As Hickey Smith Dodd’s Legal Operations Partner, Christian Dodd is responsible for the design, development, implementation and execution of the firm’s unique legal services delivery model. He oversees the development, testing and maintenance of the firm’s proprietary legal workflows, checklists, and automated document assembly templates. He also oversees the identification, collection and analysis of matter-specific data collected throughout the lifecycle of each firm matter. This data is utilized for continuous process improvement and to provide actionable business insight to clients and insurance carriers.

Prior to joining Hickey Smith Dodd, Christian practiced law in the large law firm environment, most recently as a Partner with Akerman LLP, and prior to that with Winston & Strawn. His practice is focused on complex commercial and business litigation, business and consumer torts, intellectual property matters, and electronic discovery and information governance issues. Christian’s experience covers a broad spectrum ranging from simple contract and B2B disputes to consolidated multi-district litigation and bet-the-company litigation. He has extensive experience managing the electronic discovery lifecycle in the context of both small- and large-scale litigation and government investigations. Christian draws on this experience to devise strategies and legal workflow processes to improve efficiencies and reduce the costs of litigation for clients and carriers.

Representative Matters

• Representation of a medical transcription provider involving investigations by the DOJ and SEC, and defending a number of nationwide class actions against the provider that alleged, among other things, violations of RICO and securities fraud.
• Representation of a manufacturer of infant formula products in a nationwide consumer class action asserting fraud, consumer protection, and warranty claims.
• Representation of a national franchisor of automotive products in a consumer class action brought against the franchisor for the acts of the franchisee under a theory of ostensible agency.
• Representation of a broker and issuer of travel insurance in a consumer class action asserting consumer protection claims.
• Representation of a military defense contractor in False Claims Act litigation concerning military aircraft.
• Counseling of municipality in class action litigation challenging imposition of business license tax.
• Representation of medical device manufacturers in patent licensing and infringement actions.
• Representation of a debt acquisition and collections agency in class action litigation alleging violation of the FDCPA.
• Representation of state Attorney General’s Office in litigation involving charitable trust with assets valued at several billion dollars.
• Representation of technology solution provider in dispute concerning rights and obligations of provider and programmer under software development agreement.
• Representation of domain name registrar in trademark and anti-cybersquatting dispute.
• Representation of overseas power plant developer in dispute concerning the proposed development of a $1.2 billion coal-fired power plant.
• Representation of a therapy and rehabilitation services provider in a dispute concerning the alleged breach of a non-disclosure agreement and unlawful interference with contractual relations.

Published Work and Lectures

• Masters Conference, Moderator, “Cybersecurity, eDiscovery, and Your Outside Counsel: What you don’t know CAN hurt you,” October 2016

• Strafford Publications, Speaker, “Leveraging Metadata as Evidence and Avoiding Inadvertent ESI Disclosure in Litigation,” June 2016

• Ing3nious Southeast eDiscovery & Information Governance Retreat, Moderator, “Overcoming Objections to Utilizing TAR,” May 2016

• Florida State Bar Annual Convention, Speaker “Ethics, e-Discovery and Emerging Technologies,” June 2015

• Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists, Jacksonville Chapter, Speaker, “Electronic Discovery In Your Courtroom,” Continuing Judicial Education Seminar, May 2015

• Jacksonville Bar Association, Commercial Litigation Committee, Co-Moderator, “Emerging Trends in E-Discovery,” November 2014

• Jacksonville Bar Association, Commercial Litigation and Construction Law Committees, Speaker, “e-Discovery Practice Pointers: Tips From The Trenches,” March 2014

• Jacksonville Bar Association, Annual Raymond Ehrlich Trial Advocacy Seminar, Speaker, “E-Discovery Practice Pointers,” November 2013

• Florida Bar Annual Convention, President’s Showcase, Speaker, “New E-Discovery Amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure: E-Discovery Practice Tips and Pointers,” June 2013

• Association of Corporate Counsel, North Florida Chapter Newsletter, “Technology-Assisted Review: Coming Age of Cost-Effective Document Review,” December 2012

• Jacksonville Bar Association, Commercial Litigation Section Committee, Speaker, “Florida’s New E-Discovery Rules,” November 2012

• GCI Magazine, Co-Author, “The ‘Reasonable Consumer’s’ View of Green Labels—Lessons From Two Greenwashing Cases,” March 2012

• Executive Counsel, Co-Author, “Out-of-Court Settlement Programs Can Avert a Class Action,” October/November 2011

• HAPPI, Co-Author, “Courts Give Guidance on Greenwashing Claims,” October 2011

• Winston & Strawn LLP, eLunch Briefings, Speaker, “Effective but Often Overlooked Strategies for Defeating Class Certification,” September 2011

• California Lawyer, Co-Author, “Class Actions After Tobacco II,” August 2011

• Bloomberg Law Reports, Co-Author, “Defeating Class Certification through Superior Out-of-Court Settlement Programs,” July 2011

• Executive Counsel, Co-Author, “Communicating with the Putative Class,” October/November 2010

• The Recorder, Co-Author, “Up in Smoke,” July 2009

• Los Angeles Daily Journal, Co-Author, “Standing Straight,” June 2009

Activities and Membership

Christian is the past Chair of the Electronic Discovery and Digital Evidence Committee and a member of the Computer and Technology Law Committee of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar, a member of the Advisory Board of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists, a member of the Jacksonville Bar Association, and a member of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association.