Appeals Significant Cases
Court Affirms Summary Judgment in Public Employee First Amendment Case
Michael Hill obtained affirmance of a summary judgment award on behalf of the City of Roswell and its police officers in the Eleventh Court of Appeals after a former city police officer was terminated for…
Michael Hill obtained affirmance of a summary judgment award on behalf of the City of Roswell and its police officers in the Eleventh Court of Appeals after a former city police officer was terminated for flying a Confederate flag at her home. She filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging that her First Amendment right to free speech had been violated. Mr. Hill argued that the officer’s display of the flag could impair the City’s ability to effectively run the police department and could diminish the public’s trust in the police. Applying the balancing test established by the Supreme Court in Pickering v. Board of Education, the Court held that the city’s interest in effective and efficient fulfillment of the police department’s operations outweighed plaintiff’s speech interest. The Court found that the city has a “clear interest” in maintaining a favorable reputation with the public that could be impeded if members of the public associate the symbolism of the Confederate flag with the police department.
Silvia Cotriss v. City of Roswell, et al., Case No. 19-12747 (11th Cir., June 29, 2022).
More Successes
More Successes
Eleventh Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment in Property Loss Suit
FMG attorneys Phil Savrin and Bill Buechner secured summary judgment in favor of an insurance company that had been sued for millions of dollars in claimed property losses. The lawsuit was filed in 2019 and took several years to…
New York Federal Court Grants Motion for Judgment in Insurance Coverage Dispute
FMG attorneys Jonathan Schwartz and Danielle Rudkin prevailed on a motion for judgment on the pleadings in federal court in New York on behalf of an insurance company. This case involved a medical doctor seeking coverage from the insurance…
Georgia Court of Appeals Victory
FMG attorneys Dana Maine, Kevin Stone and Katie Taylor obtained a win in the Georgia Court of Appeals in a tort and breach of contract case against a governmental entity and its development authority. The plaintiff, a subsidiary…
Summary Judgment in South Carolina Construction Coverage Action
FMG attorney Shawn Bingham prevailed at summary judgment in a South Carolina federal court for an insurance company in an insurance coverage dispute arising from the construction of a large mixed-use development in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.…
Defense Verdict in Massachusetts Wrongful Death Case
FMG partners Michael J. Griffin and Richard L. Nahigian recently won a medical malpractice wrongful death case filed by the estate of a nursing home resident. The plaintiff’s estate alleged that the 52 year-old wheelchair bound resident died after…
Dismissal in New Mexico Insurance Dispute
FMG attorneys Lorne Hiller and Jay Graif prevailed on a motion for judgment on the pleadings asking the Court to determine that there was no duty to defend or indemnify under two policies of insurance for an alleged $3.5…
Eleventh Circuit Affirms Dismissal in Landmark ADA Emotional Distress Case
Wayne Melnick and Michael Hill prevailed before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in a case of first impression regarding whether Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act permits recovery for emotional-distress damages. The…
Summary Judgment in Pennsylvania Legal Malpractice Dispute
Meaghan Mahon and Patrick Cosgrove prevailed on a motion for summary judgment in the Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas on a legal malpractice claim concerning an underlying divorce settlement. The matter pertained to our…
Summary Judgment in Ohio Sovereign Immunity Dispute
Doug Holthus and Cara Wright obtained summary judgment in favor of the City of Kenton and its police officer in a case arising from a traffic crash that occurred when the police officer was responding…
Complete Dismissal in Utah Data Breach Class Action
Justin Boron, Kevin Ringel and Danielle Ocampo successfully obtained a dismissal on all counts in a data breach class action lawsuit. Plaintiffs alleged they suffered injuries as a result of a data breach incident and…
Illinois Appellate Court Upholds Pre-Accident Waiver
Michael Sanders, Brad Purcell and Sophie Stevanovich obtained a favorable decision from the Illinois Appellate Court affirming the use of exculpatory clauses. Plaintiff broke her ankle after falling while top rope climbing at an indoor facility. Plaintiff…
Georgia Supreme Court Upholds Sovereign Immunity Dismissal
Sun Choy and Wes Jackson obtained an appellate victory for the City of Roswell in a case involving an officer’s use of spike strips to stop a high-speed pursuit. The officer involved parked his car…