
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: Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. Hazing Case
Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. Hazing Case
– Colorado District Court, Boulder County, Case No. 2006CV424 Case Details Who: On September 17th, 2004, Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. (“Gordie”) was found dead at the Chi Psi fraternity house…
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View Case Details: Marquise Braham Hazing Death
Marquise Braham Hazing Death
Case Details Who: This case was brought by the family and estate of Marquise Braham, a student at Pennsylvania State University Altoona and a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. What…
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View Case Details: Matthew Carrington Hazing Death
Matthew Carrington Hazing Death
Case Details – Superior Court of California, County of Butte, Case No. 134286 Who: Matthew Carrington was a college student and fraternity pledge whose death occurred during a hazing ritual…
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View Case Details: Max Gruver Hazing Death
Max Gruver Hazing Death
Case Details Who: Maxwell Gruver was a freshman at Louisiana State University and a pledge of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity chapter at LSU. The lawsuit was brought by Gruver’s…
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View Case Details: Michael Deng Hazing Death
Michael Deng Hazing Death
Case Details Who: Michael Deng was a freshman at Baruch College in Manhattan and a pledge of Pi Delta Psi, an Asian American fraternity. What Happened: In December 2013, Michael…
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View Case Details: Noah Domingo Hazing Death
Noah Domingo Hazing Death
Case Details Who: Noah was a beloved son and brother who died as a result of fraternity hazing that involved the illegal provision and misuse of alcohol at the University…
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View Case Details: Phat Nguyen – Michigan State Hazing Death
Phat Nguyen – Michigan State Hazing Death
Case Details – 30th Circuit Court, County of Ingham, Case No. 23-245-NO Who: Phat Anh Nguyen was an undergraduate student at Michigan State University and a pledge of the Asian…
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View Case Details: Rolling Stone Defamation Litigation
Rolling Stone Defamation Litigation
Case Details Who: Our firm represented Rolling Stone in one of the most closely watched defamation lawsuits involving a national media publication. The case arose from a widely circulated investigative…
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View Case Details: Samuel H. Martinez Hazing Death
Samuel H. Martinez Hazing Death
Case Details – Superior Court of the State of Washington, Kings County, Case No. 20-2-11998-9 SEA Who: Samuel H. Martinez was a freshman student whose death occurred in connection with…
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View Case Details: Sexual Assault at Wesleyan Beta Theta Pi Fraternity
Sexual Assault at Wesleyan Beta Theta Pi Fraternity
Case Details – United States District Court, District of Connecticut, Case No. 3:12-cv-01428 Who: Jane (Doe) was a college student who attended a Halloween fraternity party on campus, unaware that…
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
Cabri Chamberlain 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. Cabri 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.


