Dawn focuses her general litigation practice in the areas of product liability, employment litigation, commercial litigation and complex civil litigation. She has served as trial attorney in numerous cases involving claims of product liability, breach of contract, fraud, employment discrimination and land contamination. Dawn also was responsible for developing and coordinating discovery for hundreds of toxic substance cases on a nationwide basis.
Areas of Concentration
· Product liability litigation
· Commercial litigation
· Complex civil litigation
· Employment litigation
Significant Representations
· Represented the DuPont Company in Benlate litigation, which involved claims of products liability, land contamination, fraud and personal injury. Responsible for developing and coordinating DuPont's discovery responses for hundreds of cases on a nationwide basis. Participated in trials for DuPont throughout the state of Florida and on a nationwide basis from Puerto Rico to Hawaii.
· Trial Counsel for the DuPont Company in case involving claims of fraud, personal injury and land contamination. Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $8 million. Three-week trial resulted in a defense verdict on all claims.
· Trial Counsel for the DuPont Company in a case involving claims of fraud, personal injuries and land contamination. Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $5 million. The four-week trial resulted in a defense verdict.
· Counsel for Lorillard Tobacco Company in numerous cases pending in state courts throughout Florida as a result of the Florida Supreme Court's decertification of a class of plaintiffs, in its decision in Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc., 845 So. 2d 1246 (Fla. 2006), seeking damages for injuries allegedly caused by smoking cigarettes.
· Lead Trial Counsel for Live Nation in contract case involving a professional wrestling organization. Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $22 million. The two-week trial in Federal Court resulted in a defense verdict on all claims.
· Trial Counsel for the Florida Department of Transportation responsible for defending against the contractor's claim for $22 million in lost profits due to impaired bonding capacity. The four-week trial in state court resulted in a defense verdict on that claim.
· Lead Trial Counsel for Fields Auto Group in a case involving claims of fraud, breach of contract and a violation of several federal statutes. Trial in state court resulted in a defense verdict on all claims.
· Lead Trial Counsel for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in employment discrimination case. Plaintiff sought compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $5 million. Trial in Federal Court resulted in a defense verdict on all claims.
· Lead Counsel for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in multi million dollar ERISA claim. Summary judgment entered for the defense on all claims.
· Lead Trial Counsel for Air Tran Airways in employment discrimination case. Trial in Federal Court resulted in a defense verdict on all claims.
· Lead Trial Counsel for Air Tran Airways in whistle blower's action. Trial in Federal Court resulted in dismissal of all claims
· Lead Trial Counsel for Special Olympics Florida in a high profile, multi million dollar negligence case which was favorably settled during trial.
· Represented municipalities in connection with a major hazardous waste environmental litigation matter.
· Successfully represented Service America Corp. in a double murder premises liability action by obtaining a summary judgment on all counts prior to trial.
· Trial Counsel for Senco Products, Inc. The plaintiff sought extensive damages for severe personal injury. The jury trial lasted two weeks and resulted in a defense verdict.
· Trial Counsel for Senco Products, Inc. The case involved hundreds of thousands of dollars in claimed personal injury damages and resulted in a defense verdict.
Professional & Community Involvement
· Member, Orange County Bar Association
· Member, Middle, Southern and Northern Federal District Courts of Florida
· Member, Defense Research Institute
· Member, American Bar Association
· Participant, Guardian Ad Litem Program
Awards & Recognition
· Team Member, Law360 "Product Liability Practice Group of the Year" (2011)
· Team Member, Law360 "Employment Practice Group of the Year" (2011)
Articles, Publications, & Lectures
Articles
· Chandler Holdings Ltd. v. Watch Omega Holdings, L.P., 947 So. 2d 1231 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007)
· Chatlos Foundation, Inc. v. D'Arata, 882 So. 2d 1021 (Fla. 5th DCA 2004)
· E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. v. Fuzzell, 681 So. 2d 1195 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1996)