Sara M. Turner

Sara M. Turner is a shareholder in the Birmingham, Alabama, office. She has extensive experience representing corporations in Federal, State and Administrative Courts both in Alabama and Minnesota. Sara's trial work focuses on litigation of product liability, commercial, long term care, medical malpractice and transportation claims. Sara has developed experience in hospitality and franchise litigation. In addition, her background includes reinsurance and complex insurance coverage matters. When a matter cannot be resolved, she puts her trial experience and her background's breadth to work in front of arbitrators, judges, and juries on behalf of her clients. Sara also has experience serving as outside general counsel and assisting in the coordination of her client's defense of claims nationwide.

Recent Representative Matters

• Obtained summary judgment for franchisor in a vicarious liability case the morning of trial, successfully avoiding a 4.5 million dollar verdict which was awarded against the co-defendants.
• As lead counsel, negotiated a favorable settlement for one of the nation's largest independently owned petroleum marketing companies in a complex commercial transaction involving biodiesel and other natural fuels.
• Represented a large franchisor in a high dollar hospitality related franchise dispute.
• Represented a U.S.-based manufacturer in a lengthy international arbitration proceeding in Mexico City.
• Successfully defended a products manufacturer in the accidental choking death of a three-year-old child.
• Defended a catastrophic personal injury case involving a forklift manufacturer and a major trucking company.
• Successfully assisted in the representation of a fertilizer manufacturer in a commercial dispute involving major crop loss damages.
• Defended various nursing homes in cases ranging from sexual abuse allegations to wrongful death matters.
• Handled a number of toxic exposure cases acting as counsel for both chemical corporations and heavy machinery manufacturers.

Publications

• "IP in Joint Ventures With Universities or Nonprofits," ACCDocket (September 2011)
• "We Are All Becoming 'Techies'," For The Defense (January 2011)
• "Arbitration: The Trial with No Appeal?" Baker Donelson Hospitalitas Newsletter 2010, Issue 3 (September 2010) 
• "Regular or De-CAFA-inated? Class Action Prohibitions in Arbitration Agreements," In-House Defense Quarterly (Summer 2008)
• "In-House Counsel and Confidentiality," For The Defense (February 2007)
• "Class Action Shake Out: CAFA and the Defense of Products Liability Actions," For The Defense (December 2005)
• "New Class Rules: 2005 Class Action Fairness Act," Minnesota Defense (Spring 2005)
• "'That's Not Hot:' What You Can Learn From Paris Hilton About Protecting the Attorney-Client Privilege," Whisper (April 2005)
• "Profiles of the Bench: Judge Elena L. Ostby," Barrister (July/August 2005)
• "A Bump In The Road: Ascertaining Damages in Transportation Law Cases," Minnesota Defense (Fall 2004)
• "Motion Practice Tips: Helpful Hints to Assist Your Client and Stay in the Good Graces of the Court," Barrister (December 2004)

Speaking Engagements

• Speaker – "Law Firm Profitability," Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association 2011 Spring Seminar, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, Florida (June 17, 2011)
• Speaker – "You've Been Invited to Be Someone's Friend: The Impact of Social Networking on the Attorney-Client Relationship," Defense Research Institute Product Liability Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana (April 7, 2011)
• Chair – Chemical and Toxic Torts Specialized Litigation Group Workshop, Defense Research Institute Product Liability Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada (April 7-9, 2010)
• Faculty at "Technology for Cutting Edge Practices," DRI Best Practices for Law Firm Profitability Seminar, New York, New York (December 3-2, 2009)
• Faculty at "Hacking into Your Opponent's Hard Drive: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know about Taking and Defending a 30(b)(6) Technology Deposition," DRI Young Lawyers Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (June 4, 2009)
• Chair – Chemical and Toxic Torts Specialized Litigation Group Workshop, DRI Products Liability Seminar, San Diego, California (April 16, 2009)
• Faculty at DRI Trucking Seminar – "Selecting a Transportation Expert," and Chair of 2008 Young Lawyer Breakout at DRI Trucking Seminar (April 2008)
• Chair of DRI Technology Committee Teleconference – "PowerPoint Use it or Lose it: A Primer on PowerPoint for Trials, RFPs, Motion Practice and Everyday Use" (March 2008)
• Faculty at 2008 DRI Products Liability Conference – "Products Liability Caselaw Update" (February 2008)
• Chair of DRI Trucking Committee Teleconference – "Spoliation and Conflagration – A Ball of Confusion" (September 2007)
• Chair of DRI Technology Committee Teleconference – "The E-Discovery 30(b)(6) Deposition – How to Prepare Your Technology Witness and be Prepared to Take on Plaintiff's Witness" (May 2007)
• Chair of DRI Young Lawyer's Teleconference – "Taking the Initiative – Excelling as a Young Litigator" (March 2007)
• Faculty at 2007 DRI Products Liability Conference – "The New Federal E-Discovery Rules – How Do They Apply In The Real World" (February 2007)
• Faculty at 2006 DRI Annual Meeting – "The Costs of Production: Who Bears The Burden" (October 2006)
• Faculty at 2006 DRI Products Liability Conference – "Shifting the Costs of Production...Priceless" (February 2006)
• Co-Chair of March 2006 DRI Teleconference: "The Dos and Don'ts of Discovery – How to Avoid Common Mistakes and Stay Ahead of the Opposition" (March 2006)
• Faculty at 2005 MDLA Mid-Winter Conference – "Positioning Your Case to Avoid Punitive Damages Claims" (Winter 2005)
• Chair of September 2005 DRI Teleconference: "On the Road Again: Recent Developments in Trucking Law" (September 2005)
• Faculty at 2005 DRI Products Liability Conference – "Bringing it all to Beaumont: New Rule 23 Class Action Standards in the Product Liability Context" (February 2005)

Professional Honors & Activities

• Listed in Alabama Rising Stars, Personal Injury Defense: Products (2011)
• Member – Defense Research Institute (DRI), (Chair, Technology Committee; Social Networking Taskforce; Membership Chair, Products Liability Steering Committee; Seminar Vice Chair, Young Lawyer's Steering Committee)
• Member – Federal, American, Alabama and Minnesota Bar Associations
• Member – Board of Directors, Homewood Youth Cheerleading
• Member – Homewood Industrial Development Board
• Former Chair – Steering Committee, DRI Trucking Law Committee (Chair, Teleconference Subcommittee)
• Former Chair – Steering Committee, DRI Young Lawyers Committee (SLDO Subcommittee; Teleconference Subcommittee, Annual Meeting Subcommittee)
• Former Substantive Liaison between the DRI Young Lawyers Committee and the DRI Trucking Law Committee
• Participant – Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Trial Academy
• Former Chair – Minnesota Defense Lawyers, Products Liability Committee
• Former Chair – Minnesota Defense Lawyers, New Lawyers Committee
• Former Committee Liaison between the DRI Young Lawyers Section and the Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association

Admissions

• Alabama, 2006
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama, 2006
• Minnesota, 2003
• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2004
• 8th Circuit, 2004

Education

• University of Minnesota School of Law, J.D., 2003, cum laude
• Augustana College, B. A., Government/International Affairs, 1999, cum laude
• University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic, 1998