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Areas of Emphasis
- Drug and Device Litigation
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Toxic Torts and Environmental Law
- Product Liability
- Class Action, Mass Torts and Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)
Distinctions
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Mid-South Rising Stars®, Personal Injury Defense: Products
- Top 40 Under 40, Memphis Business Journal, 2007
- Outstanding Subcommittee Chair, Litigation Section, American Bar Association, 2008
- Tennessee Bar Association, Leadership Law 2010
Education & Honors
- Vermont Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 1998
- Head Notes Editor, Vermont Law Review
- Am Jur Awards, Civil Procedure, Intellectual Property, Appellate Advocacy
- University of South Florida, M.A., Biology, 1995
- Vanderbilt University, B.S., Biology, 1993
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Associations
- American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Mass Torts Committee
- Drug and Medical Device Subcommittee Co-Chair 2010-11
- Toxic Torts Subcommittee Co-Chair 2008-10
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Drug and Medical Device Committee
- Federal Bar Association
- Mid-South Chapter
- Treasurer, Board of Directors
- Tennessee Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Executive Committee
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee, 2003
- Vermont, 1998 (inactive)
- U.S. District Courts
- Tennessee: Middle and Western Districts
- Vermont: District of Vermont
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- 6th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
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Legal Experience
- Lead Counsel for pharmaceutical manufacturer in mass tort cases filed in Las Vegas, Nevada alleging Hepatitis C infection. Obtained dismissals of more than 4,000 plaintiffs' claims.
- Defense of mass torts cases involving exposure to industrial chemicals in national venues including Madison County, Illinois, and Wayne County, Michigan.
- Summary judgment obtained for manufacturer of metalworking fluids in mass torts case involving over 200 plaintiffs with claims exceeding $100 Million in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan.
- After removal pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act, successfully defeated remand efforts by plaintiffs in a putative class action seeking more than $50 Billion for alleged identity theft, ultimately leading to outright dismissal.
- Defense of product liability cases involving pharmaceuticals, industrial tools, motor vehicles, air bags, agricultural products and chemical products.
- Prosecution and defense of cases involving claims for patent, copyright and trademark infringement.
- Prosecution and defense of commercial cases involving business disputes, unfair competition, breach of contract and restrictive covenants.
- Defense of environmental contamination cases involving CERCLA and contribution actions.
Papers, Presentations, & Publications
- Comment C on Toxic Torts in the Restatements Third, ABA Section of Litigation, Mass Torts Newsletter, Summer 2010
- Seminar Co-Chair, Chemical Products and Toxic Torts: New Developments, Significant Trends and a View into the Future. ABA Section of Litigation, Products Liability and Mass Torts Committees, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Houston, TX, September, 2009.
- Securities Actions and the CAFA Conundrum, Securities Law360, May 2009.
- The Potential REACH of European Union Chemical Regulations into U.S. Courts, ABA Section of Litigation, Mass Torts Newsletter, Winter, 2008.
- Consolidation: Tempering the Temptation for Judicial Economy, ABA Section of Litigation, Trial Practice Journal, Fall 2008, Vol. 22, No. 3.
- Beyond the HazCom Standard in Failure to Warn Claims, Defense Research Institute, “For the Defense,” April 2007.
- Bellwether Plaintiffs – Overview, Strategy and Implications, ABA Section of Litigation, Mass Torts Newsletter, Winter 2007.
- Damages and Burden Shifting in Trademark and Copyright Cases, in Defending Intellectual Property Cases, Defense Research Institute, 2006.
- Joint Defense Agreements – Practical and Ethical Considerations, Defense Research Institute, “For the Defense,” February 2007.
- Regular columnist for DRI's “Daubert On-line,” an electronic newsletter providing updates on the law applicable to expert witnesses.
- Panel Chair, Class Action Certification, ABA Section of Litigation, Chemical Products Subcommittee Meeting, Wilmington, Delaware, 2008.
- Presenter, Mass Torts: Looking Back But Heading Forward, ABA Section of Litigation, Mass Torts, Product Liability and Environmental Litigation Joint Meeting, Aspen, Colorado, 2008.
- Presenter, Developments in Mass Torts Law, ABA Section of Litigation, Mid-year meeting, San Antonio, Texas, 2007.
- Presenter, Civility and Professionalism in a Young Lawyer’s Practice, Defense Research Institute, Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., 2007.
- Presenter, Products Liability, CLE, Memphis Bar Association, 2006.
- Presenter, Civility and Professionalism, CLE, Memphis Bar Association, 2007.
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