Hilarie Bass is the Global Operating Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig, having recently completed an eight-year term as the national chair of the 500-member litigation department. She also serves on the firm's Executive Committee. During her more than 25-year career, she has successfully represented clients in scores of commercial cases in jury and non-jury trials involving hundreds of millions of dollars in controversy. Areas of Concentration · Complex commercial litigation and arbitrations · Class action defense · Multi-District litigation · Receiverships · Securities fraud defense · Banking litigation · Jury and non-jury trials · Alternative dispute resolution Significant Representations · Served as Defense Liaison Counsel in MDL RICO class action against managed care companies throughout the country, representing Aetna, Inc. · Representation of Microsoft Corporation in defense of the Florida class action brought under Florida Unfair Trade Practices Act. Main action resulted in class action settlement; attorneys' fees issue resolved after four-day evidentiary hearing in Dade County Circuit Court action. · Defended Hilton Hotels Corporation in a five-week arbitration for breach of fiduciary duty claims in which plaintiff sought in excess of $100 million, resulting in a judgment in favor of the defense. · Prosecuted claims on behalf of Interval International in eight-day trial leading to entry of permanent injunction on breach of fiduciary duty and theft of trade secret claims. · Represented company and officers in securities class action against Sportsline.com which was dismissed by federal court at pleadings stage. · Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in defense of an action by Fontainebleau Hilton seeking to enjoin $3 billion merger with Promus Hotel Corporation through enforcement of overly broad restrictive covenant in Management Agreement; injunction was denied and case thereafter settled. · Served as chief litigation counsel for the Trustee of Southeast Banking Corporation in suit against the FDIC, which was resolved with payment of a settlement to our client in excess of $300 million. · Served as an SEC Receiver for corporation found to be improperly selling limited partnership interests in deregulated power industry in California. · Served as an FTC Receiver for a travel company enjoined from continuing its fraudulent sales tactics in the sale of travel packages. · Represented the Government of Brazil in obtaining a jury verdict in the amount of $125 million in action against ex-patriate residing in the South Florida area for fraud, civil theft and breach of duty. · Obtained $25 million judgment against former bank president on behalf of an agency of the government of Venezuela. · Successfully defended a federal court class action in $50 million claim filed against the Trustee regarding the pension plan of Southeast Bank. · Successfully defended employment benefits company in a jury trial in Nashville, Tennessee against claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. · Represented Goldman, Sachs & Co.; Dain Bosworth, Inc.; Merrill Lynch & Co.; and Furman Selz, LLC in defense of a securities fraud class action case. Claims against the clients were dismissed by the federal district court on the pleadings. · Successfully represented Equitrac Corp. and its officers and directors in a shareholder class action alleging that Equitrac and its senior officers and directors attempted to complete a recapitalization transaction for a share price unfair to shareholders. Professional & Community Involvement · American Bar Association - Vice-Chair, Litigation Section - Chair, Legal Opportunity Scholarship Committee (2005-2008) - Chair, Host Committee for the Miami '07 ABA Mid-Year Meeting - Chair, Select Committee of the House of Delegates (2006-2008) - Member, Task Force on Attorney Client Privilege (2004- ) - Member, Commission on Women in the Profession (2002 - 2005) - Chair, Council for the Fund for Justice and Education (1999-2002) - Chair, Admissions and Credentials Committee, House of Delegates (2002-2004) - Chair, Standing Committee on Meetings and Travel (1998-1999) - Chair, Committee on Public Education and the Law (1993-1996) - Member, Board of Governors (1990-1993) - Member, House of Delegates (1988-1995; 2000- ) - Member, Litigation Section Council (2002-2005) - Chair, Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, Litigation Section (2005- ) - Chair, ABA Resource Committee, Litigation Section (2005-2008) - Chair, Trial Practice Committee, Litigation Section (1998-2001) - Chair, Host Committee for the Miami '95 ABA Mid-Year Meeting · President, The Florida Bar Foundation - Member, Board of Directors (1988-1993) - Chair, Administration of Justice IOTA Grant Committee (1991-1993) · The Florida Bar - Member, Rules of Civil Procedure Committee - Dade County Bar Association, Board of Directors - President, Young Lawyers Section, Dade County Bar Association · United Way of Dade County - Chair, Board of Directors (1997-1999) - Member, Board of Directors (1992-2005) - Chair, Success by Six Program (1999- ) - Member, Executive Committee (1995-2005) - Chair, Strategic Planning Committee (1995-1997) · Chair, Legal Committee, Florida Chamber of Commerce · Secretary/General Counsel, Orange Bowl Committee, (2003-2006) · Chair, Orange Bowl Parade, (2001-2002) · Member, Executive Committee, University of Miami Board of Trustees, (2005 - ) · Member, Board of Governors, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce · Member, Super Bowl Host Committee · Member, 11th Judicial Circuit Committee on Professionalism · Member, International Women's Forum · Adjunct Professor of Litigation, University of Miami School of Law Awards & Recognition · Named in South Florida Business Journal's 2009 Influential Business Women · Recipient, 2009 C. Clyde Atkins Civil Liberties Award, presented by ACLU of Florida Greater Miami Chapter, May 2009 · Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL) "Women Making History Award" · Listed, Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2010 · Listed, Chambers & Partners USA Guide, an annual listing of the leading business lawyers and law firms in the world, 2005-2009 (every edition) · Listed as one of the "Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America," Lawdragon.com, 2006 · Listed as one of the "Lawdragon 3000 Leading Lawyers in America," Lawdragon.com, 2006 · Listed, Commercial Litigation, Who's Who Legal: Florida 2008 · Selected by Super Lawyers magazine, 2006-2009 - Selected as one of the Top 50 Female Lawyers in Florida, 2006 and 2007 · Listed, Securities - Shareholder Litigation, The Legal 500 US: Volume III (Litigation) · Listed, "Legal Elite," Florida Trend magazine, listing of Florida's top attorneys as selected by their peers, 2007, 2009 · Listed as one of the "Best of the Best Rainmakers" by Coral Gables Living Magazine, July-September 2003 · Listed as one of "South Florida's Top Lawyers" by the South Florida Legal Guide, 2001-2005 · Selected by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld to participate in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, April 2002 · Named Business Woman of the Year, South Florida Business Journal, 2001 · United Way of Miami-Dade's 2000 Dorothy Shula Award for Volunteerism · United Home Care 1999 Claude Pepper Memorial Award · Jewish Museum of Florida "Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award" · South Florida Business Journal, Up Comer Award · YMCA Woman In Business Award · President's Conference on Volunteerism Articles, Publications, & Lectures · Featured, "View From the Top: Q&A with Legal Women Leaders," Vault, August 2006 · Extensive lecturing on rules of procedure and evidence, expert testimony, creditors' rights and foreclosure issues, rainmaking, professionalism, and women lawyer issues. Fellow: The Florida Bar Foundation (President; Member, Board of Directors, 1988-1993; Chair, Administration of Justice IOTA Grant Committee, 1991-1993). |