’s client, Concordia University. This is an important win for businesses and educational institutions because it solidified that these entities may take reasonable steps to protect themselves against personal injury claims. David Kennison was lead counsel for Concordia University and argued the case before the Nebraska Supreme Court. Continue Reading

Warren Wise and Michele Smith of MehaffyWeber in Houston recently obtained summary judgment in a multi-million-dollar, on-the-job personal injury lawsuit pending in the 129th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged he fell off the second floor of a home during construction and, as a result, brought negligence and gross negligence claims against the general contractor on the project, seeking in excess of $8 million in past and future… Continue Reading

Jackson and Lewis prevail in defense of lawyer liability lawsuit; Lewis obtains dismissal in negligence and gross negligence claims against closing law firm client Kim Jackson and Zack Lewis of Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin, LLC in Georgia recently prevailed in their defense of a hotly contested and wide-ranging lawyer liability lawsuit. In moving to strike the plaintiff’s 191-paragraph complaint, Jackson and Lewis advocated that the plaintiff's lawsuit violated Georgia's Anti-SLAPP Statute because it was… Continue Reading

Moran Reeves & Conn’s healthcare team attorneys Shyrell A. Reed and Sophia Brasseux recently obtained a dismissal with prejudice in a wrongful death case for a hospital in Virginia several months before the trial date. The matter involved the alleged failure by the hospital to appropriately staff its emergency department and to provide appropriate care and treatment of a two-year-old who presented with flu-like symptoms. Plaintiffs alleged that the hospital was negligent in discharging the child… Continue Reading

The U.S.D.C. for the Northern District of West Virginia granted summary judgment in a fraud and unjust enrichment case. Alonzo D. Washington of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC represented the Defendants, a professional land management company and one of its limited partners. The plaintiffs were a limited liability company and its sole member. The parties entered into an independent contractor agreement in 2007. Plaintiffs argued that the agreement expired in December 2012 when plaintiffs were promised a percentage equity interest in… Continue Reading

Baird Holm’s Creditors’ Rights team, led by partner Jeremy Hollembeak, obtained a favorable decision from the New York Bankruptcy Court last week. The Court held that litigation brought by the firm’s client against a non-debtor party that sold it bankruptcy claims under false pretenses was not barred by a previously confirmed Chapter 11 plan and would be allowed to proceed in state court. This decision is a must-read for those staying current on the evolving… Continue Reading

Hinckley Allen attorneys successfully represented two Connecticut media companies in their efforts to access information regarding a highly publicized Connecticut State Police ticketing scandal. The Connecticut State Police Union sought an injunction in state court seeking to block the Connecticut State Police, in response to media inquiries, from releasing the names of 130 state troopers allegedly implicated in falsifying traffic tickets to skew racial profiling data. Hinckley Allen attorneys, representing two local publications, The Connecticut… Continue Reading

Amundsen Davis LLC (Chicago, IL) Attorneys obtained dismissal and compelled arbitration for nursing home consultant and facility operator Betsy Ballek and Moses Suarez of Amundsen Davis obtained dismissal on behalf of a nursing home consulting company, showing it did not have significant control of the nursing home operations. They also successfully obtained dismissal on behalf of the nursing home operator and compelled arbitration pursuant to a bona fide arbitration agreement. For more information, click here. Continue Reading

FLAHERTY SENSABAUGH BONASSO PLLC (Charleston, WV) The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Judge Copenhaver, granted summary judgment in Nationwide General Insurance Company and Nationwide Insurance Company of America v. Teddy D. Belcher, Jr., and S.R., Civil Action No. 2:23-CV-00588 (May 24, 2024). The District Court held that Nationwide does not have a duty to defend or to indemnify Teddy D. Belcher, Jr., under a homeowners insurance policy because the… Continue Reading

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC partners Steve Bullington and Cory Tyszka obtained a unanimous defense verdict for a medical malpractice case. This wrongful death case involved allegations of medical malpractice arising from a radiologist’s report of no deep venous thrombosis (“DVT”) on review of a 49-year-old patient’s venous Doppler ultrasound after she presented to the emergency department with calf pain and swelling following a foot fracture. Almost three weeks later, the patient suddenly collapsed and died,… Continue Reading

Rivkin Radler's partners David Grill and David Gise won a critical victory to usher in 2024 for a major New York City restaurateur from Hon. Arthur F. Engoron of the New York Supreme Court related to a complex but important dispute over the right of a lienor to file multiple mechanic’s liens when the initial lien had been dismissed with prejudice. Following service of demand for an itemized statement of a mechanic’s lien filed by… Continue Reading

On Friday, January 19, 2024, Amundsen Davis partners Dennis Cotter and Jack Sanker successfully obtained a not-guilty defense jury verdict in favor of a major Chicago-area rail carrier in a Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) case. The plaintiff was represented by one of the leading plaintiff FELA firms in Chicago. The case was tried in Cook County (IL) Circuit Court, traditionally considered one of the nation's most plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions. The plaintiff’s claimed damages included disability,… Continue Reading

Copeland, Cook, Taylor and Bush, P.A.  (Ridgeland, MS) Jim Moore, Rebecca Blunden, and Jason Marsh of Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush obtained a defense verdict in an employment case on behalf of one of Mississippi’s most prominent insurers. The case was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi and involved numerous state and federal employment law claims.  Specifically, a former insurance agent for the company brought Title VII sex discrimination and whistleblower… Continue Reading

Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP (Westchester, NY) In a recent case win for Black Marjieh & Sanford LLP, led by Lisa J. Black, the Court granted BM&S’ CPLR 3211 pre-answer motion to dismiss the third-party claims against their client in a NY Labor Law case concerning a purported height-related incident at a construction site. In Ramos, Edgar v. Great American Restoration, the third-party plaintiff sought, inter alia, contractual indemnification and common law contribution based on… Continue Reading

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC (Little Rock, AR) Firm wins reversal of $34 million ruling and was successful in regulatory matter Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC attorneys E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, Steven W. Quattlebaum, R. Ryan Younger, and S. Katie Calvert represented a group of online travel companies appealing from a $34 million judgment for state and local gross receipts and tourism taxes. Two weeks after oral argument, the Arkansas Supreme Court unanimously held… Continue Reading

Following a five-week trial in plaintiff-friendly San Bernardino County Superior Court, a defense verdict was reached in a case involving a boat crash on the Colorado River. Partners Russell S. Wollman and Todd A. Chamberlain of Murchison & Cumming represented the boat manufacturer. Darin W. Flagg, senior associate, also provided law and motion contributions to the trial victory. The incident occurred when the driver of the power boat lost control at speeds between 60 and… Continue Reading

Attorney Eddy Silverman of Williams Kastner in Washington successfully prevailed on a motion to recover attorneys' fees and costs, recovering nearly $400,000 for his client as a sanction for opposing counsel's bad faith litigation tactics. This award is currently among the largest of such in Washington state history. Continue Reading

In this trucking lawsuit, Mike Magee and Mark Appling of MehaffyWeber represented the involved tractor-trailer driver (Greg Nava), the roadway construction company that employed him (Curran Contracting Company), and the construction company’s parent company (Curran Group). Thomas J. Henry represents Plaintiff, David Gonzales. Nava rear-ended Plaintiff after making a wide left turn from a highway access road onto Rigsby Avenue in San Antonio. The involved drivers’ accounts differed as to events leading up to the… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith Orlando partners Kurt Spengler and Melissa Woodward and associate Jacqueline Bourdon recently obtained a defense verdict in a general liability case in Osceola County, Florida. Plaintiff in this case alleged that while she was dining at a popular national restaurant chain, a single arm of a paddle fan unexpectedly fell and struck her, causing injuries to her neck, back and left shoulder. She underwent neck surgery under a letter of protection and claimed… Continue Reading

Moran Reeves & Conn attorneys Shyrell A. Reed, Taylor D. Brewer, and Sophia M. Brasseux obtained a dismissal of a wrongful death case against a hospital in Virginia two months before trial. The case involved the failure to diagnose and treat a sacral pressure ulcer. Just after Reed deposed plaintiff’s causation and damages expert, plaintiff’s counsel took a non-suit. Continue Reading

Carr Allison attorneys Pam Hallford, Tom Oliver and Brook Meadows obtained a defense verdict on behalf of one of the South’s most prominent motor carriers. In 2018, an accident involving a pedestrian and a commercial motor vehicle resulted in severe injury. A claim was almost immediately brought against the motor carrier who quickly retained Oliver and Hallford. After a forensic investigation and rapid response, prison depositions, hours of witness preparation and an unsuccessful mediation, the… Continue Reading

Partners Kevin Crews and Ashley Withers and associate Lindsey Grossman of Wicker Smith’s Naples office, obtained a defense verdict in a medical malpractice case in Collier County, Florida. This case arose from an alleged missed diagnosis of an epidural abscess, leading to initial paralysis and then long-term upper and lower extremity deficits. Wicker Smith represented the hospital, the hospitalist who ordered the imaging, the infectious disease physician and a physician’s assistant, but not the radiologist… Continue Reading