OUR WORK

We represent families and survivors in federal and state lawsuits involving fraternity death, fraternity rape, fraternity hazing injury, hazing death, wrongful death, serious personal injury, sexual assault, gun violence and Title IX violations.  For example, on October 12, 2017, attorney Monica Beck obtained a $1.8 Million verdict on behalf of one of our clients in Federal Court against Chad Curtis, a former major league baseball player (now incarcerated) who sexually assaulted four of our clients in high school. In 2014 we obtained approximately $5 Million in federal court judgments and settlements for young girls improperly videotaped and photographed by their elementary school teacher, enabling them to obtain the quality mental health care they deserve, pay for college, and, for some, purchase homes for themselves and families. In July 2018, Doug Fierberg obtained a settlement in excess of $300 Million for a client minutes before opening statements in a trial.  We help rape survivors achieve justice in school disciplinary hearings, since these proceedings are pivotal in protecting students and their Title IX and educational rights.  As part of our practice focusing on women’s rights, we are defending sexual assault survivors who have been sued by perpetrators for defamation, and filing counterclaims on their behalf to obtain compensation for their injuries.  In 2014, attorney Laura Dunn founded the national non-profit, SurvJustice, to increase “the prospect of justice for all survivors through legal assistance, policy advocacy, and institutional training.”  In 2018, Ms. Dunn was a featured presenter at TED Talks, a global forum for experts to address the biggest issues faced by the world.  Her talk was entitled, “It’s time for the law to protect victims of gender violence,” and has been viewed by approximately 500,000 people.

We have served as lead counsel in lawsuits, administrative complaints, mediation, and school disciplinary proceedings in numerous states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

We have established legal precedent in numerous states (Federal and State courts), created legacies for our clients, and collected tens and tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements against individuals, corporations, fraternities, educational institutions, enablers and con-apologists responsible for harming our clients.  “You and Jon were amazing!  We had them outlawyered today, which gives us a fighting chance of having it acknowledged that our son died from hazing, and that steps will be taken to prevent others from being harmed/killed.  All because of you, Jon and the Team in Michigan and PA!”  Surviving Parent/Client, 2017. 

Our litigation and trial skills also assist our commercial work, advice and litigation on behalf of individuals, for-profit and non-profit organizations and start-ups nationwide:

• For more than 20 years, we have served as outside general counsel for the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (“NACA”), this country’s most progressive, aggressive and successful organization fighting housing discrimination and predatory lending.  NACA has made the American Dream of homeownership possible for thousands of working people, forcing banks to commit billions of dollars to end discrimination.  See www.naca.com
  
• We served as lead trial attorneys for Rolling Stone LLC, Jann Wenner and Wenner Media LLC, legendary global media companies defending a $25 Million defamation lawsuit filed against them arising out of an article Rolling Stone published on the subject of sexual assaults at college fraternities.  Our work uncovered numerous legal and factual flaws in the allegations against Rolling Stone, and, as a result, the claims were successfully resolved for a small fraction of the damages sought. 
• We served as lead trial attorneys for Rolling Stone, Jann Wenner and Wenner Media in defense of a federal lawsuit brought against them in New York by individual members of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.  The lawsuit was dismissed.
• For more than 25 years, we have served as general counsel for the International Titanium Association, an association of American and multi-national businesses operating worldwide.  See www.titanium.org
  
• We initiate and defend litigation in Washington, D.C. and Virginia on behalf of Grosvenor Urban Retail, LP, a London-based, global leader in commercial real estate.  See www.grosvenor.com
  
• For more than 20 years, we have served as outside general counsel for Fasano Associates, Inc., a D.C.-headquartered diversified underwriting organization serving the life insurance, annuity/structured settlement, life settlement and related industries nationwide.

Our commercial advice covers a wide-spectrum of start-up, entity formation, operational, employment, management, leasing, litigation, strategic and governance legal issues.  And, when conflict cannot be circumvented, we have successfully brought, defended and resolved numerous types of commercial claims, as well as investigative and enforcement actions brought by state and federal agencies.

Un abogado en nuestro bufete, Jonathon Fazzola, está disponible para hacer consultas en español para los clientes de habla hispana.  We have successfully represented a number of people who struggle to speak and/or understand English.  We have ready access to translators fluent in Arabic, Chinese and Russian.  Igualidad ante la ley.  根据法律面前人人平等