Los Angeles Partner Craig Holden and Fort Lauderdale Partner Ken Joyce, Co-Chairs of the firm’s National Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice, Fort Lauderdale Partner Stacy M. Schwartz, Los Angeles Partners Matt Taggart and Bryan Leifer of the Class Action Group, and Fort Lauderdale Associate Nicholas Esser obtained a defense verdict in a federal court jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald of the Central District of California. Tampa Associate Elizabeth Brusa supported the trial team through her trial preparation efforts.

On December 30, 2024, Charlotte Partner Jeremy Stephenson obtained summary judgment victory and dismissal with prejudice of all claims against client in suit brought under Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Dallas Partner Mark Cronenwett secured a decision from the Amarillo Court of Appeals affirming a summary judgment that Lewis Brisbois obtained for a mortgage servicing client. 

The dispute concerned whether a mortgage borrower presented a fact issue on whether its servicer, which allegedly orally promised not to foreclose for 60 days, was estopped to deny the agreement when it nevertheless conducted a non-judicial foreclosure sale. 

Newark Partner Afsha Noran and Managing Partner Colin Hackett recently obtained a ruling by a New Jersey Appellate Division panel affirming a unanimous "no cause" defense verdict obtained on behalf of a nationwide housing developer and manager.

In this case, the plaintiff and her two minor children brought suit against the firm's client. They appealed a unanimous no-cause jury verdict rendered in May 2023 that found the defendants not liable for mold exposure in their apartment. The plaintiffs argued that several trial errors, including improper jury instructions, a confusing verdict sheet, and prejudicial remarks by defense counsel led to an unjust result. However, the appellate court affirmed the trial court's decision, concluding that there was no miscarriage of justice and that the trial court properly exercised its discretion in handling the case.

After a six-day jury trial in Maricopa County Superior Court, Phoenix Partners Kevin C. Nicholas and Jay Rademacher recently secured a defense verdict in a wrongful death medical malpractice action. Mr. Nicholas and Mr. Rademacher represented a hospitalist accused of failing to diagnose a strangulated hernia, which resulted in the patient’s death. The patient was survived by three beneficiaries.

In a recent appeal, Rivera v. Sodexo, Inc., 2024 NY Slip Op 06071 (2d Dep’t 2024), the New York office successfully obtained an affirmance of the summary judgment dismissal of the plaintiff’s consolidated slip-and-fall actions for the Firm’s management agency client. Associate Dean Pillarella, a member of the Appellate Practice, argued the appeal. Partner Erin O’Leary, a member of the General Liability and Professional Liability Practices, and her team drafted the winning appellate briefs and underlying summary judgment motion.

On November 21, 2024, a Providence County jury returned a unanimous defense verdict for Union Carbide Corporation after a nine-day trial presided over by Associate Justice Richard A. Licht. Tim McGowan of Kelley Jasons McGowan Spinelli Hanna & Reber LLP, Eric Cook of Willcox Savage, and Monica R. Nelson of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP represented Union Carbide at trial. Elliott Davis of Shook Hardy & Bacon was Union Carbide’s appellate counsel.

In Roc-Le Triomphe Associates, LLC v. DeSouza, 2024 NY Slip Op 05654 (1st Dep’t 2024), Associate Dean Pillarella, a member of the Appellate Practice, successfully invoked the party finality doctrine to obtain the dismissal of an appeal for the firm’s commercial guarantor clients. 

The action concerned rent allegedly due and owing under a commercial lease by the lease’s tenant and guarantors. Pursuant to a 2022 order, the guarantors were awarded summary judgment and dismissal of all claims against them, with the landlord’s claims against the tenant left intact. After the decision and order was served with notice of entry by the prevailing party, the landlord did not file a notice of appeal from the order but, instead, filed a notice of appeal from a later judgment months after the time to appeal the order had expired.  

Boston Managing Partner Kenneth Walton and Partner Patricia Gary recently obtained summary judgment for an insurer and its third-party administrator in a dispute with a municipality over coverage for a firefighter’s disability benefits. 

After a ten-day jury trial in San Francisco Superior Court, Partner Alex Graft recently secured a defense verdict in a legal malpractice action arising out of underlying litigation with the claimants’ homeowners association. The claimants alleged his client attorneys negligently advised them that the terms of the settlement agreement would result in the creation of a so-called independent board of directors for the homeowners association. It did not come to fruition. After the attorneys withdrew, they sued for their outstanding fees, which elicited a cross-complaint alleging malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation.