Gardner Culpepper specializes in complex commercial litigation and class action defense. He handles disputes involving trade secret misappropriation, insurance recovery (policyholder representation), indemnity, tortious interference, defamation, misrepresentation and fraud, products liability, fiduciary duties, false advertising, breached warranties made to consumers or in acquisition agreements, restrictive covenants, and high-value contracts. He also spent much of his career as national counsel for a manufacturing client, successfully defending against multiple statewide putative consumer class actions filed across the eastern United States and involving breach of warranty and product liability claims. Gardner has successfully pursued numerous commercial ‘plaintiffs’ side cases across a wide array… Read more
Mr. Dankelman focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation. Before joining the Firm, he counseled large commercial clients a nationwide law firm that specialized in first-party property cases. For nearly two years, he served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Elizabeth Kovachevich in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit where he tried over a dozen jury trials to verdict. Mr. Dankelman earned his J.D. from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law where he graduated cum laude…. Read more
Ms. Daum represents clients in civil litigation matters in state and federal courts. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including contract and insurance disputes, shareholder disputes, employment and non-compete disputes, and real property litigation. Ms. Daum received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida in 2013. She earned her J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2017. During law school, Ms. Daum was the Executive Communications Editor of the Florida Law Review, an intern at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and a summer associate at Smith… Read more
Mr. Dave’s practice is primarily devoted to labor and employment litigation. He represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, and defends employers with regards to claims of employment discrimination, wage and hour compliance, employment torts and contracts and unfair labor practices. Mr. Dave has represented employers in labor and employment matters before the National Labor Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and in various state and federal courts. Mr. Dave also provides counsel to employers on labor and employment compliance issues including drafting employee handbooks and policy manuals, employment contracts, severance agreements and non-competition agreements. Mr. Dave… Read more
Mr. Delaney’s practice focuses on complex litigation, matters that require development of deliberate start-to-finish strategies, use of procedural devices to advance objectives, and presentation of arguments in compelling written form. Mr. Delaney has applied these skills in settings as diverse as class actions, international arbitration, and appeals. While his experience covers a range of businesses, Mr. Delaney has gained the most extensive industry-specific experience with aviation-related litigation supporting the firm’s Global Transport Practice. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Delaney served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Danny J. Boggs of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in… Read more
Ms. DeRousse has extensive experience in the areas of bankruptcy, reorganization, litigation, and asset sales. As lead counsel, she has represented official creditors’ committees throughout the country in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. Additionally, she represents companies and high earning individuals in their restructurings or workout negotiations with their lenders and other creditors. Additionally, she is known among banks and other financial institutions as a leading attorney for lenders in bankruptcy cases, out-of-court workouts of borrowers’ loans, and assignments for the benefit of creditors, using creative solutions to maximize the lenders’ recovery from collateral and other assets. In addition to her… Read more
Michael K. Desmond is a Partner in the Litigation Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP. Mr. Desmond has vast experience handling a variety of complex business matters, including accounting and legal malpractice, shareholder litigation, construction litigation, corporate investigations, bankruptcy reorganizations and bankruptcy-related litigation. In addition, he has trial experience in both federal and state court. A certified public accountant (CPA), Mr. Desmond previously served as an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University College of Law, where he taught basic financial accounting for lawyers. Prior to joining the practice of law, Mike served as assistant controller for Mid America Bank. Mr. Desmond… Read more
Elitsa represents private companies, private equity funds, family offices and shareholders in mergers and acquisitions, private placements and securities and venture capital deals. She also consults clients on general corporate governance and equity compensation matters. As part of SGR’s M&A Team for First-Time Sellers®, Elitsa has taken many founders and family-owned businesses across the finish line of a business sale. Elitsa previously served as the Leader of the Emerging Industries Team. Prior to joining the firm, she was a Corporate Associate at a boutique corporate and IP firm located in the Research Park of the University of Illinois, with a… Read more
Mr. Dodd is a commercial real estate and business lawyer with extensive experience representing investors, sponsors, developers, financial institutions and borrowers in connection with real estate acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, development and financing. Mr. Dodd regularly advises clients in connection with the acquisition, financing and disposition of medical office and multifamily properties throughout the country. His practice also includes representations of both landlords and tenants in office, retail and industrial leasing transactions. Mr. Dodd also has substantial experience representing lenders in various types of commercial real estate loans and in connection with the negotiation and structuring of loan workouts, including judicial… Read more
Neal is passionate about the roots of Rock & Roll, convertible roadsters, and hand-crafted microbrews; fortunately, not all three at the same time, nor when he is practicing law. Neal Dorman knows that clients’ lives, and their legal needs, are multifaceted and rarely easily compartmentalized into discrete departments or practice groups. As a prior member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and head of the New York Corporate Section, Neal works to ensure that the Firm’s practice groups collaborate regularly to provide clients with the most effective representation possible. His areas of focus include Corporate Law as well as Tax and… Read more
