Highlights

• Successfully defended an appeal, where the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed without opinion the trial court’s order compelling arbitration of the plaintiff’s wrongful death and medical malpractice claims against a long-term health facility, rejecting arguments that the arbitration agreement was unenforceable due to lack of mutuality of obligation and other grounds.
• Secured a writ of mandamus from the Alabama Supreme Court in Ex parte Alabama-West Fla. Conference of the United Methodist Church, Inc., directing the trial court to dismiss the plaintiff’s complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, as the dispute centered on an internal church disaffiliation vote rather than a neutral property issue (Plaintiff’s have filed an application for rehearing).
• Secured a defense verdict in nursing home wrongful death medical malpractice case alleging the defendant failed to properly diagnose and treat a resident for Clostridium Difficile Colitis.
• Secured Rule 12 dismissal of False Claims Act Complaint against medical provider.
• Secured a defense verdict in a medical malpractice wrongful death suit following a five-day jury trial, involving allegations of improper administration of Tissue Plasminogen Activator (“TPA”) to a stroke patient by the defendant Emergency Room nurse and hospital.
• Obtained a defense award, after a three-day Arbitration, on behalf of a nursing home in a personal injury and wrongful death case arising from resident falling from a wheelchair.
• Obtained a favorable ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court, affirming summary judgment on tort of outrage claim against third party administrator arising from administration of workers’ compensation claim.

• Secured a favorable ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court affirming a Rule 12 dismissal for our client on Tort of Outrage and Wrongful Discharge in Violation of Public Policy claims.
• Secured a dismissal of nursing home personal injury malpractice case.
• Summary Judgment for a nursing facility in a wrongful death medical malpractice Arbitration.
• Rule 12 dismissal for employer in wrongful termination and tort of outrage claims.
• Secured  summary judgment for third-party administrator in tort of outrage claim arising from administration of workers’ compensation claim.
• Secured  summary judgment in nursing home personal injury and wrongful death medical malpractice case.
• Rule 12 dismissal for individual lawyers and law firm in legal malpractice claim.
• Secured a summary judgment in Arbitration for a nursing home client in a wrongful death medical malpractice case.
• Secured a dismissal of breach of contract and declaratory judgment coverage claims against homeowner’s insurance company in United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
• Summary judgment for defendant employer on tort of outrage and fraud claims.
• Removal and dismissal of legal malpractice claim against out of state attorney and law firm.
• Dismissal of third party suit for contribution and indemnification against Alabama law firm in a legal malpractice case.
• Summary Judgment for attorney and law firm in legal malpractice lawsuit.
• Defense verdict in two-week wrongful death case involving application of South Carolina Wrongful Death Act.
• Summary judgment for pediatric orthopedic surgeon in medical malpractice suit.
• Reversal by Eight Circuit Court of Appeals of United States District Court Order dismissing 9 U.S.C. § 4 Complaint to Compel Arbitration for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
• Northport Health Services of Arkansas, LLC, et al v. Wayne Rutherford, — F.3d –, 2010 WL 1929777 (8th Cir. May 14, 2010).
• Northport Health Services of Arkansas, LLC, et al. v. Wayne Rutherford, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Isaac Mitchell Rutherford (W.D. Ark. March 17, 2009).
• Northport Health Services of Arkansas, LLC d/b/a Springdale Health and Rehab. Center, et al. v. Tresa Robinson, as Special Administratrix of the Estate of Donna Faye Snow, deceased, et al, 2009 WL 140983 (W.D. Ark. Jan. 12, 2009).
• Vulcan Materials Company v. Alabama Insurance Guaranty Association, et al., Slip Opinion, 2007 WL 2216896 (Ala. Aug. 3, 2007)(No. 1060506).

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Presentations and Publications

• Defending Abuse of an Aged Individual Claims, the Alabama Nursing Home Association Annual Meeting, Orange Beach, AL (April 24, 2018).
• Professionalism to the Court, Your Client, and to Opposing Counsel, moderator of a panel discussion presented on to new admittees to the Alabama State Bar at the University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa, AL (January 26, 2018).
• Overview of Alabama Legal Services Liability Act and Avoiding Suits for Legal Malpractice, Birmingham Bar Association, Birmingham, AL (December 5, 2017).
• Alabama State Bar Mandatory Professionalism CLE for New Admittees, University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa, AL (January 22, 2016).
• Ethics:  Avoiding a Suit for Legal Malpractice, Marshall County Bar Association, Guntersville, AL (April 25, 2014).
• Trends in Nursing Home Litigation – Avoiding the Multi-Million Dollar Mistake, Senior Care Pharmacy Conference, Birmingham, AL (April 10, 2014).
• Are You As Guilty As The Criminal?  Liability For Criminal Acts Of Third Parties And Employees,  Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Quarterly Publication, FDCC Quarterly (Fall 2013).
• Moderator, Voir Dire and Jury Selection, American Bar Association Symposium Teleconference (Fall 2010).
• Are Marketing Tactics of Pharmaceutical/Device Manufacturers Helping to Erode the Learned Intermediary Doctrine?, Defense Research Institute’s The Voice (July 2010).

News & Insights

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• Starnes Davis Florie Obtains Multiple Appellate Victories
• Twelve Starnes Attorneys Selected for Mid-South Super Lawyers 2025
• 35 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2026
• Fourteen Attorneys Selected for Mid-South Super Lawyers 2024
• 33 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2025
• Starnes Davis Florie Achieves Multiple Appellate Victories
• Stephen Still Elected as a Member of the Board of Bar Commissioners for the 10th Judicial Circuit
• Bates & Still Secure Defense Verdict in Nursing Home Arbitration
• Eleven Attorneys Selected for Mid-South Super Lawyers 2023
• 30 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2024
• SDF’s Stephen Still Accepted into the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
• Starnes Attorneys MacKenzie & Still Secure Defense Verdict in 5-Day Wrongful Death Trial
• 16 Starnes Attorneys Listed in the 2022 Edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers
• Bates, Still & Claud Obtain Defense Award for a Nursing Home in Arbitration
• SDF’s Stephen Still Appointed President of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association
• Favorable Alabama Supreme Court Ruling for Newton, Butler & Still
• Starnes Attorneys Umbach, Newton & Still Secure Favorable Ruling from Alabama Supreme Court
• TWENTY-TWO ATTORNEYS NAMED TO THE 2021 EDITION OF MID-SOUTH SUPER LAWYERS
• SDF Attorneys Receive Various Appointments