United States (National)

Lightfoot Franklin & White 

Lightfoot, Franklin & White is a respected trial and litigation boutique, best known for its deep bench of experienced trial lawyers and its ability to handle high-stakes, complex disputes. The firm has a strong record in defending clients across product liability, white-collar defense, commercial litigation, and healthcare, often stepping in on the eve of trial to secure favorable outcomes.  

Trial-tested lawyers Lana Olson and John Johnson defended DuPont de Nemours and its related entities in environmental litigation brought by the Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Gadsden, which alleged PFAS contamination of its raw water intake. The claims mirrored those from a prior lawsuit filed and settled in 2016, but the new complaint omitted any reference to the earlier case. Lightfoot successfully argued that the claims were time-barred, as the alleged injury was known no later than 2016. The Alabama Supreme Court rejected the plaintiffs' arguments that more recent regulatory changes or different PFAS compounds created new injuries. It also found no basis for claims under continuing tort or abatable nuisance theories. The Court also dismissed claims against a co-defendant for lack of specific personal jurisdiction, holding that foreseeability alone could not establish jurisdiction under Alabama law. Olson continues to be highlighted as one of Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation. Adam Peck is no stranger to the courtroom and has been devoted to trial work for more than 30 years. Peck is lead defense counsel for Teal Sales Inc., a Washington state-based family-owned business that designs machinery for the wood processing industry, in a high-stakes product liability lawsuit that concluded with a defense verdict in the client’s favor. The case involved a plaintiff seeking $7.3 million in damages after sustaining a catastrophic upper extremity injury while working at an Alabama mill in 2021. The plaintiff alleged the trim waste conveyor belt was negligently designed and lacked a necessary barrier guard, which he claimed contributed to his injuries. Enrique Gimenez served as lead defense counsel for U-Haul in a product liability trial in Miami-Dade County, Florida, successfully defending against claims that the company had failed to adequately repair and maintain the brake system on one of its vehicles, allegedly contributing to a crash that caused severe injuries. The Lightfoot team countered these claims by presenting testimony from both fact witnesses and experts to highlight U-Haul’s comprehensive maintenance and inspection policies. They argued that the crash resulted from the rental vehicle driver’s inattention, not from any negligence by the company. After a four-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes before returning a full defense verdict in favor of U-Haul. Seasoned litigator Lee Hollis represents The Boppy Company in a wrongful death product liability case involving the Boppy Newborn Lounger (NBL). The lawsuit was brought by the mother of a 29-day-old infant who died while placed in the NBL in bed between the parents as they slept. The plaintiff alleges that the design and manufacture of the lounger contributed to the infant’s death, despite the product being marketed for “awake time” use and intended only for supervised environments when parents need a safe resting place for their baby. The firm was retained by the excess insurance carrier shortly before the close of fact discovery and quickly assumed control of the defense in a case already deep in litigation. Fact and expert discovery have since concluded, and Daubert motions and motions for summary judgment are currently pending, with a trial scheduled for October 2025. Trusted advocate R. Ashby Pate served as lead plaintiffs' counsel for the City of Birmingham in a high-profile energy performance contract dispute with Trane U.S. Inc., a Fortune 500 company and national vendor. The case, filed in 2022, centered on allegations that Trane failed to deliver on promised energy savings of over $102 million from upgrades to 119 city facilities. Following the close of discovery, Pate successfully secured a favorable $21.3 million settlement for the City of Birmingham, comprised of both cash and free services. High-stakes litigator J. Chandler Bailey represents General Motors in a wrongful death product liability case involving a 2021 GMC Yukon and claims of crashworthiness defects. The plaintiffs were returning from a family vacation when their vehicle was struck head-on by a car that crossed a six-lane highway median, then struck again from behind by a trailing vehicle. The Yukon rolled and caught fire, with all occupants surviving except one daughter. While the remaining family members suffered minimal injuries, they filed suit against GM alleging design defects. The firm secured early procedural wins and successfully moved the case to Wilbarger County, a more appropriate and neutral venue, after defeating inflated warranty-based venue arguments.