Steve Lowry is an award-winning litigator who has secured record-setting jury verdicts on behalf of his clients. A passionate advocate for individuals who have been harmed by the actions of others, Steve has won numerous top 10 verdicts in Georgia, including a $43.5 million jury verdict for Terhune v. Forum Group Corp et al., the state’s largest judgment on record against a nursing home facility; a $40 million jury verdict for Jenkins v. Lambert, the #1 largest jury verdict in Georgia for 2016; and a $11.5 million verdict for Bilbrey v. United States of America, one of the largest verdicts ever secured against the United States government.

A law review editor and cum laude graduate of Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College and a magna cum laude graduate of University of Maryland Baltimore County, Steve began his career working alongside Joe C. Freeman Jr., a legendary Atlanta trial lawyer known for defending the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company in suicide cases, representing JCPenney in flammable pajama cases and serving as national counsel for Chrysler.

Early in his career, Steve handled both plaintiff and defense cases, but after he represented the family of a six-year-old girl who suffered severe burns on 80% of her body due to a polyurethane foam mattress, he knew he wanted to dedicate his career to righting the wrongs caused by big corporations and defective products. He is a passionate advocate for clients and has a strong track record of winning cases against major corporations.

Steve excels at product liability cases and tried Zakrocki v. Ford Motor Company case, securing a $10.6 million verdict in New Jersey after demonstrating that his client’s Ford Explorer suffered from a defect that the auto manufacturer knew about and attempted to conceal. He also demonstrated Ford’s negligence in Mundy v. Ford Motor Company, which resulted in a federal investigation of the company and an impressive $40 million jury verdict.

Also focusing on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, Steve puts his heart and soul into getting the best results for clients, often securing justice in tragic circumstances. In Allen v. Consolidated OB-GYN, Steve successfully advocated for a woman whose death was the direct result of post-birth complications and lengthy treatment delays, securing a $4.3 million jury verdict.

Steve’s highly competitive nature and his unique ability to persuade jurors and to connect with clients has led to many victories in the courtroom and beyond. He has also earned respect from his peers for his exceptional trial work, including being named to Super Lawyer’s annual list of the top Georgia lawyers since 2007. In fact, Steve has been named to the Georgia Super Lawyers’ prestigious Top 100 list for the last two years.

Steve’s impressive record as a plaintiff’s trial lawyer and as a tireless advocate for clients earned him the American Association for Justice’s illustrious F. Scott Baldwin Most Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award in 2009. In 2011, he was chosen as one of 14 lawyers for the Fulton County Daily Report’s On the Rise. In 2014, he was honored as the only lawyer to be inducted twice into VerdictSearch’s Georgia Verdicts Hall of Fame in the categories of product liability and medical malpractice.

A sought-after speaker, Steve has lectured extensively on all areas of trial work, including trial tactics, wrongful death, product liability, trucking, cross-examination, business trials and intellectual property disputes. He has published numerous articles in the Savannah Morning News, Business in Savannah and various legal publications.

Steve currently serves in leadership positions in numerous organizations, including the Board of Governors of American Association of Justice, Executive Committee of Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Green Law Board of Directors and Board of Directors of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association. He is also a Past President of the Savannah Trial Lawyers Association.

Steve lives in Savannah with his wife, Leilani, and their two daughters and is the host of The Great Trials Podcast.

Honors and Awards:

Georgia Verdicts Hall of Fame – Inducted twice in Medical Malpractice and Product Liability, 2014
2009 F. Scott Baldwin Award – Most Outstanding Trial Lawyer of the Year by the American Association of Justice, Young and New Lawyers Division
Georgia Super Lawyer (awarded each year 2007 – present)
Fulton County Daily Report “On the Rise” 2011
Elected to American Board of Trial Advocates
Fellow in the American Bar Foundation
Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel
Top 100 Lawyers in Georgia by the National Association of Trial Lawyers
Georgia Super Lawyers Top 100

Areas of Practice:

Trial
Defective Products
Trucking
Injury
Aviation Accidents
Motor Vehicles Accidents
Wrongful Death
Automotive Defects
Medical Malpractice
Business Litigation
Bad Faith

Bar Admissions:

Georgia, 1998
U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia, 2000
U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 1999
U.S. District Court Southern District of Georgia, 1999
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1999
Supreme Court of Georgia, 1999
U.S. Supreme Court

Education:

Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law, Portland, Oregon, 1998, J.D.
Honors: Cum Laude
Law Review: Lewis and Clark College Northwestern School of Law Review, Associate Editor, 1996 – 1998
University of Maryland Baltimore County, Catonsville, Maryland, 1995, B.A.
Honors: Magna Cum Laude with dual degrees
Major: History
Major: Economics

Written Contributions and Speaking Engagements

Regular contributor to BusinessinSavannah.com
Great Trials Podcast

For 3 decades Dorothy ran one of the largest worker’s compensation practices in North Central Florida. After watching her clients suffer at the hands of dishonest DME’s she studied psychological and physical tests, taking the tests herself, meeting the authors to find out how bad doctors spin the science. She was the first woman to chair the Florida Worker’s Compensation section, co founder of Florida Worker’s Advocates and former president of the Marion County Bar Association.

Thereafter, she was asked to write a book about her experience by nationally known jury consultant, David Ball. Her book, Exposing the Deceptive Defense Doctor published by James Publishing was a number one best seller 3 years in a row. It has grown to 2 volumes and is over 1,000 pages with an additional CD of sample depositions.

Sims was also in charge of forensics while representing Casey Anthony in what’s been described as the trial of the century. She’s been referenced in multiple books by other lawyers for her work in leading the forensics team. She’s also published books with David Ball as well as Dr. Michael Freeman, an internationally known forensic epidemiologist.

She now limits her practice to assisting other lawyer in cross examination of expert witnesses. She also consults with lawyers to walk them through what when and how to ask questions regarding a particular expert. Her firm employees a physician who watches videos of defense exams and then prepares a list of questions based on misrepresentation of the science in the video.

She has given over 350 speeches internationally on medical/legal issues throughout the world and is often invited as the state keynote speaker. She has spoken in almost every state in the United States including Hawaii and Alaska. She has also been a featured speaker in France, Jaipur, India, and twice in Kyoto, Japan. She founded the nation’s first company designed to train doctors in India to assist lawyers in real time cross examination.

Sims has been featured in the Wall Street Journal for her work on malingering tests as well as having been an invited author for AAJ’s Trial magazine on multiple occasions and For the Defense, a national criminal defense journal. She’s also been featured in international publications as well as, Lawyers USA.

Sims has been interviewed on multiple television shows including Greta Van Sustern, In Sessions, and Piers Morgan and been the subject of a number of documentaries.

She authored many articles and chapters of books devoted to outing dishonest experts.

Sims and her work has been referred to in other books as follows:

Ball, David Reptile: The 2009 Manual of the Plaintiff’s Revolution Listed on page 263 of his book, Mr. Ball gives non optional reading and refers to Dorothy’s book as “it provides tool after tool for undermining the great shame of the American justice system: Physicians who’s personal oath is to do no harm to their wallets. Sims’s book is to these public menace physicians as is the heel of your shoe to a roach”

As to her work as the defense attorney in the most televised trial in the world, State of Florida v. Casey Anthony, books refer to her as follows:

Baez, Jose, Presumed Guilty “At this point Dorothy, our secret weapon, took over. Dorothy set up her research team at the Quality Inn that resembled Gene Hackman’s team-all those people doing research—in The Runaway Jury.”

“She is the ultimate giver. Dorothy did a great deal behind the scenes helping me prepare and making sure we had all the information we wanted on the experts and on the jury. When it came to work, she was a machine…” page 272

Mason, Cheney Justice In America “ She was…serious and committed…with these qualities she had already established a wide network of researchers to assist her and she brought substantial computer skills to boot.” “Dorothy was relentless…”

Areas of practice:

Traumatic brain injury
Personal injury
Wrongful death
Maritime law
Transportation law
Products liability
Premises liability

Admitted to practice:

U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Florida
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Education
University of Kansas, B.S.
Indiana University Law School, J.D.
Law Clerk, District Court of Appeals, Southern District of Florida, Honorable Peter T. Fay

Professional memberships:

Association of Brain Injury Trial Lawyers of America, Board of Directors
American Board of Trial Advocates, Charter Member
Florida Justice Association, served on Board of Directors
American Association for Justice, served on Board of Governors and as national officer
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, served on Board of Directors and as national officer
Association of Former Federal Law Clerks
Roscoe Pound Foundation, Lifetime Fellow, Member
International Academy of Trial Lawyers
Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education
Board Certified by National Board of Legal Specialty Certification

Accomplishments:

Member, Brain Injury Association, Washington, D.C.
1st Coast Brain Injury Support Group
Grove House Local Jacksonville Brain Injury Support Group, Board Member
National Law Journal — twice named in “Top 10 Trial Lawyers”
Named in Best Lawyers of America since 1989
Identified in Florida Monthly and Jacksonville Magazine
Selected to Florida Super Lawyers —2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010
Top Attorneys in Florida as published in The Wall Street Journal — June, 2011

Erica Chavez is an associate at BD&J and serves as the firm’s Marketing Director. Erica directs media relations, branding, advertising, website development, external communications and client relationship support. She also manages and oversees sponsorships, events, charitable contributions, and marketing training for all BD&J brands.

Erica has more than 14 years experience in personal injury law. Prior to joining BD&J, she worked at a well-respected personal injury law firm where she served as the firm’s general manager and manager of catastrophic injury cases. After law school, Erica was asked to found and direct the Marketing Department at BD&J.

Erica earned her Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California. While in law school. she received several awards and recognition for her academic excellence. She received the Cali and Witkin awards for earning the top grade in her classes, served on the board of several honors societies and clubs, worked as a teaching assistant for evidence contracts and torts, and researched and edited for a professor who focused on gender equality in the legal profession. Erica continues to be involved at Southwestern, where she has served as a guest speaker and lecturer.

Rodney Romano has earned a full time living in DR since 2000. In 2006, Rodney and his wife Lynnette founded Matrix Mediation, LLC a full-service DR firm currently comprised of fifteen experienced former trial attorneys and judges. Rodney has taught Trial Advocacy and Mediation issues and is a former faculty member of the National College of Advocacy and a former Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney (specializing in personal injury).

Rodney is a regular conference trainer and presenter on issues surrounding dispute resolution and human decision-making. He currently serves on the Florida Supreme Court Mediator Qualifications Board and the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics. His book, Dispute Resolution Field Manual – Negotiating in the Trenches, was published in 2019 and is available at Amazon Books.

He also served as in-house general counsel for a privately held international family of corporations devoted primarily to restoring historic properties and developing cutting edge environmental technologies. He served 4 terms as Mayor of the City of Lake Worth, Florida. Before admission to the Florida Bar, Rodney was a Florida Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and a Florida Certified General Contractor. For a more detailed resume, please see www.matrixmediation.com.

NAME: Rodney Romano
PRACTICE NAME: Matrix Mediation, LLC (southeast Florida)
MEDIATOR CERTIFICATES: Circuit Civil
YEARS MEDIATING: 20
Over 7500 circuit civil cases mediated

ONE MORE INTERESTING FACT: Lives on a family compound/hobby farm -12 dogs, 2 cats, 44 chickens, two turkeys, one pig.

Mr. Cash serves in the role as of counsel with Levin Papantonio. He takes great pride in representing everyday people who have been hurt through the wrongdoing of others, and he finds satisfaction in helping his fellow citizens petition the courts for justice. He believes our American system of law and government is the greatest in the world and feels privileged to hold open the courthouse door for all. Mr. Cash has represented clients at all levels, from the small claims court to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Mr. Cash represents people wrongfully injured across the United States. He concentrates his practice mainly in the areas of products liability, including pharmaceuticals and other consumer products.

He also handles wage and hour cases, assisting employees who have been shortchanged through the unfair pay practices of their employers. This includes not paying for time actually worked, not paying the minimum wage, intentionally misclassifying employees as independent contractors or exempt from the overtime laws, and other illegal practices. He is proud to represent in court those employees who are cheated out of their hard-earned pay and who cannot stand up for themselves.

Mr. Cash’s legal interests include advanced discovery strategy, complex civil procedure, intellectual property litigation, electronic discovery matters, expert testimony under Rule 702 and the Frye/Daubert standards, attorney ethics, and appellate practice. In 2015, in the West Virginia Supreme Court, he successfully argued in favor of a position that strengthened the ethical standard for all attorneys in that state. The high court adopted his position unanimously over the objection of two other parties. Rich v. Simoni, No. 14-0998 (W. Va. Apr. 10, 2015).

Mr. Cash is a graduate of Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, where he twice represented Capital on its National Moot Court Team. He also served two years on the Capital University Law Review, including one year on the executive board as the research editor. Also during law school, he held internships with two federal judges, the Hon. U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton and the Hon. U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley, as well as served as research assistant to Prof. Bradley A. Smith, whom President Clinton appointed to chair the Federal Election Commission.

Mr. Cash graduated summa cum laude and ranked third in his class. He enjoys regularly returning to Capital to serve as a guest lecturer on products liability.

Mr. Cash has been interviewed by National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, Law360, and print and television media in Florida and elsewhere. He regularly speaks on pharmaceutical litigation at national conferences for attorneys who represent injured patients.

Randall H. Scarlett, is principal of San Francisco based Scarlett Law Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of catastrophic person injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, wrongful death and other serious wrongs.

Mr. Scarlett is a member of the Washington District of Columbia Bar, (DC Bar #479781) and the State Bar of California, (CA Bar #135554) and is admitted to practice before the District of Columbia, the California Supreme Court, all United States Federal District Courts in California, the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Mr. Scarlett also enjoys pro hac vice admissions in various state and federal courts throughout the United States, and has tried cases to verdict in California, Nevada, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Mr. Scarlett is a Leaders Forum and President’s Club member of the American Association for Justice and is a past Chair and current Board Member of the Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group of AAJ. Mr. Scarlett is a member in good standing of the Consumer Attorneys of California, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, the Western Trial Lawyers Association, the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association (out of state member), the Bar Association of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Scarlett is also a “Top 100” with the National Trial Lawyers Association.

In addition to having been nominated for Trial Lawyer of the Year by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (2006) and (2010), Mr. Scarlett also served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (2007).

Mr. Scarlett is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and is the current President and member of the Board of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (ABPLA), through which he is a Board Certified Diplomat. He is a past Vice-President and a current member of the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Association of California (BIAC), and for 20 years or more, was responsible for that organization’s medical/legal conference. Mr. Scarlet is also a past President and current member of the board of the Belli Society. Mr. Scarlet has been listed in Best Lawyers in America, SuperLawyers and Martindale Hubbell Preeminent for over 15 years

Mr. Scarlett lecture frequently throughout the United Sates before lawyers and non-lawyer groups alike. He has authored several articles and regularly presents papers. He has achieved numerous record setting verdicts throughout California, including eight verdicts ranging from $10.6 Million to $49.2 Million in the last ten years alone.

A strong advocate for survivors of traumatic brain injury, Peter W. Burg is a past Chairman of the Board of Directors of Craig Hospital, a past Board member of the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado (BIAC), and a past member of the Board of Directors of Rocky Mountain Human Services. Mr. Burg has served on Craig Hospital’s Operating and Foundation Boards for over a decade and also served as a past Chair of its primary fundraising event, the PUSH dinner. He also is a frequent lecturer around the country on numerous litigation topics involving catastrophic injury matters often focused on medical and legal issues in traumatic brain injury cases. Much of Mr. Burg’s philanthropic activities are actively committed to representing and assisting survivors of traumatic brain injuries and their families.

Mr. Burg has developed a national reputation as a trial lawyer handling cases involving product liability, personal injury, and mass tort litigation. Mr. Burg has been recognized by the U.S. Legal 500 as a “particularly strong and intelligent leader” and shows “the ability to try cases when necessary and to settle cases for top value when settlement is clearly in the client’s best interest.”

Mr. Burg is a member of the prestigious Melvin M. Belli Society, and is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Honors / Awards

• 5280 Magazine Top Lawyer, 2019-2020
• Selected to The Round Table, America’s 100 Most Influential Trial Lawyers, The Trial Lawyer Magazine
• Lifetime Achievement Award, America’s Top 100 Attorneys®
• Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year,” 2014, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Denver
• Local Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, Colorado – Plaintiffs, 2013
• University of Denver Sturm College of Law Outstanding Alumni Award (“DU Law Stars”), 2013
• Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys, The National Trial Lawyers
• Top 100 Attorney, The National Trial Lawyers
• Recommended Attorney, Mass Tort – The U.S. Legal 500, 2012, 2013 and 2014
• Selected to Best Lawyers® in America, 2008 – 2020
• Selected to Colorado Super Lawyers,® 2006 – 2020
• AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America
• Edward M. Sait Prize Winner
• American Bar Foundation Fellow
• Member, Melvin M. Belli Society
• Member, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

Morgan Adams, owner of Truck Wreck Justice, PLLC (East Coast) and Seattle Truck Law, PLLC (West Coast), is the past President of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys and past Chair of both the American Association for Justice’s Trucking Litigation Group and Bus Litigation Group. He is the current Chair of the AAJ Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group. In addition to personally handling all types of commercial truck and bus cases, Morgan works as a national consultant for other lawyers in truck, bus, and catastrophic cases. Dual Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Truck Accident Litigation and as a Civil Trial Advocate, Morgan has worked on truck and bus cases in 43 states with record results in multiple states and jurisdictions.

In 2010, West Publishing included his chapter on “Truck Accident Litigation” in its multivolume set Handling Motor Vehicle Cases, 2d. He authored the chapter on “Negligence Per Se” in the 2013 ABA textbook Truck Accident Litigation 3d Ed., as well as co-authored “Investigating the Case” in the 2015 Trial Guides text Anatomy of a Personal Injury Lawsuit 4th Ed. His 2018 DVD on Advanced Demand Letters: Trucking is available at Trial Guides.

A Desert Storm veteran, Morgan retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 2006 after 22 ½ years of service. Everything the recruiter promised him came true, but can’t be repeated in polite company.

Married with three children, He enjoys coffee, bad puns and the odd act of poetic justice.

Steven Gursten is recognized as one of the nation’s top attorneys handling serious auto accident injury and wrongful death cases. Steve is a Michigan Lawyer of the Year and has been voted among the Top 5 lawyers in Michigan in the category of Plaintiff Personal Injury, and also as one of the top 50 lawyers in the state (out of 65,000) by Super Lawyers.

Steve is the head of Michigan Auto Law, the state’s largest law firm focusing on car, truck and motorcycle accident and injury cases. He is the immediate past-chair of the AAJ Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, and is a past chair of the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group and a past-president of the Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association, as well as the current President of the Belli Society and the AAJ Distracted Driving Litigation Group.

Steve has recovered the largest reported auto and trucking settlements in Michigan history and has recovered the top trial verdict or settlement for an auto or truck wreck case in the state over multiple years, according to year-end compilations by VerdictSearch and Michigan Lawyers Weekly of settlements and trial verdicts. Steve frequently lectures at seminars throughout the country on trial advocacy, trucking litigation, and traumatic brain injury.