Alabama

Firm overview

Lightfoot, Franklin & White is dedicated to solving client challenges, from complex, “bet the company” litigation to internal and government investigations, risk management, and compliance. Lightfoot lawyers are committed to understanding our clients’ challenges and tailoring solutions so they can concentrate on their core mission.

Lightfoot attorneys spend every moment on a matter pursuing the best possible resolution for clients. While business disputes are inevitable, they can divert attention from core operations. Our primary objective is to manage litigation efficiently as a strategic partner, enabling clients to get back to what they do best – running successful enterprises.

Leadership
Lightfoot has established itself as a formidable defense litigation firm. Since 2019, Benchmark Litigation has recognized Lightfoot as a “Top 20 Trial Law Firm” in the nation. We continue to expand our footprint as national and regional counsel for some of the nation’s foremost companies and manufacturers. Six Lightfoot partners are fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers, with two of the firm’s founding partners previously serving as president.

Efficient Litigation Strategy Focused on the Client
The lawyers at Lightfoot develop litigation strategies tailored to resolve disputes efficiently and align with our clients’ objectives. Whether it’s shutting down a lawsuit with a well-crafted motion to dismiss, defending a client’s rights by securing a favorable settlement, or taking a matter through a trial to a verdict or ruling, we find the solution that fits every unique scenario. We manage the legal intricacies so clients can focus on their businesses, fostering a collaborative and forward-looking partnership.

Talent Honed by Decades of Tackling Challenging Cases
For over three decades, Lightfoot’s lawyers have represented clients in nearly every U.S. jurisdiction. Established during a period when Alabama jurisdictions were adversarial to corporations, we’ve honed our craft facing pioneering legal challenges and plaintiffs’ attacks not attempted anywhere else. This deep-rooted experience ensures our clients benefit from vast institutional knowledge, regardless of the jurisdiction—a tradition we’ve upheld from Alabama to our Houston, Texas location.

Trusted Counsel to Well-Known Companies
We serve a diverse range of industry-leading national, international and multinational companies across a broad range of sectors. Lightfoot’s lawyers regularly handle cases involving commercial disputes, product liability, catastrophic injury, healthcare, energy, white-collar disputes, internal investigations, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, collegiate athletics, and the media.

Firm overview

Christian & Small is a multi-disciplinary law firm celebrating 23 years serving individuals and regional, national, and international companies, as well as emerging businesses. The firm represents clients throughout the Southeast and members of the firm serve as national coordinating counsel, regional counsel, and statewide counsel for clients in various enterprises. Christian & Small is a proven leader among Alabama-based firms offering the high-quality legal representation expected from larger firms and the client-focused attention that distinguishes the best boutiques. Leveraging technology allows the firm to provide the exceptional service and results that its clients have come to expect, while keeping costs low. The firm’s corporate responsibility program is focused on education and diversity in one of the firm’s core values.

Main Areas of Practice:

 Appellate

• Achieved a complete victory for a major pharmaceutical company in the first of 73 ‘Average Wholesale Pricing’ cases filed by Alabama’s Attorney General. The Alabama Supreme Court reversed a multi-million-dollar jury verdict for the State and rendered judgment in our client’s favor.
• Won an appeal in which an insured sought recognition of a new bad faith cause of action against a liability insurer where the insurer offered its policy limits before suit and defended the insured without reservation.
• Successfully prosecuted mandamus to obtain dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction on behalf of manufacturer accused of polluting water

 Bankruptcy and Restructuring

• Lead counsel for the largest unsecured creditor of a shipyard in the commencement of a contested involuntary bankruptcy. The firm forced a sale of corporate assets, obtained an allowed claim in excess of $40 million, and negotiated favorable concessions that resulted in the confirmation of a consensual plan.
• Served as part of the litigation team that represented the bankruptcy trustee of Just for Feet in the aggressive pursuit of accounting malpractice and corporate government claims.
• Counsel for the unsecured creditors’ committee of Walter Energy, which at the time was the largest bankruptcy of a coal company in the US.

 
Business Services & Commercial Litigation

• Defended a software company against claims for theft of trade secrets and for inducing a competitor’s chief information officer to breach a covenant not to compete. Following an adverse verdict, the firm obtained a reversal and ultimately a complete dismissal for the client.

 
Class Action & Toxic Torts

• Nationwide representation of defendants in over 250 lawsuits filed throughout the US arising from injuries allegedly sustained by consumers of a nutritional supplement recalled by the FDA.
• Defended leading investment bank in rate payer class action arising from bond defaults and payer class action arising from bond defaults and bankruptcy of Jefferson County, Alabama.
• Represented a major financial service provider in a series of litigation and regulatory matters relating to a state retirement plan. Negotiated settlements of the class action, regulatory proceedings and all related civil litigation, and obtained dismissal oof a related derivative suit and punitive class action.
• Achieved a total victory for the domestic affiliates of one of the world’s largest banks, in a nationwide class action certified in the only multidistrict litigation case ever taken to trial in Alabama. The firm tried the case and won in the 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals while all other defendants in the financial lending business paid very large sums to settle the claims.

Emerging Technology and E-Discovery

• Representing four hospitals and two practice groups in a class action alleging a data breach of patient information and acting as local counsel for all other hospital defendants with related cases consolidated through an MDL proceeding.

 
Health Care

• Representing hospitals, academic, medical centers, physician practice groups and individual physicians in a variety of health care matters – from physician/hospital employment relationships to Certificate of Need proceedings to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, fraud and abuse issues, and false claims actions.

 
Labor & Employment

• Represented a general contractor managing construction of an electrical power steam plant to a specially negotiated collective bargaining agreement with 13 trade unions This representation included enjoining of wildcat strikes, defending unfair labor practice charges arising from union jurisdictional disputes, and defending grievances and arbitrations.
• Managed representation of five employers in separate FLSA collective actions with potential class size ranging from 100 to 600 members. Through the firm’s efforts, one case receiving initial certification and involving 60 opt-ins was pared down to fewer than 25 members. The case then settled for $10,000 with most of the last-standing claimants receiving $50. In the remaining matters, the firm’s efforts convinced the plaintiff’s counsel not to seek certification, and each was settled for under $10,000.

Professional Liability & Medical Malpractice

• Obtained a defense verdict in a medical malpractice case after a six-day trial where the defense conceded that the plaintiff was injured by the procedure but contested that there was a breach of the standard of care and the extent of the injury.
• Obtained a unanimous jury verdict in favor of a general surgeon in a case where the plaintiff claimed in excess of $400,000 in past medical expenses and $350,000 in lost wages due to permanent disability.

 
Product Liability

• Defended the manufacturer of a zero-turn riding mower in a wrongful death suit. The case was tried for three weeks to a defense verdict, which was affirmed on appeal.
• Obtained summary judgment in federal court in favor of an international manufacturer of a steel fabricating system on multi-million-dollar property damage claim arising out of a massive molten steel spill.

Obtained a defense verdict in a state court wrongful death case involving design defect and failure to warn claims against foreign agricultural tractor manufacturer.