Appellate Litigation
Our appellate practice serves clients who hire us solely for post-trial motions and appeal, as well as those who hire us to assist trial counsel before and during trial with complicated legal issues and appellate preservation. We have won many of Georgia’s most significant appellate cases, representing plaintiffs and defendants across industries. In the last five years, our lawyers have conducted oral arguments before the Georgia Court of Appeals more than 50 times, the Georgia Supreme Court 30 times, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals more than 20 times, achieving victories that have shaped the law.
The firm’s strength is bolstered by our attorneys’ extensive judicial clerkship experience, including clerkships with the Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, as well as federal district courts in Georgia, throughout the Southeast, and across the nation. In 2024, the firm’s practice group was honored as the Appellate Litigation Department of the Year by the Southeastern Legal Awards.
Representative Work
Representative Plaintiff’s Work
Defended a $281 million jury verdict before the Georgia Court of Appeals for client, David McDavid, in a breach of contract suit against Turner Broadcasting regarding the sale of two professional sports franchises and the operating rights to a sports arena.
Upheld a $454 million judgment the firm obtained against Time Warner in appeals to both the Georgia Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court, arguing against former Solicitor General Ted Olson.
Achieved a 7-0 victory before the Georgia Supreme Court in a landmark challenge to the constitutionality of the state’s caps on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice cases.
Won a precedent-setting Ninth Circuit appeal involving social media, where the court held that Snapchat was not entitled to immunity under the Communications Decency Act. The opinion has since been cited hundreds of times in other cases, legal articles, and media coverage, before the matter settled on remand.
Secured a landmark Georgia Supreme Court victory for victims of crime, affirming a $42.75 million jury verdict for a plaintiff who was shot multiple times at a CVS in Atlanta. The judgment was collected in full, despite the defendants being represented by two former Georgia Supreme Court justices.
Representative Defendant’s Work
Reversed a $457 million judgment on appeal in a contractual dispute over whether client, Weyerhauser, had agreed to indemnify Paragon Trade Brands for a patent infringement claim.
Secured the reversal of an intermediate appellate decision certifying a class action seeking a $110 million recovery under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
Achieved the dismissal of four putative class actions against not-for-profit hospitals challenging the hospitals’ pricing policies, and appeared as lead appellate counsel for the hospitals in affirming those decisions on appeal.
Represented Farley Industries in a dissenters’ rights case before the Georgia Supreme Court, which has since become the seminal case on dissenters’ rights in Georgia. The Georgia Court of Appeals resolved two questions of first impression in Georgia in favor of our clients.
