Select Matters
- Wrongful Death / Electrocution: Obtained summary judgment in favor of electric utility client on wrongful death (electrocution) claim involving truck driver.
- Wrongful Death / Electrocution: Obtained summary judgment in favor of electric utility client on wrongful death (electrocution) claim involving a minor.
- Wrongful Death / House Fire: Defended electric utility client in multiple wrongful death and personal injury cases involving house fires.
- Personal Injury / Electric Shock: Defended electric utility client in multiple personal injury cases involving roofers contacting power lines.
- Personal Injury / Vape Battery Explosion: Obtained early dismissal of claims against vape shop client in case involving exploding battery and serious injuries. Case settled on appeal before briefing.
- Premises Liability: Obtained summary judgments in favor of electric utility landowner client, which were affirmed on appeal without opinion, in premises liability actions (accidents at a public lake and at public fishing pier on a river) under Alabama’s Recreational Use Statute.
- Worker’s Compensation / Co-Employee Liability: Defended co-employees (managers) in cases involving workplace accidents at a metallurgical plant and at a sand and gravel pit.
- Business Litigation / Bail Bonds: Obtained summary judgment in favor of clients (defendants) on claims seeking disbursement of indemnity funds that secured bail bonds. BJ's Bail Bonds, Inc. v. United Sur. Servs., Inc., 2022 WL 213859, at *1 (M.D. Ala. Jan. 24, 2022).
- Business Litigation / Aviation: Represent regional airport authority in litigation with fixed based operator in lease dispute and part of firm team generally representing its board.
- Business Litigation / Departed Employees / Trade Secrets: Obtained summary judgment in favor of clients (departed employees and new business) on most claims against them in aerospace trade secrets case; on remaining claims, court limited plaintiff to nominal damages only. Bell Aero. Servs. v. U.S. Aero Servs., 690 F. Supp. 2d 1267 (M.D. Ala. 2010).
- Business Litigation / Employee Non-Compete Agreement: Part of Balch team in successful defense of motion for preliminary injunction in an employee non-compete agreement case. Fruit of the Loom, Inc. v. Bishop, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5963 (M.D. Ala. 2011).
- Environmental Litigation / Pollution: Part of Balch team in successful defense of natural gas pipeline co-defendant in soil and groundwater pollution and nuisance litigation involving hundreds of plaintiffs. In re Mercaptan Litigation, CV-2013-235 (Mobile County).
- Insurance Litigation / Coverage: Successfully argued in the district court and on appeal, including oral argument, that, under Alabama law, sewage backups in two residences were not excluded from coverage under a commercial general liability policy based on a total pollution exclusion. Evanston Insurance Company v. J&J Cable Construction, LLC, 2016 WL 5346079 (M.D. Ala. Sept. 22, 2016), aff’d 719 Fed. Appx. 1002 (11th Cir. 2018).
- Insurance Litigation / Class Action: Successful appeals and reversals of a trial court’s class certification orders involving claims alleging improper labor depreciation on insurance claims. Baldwin Mutual Insurance Company v. McCain, 260 So. 3d 801 (Ala. 2018) and Baldwin Mutual Insurance Company v. McCain, 176 So. 3d 1195 (Ala. 2015).
- Insurance Litigation / Coverage: Obtained summary judgment declaring that insurance company client had no duty to defend an industrial development board in underlying litigation. (Landmark Am. Ins. Co. v. Indus. Dev. Bd. of Montgomery, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 128041 (M.D. Ala. Sept. 9, 2013))
- Insurance Litigation: Defended client (mutual insurance company) in numerous actions across the state brought by insureds alleging improper actions taken by rogue independent adjuster.
- Appellate / Venue. Successful mandamus petition directing trial court to transfer wrongful death (electrocution) action to neighboring county where accident occurred. Ex parte Alabama Power Co., 369 So. 3d 662 (Ala. 2022).
- Appellate / Civil Procedure: Successful appeal and reversal of a trial court’s judgment that had impermissibly changed its prior final judgment from with prejudice to without prejudice in a wrongful foreclosure case. Washington Mut. Bank, F.A. v. Campbell, 24 So. 3d 435 (Ala. 2009).
- Real Property Litigation / Trespass: Successful defense of electric utility client in multiple cases asserting trespass and nuisance which required establishing a prescriptive easement for power poles and lines. See, e.g., Jackson v. City of Auburn, 971 So. 2d 696 (Ala. Civ. App. 2006), aff’d Ex parte Lightwave Techs., 971 So. 2d 712 (Ala. 2007).
- Real Property Litigation / Condemnations: Numerous successful condemnations of electric transmission line rights of way for electric utility client across state; successful condemnation of airport runway extension for municipality; handled several private access condemnations.
- Real Property Litigation / Redemption: Obtained judgment, affirmed on appeal, declaring that client was entitled to redeem property. Deutsche Bank Nat’l Trust Co. v. Citibank, N.A., 806 F. Supp. 2d 1212 (M.D. Ala. 2011), aff’d 494 Fed. Appx. 974 (11th Cir. 2012).
- Real Property Litigation / Mortgage Validity: Obtained summary judgment, which was affirmed on appeal, in favor of client on claims challenging the validity of client’s mortgage. Estate of Ingrum v. Fin. Freedom Acquisition, LLC, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 2250 (11th Cir. 2012) and 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89670 (M.D. Ala. 2010).
- Real Property Litigation / Redemption: Obtained dismissal of foreclosure redemption claims against client Wyatt v. Mortgage Elec. Registration Sys., 501 F. Supp. 2d 1345 (M.D. Ala. 2007).
News
Credentials
Education
- Auburn University, B.A., Corporate Journalism, 2000, magna cum laude
- Tulane University Law School, J.D., 2003
Courts
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama
Bar Admissions
- Alabama, 2003
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Montgomery County Bar Association
- Alabama Defense Lawyers Association
Awards & Accolades
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, 2022 - present
- Mid-South Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2011, 2013 -2017
Community Involvement
- American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), Liberty Chapter #23, 1996 - present
- AHEPA Charities of Montgomery, Alabama, Inc., President, 2010 - present