Jeffrey E. Francis

Representative Client Work

• Successfully tried a NASDAQ-listed company’s claims against an ASIC developer who had contracted to develop the client’s next generation product – the 14 person jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the client and awarded the client $36.7 million in damages, believed to be the largest verdict ever from a state court jury in Massachusetts. The jury also returned a verdict for the client rejecting the developer’s approximately $7 million in counterclaims
• Successfully tried in federal court in Florida a NYSE-listed company's defense to approximately $6 million in claims arising out of a catastrophic fire in a former, vacant manufacturing facility by the commercial tenant that had converted the facility to use for high density, plastic storage and processing
• Successfully prosecuted a NYSE listed company’s claims against a former employee who had fraudulently accessed the company’s computer system and downloaded confidential and proprietary data. Immediately and successfully moved for, on an ex parte basis, the court’s leave to conduct the seizure and copying of the former employee’s computer files and hard drives to which he had access at his then current employer
• Successfully represented an NYSE-listed company in connection with claims arising out of multiple failures of intermediate sprinkler heads in commercial facilities across North America. In 2007, a federal judge in Texas entered summary judgment on all issues in the client's favor
• Successfully tried defense to multi-million dollar breach of contract claim arising from sale of pharmaceutical and medical supply company
• Successfully defended client in patent infringement lawsuit concerning temperature and time tracking devices
• Successfully obtained preliminary injunction preventing opposing party from terminating certain supply and license agreements thereby preserving client’s ability to continue the manufacture and sale of principal telephony product
• Successfully represented numerous public companies in their response to catastrophic fire losses and represented those companies in the various litigation matters that arose from those fires
• Successfully obtained multi-million dollar summary judgment against tenant arising out of breach of commercial lease
• Successfully obtained dismissal of breach of contract and unfair and deceptive trade practices claims against client that marketed reproductions of nationally renowned artist’s works of art and against the artist himself
• Successfully obtained relief from automatic stay to permit client to pursue patent infringement litigation against Chapter 11 debtor
• Successfully prosecuted an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy of drive system manufacturer and installer resulting in favorable settlement on behalf of client
• Successfully obtained dismissal of multi-million dollar breach of fiduciary duty claims against trustees of certain investment trusts
• Successfully arbitrated contract dispute concerning charter school and its management company resulting in award of approximately one million dollars and dismissal of several million dollars in counterclaims

Bar & Court Admissions

• Massachusetts, 1998
• New York, 2006
• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Publications

• "The Five Largest Jury Verdicts," Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (January 15, 2007)
• "Defamation action seen as new tactic to fight Net rumors," Mass High Tech, Volume 19, Issue 5, January 29 - February 4, 2001

Client Advisories

• What Every Company Needs to Know About the New Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

Speaking Engagements

• "Best Practices in Managing Your Company's Product and Technology Development Program," Sullivan & Worcester LLP, Boston (January 2010)
• "NFPA in the Courtroom: Codes, Standards and the Law," 2008 NFPA World Safety Conference & Exposition (June 2008)
• Chair, "Recent Developments in Intellectual Property Law," American Bar Association Round Table Discussion, Boston (May 2002)
• Regular speaker at conferences and seminars on the “New Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on Electronic Information”

Awards & Honors

• "Rising Star," Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2005-2008)
• Marquis Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders, 2007
• Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America

Professional & Civic Activities

• American and Boston Bar Associations
• International Association of Arson Investigators-U.K.
• National Fire Protection Association

Education

• J.D., cum laude, Georgetown University Law Center, 1998
• B.A., magna cum laude, Providence College, 1995