Cari Dawson is the chair of the Class Action Practice Team for the Litigation & Trial Practice Group. She concentrates her practice on complex litigation matters, with particular focus on class action defense. Ms. Dawson has served as lead counsel in class actions for numerous Fortune 500 companies and has defended over 100 class actions nationwide. She has litigated numerous complex disputes, including consumer, insurance, toxic tort, environmental class actions, business tort litigation and products liability matters in both state and federal courts across the country. Her practice also includes client counseling – from participation in clients’ strategic planning to the development of policies and procedures.
Ms. Dawson is a frequent lecturer and author on the defense of class actions and commercial litigation and she has been extensively recognized by various publications for her work in this area. For the past several years, Chambers USA has named her to the list of “The Best Lawyers in America” in the area of commercial litigation. In 2011, she was named to the “45 Under 45” list of remarkable women lawyers by The American Lawyer, and in 2012, the John M. Langston Bar Association named her “Corporate Lawyer of the Year.”
- Serves as lead defense counsel in a multidistrict class action litigation for one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers following widely-publicized vehicle recalls.
- Serves as relationship partner and national class action counsel for two of the world’s largest insurance companies.
- Serves as national trial counsel for a Fortune 500 insurance company.
- Serves as regional counsel for a worldwide transportation and logistics company through its Core Counsel Network.
- Defended clients in putative nationwide and statewide class actions involving claims of fraud, RICO, breach of contract and unfair trade practices in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington State.
- Defended numerous insurance class actions in both the property and casualty and life and health industries.
- Defended environmental, products liability and mass tort class actions.
- Defended physicians, hospitals and other health care providers in several medical malpractice cases.
Representative Cases
- Edwardsville, IL (Madison County): Won a dismissal of an insurance client in a multi-defendant conspiracy class action in which the plaintiffs sought more than $1 billion for alleged injuries involving the specification of aftermarket parts.
- Canon City, CO: Defeated a class certification in a putative class brought against an insurance client alleging failure to explain available personal injury protection benefits in the sale of automobile insurance policies. Denial of class certification was affirmed on appeal and petition for certiorari was denied.
- Mt. Vernon, WA: Won summary judgment for an insurance client in a putative class action alleging consumer fraud and breach of contract arising from installment service fee charges. Summary judgment in the client’s favor was affirmed on appeal, and petition for certiorari was denied.
- Portland, OR: Won issue of first impression in the United States Supreme Court regarding whether the insurance company client willfully violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by failing to give the statutorily required notice of "adverse action" under the Act. The client was sued in U.S. District Court in a nationwide class action, where we won summary judgment. The Ninth Circuit reversed on appeal, but the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuit. The Supreme Court ruled the client did not, as a matter of law, willfully violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- Salem, OR: Defeated a class certification in a 44-state class action brought against an insurance client in which the plaintiffs sought damages for alleged fraud, breach of contract and unjust enrichment arising out of alleged diminished value.
- Los Angeles, CA: Represented an Internet service provider in a fraud suit against one of the world’s largest secured global data communication networks and recovered a substantial settlement on ISP’s behalf.
- Atlanta, GA: Represented an international conglomerate in the prosecution of claims against sublicensees for a breach of licensing agreements and a trademark infringement arising out of the Olympic Games.
- Atlanta, GA: Defended a logistics provider in a series of bet-the-company nuisance suits seeking a shut down of client’s operations and exemplary damages. Won partial summary judgment on the plaintiffs’ claims and settled suits for a nominal sum.
- Atlanta, GA: Representing the City of Atlanta, its Mayor and other city officials in a suit alleging constitutional violations arising out of the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport advertisement contract.
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September 12, 2011
In The Press
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August 30, 2010
In The Press
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January 21, 2009
In The Press
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21 September 2007
- Atlanta Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- National Bar Association
- Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Board of Directors
- Woodruff Arts Center, Board of Trustees