Education

• Washington and Lee University, B.S., Business Adminstration, 2001
• Pace University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2008

Experience

• General Litigation
  • Representing clients in commercial litigation covering all aspects of contract and commercial disputes, including management representation in employment disputes
  • Representing financial institutions and loan servicers in a variety of consumer finance litigation
  • Insurance defense representing insureds in a variety of litigation
  • Representing insurers in first party bad faith actions
• Complex Litigation
  • Representing large corporations, including insurance companies, financial institutions, manufacturers, and healthcare systems in a variety of complex litigation
  • Representing manufacturers in mass tort actions in Federal and State Courts
  • Representing clients in class actions and in mass litigation in Federal and State Courts, before the West Virginia Mass Litigation Panel, and the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
  • Managing the defense of complex matters, including crafting and implementing litigation strategy, drafting critical motions, taking and defending fact and expert witness depositions, and arguing motions before both Federal and State Courts
  • Serving as coordinating counsel before the West Virginia Mass Litigation Panel in a complex chemical exposure matter
• Trucking Litigation
  • Representing clients in a wide range of transportation industry litigation involving both over-the-road and short haul trucking
  • Assembling emergency response teams to quickly respond to a variety of trucking accidents
  • Representing trucking companies and corporate clients in matters involving catastrophic accidents resulting in serious injuries/death and significant property damage, including formulating defense strategies and identifying, retaining, and preparing industry-leading experts
  • Litigating trucking cases that involve the use of new integrated safety technology found on modern trucks, including lane departure warning systems and active braking systems
• Healthcare Litigation
  • Representing medical practitioners, healthcare facilities, and university health systems in medical malpractice matters, including matters involving obstetric, psychiatric, and orthopedic care
  • Representing medical practitioners, healthcare facilities, and university health systems in negligent credentialing litigation
  • Advising healthcare clients on effective risk management
• Law Clerk, The Honorable Kenneth W. Rudolph, Commercial Division of the Ninth Judicial District of the New York State Unified Court System, 2006

Reported Cases

• State of West Virginia ex rel West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc., et al. v. Honorable Phillip D. Gaujot, 242 W.Va. 54, 829 S.E.2d 54 (2019)
• State ex rel. The North River Insurance Company v. Honorable Robert G. Chafin, Special Judge, et al., Docket No. 13-0897, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Drafted verified petition for writ of prohibition
• In re: Odegua J. Irivbobge v. West Virginia Board of Law Examiners, Docket No. 13-0709, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Drafted petitioner's exceptions to the West Virginia Board of Law Examiner's order denying petitioner's application to sit for the West Virginia Bar Examination
• State ex rel. GlaxoSmithKline, LLC v. Honorable James H. Young, Jr., Judge, et al., Docket No. 13-0102, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Drafted verified petition for writ of prohibition
• State ex rel. Addair v. Honorable Jack Alsop, Judge, et al., Docket No. 10-0704, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Drafted response to plaintiffs' motion for emergency stay related to plaintiffs' verified petition for writ of prohibition
  
  
   

Distinctions

• Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Trial Advocacy Program 2014 Participant/Attendee
• ALPS Lawyer Leadership Institute, 2013 Sponsored Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Representative Attendee
• New York State Rookie Auctioneer of the Year, New York State Auctioneers Association, 2002

Admissions

• Virginia State Bar
• West Virginia State Bar
• North Carolina State Bar
• United States District Courts for the Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina
• United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• The West Virginia State Bar
• Virginia Bar Association
• DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar
• Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia: Chair, Business Law Substantive Law Committee, 2012 - 2014, Vice Chair, 2011 - 2012; Medical Liability Substantive Law Committee; Insurance Law Substantive Law Committee; Products Liability Substantive Law Committee

Publications & Presentations

• Co-Author, "Medical Malpractice Litigation Tips," Finds & Facts Paralegal Magazine, May/June 2019
• Presenter, "The Legal Consequences of Failing to Provide Patient Centric Care," presented to 1st and 2nd year Master of Healthcare Administration students at Winston-Salem State University's School of Health Sciences
• Presenter, "Negligent Medical Credentialing," presented to 1st and 2nd year Master of Healthcare Administration students at Winston-Salem State University's School of Health Sciences
• Co-Author, “Dead End: No Private Cause of Action Under W.Va. Code §50-4-1,” The DTCWV Defender, Winter 2019
• Co-Author, “Product Liability Litigation: Understanding West Virginia’s Legal Landscape Regarding Proximate Causation, Product Identification, Share Liability and the Bulk Supplier Doctrine,” Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Annual Notebook, 2012
• Co-Author, “Evidence Law Update,” Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Annual Notebook, 2012
• Co-Author, “The Physician Health Program: Confidential and Privileged,” Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Annual Notebook, 2010
• “Nurse Practitioner Liability: Unknown Territory,” Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, Annual Notebook, 2009