Jeffrey Douglass

Jeff Douglass is Chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice and is a Partner in the firm’s Product Liability, Mass Torts & Class Actions Practice. Mr. Douglass is a member of the firm’s Executive and Management Committees and previously served as the firm’s General Counsel.

Mr. Douglass maintains a national commercial litigation practice with a particular emphasis on class action, product liability, toxic tort, and other complex, high-exposure litigation. He has experience in a broad range of industries, including consumer products, pharmaceutical, real estate, healthcare, and automotive.

His clients range from nationwide manufacturers, distributors and retailers of products, to real estate funds and developers. He currently is acting as national coordinating counsel for one of the country’s largest retailers in connection with its defense of various claims in state and federal courts around the country relating to a popular herbicide. He is also serving as national coordinating counsel and trial counsel for a company in connection with its defense of over 150 lead-paint personal injury and public nuisance claims. In addition, he is defending numerous e-cigarette/vaping companies involved in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of devices against product liability claims in lawsuits filed around the country.

Mr. Douglass has previously acted as counsel for an international pharmaceutical manufacturer in connection with a significant number of lawsuits that were consolidated before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL). He also defended one of the country’s largest retailers in connection with various product liability and tax class actions. In addition, he defended an international real estate developer in connection with more than 50 individual, multi-party and putative class action lawsuits.

Mr. Douglass has litigated cases in trial courts throughout Georgia and has handled a number of appeals before the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court. In addition to Georgia, Mr. Douglass has represented clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the United States, as well as in MDL proceedings.

Mr. Douglass also represents clients in connection with complex insurance coverage disputes. He advises clients on issues relating to first and third-party insurance coverage and has significant experience representing clients involved in declaratory judgments and other insurance coverage litigation in state and federal courts around the United States.

Mr. Douglass is actively involved in various pro bono matters. He chaired the firm’s Pro Bono Program for seven years, during which time the firm received numerous awards for its program, including:

Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta’s (PBPA) “Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year” in 2016
State Bar of Georgia’s “Business Commitment Award” in 2019
PBPA’s “Above & Beyond Award” in 2022

Representative Experience

Burton et al. v. American Cyanamid Co., et al., 2022 WL 623895 (E.D. Wis. 2022) (obtained summary judgment for manufacturing defendant in seven cases involving over 150 plaintiffs alleging ingestion of white lead carbonate)
Burton et al. v. Armstrong Containers, Inc., et al., 994 F.3d 791 (7th Cir. 2021) (trial and appellate counsel for manufacturing defendant in obtaining complete reversal of $6 million jury verdict in multi-plaintiff federal lawsuit alleging ingestion of white lead carbonate)
Ansley Walk Condo. Ass’n, Inc. v. Atlanta Dev. Auth., 362 Ga. App. 191, 867 S.E.2d 600 (2021), cert. denied (Ga. Oct. 25, 2022) (affirming trial court's denial of motion for class certification in multi-plaintiff lawsuit alleging inverse condemnation and trespass)
Clark v. American Cyanamid Co., et al., Appeal No. 2014AP000775 (Wisc. Ct. App.) (counsel for manufacturing defendant in connection with appeal of order finding retroactive application of amendment to tort reform statute unconstitutional)
Gibson v. American Cyanamid Co., et al., 760 F.3d 600 (7th Cir. 2014) (counsel for manufacturing defendant in appeal of product defect claim involving violation of due process rights based upon application of Wisconsin risk contribution rule)
S2 Acquisition LLC v. Walsh, et al., State Court of Fulton County, State of Georgia, Case No. 10-EV-010576F (obtained judgment for more than $13.6 million relating to commercial construction project)
Specialty Finance Group LLC v. Minor Family Hotels, LLC, et al., State Court of Fulton County, State of Georgia, Case No. 2009EV006754F (obtained judgment in favor of national hospitality lender and against borrower and guarantor for more than $12 million relating to commercial construction project)
Liles v. Ginn-La West End, Ltd., 631 F.3d 1242 (11th Cir. 2011) (affirming district court’s dismissal of multi-plaintiff action arising under Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act based on improper venue, due to forum-selection clause in applicable purchase contracts)
Godoy ex rel. Gramling v. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., 768 N.W.2d 674 (Wis. 2009) (affirming dismissal by trial court of plaintiff’s design defect claim relating to sale of white lead carbonate pigment)
Passarella v. The Ginn Co., 637 F.Supp.2d 352 (D.S.C. 2009) (denying plaintiff’s motion to remand and holding that removal was proper under Class Action Fairness Act, notwithstanding “non-removal” provision of Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act)
Kitzes v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., 872 N.E.2d 53 (Ill. App. 2007) (affirming trial court’s denial of plaintiff’s motion for certification of nationwide class on ground that plaintiff failed to satisfy predominance requirement under Illinois class action statute)
Martin v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., 225 F.R.D. 198 (W.D. Tex. 2004) (defeating attempt to certify statewide product liability class action on the grounds that plaintiffs had failed to satisfy commonality, typicality and adequacy requirements necessary to maintain a class action)
Ardoin v. Stine Lumber Co., 220 F.R.D. 459 (W.D. La. 2004) (defeating attempt to certify nationwide and statewide class of homeowners due to plaintiffs’ failure to satisfy typicality, adequacy and predominance requirements under federal class action statute)
Priluck & Nordone v. Miller, 2004 WL 5311932 (Ga. Super. 2004) (granting summary judgment in favor of client in connection with partnership dispute and finding non-compete and liquidated damages provisions enforceable)
Priority Fire Protection, Inc. v. Bask Decatur Hotel, LLC, 2004 WL 5314405 (Ga. Super. 2004) (granting summary judgment in connection with contract dispute and rejecting defendant’s defense of fraudulent inducement in connection with same)
Priority Fire Protection, Inc. v. Bask Decatur Hotel, LLC, 2004 WL 5314404 (Ga. Super. 2004) (awarding client fees and expenses under O.C.G.A. § 13-6-11 following trial)
Jacobs v. Osmose, Inc., 213 F.R.D. 607 (S.D. Fla. 2003) (defeating attempt to certify multi-state class of pressure treated wood owners based on plaintiffs’ failure to satisfy predominance, typicality and manageability requirements)
Miller v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., 199 F. Supp. 2d 502 (W.D. La. 2001) (defeating plaintiffs’ attempt to remand nationwide putative class action case to state court by establishing fraudulent joinder of non-diverse parties)

Membership

Member, Product Liability Advisory Council
Member, Defense Research Institute
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Atlanta Bar Association
Former Member, Advisory Committee, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta

MMMPact in the Community

MMMPact Pro Bono Super Star (2020, 2021)

Jeffrey K. Douglass

Representative Experience

Membership

MMMPact in the Community

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