Last week, we highlighted the 2014 attorney finalists for the CVN Engle Awards, honoring the best of the year in this landmark Florida litigation. This week, we are highlighting the law firm finalists. The winner in each category will be announced December 30.
Plaintiff's Firms
2014 CVN Engle Record: 6-2-1
2014 Damages: $44.9 million
The case for Searcy Denney: With 9 Engle cases, Searcy Denney had one of the busiest CVN Engle years of any plaintiff's firm. It combined that workhorse year with stellar results, finishing 2014 with a 75% winning record on trials that concluded with a verdict.
2014 CVN Engle Record: 2-2
2014 Damages: $40.5 million
The case for The Ferraro Law Firm: While it doesn't have the best winning percentage of the finalists, the Ferraro Law Firm built its year on two big wins: Hubbird v. R.J. Reynolds ($28 million) and Cuculino v. Philip Morris ($12.5 million).
2014 CVN Engle Record: 2-0
2014 Damages: $24 million
The Case for Morgan & Morgan: The firm went undefeated in its pair of trials this year and drew two sizable verdicts, including an $18.6 million award in Allen v. R.J. Reynolds to close out 2014.
Defense Firms
2014 CVN Engle Record: 5-5-2
The Case for Jones Day: Jones Day had the best year among the more prolific Engle defense firms, winning 50% of its verdicts. Perhaps just as importantly, the firm's attorneys excelled at preventing big damage awards. Despite being involved in more than one third of the year's CVN Engle trials, the Jones Day attorneys heard only one of the year's seven $10 million-plus verdicts.
2014 CVN Engle Record: 2-1
The Case for Boies Schiller: Boies Schiller carried a winning record through 2014, and the firm's lone loss yielded less than a $5 million damage award ($4.09 million in Perrotto v. R.J. Reynolds).
Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman
2014 CVN Engle Record: 3-1-2
The Case for Kasowitz: Liggett Group's standard-bearer in the courtroom had an exemplary year on the Engle defense, with a .75% winning record in cases taken to verdict. Further, Liggett was found only 1%responsible in the firm's lone loss on the year, Irimi v. R.J. Reynolds.
Come back next week when we name our award winners.