BOSTON –Sept. 17, 2015 – David G. Thomas and James M. Vant, litigation shareholders in Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Boston office, presented at the Federal Bar Association’s (FBA) 2015 Annual Meeting and Convention, Sept. 10 – 12, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Thomas and Vant served as panelists on the CLE program session, “Minimizing Discovery Disputes and Controlling Your Client’s Legal Spending Through Cooperative or Collaborative Discovery.” This panel addressed the current and revised Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and offered tools to control the cost of discovery and minimize disputes through cooperation, leveraging the latest technology, e-discovery plans, and strategic use of cost-shifting mechanisms.
Thomas is a litigation, trial, and appellate attorney focusing on handling complex commercial and business litigation in state and federal courts across the United States, with an emphasis on management-side class-action defense. He has brought cases through judge and jury trials in both state and federal court and defended companies involved in nationwide collective and class-action claims in both the employment and consumer context. Among other things, Thomas represents retailers in defending false advertising and unfair trade practices claims arising out of alleged violations of federal and state consumer protection statutes, including the Federal Trade Commission Act and “little FTC Acts” like Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A – the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. In addition, Thomas represents lenders, mortgage brokers, and servicers involved in financial services litigation, including claims under TILA, RESPA, and state laws governing consumer financing. He also represents companies responding to civil investigative demands and enforcement actions brought by state agencies, including those brought by the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and Consumer Protection Bureau.
Vant is a litigation and trial attorney who represents U.S. and international corporations and their directors and officers in federal and state courts throughout the United States. He has wide-ranging experience handling complex, multi-jurisdictional private and class-action business litigation concerning U.S. and international law, including fiduciary duty, fraud, shareholder, investment, lending, employment, bankruptcy, federal securities, and intellectual property disputes. He has argued before multiple federal and state courts and arbitration panels and has tried cases to judges and juries. Vant also manages internal corporate investigations and advises clients on strategies for mitigating litigation risk before entering into commercial transactions. He also advises clients on an array of electronic discovery issues, both prior to and after the onset of litigation. In addition, Vant represents corporate plaintiffs on whose behalf he has recovered substantial sums.