Overview
David Dormont brings more than 30 years of experience to complex commercial and bankruptcy-related litigation. A partner in the Litigation Department, David has handled more than 250 matters in federal and state courts and before arbitration panels, representing clients ranging from individuals and unions to Fortune 500 companies.
David has tried cases as first or second chair, including trials resulting in two of the ten largest verdicts reported in Pennsylvania in 2005. Because he represents plaintiffs and defendants in nearly equal measure, David brings a distinctive perspective to every matter.
In Depth
David Dormont is a partner in Montgomery McCracken’s Litigation Department. For more than 30 years, he has focused on complex commercial litigation and bankruptcy-related litigation, representing a diverse range of clients from individuals and unions to Fortune 500 companies in complex commercial disputes. He has handled more than 250 matters in federal and state courts and before arbitration panels in a variety of jurisdictions. David has tried cases, as first or second chair, before various trial courts, including trials resulting in two of the ten largest verdicts reported in Pennsylvania in 2005. David brings a unique perspective to litigation matters as nearly half the time he represents plaintiffs and half the time he represents defendants.
After graduation from law school in 1992, David clerked for two years with the Honorable Marvin Katz, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
David graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in mathematics education. He graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1992, where he served as associate editor of the Minnesota Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.
How David Helps
- Complex commercial litigation
- Bankruptcy-related litigation for trustees and committees
- Jury and bench trials
- Claims against banks, professionals and fiduciaries
- Labor union representation
- Outside general counsel services
The Record
Credentials
Admitted to Practice
- District of Columbia
- Minnesota
- Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Selected Representations
- Obtained full dismissal of claims brought against client for abuse of process, tortious interference with a contract and declaratory judgment from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and successfully obtained affirmance of judgment in Third Circuit appeal.
- Obtained complete defense verdict in defamation and false light action brought against Transport Workers Union Local 234’s former president, its key officers, and members of its Executive Board by an unsuccessful candidate for the union’s presidency. The plaintiff sought punitive damages and approximately $675,000 in compensatory damages. After a six-day jury trial in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, the jury returned a verdict for our clients on all counts.
- Tried valuation and plan confirmation case on behalf of Official Committee of Equity Security Holders in the billion-dollar plus bankruptcy in Delaware.
- Obtained judgment for labor union in a Duty of Fair Representation case after trying a two-day federal bench trial.
- Served as outside general counsel to a national flooring distributor.
- Lead trial counsel during an 12-day federal jury trial representing a national flooring manufacturer in a breach-of-contract suit filed by its former distributor, seeking a multi-million dollar damages award.
- Obtained summary judgment and successfully defended an appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on behalf of majority owner/president of closely-held corporation in veil piercing action brought by minority owner/officer.
- Successfully defended national flooring distributor against a $6 million counterclaim brought by former distributor during a 2011 jury trial.
- Recovered more than $160 million in settlement from claims brought by the Chapter 7 Trustee of a failed subprime lender against the Debtor’s former attorneys, the Debtor’s former accountants and several Wall Street investment banks that had extended warehouse financing and had served as underwriters for the failed lender’s securitization of subprime mortgages.
- Recovered a $24 million judgment, including a $7 million punitive damage award, against a large, national bank on claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation in two separate jury trials.
- Recovered a $6 million settlement on behalf of Chapter 11 Trustee in claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent transfer and deepening of the insolvency against shareholders, former officers, directors and others; settled claims against national bank and recovered $500,000 for the Estate and subordination of lender’s $4 million claim.
- Recovered an eight-figure verdict in a breach of contract case involving a dispute with respect to a television station.
- Successfully defended a furnace manufacturer in product liability case, including obtaining the key evidentiary ruling that led to summary judgment.
- Successfully defended client against $68 million confessed judgment.
Selected Speaking Engagements
- November 2019 Speaker
- September 2018 Panelist American Zionist Movement Discussion Forum
- March 2016 Presenter Chester County Bar Association Spring Bench Bar Conference
- July 2014 Presenter City of Philadelphia Law Department
- 2009-2013 Lecturer Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Association of Legal Secretaries
Selected Publications
- April 2021 Co-Author
- November 2020 Co-Author
- September 2020 Co-Author
- August 2020 Co-Author
- June 2020 Co-Author
- April 2020 Co-Author
- March 2020 Co-Author
- July 2015 Mentioned
- 1992 Author Separate and Unequal: School District Financing, 11 Law Ineq. J. 261
- 1991 Quoted For the Good of the Adult: An Examination of the Constitutionality of Using Prior Juvenile Adjudications to Enhance Adult Sentences, 75 Minn. L. Rev. 1769
Honors & Awards
- Selected to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list in 2013 and 2014. This award is issued by Thomson Reuters a description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey or the highest court of any other state.
- Honoree, “Chapter Supporter of the Year” by ORT America, 2005
- Honoree, President’s Award by ORT America, 2003
Professional Activities
- Member, Philadelphia Bar Association
- Montgomery Bar Association
- Member, Bench Bar Committee
- Fellow, Montgomery Bar Foundation
Community Involvement
- Committee Member, Jewish Agency for Israel
- Member, Democratic Committee of Lower Merion and Narberth
- Finance Committee Member, Maternity Care Coalition
- Member, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
- Member, Neighborhood Club of Bala Cynwyd
Education
Law School
- University of Minnesota Law School
Graduate School
- University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
Undergraduate School
- University of Pennsylvania
Insights
Shared Thinking
Talk With David
Philadelphia 215-772-7280 ddormont@mmwr.com