Douglas M. Garrou’s practice focuses on environmental, antitrust, and complex commercial litigation. Doug is a member of the firm’s litigation team. In the past 25 years, he has litigated a wide range of environmental, antitrust, and commercial disputes, with a particular focus on CERCLA contribution litigation, class actions, and multidistrict proceedings in federal courts.
He has represented industries including trucking, air cargo, electronics, forest products, oceanic shipping, metals recycling, telecommunications, and healthcare products. Doug is admitted to practice in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the state of Washington, and has litigated cases in numerous federal and state courts.
Doug is Chairman of Commonwealth Autism, a non-profit organization that seeks to maximize the potential and quality of life of each Virginian with autism. He also is Chairman of the Founder’s Center for Autism, which provides education to individuals with autism, ages 2 to 21.
Doug’s pro bono litigation work concentrates on residential landlord-tenant disputes, representing clients through the firm’s Church Hill office in Richmond, Virginia. An instrument-rated pilot, Doug also volunteers for Mid-Atlantic Angel Flight, an organization that provides free air transport to seriously ill individuals.
Experience:
- Environmental litigation: since 2010, represent a major forest-products company in CERCLA contribution litigation regarding PCB contamination of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. The representation has included two multi-week trials, dealing first with liability and then with allocation.
- Environmental litigation: represented a major forest-products company in environmental contribution litigation associated with hydrocarbon and other contamination of a former sawmill site in Northern California.
- Environmental litigation: represented a steel rolling mill in CERCLA contribution litigation associated with the Western Processing Superfund Site in Kent, Washington.
- Toxic tort litigation: one of three trial counsel for a Fortune 500 forest- products company in a 240-plaintiff, three-month jury trial of claims related to alleged exposure to toxic wastes, including dioxins.
- Antitrust defense: represent a major forest-products company in a multi-plaintiff antitrust matter pending in Mississippi State Court. The representation to date has included a two-week jury trial resulting in an antitrust verdict that was recently overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court.
- Antitrust class action defense: represented a major Japanese lithium-ion battery manufacturer against cartel allegations in multidistrict proceedings in federal court in Oakland, California. Represented a health-care products manufacturer in a multidistrict class action in Philadelphia alleging price fixing. Represented a major wireless carrier in multidistrict class action alleging “tying” violations. Represented a Fortune 500 manufacturer in price-fixing class action brought in state court in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Plaintiffs’ antitrust class litigation: represent food commodity purchasers in antitrust claim against agribusiness consortium. - Econometric analysis: via briefing and during multi-day evidentiary hearing in the Eastern District of Virginia, successfully defended Daubert challenges to the work of two of plaintiffs’ econometric experts in groundbreaking multibillion-dollar RICO lawsuit against a major labor union.
- Antitrust compliance: helped address and prevent risk of “gun jumping” during extensive pre-merger activity associated with the creation of a major airline.
- E-Discovery: advise various clients on innovative techniques for avoiding satellite litigation of e-discovery issues, and on ensuring opposing parties’ compliance with preservation and production obligations related to e-discovery.
- Litigation regarding large data sources: work seamlessly with database specialists and other IT personnel to obtain, review, analyze, and produce information drawn from large and complex data environments, including customer care, billing, and ERP software.
- Other jury experience: Successfully obtained punitive damages under Virginia law in a jury trial on behalf of a pro bono client. Staged and participated in a number of jury focus-group exercises and simulations.
- Other cases tried to judgment: sole trial counsel for a Washington State manufacturer in a successful five-day bench trial in which the client alleged theft of trade secrets, breaches of noncompetition agreements, and breaches of corporate fiduciary duties.
- Other pro bono matters: successfully sought emergency injunctive relief on behalf of initiative signature gathers in Seattle, Washington.
EDUCATION:
- JD, University of Virginia School of Law, 1991
- BA, History, University of Virginia, with highest distinction, 1988
BAR ADMISSIONS:
- Virginia
- District of Columbia
- Washington
Memberships:
- Former Chairman, Antitrust, Franchise, and Trade Regulation Section, Virginia State Bar
- Chairman of Commonwealth Autism
- Chairman of the Founder’s Center for Autism
- Volunteer Pilot, Mid-Atlantic Angel Flight
Cost
Rate : $$$