Dennis Southard

Practices

• Business Litigation
• Construction

Professional Experience

Dennis serves as counsel in the firm's Business Litigation practice group. Dennis has experience in a wide range of substantive litigation matters, from administrative practice to real estate, although his practice has focused most recently on contract and business litigation and appellate matters.

In addition to his experience representing clients in private practice, Dennis previously served as an assistant attorney general for the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Court Admissions:
District of Columbia;
Maryland;
New Jersey;
Pennsylvania;
United States Courts of Appeals: Third, Fourth, Fifth, and District of Columbia Circuits;
United States District Courts: Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania;
United States Court of Federal Claims.

Education

• Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., 1989, cum laude, Executive Editor, Syracuse Law Review
• University of Michigan, B.A., 1984

• Administrative
• Co-lead counsel on comparative television station license application trial before the Federal Communications Commission in defense of incumbent licensee.  Reading Broadcasting, Inc. v Adams Communications Corp., 17 F.C.C.R. 14001 (2002)
  
  
• Arbitration
• Obtained dismissal of former employer's petition to compel arbitration and successfully defended against employer's appeal. The George Town Club at Suter's Tavern, Inc. v. Salamanca, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25396 (D.D.C.), aff'd, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 5758 (D.C. Cir.)
  
  
• Business Torts
• Represented closely held corporation asserting claims against former employee and shareholder for unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach fiduciary duty and breach of non-compete and non-disclosure agreements. Technologists, Inc. v. Wardak, C.A. No. 05822 (Arlington County Cir. Ct.)
• Represented corporation in suit against former employee for alleged misappropriation of trade secrets, breach fiduciary duty and breach of non-compete and non-disclosure agreements. Dayton Superior Corp v. Tolbert, C.A. No. 2006-1294 (D. Md.)
  
  
• Construction
• Obtained dismissal of construction contractor's Little Miller Act claim against payment bond surety. CTI/DC, Inc. v. Selective Ins. Co. of America, 271 F. Supp. 2d 758 (D. Md. 2003), aff'd, 392 F.3d 114 (4th Cir. 2004)
• Obtained dismissal of multi-million dollar construction contract claim and successfully defended against contractor's appeal. Jeffrey M. Brown Assocs., Inc. v. Rockville Center, Inc., 7 Fed. Appx. 197 (4th Cir. 2001)
  
  
• Contract
• Second-chaired trial of condominium unit owner's claims against unit owner's association for breach of contract and fiduciary duty and briefed successful appeal. Bolandz v. 1230-1250 Twenty-Third St. Condo. Unit Owners Assn, Inc., 849 A.2d 1010 (D.C. 2004)
• Obtained dismissal of multi-million dollar breach of contract and fraud claims on statute of limitation grounds. Benedict v. Allen, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26293 (D.D.C.)
  
  
• Employment
• Co-counsel for Howard University in defense of professor's discrimination and retaliation claims, Carter-Obayuwana v. Howard Univ., C.A. No. 2003-5063 (D.C. Super. Ct.), and briefed cross-appeal in related case, Carter-Obayuwana v. Howard Univ., Appeal No. 04-1561 (consolidated) (D.C.)
  
  
• False Claims Act
• Defended bank against allegations relating to mortgage loan guarantee applications; obtained summary judgment in favor of the bank as to conspiracy and actual damages. United States ex rel. Fago, 518 F. Supp. 2d 108 (D.D.C. 2007)
  
  
• Real Estate
• Lead counsel in prosecution to obtain specific performance of option to purchase real estate. Warren Communications News, Inc. v. Sarisky, C.A. 2006-9063 (D.C. Super. Ct.)

• Individual Privacy and Governmental Efficiency: Technology's Effect on the Government's Ability to Gather, Store and Distribute Information, 11 Computer/L.J. 359 (Summer 1989)