Huff Powell Bailey

Another defense verdict secured by Huff Powell Bailey's South Carolina attorneys David Williford and Timothy Maio. David and Tim tried this medical malpractice case in Richland County, South Carolina, a venue typically difficult for the defense. They represented an oncology physician who prescribed Venetoclax as a chemosensitizer for a patient with an aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia that had developed into Richter's transformation, a more aggressive form of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The 800mg of Venetoclax was intended to potentiate the chemotherapy the patient was receiving. The patient took the first dose in the morning and that afternoon he contacted the physician and presented to the ER with new symptoms of nausea, fever and tingling. The patient died in the ER. The plaintiff alleged that the oncologist overprescribed the medication causing tumor lysis syndrome (TLS), which was listed as a black box warning in the package insert for the medication. The plaintiff also alleged that the defendant negligently failed to monitor the patient while he was taking the medication. David and Tim argued that the 800mg of Venetoclax was appropriately prescribed based on the literature and the consultation and approval of a sub-specialist. They also demonstrated through experts that because he was in his second cycle of chemotherapy, his risk for TLS was low, and therefore, allowed him to be managed on an outpatient basis. Defendants further argued with the assistance of experts that the postmortem and toxicology disproved that the patient died from TLS and Venetoclax. Instead, the defense asserted that the patient's death was caused by extensive tumor burden, extensive liver necrosis and acute liver failure as a result of the cancer/tumor burden. Plaintiff was seeking $8 million in damages. The jury returned a verdict for the defense after approximately 2 hours of deliberation. David is a partner in Huff Powell Bailey's Greenville, South Carolina office. A significant portion of his practice is devoted to the defense of medical malpractice cases. David has tried many of these cases and has a proven track record of obtaining successful results for his clients, which include physicians, nurses, mid-levels, hospitals, and other healthcare entities. He is routinely recognized by his peers as a Legal Elite attorney, a SuperLawyer, and a Top Lawyer in South Carolina for the defense of medical malpractice cases. Timothy is an associate in the firm's Greenville, South Carolina office. His practice is concentrated in the defense of medical malpractice cases. He graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Prior to law school, Timothy served in the United States Marine Corps for 4 years.

Congratulations to HPB's North Carolina Trial Team, Pankaj "PK" Shere, Katherine Hilkey-Boyatt and Jonathan Earnest for their defense verdict in a 3-week medical malpractice trial last week. The case, tried in Pitt County, North Carolina, concerned the wrongful death of a 54-year-old male patient who suffered a massive heart attack 9 days after an ER visit and discharge from a local hospital. The patient initially presented to the emergency department complaining of chest pain. The defendant, a nuclear medicine cardiologist interpreted a nuclear stress test and EKG that suggested potential ischemia, or attenuation, artifact rather than severe ischemia. A cardiac CTA was suggested for follow up. The defendant nuclear medicine specialist did not see, examine or assess the patient for his clinical presentation and condition. The patient allegedly continued to experience clinical symptoms including chest pain at and after the time of discharge. He also had 2 outpatient visits with his primary care provider after discharge. He did not return to the emergency department, nor was he seen by a clinical cardiologist. The defendant was not advised of nor was he aware of the patient's ongoing symptoms and presentation. The jury returned a defense verdict after 1 hour of deliberations. PK Shere is the managing partner of Huff Powell Bailey's Raleigh office. He is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law and is licensed to practice law in Georgia, North Carolina and the District of Columbia. PK has extensive experience and success defending and trying cases for medical providers and healthcare entities. In recognition of his success, PK is frequently hired by excess carriers for national trial work in complex high stakes cases in other states. He has specific expertise and experience in birth injury cases for which he is consulted by excess carriers in cases pending in North Carolina, Georgia and many other states. PK is frequently recognized by his peers as a SuperLawyer, Best Lawyer and as a member of a Best Law Firm. He is also a member of Litigation Counsel of America and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Katherine Boyatt is a partner in the Raleigh, North Carolina office of Huff Powell Bailey. She is a UNC law grad with more than 20 years-experience defending and trying medical malpractice and long-term care cases. She also has extensive experience and particular expertise in defending and trying birth injury cases. Jonathan Earnest is an associate in the firm's Raleigh, North Carolina office. He has 2 years-experience defending medical malpractice, long-term care and general liability cases. He graduated cum laude from Campbell School of Law where he served as editor for the Campbell Law Review. In college, Jonathan was a 4-year varsity athlete.

Congratulations to our newest attorneys who passed the Georgia bar exam and were sworn in this week before the Honorable Stacey Hydrick, Judge Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia. Thank you to Judge Stacey Hydrick and her staff who made this possible. We are honored to welcome these new lawyers to the practice of law. Scherezade Mendez; Keillor Johnston; Karian Chard; Andrew Morales; and Jacob White.

Huff Powell Bailey attorneys secured another defense verdict last week in a Fulton County, Georgia labor and delivery medical malpractice case. The lawsuit alleged that the medical providers failed to properly monitor the labor of a 40-year-old pregnant patient, failed to properly interpret fetal monitor tracings and failure to timely intervene to perform an expedited delivery of the infant. Plaintiffs alleged that these failures resulted in uterine rupture and hypoxic ischemic injury to the infant. Plaintiffs were seeking $88 million in damages. The defense team demonstrated through the testimony of treatment providers and independent expert witnesses that the care and treatment was proper and did not cause the injury alleged. Taylor Tribble is the Managing Partner of Huff Powell Bailey. In addition to that role, she has a very busy trial practice. Taylor handles many medical malpractice cases and high exposure general liability cases and takes several of these cases to trial each year. She has been recognized by her peers as a Georgia Super Lawyer Rising Star and a Best Lawyer and frequently gives presentations for national medical liability conferences, including Medical Professional Liability conferences and ACI labor and delivery malpractice conferences. Taylor obtained her law degree from the University of Georgia where she served on the Moot Court Board and competed on both the Intrastate and Hulsey Kimbrell Moot Court Teams. Taylor was also the Articles Editor for the Journal of International and Comparative Law. Josephine Hardin is an attorney in the Atlanta office of Huff Powell Bailey. She is a 2023 graduate, with honors, of Emory University School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Emory International Law Review. In the last year, Josephine has gained valuable trial experience serving as defense counsel in the trials of several medical malpractice cases in Georgia, reflecting the firm's philosophy of getting young attorneys into trial early and often. Josephine is also licensed to practice in New York. www.huffpowellbailey.com

Huff Powell Bailey Partners Lindsey Cassimus and Scott Bailey secured another defense verdict for their clients in a recent Georgia medical malpractice trial. Lindsey and Scott tried the case in Fulton County, Georgia. Plaintiff alleged that the defendant gastroenterologist negligently performed a colonoscopy. Plaintiff alleged that the physician caused a bowel perforation by negligently advancing the colonoscope against resistance he encountered during the procedure. The jury found that the performance of the procedure met the applicable standard of care and returned a verdict in favor of the defendants. Lindsey, who led the defense team at trial, is a Partner in the firm's Atlanta, Georgia office. She is a 2015 graduate of Emory University School of Law, where she served as Notes and Comments Editor for the Emory Law Review. She also completed a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Brian J. Amero, Judge of the Superior Court of Henry County, Georgia. Lindsey has been litigating medical malpractice cases since she joined the firm and has taken a significant number of cases to trial. Scott is a founding Partner of Huff Powell Bailey. Scott has been defending medical malpractice cases since 1996. He tries a significant number of medical malpractice cases every year. Scott is routinely recognized by his peers as a SuperLawyer. He also has been recognized by the Litigation Counsel of America, Best Lawyers, Preeminent Lawyers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 2019, Scott was inducted into the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers.

Another Georgia medical malpractice defense verdict for Atlanta's Huff Powell Bailey. Anna Fretwell and N. Caitlin Eldred tried the case in Carroll County, Georgia. There were multiple defendants involved in the trial. Anna and Caitlin represented the hospitalists internal medicine specialists. Plaintiffs alleged that the defendants negligently failed to evaluate assess, monitor and manage the patient's spinal lesion and failed to timely transfer the patient for surgery once she began showing symptoms of neurological deterioration. Plaintiffs also alleged that defendants failed to inform her and her family about treatment options and risks associated with these options. Plaintiff's injury included partial paralysis, inability to walk and pain. Plaintiffs sought $20 million in damages. The jury returned a defense verdict. Anna is a Partner in the Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia offices of HPB. She is the former managing partner of the firm. Anna represents hospitals, healthcare entities, academic health systems, physicians and other care providers and is frequently in the courtroom trying cases on behalf of these clients. It is Anna's experience trying complex cases with successful results that allows her clients the best possible outcomes in their cases. Anna is a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia School of law, summa cum laude, where she was the Articles Editor for the Georgia Law Review and a Woodruff Scholar. Anna is repeatedly recognized by her peers as a SuperLawyer and a Best Lawyer. She also is a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. Caitlin is an Associate in the Atlanta office of Huff Powell Bailey. She is a graduate of Georgia State University College of Law, magna cum laude, where she was the recipient of the Georgia Civil Justice Scholarship. Caitlin is an experienced civil defense litigator and represents healthcare entities, physicians and other healthcare providers in complex cases involving allegations of medical malpractice and other forms of negligence with excess damages exposure. She also has experience in premises liability and trucking and transportation cases. Congratulations to Anna, Caitlin and their clients, and to all defendants and their attorneys.

Congratulations to Huff Powell Bailey attorneys Jordan Dillard, Alex Vey, and Gabi Wheeler for being recognized as "Ones to Watch" for the 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers of America. Jordan is an associate in Huff Powell Bailey's Atlanta, Georgia office. Her practice includes but is not limited to the defense of healthcare providers and institutions in professional negligence cases as well as premises and general liability cases. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law where she was a semi-finalist in the J. Ralph Beaird Closing Argument Competition. She also was a regional co-champion of the American Bar Association Negotiations Competition and received the Edward J. Henning Memeorial ADR Award. Jordan has also completed several internships with the CDC, the Georgia Hospital Association, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Prior to law school Jordan Played Division I Women's Basketball for Villanova University. Alex is an associate in the firm's Atlanta, Georgia office. He serves on the firm's specialized Appellate Practice Team, where he represents physicians, nurses, hospitals and other healthcare providers in medical malpractice and negligence cases before Georgia's appellate courts. Alex is a graduate of Vanderbilt University's School of Law, where he served as the Notes Editor for the Vanderbilt Law Review and was actively involved in the Moot Court Board and the ABA Moot Court Team. Alex's work experience also includes serving as Assistant Attorney General for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office. Gabi is an associate in Huff Powell Bailey's Atlanta, Georgia office. She is an experienced medical malpractice defense attorney with extensive experience handling complex cases with potential for excess damages exposure. She also represents healthcare providers in general liability cases involving catastrophic injuries and excess damages exposure. Gabi is a 2012 graduate of Georgia State University's College of Law. She spent the first portion of her career as a Senior Legal Analyst for the CDC in Atlanta.

Congratulations to our Partner Daniel Huff, selected as "Lawyer of the Year!"

While we believe all HPB attorneys are best lawyers, we are pleased to announce that 18 of our attorneys, a majority of our partners, have been selected as Best Lawyers for the 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers in America. Congratulations to our Best Lawyers in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. www.huffpowellbailey.com

Huff Powell Bailey Partners Lindsey Cassimus and Scott Bailey secured another defense verdict for their clients in a recent Georgia medical malpractice trial. Lindsey and Scott tried the case in Fulton County, Georgia. Plaintiff alleged that the defendant gastroenterologist negligently performed a colonoscopy. Plaintiff alleged that the physician caused a bowel perforation by negligently advancing the colonoscope against resistance he encountered during the procedure. The jury found that the performance of the procedure met the applicable standard of care and returned a verdict in favor of the defendants. Lindsey, who led the defense team at trial, is a Partner in the firm's Atlanta, Georgia office. She is a 2015 graduate of Emory University School of Law, where she served as Notes and Comments Editor for the Emory Law Review. She also completed a two-year clerkship with the Honorable Brian J. Amero, Judge of the Superior Court of Henry County, Georgia. Lindsey has been litigating medical malpractice cases since she joined the firm and has taken a significant number of cases to trial. Scott is a founding Partner of Huff Powell Bailey. Scott has been defending medical malpractice cases since 1996. He tries a significant number of medical malpractice cases every year. Scott is routinely recognized by his peers as a SuperLawyer. He also has been recognized by the Litigation Counsel of America, Best Lawyers, Preeminent Lawyers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 2019, Scott was inducted into the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers.