Top 20 Verdicts of 2007
Amount/Verdict Status 1 $1,538,056,702 Type/Description Name/Court, Docket, Date Lucent Technologies Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., S.D. Calif., 02-CV-2060; 03-CV-0699; 03-CV1108 2/22/2007 Banco Espirito Santo International LTD. v. BDO Seidman LLP, Miami-Dade Co., Fla. Cir. Ct., 2004-14009-CA31, 8/14/2007 Estate of Tawney v. Columbia Natural Resources, Roane Co., W. Va., Cir. Ct., 03-C-10E 1/27/2007 Intellectual Property Microsoft Windows MP3 technology infringed on two Lucent patents. Fraud Accounting firm failed to detect fraudulent activity, resulting in bankruptcy. Contract Gas companies took deductions from plaintiffs' royalties, which weren't reflected on their royalty statements. Contract Defendants entered into land-sale contract without plaintiffs' knowledge or authority. Toxic Torts Class claimed DuPont smelter plant emitted cancer-causing toxins. Lead Plaintiff’s Attorney(s)/ Firm John M. Desmarais, Desmarais, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York Lead Defense Attorney(s)/ Firm John E. Gartman, Fish & Richardson P.C., San Diego
2
$521,689,343
Steven W. Thomas, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Los Angeles
Adam D. Cole, Greenberg Traurig LLP, New York
3
$404,335,138
Michael M. Carey, Carey, Scott & Douglas PLLC, Charleston, W. Va.; Marvin W. Masters, The Masters Law Firm
Timothy M. Miller, Robinson & McElwee PLLC, Charleston, W. Va.; W. Henry Lawrence, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Clarksburg, W. Va.
4
$360,000,000
5
$251,737,522
Cal X-tra v. Phoenix Holdings II LLC, Maricopa Co., Ariz., Super. Ct., CV2003008362 11/5/2007 Perrine v. E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co., Harrison Co., W.Va., Circuit Court, No. 04-C296-2fbas
6
$226,300,000
Intellectual Property
Depuy Acromed, Inc. v.
Ronald Jay Cohen, Cohen Lawrence C. Wright, Wright & Kennedy Dowd & Associates, Mesa, Ariz.; Quigley, Phoenix Johnson; Lee Allen Johnson, Lee Allen Johnson, P.C., Tempe, Ariz. Michael Papantonio, Jeffrey A. Hall, Bartlit Beck Levin Papantonio, Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP, Thomas Mitchell Echsner Chicago; David B. Thomas, & Proctor, P.A., Allen Guthrie McHugh & Pensacola, Fla.; J. Farrest Thomas, PLLC, Charleston, W. Taylor, Cochran, Cherry, Va. Givens, Smith & Montgomery, P.C., Dothan, Ala. Luke L. Dauchot, Dirk D. Thomas, Dewey
Medical device company claimed defendant violated patent on surgical screw.
Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Inc., D. Mass, 1:01-cv-10165EFH 9/27/2007
7
$219,850,000
8
$169,932,670
9
$156,289,609
10 $134,128,909
Contract Coal supplier failed to properly and timely deliver highly volatile metallurgical coal to steel company, resulting in coke oven damage. Contract Defendant breached long-term chemical supply agreement. Intellectual Property AT&T infringed on plaintiff's patents for point-of-sale activation and resale of calling cards. Products Liability Wyeth hid facts about menopause drugs' safety, resulting in breast cancer. Contract Dental groups' contract with administration company stymied growth. Products Liability Resin maker failed to warn insulation manufacturer of resin's
Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corp. v. Central West Virginia Energy Co., Brooke Co., W. Va., Cir. Ct., 05-C-85-MJG 7/2/2007 BASF Corp. v. Lyondell Chemical Co., Morris Co., N.J., Super. Ct., MRS-001069-05 TGIP Inc. v. AT&T Corp., E.D. Texas, 2:06-CV-105 9/17/2007
Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Los Angeles; Calvin P. Griffith, Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, Cleveland Godfrey, Susman Godfrey L.L.P David B. Fawcett, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Pittsburgh
Ballantine LLP, Washington, D.C.
W. Henry Jernigan Jr., Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Charleston, W.Va.; James A. Walls, Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC, Morgantown, W.Va. H. Lee Godfrey, Susman Godfrey L.L.P., Houston
Eugene F. Assaf, Kirkland & Ellis LLP Washington, D.C Douglas A. Cowley, McKool Smith, P.C., Dallas
Brian V. Medlock Jr., Sidley Austin, LLP, Dallas
Rowatt v. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., Second Judicial Dist. Ct., Washoe Co., Nev., 0401699 11/8/2007 PDG PA v. PDHC Ltd., Hennepin Co., Minn. Dist. Ct., 27-CV06-2500, 27-CV-0713030, 12/13/2007 CTA Acoustics Inc. v. Borden, Laurel Co., Ky., Cir. Ct., 04-CI00122 5/21/2007
11 $130,540,647
Zoe Littlepage and Rainey C. Booth, Littlepage Booth, Houston; Leif Reid, Lewis and Roca LLP, Phoenix Joseph W. Anthony, Anthony Ostlund & Baer P.A., Minneapolis
Dan K. Webb, Winston & Strawn LLP, Chicago; and Heidi K. Hubbard, Williams & Connolly LLP, Washington, D.C. Terence M. Fruth, Fruth, Jamison & Elsass, P.A., Minneapolis
12 $122,674,256
Perry M. Bentley, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, Lexington, Ky.; Grace A. Carter, Paul, Hastings,
Prentice "Hank" Marshal Jr., Sidley Austin LLP, Chicag
13 $110,000,000
14 $109,026,094
15 $108,000,000
combustibility, resulting in massive explosion. Sexual Assault From age 3 to 16, girl was assaulted and raped by her father almost daily in the 1950s and 1960s. Medical Malpractice Doctors misdiagnosed abscess, resulting in brain damage Toxic Torts Defendants dumped hazardous waste in landfill. Whistleblower Contractors' bids for construction jobs were rigged.
Janofsky & Walker LLP Martin v. Swain, Volusia Co., Fla., Cir. Ct.; 2006 20186 4/2/2007 W. Glenn Mayfield and William H. Ogle, Mayfield & Ogle, P.A., Daytona Beach Not represented
Dockery v. Sprecher, Queens Supreme, N.Y., 20379/04
James Wilkens, Duffy, Duffy & Burdo, Uniondale, N.Y
Patrick Brea, Brea Yankowitz Floral Park, N.Y
16 $103,038,087.66
Dirt Inc. v. Shawcor Ltd., Robert T. Cunningham Mobile Co., Ala., Cir. Ct., Jr., Cunningham, Bounds, V-05-001523, 11/01/2007 Crowder, Brown & Breedlove, L.L.C., Mobile, Ala. United States of America Robert B. Bell and Robert v. Philipp Holzmann D. Cultice, WilmerHale, A.G., Washington D.C D.D.C., 1:95-cv-01231RCL 5/14/2007 Barrak v. Report Investments Corp. Inc., 02-26271-CA-01, MiamiDade Co., Fla. Cir. Ct., 11th 11/28/2007 Asyst Technologies Inc. v. Emtrak Inc., N.D. Calif., 98-20451 JF 1/31/2007 AIG Annuity Insurance Co. v. Sears, Roebuck and Co., Dallas Co., Texas, Dist. Ct. 2/2/2007 Michael A. Haggard, The Haggard Law Firm, Coral Gables, Fla
Donald E. Godwin, Godwin Pappas Ronquillo LLP, Dallas; Charles L. Miller Jr., Miller & Hedge, Mobile, Ala Charles S. Leeper, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Washington, D.C.; June Ann Sauntry, Troutman Sanders Public Affairs Group LLC, Atlanta Thomas J. McCausland, Conroy, Simberg, Ganon, Krevans, Abel, Lurvey, Morrow & Schefer, P.A., Hollywood, Fla. Floyd R. Nation, Howrey LLP, Houston
17 $102,714,734
Premises Liability Man shot in neck during robbery in strip club's parking lot. Intellectual Property Manufacturer claimed infringement on integrated circuitmaking technology. Contract Sears violated contract by redeeming bonds early.
18 $74,700,000
Darryl M. Woo, Fenwick & West LLP, San Francisco, Calif.
19 $73,500,648
Mark S. Werbner, Sayles Werbner, Dallas; Paul Defilippo, Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch LLP, New York
Jeffrey M. Tillotson, Lynn, Lynn, Tillotson & Pinker LLP, Dallas
20 $70,000,000
Medical Malpractice Woman sustained permanent bowel dysfunction as a result of doctor's failure to detect damage of her ureter.
Raghubar v. Muscillo, Bronx Co., Supreme, N.Y., Sup. Ct., 16441/02, 4/13/2007
Arthur L. Salmon, Morelli Ratner PC New York, NY
Timothy J. Sheehan, Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, New York, NY