
Our Nationwide Cases
Simply put, no other firm comes close to matching the success we have obtained for our clients in state and federal courts across the country. This list does not represent all cases that the firm manages or handles.
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View Case Details: Joshua Mardis Fraternity Hazing-Related Death
Joshua Mardis Fraternity Hazing-Related Death
Joshua Mardis, a college sophomore, was killed with two others when a fraternity rush event forced alcohol and drugs on pledges before an impaired member crashed. We filed a wrongful…
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View Case Details: Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. Fraternity Hazing Death
Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. Fraternity Hazing Death
Gordie Bailey, a University of Colorado freshman, died after a Chi Psi ritual forced pledges to drink heavily. We secured a settlement far exceeding Colorado’s damages cap for his family.
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View Case Details: Marquise Braham Fraternity Hazing-Related Death
Marquise Braham Fraternity Hazing-Related Death
Marquise Braham, a Penn State Altoona student, died by suicide after severe fraternity hazing the school ignored. We secured settlements with the university, fraternity, and members responsible.
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View Case Details: Matthew Carrington Fraternity Hazing Death
Matthew Carrington Fraternity Hazing Death
Matthew Carrington died in a Chi Tau hazing ritual that forced him to drink fatal amounts of water. We won settlements and jail time, and helped enact California’s “Matt’s Law.”
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View Case Details: Max Gruver Fraternity Hazing Death
Max Gruver Fraternity Hazing Death
Max Gruver, an LSU freshman who died in a Phi Delta Theta hazing ritual, is now the namesake of the Max Gruver Act. We secured a $6.2 million jury verdict…
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View Case Details: Michael Deng Fraternity Hazing Death
Michael Deng Fraternity Hazing Death
Michael Deng, a Baruch College freshman featured in Hulu’s Death in the Dorms, died in a violent Pi Delta Psi ritual. We pursued civil and criminal accountability for his homicide.
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View Case Details: Noah Domingo Fraternity Hazing Death
Noah Domingo Fraternity Hazing Death
Noah Domingo, a UC Irvine pledge, died after Sigma Alpha Epsilon members made him drink a “family drink” and left him for hours. We secured numerous substantial confidential settlements.
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View Case Details: Phat Nguyen Fraternity Hazing Death
Phat Nguyen Fraternity Hazing Death
Phat Nguyen, a Michigan State pledge, died at a Pi Alpha Phi “blackout” event engineered to intoxicate pledges. We filed a wrongful death lawsuit; the case is ongoing.
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View Case Details: Rolling Stone Defamation Case
Rolling Stone Defamation Case
We served as lead trial attorneys for Rolling Stone, defending the magazine and Jann Wenner against a $25 million defamation suit over its article on campus fraternity sexual assault.
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View Case Details: Samuel H. Martinez Fraternity Hazing Death
Samuel H. Martinez Fraternity Hazing Death
Samuel Martinez, a WSU freshman featured on 60 Minutes, died in an Alpha Tau Omega hazing. We won a landmark ruling—the first holding a Washington university liable for a hazing…
Other Notable Cases
Cal State Sorority Hazing Wrongful Death Case
The fraternity, sorority and members who hazed Bea, and covered-up their misconduct afterwards, were held responsible in civil litigation filed by the family. The family received multiple substantial financial settlements and prevented such organizations and individuals from evading responsibility for the death of their beloved daughter, sister and family member.
Arizona State Hazing Wrongful Death Case
The fraternity and its members sought to portray the death of Jack as being his fault. In fact, litigation disclosed that he had been hazed as part of his effort to join the fraternity and that fraternity members left him entirely unsupervised and in danger after their actions had caused him to become grossly intoxicated. The abuse and misuse of alcohol is rampant in fraternity initiation activities. The family revealed the truth, obtained justice, and held individuals and the fraternity respnsible for his death responsible.
Cal State Fraternity Hazing Death Case
Philip died as a result of hazing, though fraternity members coordinated their stories to deny that hazing precipitated and caued his death. The national fraternity argued that it had no legal responsibility in California for the alleged acts of misconduct by chapter members. That argument was defeated, as were the denials of responsbility by members. The case ultiimately settled for a substantial amount and added to the legal precedent in California ruling that national fraternities faced legal liability for failing to stop its members and chapters from hazing.
Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Hazing Death
Death of a young man following a fraternity-related event connected to Tau Kappa Epsilon in Fairfax County, Virginia. The estate filed a wrongful death action against the fraternity and individual defendants alleging negligence related to fraternity activities.
Sexual Assault at Psi Upsilon Fraternity at Wesleyan University
Jane Doe filed suit against a fraternity, the perpetrator, and other fraternity members after she was raped in a common area of the fraternity house during a fraternity-sponsored party. The defendants claimed she had consented and sought dismissal, which the court denied. Facing trial, the defendants abandoned those arguments and settled for a confidential, substantial amount. Jane Doe continued her education on her own terms after holding those responsible accountable.
University of Delaware Fraternity Hazing Death
Brett was a beloved son and brother who died during his freshman year while attempting to comply with longstanding fraternity hazing rituals. He was drawn to the fraternity by its promised social, educational, and professional benefits, but neither the University nor the fraternity disclosed the chapter’s well-known history of hazing and misconduct. Discovery revealed the extent of that misconduct and the University’s knowledge of it. The case resulted in substantial settlements, including reforms by both the University and the fraternity to improve student safety.
University of Louisiana Hazing Related Death
Rustam Nizamutdinov, a 24-year-old international student at the University of Louisiana–Lafayette, was killed on November 6, 2016, when a sleep-deprived Kappa Sigma pledge fell asleep at the wheel during fraternity “Hell Week” and struck him as he walked along the roadside. The driver attributed the crash to hazing that required pledges to remain awake for days and serve as designated drivers, resulting in multiple accidents that weekend. The case settled for an undisclosed amount.
SUNY Geneseo Hazing Wrongful Death Case
Arman Partamian, a 19-year-old biology sophomore at SUNY Geneseo, died on March 1, 2009, after being required to drink excessively over two days to gain membership in the off-campus Orange Knights / PIGS fraternity, which had previously been banned from campus. His blood-alcohol level was 0.55. The case settled for an undisclosed amount.
Washington Navy Yard Shooting
We represented a victim of the September 16, 2013 mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, where Aaron Alexis killed 12 people and injured three others at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters. The case settled for a substantial, undisclosed amount.
Ohio State University Hazing Wrongful Death Case
Collin, an Ohio University student pledging Sigma Pi, was subjected to escalating hazing that included forced labor, physical violence, substance abuse, and activities that interfered with his education. On November 12, 2018, Collin inhaled nitrous oxide during the pledging process and went into respiratory distress. A fraternity member delayed calling 911 for nine minutes while seeking guidance from the chapter president. Collin died at a local hospital later that morning. The case remains ongoing.


