Delaware Chancery Court Rules in Favor of Campbell Partners Client

On a recent motion for preliminary injunction filed against Campbell Partners’ client in Delaware Chancery Court, the Court ruled in favor of Campbell Partners’ client. The Plaintiff was seeking to enjoin Campbell Partners’ client from his current profession based on alleged breaches of restrictive covenants. 

Despite the opposing parties’ choice of Delaware law to govern their contracts, Campbell Partners argued that Alabama law—which has a substantially stronger relationship with the dispute than Delaware—should apply. Alabama maintains a legislatively-expressed public policy against broad non-compete provisions (particularly concerning professionals) that outweighs Delaware’s interest in enforcing contracts. The Court agreed with Campbell Partners’ arguments and denied the Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction.

Yawanna McDonald Among B-Metro’s Top Women Attorneys 2022

Partner Yawanna McDonald was named in B-Metro's 2022 Top Women Attorneys. This annual list recognizes the top female attorneys in the Birmingham metro area who have successful careers and demonstrate a commitment to their community and the law.

Todd Campbell Discusses Business Disputes on The Attorneys

On August 14, Partner Todd Campbell was featured as a guest on The Attorneys to discuss business disputes. Campbell was interviewed by Hollis, Wright & Clay Managing Partner Josh Wright.

The Attorneys airs every Sunday night on WVTM-13. Click here to watch the full video.

Todd Campbell Graduates from Alabama State Bar Leadership Forum

Todd Campbell, partner at Campbell Partners, recently completed the Alabama State Bar Leadership Forum. Each year Leadership Forum selects between 20 and 30 promising attorneys to participate in the program, which is centered on nurturing leadership skills and values. Since its inception in 2005, more than 430 graduates have completed Leadership Forum. 

The 2022 Leadership Forum cohort, Class 16, is comprised of 23 attorneys from around the state with a range of specialties. Over the past four months, the group participated in a series of one and two-day educational trainings. Guided by a “servant leadership ethic,” Leadership Forum is known for the quality and prominence of its presenters, as well as its highly innovative approach to an array of subjects informing the development of skills and professionalism.

Visit alabar.org for more information. 

Four Campbell Partners Attorneys Named 2021 Super Lawyers.

The prestigious national rating service Super Lawyers — which recognizes outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas — has honored the following Campbell Partners attorneys for 2021: Yawanna McDonald (Rising Stars honoree), Andy Campbell (Super Lawyers honoree), Cason Kirby (Rising Stars honoree) and Todd Campbell (Rising Stars honoree).

For McDonald, Kirby and (Todd) Campbell, 2021 marks the fourth year each has been named a Rising Stars honoree — while Andy Campbell’s honor makes 2021 the fifteenth straight year he’s been named a Super Lawyer.

Super Lawyers’ selection process includes independent research, and — more significantly — peer evaluations and nominations.

“It’s a tremendous honor whenever an award includes recommendations from your professional peers, and we’re genuinely grateful for the continued recognition from a ratings service as well-known and trusted as Super Lawyers,” said Andy Campbell. “I’m grateful for the independent validation and blessed to be surrounded by so many talented, dedicated professionals.”

Campbell Partners Client Awarded $1.5 Million Summary Judgment in Defamation Case Against Donald Watkins

On the afternoon of Friday, august 20, 2021, Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge Allen w. May, in the case Matrix, LLC et al v. Donald V Watkins et al, entered final judgment in favor of plaintiffs, Joseph Perkins and Matrix, LLC, and against defendants, Donald V. Watkins and Donald V. Watkins, P.C. in the amount of $1.5 million.

Perkins, a longtime Alabama-based political consultant, filed suit against Watkins in response to opinions the defendant posted in 2017 — first to Facebook and later to a website — in response to news stories about the alleged sexual assault of a female university of Alabama student who later committed suicide. Watkins’ posts included allegations about a conspiracy to silence the AU student. Most allegations relied on what Watkins described as “anonymous sources.”

Among these allegations, Watkins claimed that Matrix and Perkins had undertaken various unethical, and even criminal, actions to silence the family of the now-deceased student and sully her reputation.

Perkins’s attorney, Cason Kirby notes: “Watkins never identified his ‘anonymous source,’ nor provided any verifiable evidence that the ‘source’ even existed. We demanded Watkins retract his false statements, but he refused, so we sued him for five claims of defamation.”

After hiding from service for several weeks, Watkins filed a counterclaim alleging that Matrix and Perkins had disparaged him by calling him “a financially broken, desperate man suffering from psychological and behavioral problems.”

After significant discovery, including testimony from Watkins himself, as well as a former publisher of the Tuscaloosa news, Kirby and co-counsel Todd Campbell moved for summary judgment on all claims and counterclaims, which Watkins opposed.

Court findings:

• Matrix and Perkins established that Watkins’s statements were false, and Watkins was unable to provide any evidence of the truth of his allegations.

• Matrix and Perkins established, through uncontested admissible evidence, that Watkins was liable for defamation per se — and was negligent in his failure to even attempt to verify his allegations.

• Watkins failed to prove that Perkins made the alleged statement about Watkins; therefore, the Court did not reach a determination on the truth of the statement.

Watkins — who is currently serving a 27-month prison sentence for seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy — still has the right to appeal the judgment against him.

Andy Campbell Selected as International Academy of Trial Lawyers Fellow

In recognition of over 40 years as one of the most preeminent trial lawyers in the state of Alabama, Andy Campbell, Managing Partner of Campbell Partners, has been selected as a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Founded in 1954, IATL is the most prestigious organization of litigators in the us and over 30 other countries. IATL names a select group of fellows following a rigorous invitation-only vetting process focused on three standards: superior skill in trial and appellate practice; dedication to promoting the best interests of the legal profession and the highest standards and techniques of advocacy; and impeccable character and integrity. 

For many years Campbell has been one the leading trial attorneys in the southeast in the field of business and corporate trial work. He is known for his aggressive and creative style in prosecuting complex commercial cases. Through arbitration Campbell has recovered multimillion dollar awards in shareholder and breach of fiduciary cases. In recent weeks he obtained another million dollar-plus award from AAA for a minority shareholder who was squeezed out of his company. Outside the courtroom Campbell is well known for his discerning and effective counsel to clients on corporate matters. Campbell authors articles related to corporate litigation, and his published work on minority shareholder rights has been cited as authority by both state and federal courts.

Campbell was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the State of Alabama securities commission in recognition of his skills in securities and litigation,. He has also served in many leadership capacities for the Birmingham and Alabama State Bar, including the president of business torts for the Alabama state bar. In 2014 Campbell was honored as a fellow of the Birmingham Bar foundation for his accomplishments and charitable work in the legal community. For many years Andy has been a member of the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers and has held an AV Preeminent® rating by Martindale Hubbell. 

Campbell is deeply committed to the Birmingham community, providing pro bono services to local advocacy organizations and serving on several nonprofit boards through the years. He recently completed a two-year tenure as chair of the Birmingham Holocaust Education Board.

Firm Obtains AAA Award of Over $1.1 Million

Campbell Partners recently obtained an award of over $1.1 million on behalf of their client, a minority shareholder in a local factoring business, who had been squeezed out by the majority shareholders, and deprived of his fair share of the company’s profits. Campbell Partners sought to enforce the parties’ governing agreement’s buy-out provisions which included a payout to their client of his share of the company’s profits. Andy Campbell and Todd Campbell tried the case to an AAA panel of three arbitrators who ultimately awarded their client over $1.1 million and dismissed all counterclaims asserted by the opposing parties.

Todd Campbell Discusses Tips for Handling Fraud and Related Malfeasance on American Bar Association Website

Partner Todd Campbell was recently published on American Bar Association’s website discussing tips on how to best handle fraud and related malfeasance in closely held businesses. In his article, he provides a high-level description of the dynamics of these types of disputes, reflects on some examples of these types of situations, and offers guidance and advice on how to handle such situations. To see the full article on ABA’s website, click here >

Harris Hagood Named Rising Star of Law by Birmingham Business Journal

The Birmingham Business Journal has unveiled the winners in its Rising Stars of Law awards, which recognize up-and-coming attorneys who are making waves in Birmingham’s legal scene before the age of 40.

Honorees were selected based on career accomplishments, achievements within their practice area and contributions to the community, among other factors.

Harris Hagood is a partner in the firm’s Partnership and Limited Liability Companies and Labor and Employment practices. He specializes in corporate law and works to develop, grow, and sustain businesses through modern management strategies. His representation includes counseling start-up businesses and businesses engaged in commercial real estate transactions. In addition to employment and corporate law, Harris works with licensing and trademark agreements and mergers and acquisitions.

Super Lawyers Selects Four Campbell Partners' Attorneys for Recognition

We are proud to announce that four attorneys at Campbell Partners have been recognized for being leading lawyers in their practice areas and named as 2020 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

The firm’s attorneys and their recognized practice areas are:

• Andy Campbell was named 2020 Super Lawyer in Business Litigation

• Todd Campbell was named 2020 Mid-South Rising Star in Business Litigation

• Cason Kirby was named 2020 Mid-South Rising Star in Business Litigation

• Yawanna McDonald was named 2020 Mid-South Rising Star in Business Litigation

Campbell Partners Defends Fifth Amendment, City of Huntsville Pays

This December, Campbell Partners defended a central tenet of the United States Constitution to the tune of $309,409.42. The Fifth Amendment holds that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. Managing Partner Andy Campbell and partner Yawanna McDonald took on the City of Huntsville to defend the rights of a Campbell Partners client who had property condemned by the city for the extension of a sewer line along highway 72.

The Madison County probate court awarded $0.00 for the city’s 3,500 square-foot sewer easement that split a valuable, 5.2-acre piece of prime commercial real estate in half. Campbell Partners was then retained to handle the de novo appeal to the Madison County Circuit Court.

In a four-day jury trial, that included a visit to the subject property, Campbell Partners presented valuation evidence, including comparable sales in the area, sufficient to show the damage the easement had on the subject property. Ultimately, the jury concluded that the firm’s client was due $266,934.00 in just compensation for the easement prescribed by the city. The client was also awarded $42,475.42 interest for a total award of $309,409.42.

Four Campbell Partners Attorneys Named 2019 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars

We are proud to announce that four attorneys at Campbell Partners have been recognized for being leading lawyers in their practice areas and named as 2019 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

The firm’s attorneys and their recognized practice areas are:

• Andy Campbell was named 2019 Super Lawyer in Business Litigation

• Todd Campbell was named 2019 Mid-South Rising Star in Business Litigation

• Cason Kirby was named 2019 Mid-South Rising Star in Business Litigation

• Yawanna McDonald was named 2019 Mid-South Rising Star in Business Litigation

Yawanna McDonald Among B-Metro's Top Women Attorneys 2019

Partner Yawanna McDonald was named in B-Metro Magazine's 2019 Top Women Attorneys. This annual list recognizes the top female attorneys in the Birmingham metro area who have successful careers and demonstrate a commitment to their community and the law. See the full issue here.

Yawanna focuses on business torts, corporate litigation, and trial areas. Her representation includes trust and estate litigation, probate and estate administration, and other general litigation matters representing both plaintiffs and defendants. In her trust and estate litigation practice, Yawanna represents heirs, beneficiaries, personal representatives, and trustees in small to multi-million-dollar estates and trusts. Due to Yawanna’s personal connections with her clients, she also handles prosecution and defense of claims, including, but not limited to, torts, grandparent visitation rights, and contractual disputes.

B Metro Magazine Recognizes Two Campbell Partners Lawyers as 2019 Top Lawyers

Partners Andy Campbell and Yawanna McDonald were recently recognized by B Metro Magazine in their annual Top Lawyers issue.

Andy Campbell was named to the ‘top lawyers’ list for the fourth year in a row. Multiple factors including community impact, education, reputation and commitment to professionalism were all considered in the selection process.

Yawanna McDonald was named one of 12  ‘Stars of the Bar’, a list comprised of outstanding attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, and who have also made a difference in the profession and the community.

Two Campbell Partners Lawyers Named 2018 'Top Attorneys' by Birmingham Magazine

Two Campbell Partners lawyers have been named 2019 “Top Attorneys” by Birmingham magazine. Partners Yawanna McDonald and Cason Kirby received this recognition from the local publication.

Birmingham Magazine conducted its tenth-annual peer reviewed survey, asking more than 4,000 local attorneys registered with the Birmingham Bar Association for their nominations for the area’s top lawyers in 35 practice areas. Birmingham Magazine staff members reviewed the results to vet both the voters and the winners.

At Campbell partners Yawanna McDonald focuses on business torts, corporate litigation, and trial areas. Further, Yawanna’s representation includes trust and estate litigation, probate and estate administration, and other general litigation matters representing both plaintiffs and defendants.

Cason Kirby’s practice focuses on representing privately-held companies and individuals in all types of business disputes, including securities litigation, corporate fraud, shareholder disputes, and enforcement of corporate officer non-compete agreements.  Through his practice, Cason counsels businesses and individuals on meeting their changing needs throughout each step in the litigation and appeals process.