Billy Bates has been a partner at Starnes Davis Florie for more than twenty years and serves as Managing Partner for the firm. Practice Billy's practice has been devoted to civil litigation to include healthcare litigation, professional medical liability, pharmaceutical liability and medical device litigation. He has tried in excess of 120 complex civil cases to a jury verdict, including cases in defense of product manufacturers, physicians, hospitals and corporations. Highlights * Successfully defended an obstetrician against charges of medical malpractice in cases involving the deaths of an obstetrical patient and her 34 week old fetus for wrongful death in Jefferson County. * Obtained a jury verdict for two surgeons arising out of allegations that a patient's death was the result of the first surgeon failing to timely place a thoracoscopy tube in a patient with a pneumothorax and the second surgeon failing to timely perform a thoracotomy to address a hemothorax. * Represented a professional liability insurer in a complex reinsurance dispute before a three-member arbitration panel. The case tried for four days and ultimately resulted in a substantial recovery for the client. * Obtained a jury verdict in favor of two emergency medicine physicians in a case, pending in Jefferson County-Birmingham Division, arising out of allegations by the plaintiff that the defendants failed to diagnose him with a myocardial infarction or impending infarction during their emergency room evaluation. * Obtained declaratory judgment for General Motors allowing it to close car dealership under the Alabama Motor Vehicle Franchise Act and ruling that GM was not obligated to pay the dealer $1.2 million in alleged debt forgiveness and sales tax revenue relief offered by the City of Birmingham. * Successfully defended an emergency physician in a wrongful death trial alleging failure to diagnosis a basilar artery stroke in the emergency department, and inappropriate discharge from the emergency department. * Successfully defended two internal medicine specialists in a wrongful death case alleging inappropriate management of a patient's anticoagulation therapy subsequent to his diagnosis with deep vein thrombosis. * Obtained a defense verdict in Federal Court in favor of a neurosurgeon in a spinal cord injury case arising from complications secondary to a foraminotomy. * Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a surgeon in a personal injury case involving complications arising from a retained sponge following hernia surgery. * Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a family practitioner and his professional corporation in a wrongful death case involving complications arising from an exercise stress test. * Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a hospital in a wrongful death case involving complications arising from conscious sedation during a shoulder reduction procedure. * Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a defendant surgeon in litigation stemming from a complication arising from surgery. * Obtained a jury verdict in favor of defendant obstetrician for complications secondary to delivery of twins. * Successfully defended product liability claims against a construction hoist manufacturer. * Obtained a jury verdict in favor of defendant in combination medical malpractice/product liability case secondary to complication from use of laser machine during plastic surgery. Honors And Awards Billy is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been inducted as a Diplomate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and is a past President of the Alabama Chapter of ABOTA. He is a frequent speaker on litigation issues, including discovery and trial techniques. Honored by his peers for his litigation skills, Billy was selected as a leading litigator by Chambers USA, he was selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America®, he has been named one of the top attorneys in the state of Alabama by Alabama Super Lawyers® magazine, and has been named a "Litigation Star" for the state of Alabama in Benchmark Litigation. Community Involvement Billy serves as a board member of the Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation and he is actively involved in his church where he serves as a Deacon and a Trustee. Billy has been active in both coaching and leadership roles related to youth sports and has participated in a leadership role with high school students on mission trips to South America. In addition, Billy also serves on the Advisory Board for Cumberland School of Law. Reported Cases Bassie v. Obstetrics & Gynecology Associates of Northwest Alabama, P.C., 828 So. 2d 280 (Ala. 2002). Ex Parte Qureshi, 768 So. 2d 374 (Ala. 2000). Johnson v. Price, 743 So. 2d 436 (Ala. 1999). Ex Parte Pfizer, Inc., 746 So. 2d 960 (Ala. 1999). Bennett v. Brewer, 682 So. 2d 448 (Ala. 1996). Floyd v. Broughton, 664 So. 2d 897 (Ala. 1995). Ex Parte Main, 658 So. 2d 384 (Ala. 1995). Burns v. Windsor Ins. Co., 31 F.3d 1092 (11th Cir. 1994). Patterson v. Hays, 623 So. 2d 1142 (Ala. 1993). Thomas v. Baptist Medical Center-DeKalb, 614 So. 2d 997 (Ala. 1993). Smith v. Medical Center East, 585 So. 2d 1325 (Ala. 1991). Martin v. Phillips, 581 So. 2d 838 (Ala. 1991). Black v. Baptist Medical Center, 575 So. 2d 1087 (Ala. 1991). Beverly v. Chandler, 564 So. 2d 922 (Ala. 1990). Humber v. B. F. Goodrich Co., 561 So. 2d 511 (Ala. 1990). Independent Fire Ins. Co., Inc. v. Mutual Assurance, 553 So. 2d 115 (Ala. 1989). Wood v. Shell Oil Co., 495 So. 2d 1034 (Ala. 1986). Gregory v. Western World Ins. Co., Inc., 481 So. 2d 878 (Ala. 1985). Fomby v. City of Calera, 575 F. Supp. 221 (N.D. Ala. 1983). Related News 1/27/2012, White and Bates Prevail in Obstetrical Medical Malpractice Trial 10/14/2011, Benchmark Litigation Names SDF one of Alabama's Highly Recommended Litigation Firms 9/2/2011, Nine Starnes Attorneys Listed in 2011 Super Lawyers Business Edition 9/1/2011, Sixteen Starnes Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2012 7/8/2011, Starnes Davis Florie Received Top Tier Ranking in Chambers USA 2011 6/28/2011, Bates & Huntley Obtain Defense Verdict for Two Surgeons 6/6/2011, Bates & Jones Obtain Favorable Result For Professional Liability Insurer in Reinsurance Arbitration 4/29/2011, Twenty Starnes Attorneys Listed in Alabama Super Lawyers 3/14/2011, Five Starnes Attorneys Named to Chambers USA 2011 2/2/2011, Huntley and Bates Obtain Jury Verdict in Favor of Emergency Physicians 10/6/2010, Benchmark Litigation Names SDF one of Alabama's Highly Recommended Firms 8/7/2010, Sixteen Starnes Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2011 6/16/2010, Starnes Davis Florie Obtains Top Tier Listing in Chambers USA 2010 5/1/2010, Ten Attorneys Named to Alabama Super Lawyers 2010 3/23/2010, Salter and Bates Successfully Defend an Emergency Physician in a Wrongful Death Trial 3/1/2010, Salter and Bates Successfully Defend Two Physicians in a Wrongful Death Case 8/5/2009, Fourteen S&A Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2010 6/16/2009, Starnes & Atchison Obtains Top Tier Listing in Chambers USA 2009 5/6/2009, Ten Starnes Attorneys Named to Alabama Super Lawyers 2/23/2009, Bates & Huntley Prevail in Federal Jury Trial 12/10/2008, Starnes & Atchison Named in Benchmark: America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys 9/22/2008, Twelve S&A Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2009 6/24/2008, Six Starnes & Atchison Attorneys Named to 2008 Chambers USA. 4/10/2008, Bates, Huntley and Garton successfully defend surgeon in 12 day med mal trial. 12/11/2007, Starnes secures defense verdict in wrongful death case. 9/6/2007, Ten S&A Lawyers Listed in Best Lawyers of America 2008. 8/20/2007, Starnes & Atchison obtains Top Tier listing in Chambers. |