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Civil Rights, Personal Injury,
and Wrongful Death | Community
Advocacy | Complex Business Litigation | Environmental
Law Intellectual
Property, Internet, and Technology Law | Real
Estate, Construction, and Toxic Mold | School
Safety and Youth Safety
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 Denver,
Colorado: Bode and Grenier represented Columbine High School
teacher David Sanders in a federal civil rights action against
police authorities and individuals. Our complaint, filed in federal
court in Colorado, alleged deprivation of constitutional rights
under a variety of federal claims based on affirmative police
action preventing, for several hours after shooters had died,
emergency assistance, rescue or medical aid of an individual
in a readily-accessible location known to be critically wounded.
The case was featured on the television program 60 Minutes II,
on CBS, April 17, 2001. Bode and Grenier obtained a $1.5 million
settlement on behalf of Dave Sanders’ family. Sanders
v. The Board of County Commissioners of the County of Jefferson,
Colorado, et al.
- Loudoun County, Virginia: In a case that seized national
attention for its implications regarding employer liability,
we obtained a $2 Million verdict on behalf of the surviving
family of 15 year-old Naeun Yoon. Ms. Yoon was killed while walking
on the shoulder of a road by an attorney who was driving erratically
while conducting business on her handheld cellular telephone.
We filed suit against both the attorney and her employer
(based upon vicarious liability and direct negligence). As a
result of this case, employers around the country have implemented
strict policies forbidding the use by employees of handheld cellular
phones while driving. Articles about this case have already appeared
in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, National Law
Journal, and Business Insurance Magazine, as well as on several
television programs. Yoon v. Wagner et al.
- District of Columbia: Bode and Grenier obtained a $98 million
jury verdict in a federal civil rights, local wrongful death/survival
action in D.C. federal court (pending; post-appeal), arising
from murder of a citizen assisting police defendants in undercover
operation. The firm is presently engaged in challenging the reduction
of the jury's compensatory award for decedent's claims. An appellate
court ruled that the "state created danger" theory
upon which portions of the jury verdict were based was valid
in District of Columbia, but only for future cases. Butera
v. District of Columbia, et al.
- More...
- Washington , D.C. : For several years, two neighborhood
associations and dozens of residents near the 1300 block of Constitution
Avenue, N.E. fought a legal and economic battle with Trant Liquors.
Capitol Hill Restoration Society ("CHRS"), North Lincoln
Park Neighborhood Association ("NLPNA"), and the neighbors
claimed that Trant destroyed the peace, order and quiet of their
neighborhood by, among other things, selling fortified alcohol
to visibly intoxicated patrons, by providing drug paraphernalia
to customers, and by allowing its parking lot and immediate surrounds
to be used for drug dealing and other illegal activities. Despite
such allegations and proof, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
for the District of Columbia renewed Trant's license. Thereafter,
Mr. Fierberg of our office was engaged to represent the citizens in appeals
to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Two appeals to
the Court of Appeals were successful. Trant lost its license,
closed, and the property was converted to housing. Capitol Hill
Restoration Society ("CHRS") and North Lincoln Park
Neighborhood Association ("NLPNA").
- Washington , D.C. : Mr. Fierberg represented the
Logan Park Association in its effort to cause revocation of a
license held by F&W Market to sell beer and wine. The Association
claimed that the establishment destroyed its peace, order and
quiet by harboring drug traffickers within the establishment.
Undercover police officers testified to numerous drug purchases
inside the establishment in front of the store's owners. After
several days of hearings, the District of Columbia Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board revoked F&W Market's license. Logan
Circle Citizens' Association.
- More...
- New York, New York: Bode and Grenier obtained a Federal Court
ruling that client’s lawsuit for breach of derivative petroleum
contracts was not subject to dismissal on defendants’ contention
that contract was an illegal "futures" contract under
the Commodities Futures Act. Multi-million dollar settlement
ensued. Knight Enterprises, et al. v. Metallgesellschaft A.G.,
et al.
- Washington , D.C. : The Firm represented defendant NACA,
a nationwide non-profit housing services and community advocacy
organization involved in assisting low and moderate income families
with access to credit. Suit was filed against NACA on several
legal theories in a verified complaint containing some 217 paragraphs
of allegations. Bode & Grenier’s motion to dismiss
the complaint filed on NACA's behalf was granted before the initial
scheduling conference for the case. Plaintiff's subsequent
motions to reconsider the order of dismissal in favor of NACA
were denied. Brown v. Neighborhood Assistance Corporation
of America ("NACA") et al.
- California : Bode and Grenier obtained a ruling affirming
parties’ rights under buy-out contract, thereby restoring
terms of multi-million dollar deal. The Firm represented biotech
company founders when a pharmaceutical company buyer repudiated
the buy-out agreement within weeks of consummation of an intellectual
property transfer. Thompson v. Houghton Pharmaceutical, et al.
- Kentucky : Bode and Grenier obtained a Federal Court ruling
that state law renders the polluter and seller of land liable
for environmental damage under common law trespass and negligence
theories and under CERCLA. The Firm represented a buyer of commercial
property found to be contaminated by an automobile manufacturer.
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. v. Ford Motor Company, Inc.
- District of Columbia : Bode and Grenier obtained a Federal
Court Ruling that the $30 portion of the Internet Domain Name
Registration Fee assessed for the "Intellectual Infrastructure
Fund" was an unconstitutional tax. The National Science
Foundation ended the fee after the ruling; Internet Domain Name
registrants have saved over $160 million to date. Thomas, et.
al. v. National Science Foundation and Network Solutions, Inc.
- Virginia : Litigation by the Firm resulted in a Federal Court
ruling that defendant's use of Client's trademark in Internet
Domain Name was infringement under the Lanham Act. Specifically,
the Court held that defendant's use of the "washingtonspeakers.com" Internet
Domain name infringed the Washington Speakers Bureau, Inc. trademark.
Washington Speakers Bureau v. Leading Authorities, Inc.
- Bode and Grenier has collected millions of dollars on behalf
of numerous individuals suffering from toxic mold exposure due
to faulty new home construction.
- Bode and Grenier has collected millions of dollars on behalf
of numerous homeowners whose homes were clad with synthetic stucco.
- District of Columbia : Bode and Grenier represented
the family of a 12 year-old boy who was sexually assaulted at
an overnight Summer camp owned and operated by the District of
Columbia . Suit was filed in the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia against the District and others
alleging civil rights violations (42 U.S.C. sec. 1983) and other
common law claims. Extensive discovery established that
numerous children at this camp were left unsupervised for extended
periods of time, and that other campers had been sexually assaulted. The
facts and circumstances of this case were the subject of a lead
article in The Legal Times. The family accepted a substantial
financial settlement. Suit on behalf of another young victim
(Ronnie "M") is pending in the U.S. District Court.
Kara "M," individually, and on behalf of her minor
son, "Nico" v. District of Columbia et al.
- Montgomery County, Maryland: Bode and Grenier represented
Joe Snell against the Omega Psi Phi fraternity in a case alleging
that the defendant violently hazed him by, among other things,
beating him, whipping him, and holding a heat lamp to his face
to darken his skin because he was not deemed "black enough" to
gain admission to the fraternity. After several days of
trial, the jury entered a verdict of $375,000, compensating Mr.
Snell for his injuries and awarding punitive damages against
the fraternity. Snell v. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
- Tennessee : Joseph T. Green, Jr. ("Jo Jo"),
died following an evening of initiation by the Rho Psi Chapter
of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity at Tennessee State University . The
Firm represented Mr. Green’s family in a suit against the
fraternity. Jo Jo was a minister to youth in his community, and
an honorably discharged Navy veteran who had been awarded the
National Medal of Honor. Mr. Green’s surviving parents
obtained a substantial confidential financial settlement. Lentora
Parker and Joseph T. Green, Sr. v. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity et
al.
- More...
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