Charlie is a versatile and adaptive trial and appellate lawyer who represents clients in high-stakes cases in jurisdictions across the United States. As clients have described him, “He is one of the top young trial lawyers in the country [routinely] tapped to try cases that are ten to a hundred million dollars, if not more. He is in high demand and extraordinarily effective.”
Recent examples include four first-chair trial victories as a plaintiff’s lawyer, including a historic $189 million dollar verdict in an unfair competition case in the Western District of North Carolina; an $8.5 million dollar verdict in a civil rights case for an injured plaintiff in the Eastern District of Missouri; and a $4 million jury verdict in a 2019 Lanham Act case in the Southern District of Florida. In another case, Charlie obtained a $10 million settlement on the third day of trial in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida. As lead defense counsel, he obtained a defense verdict in a $50 million data breach trial in Miami federal court that lasted three weeks and eventually resulted in a post-trial $1.75 million attorney’s fee recovery.
As an appellate lawyer, Charlie has had several adverse jury verdicts reversed on appeal. For example, in a $5 million consumer fraud case in Dallas County, Texas, the appellate court reversed the verdict and entered judgment for Charlie's client. Charlie also has obtained defense verdicts in Brooklyn, New York; Portland, Oregon; northern California; New Jersey; Houston, Texas; and southern Missouri, among other jurisdictions.
Charlie has also been lead counsel in consequential cases in appellate courts across the country. He has argued more than 30 appeals in more than 15 different state and federal appellate courts. Moreover, one of his federal appeals is included in a prominent casebook on tort law. His work has also resulted in the reversal of two civil jury verdicts and one federal criminal conviction. Charlie's experience in the appellate court has helped him develop the ability to identify legal issues that leverage better outcomes for his clients, not only as a courtroom lawyer, but as a business adviser.
Recognized for his trial and appellate abilities, Charlie is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. The College is composed of preeminent members of the Trial Bar from the United States and Canada and is recognized as the leading trial lawyers organization in both countries. Membership can never be more than 1% of the total lawyer population of any state or province. Consideration for fellowship requires lawyers must be actively engaged in trial work as their principal activity for a minimum of 15 years. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics and the administration of justice.
Charlie is currently national trial and appellate counsel for several multinational corporations. He has defended a range of clients in matters involving a wide variety of subjects, including the defense of international corporations in antitrust and RICO litigation; federal criminal and civil rights litigation on behalf of those unable to afford representation; complex commercial matters; as well as consumer protection, mass tort, catastrophic injury/wrongful death, class action and product liability matters for many different industries.
Charlie also manages entire case dockets under alternative fee arrangements, and has served as in-house counsel overseeing hundreds of cases across the United States. His case management and in-house counsel experience gives him insight into not only the litigation needs of his clients, but also their business needs, allowing him to fully understand a client's objectives and the big picture of how litigation and business operations affect each other.
Representative Matters
Trials
CPI Security v. Vivint, Inc., USDC for Western District of North Carolina. $189 million trademark and unfair competition plaintiff verdict in commercial competitor case.
Lady Smith v. Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc., USDC for Eastern District of Missouri. $8.5 million plaintiff verdict, including punitive damages in prisoner rights case.
ADT LLC v. Alder LLC, USDC for Southern District of Florida (West Palm Beach). $4 million plaintiff verdict, including punitive damages.
ADT LLC v. Vivint, Inc., USDC for Southern District of Florida (West Palm Beach). $10 million settlement on third day of trial.
National Union v. Tyco Integrated Security, USDC for Southern District of Florida (Miami). Defense verdict as first chair in $50 million data breach trial resulting in $1.75 million attorney’s fee recovery.
Dryer v. Scott Technologies, Madison County, New York (2015). First-chair in five-week $50 million high-profile product liability trial involving burn and amputation injuries to a firefighter.
Nooter Corp. v. Evanston Ins. Co., St. Louis City, Missouri (2014). Three-week jury and declaratory judgment trial involving $100 million commercial and insurance issues.
Bohl v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., Somerset County, New Jersey (2014). (defense verdict in permanent disability claim).
Millwood Golf & Racket v. SimplexGrinnell, Greene County, Missouri (2013) Defense verdict in $3 million commercial kitchen fire.
Roman v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., Kings County, New York (Brooklyn) (2013). Defense verdict in 10-day trial claiming permanent disability from electrical accident.
Valbruna Stainless Steel v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., Harris County, Texas (Houston) (2012). Defense verdict in fraud/consumer protection state court trial; favorable directed verdict on breach of contract counterclaim.
Parker-Hendricksen v. Rodriguez, Monmouth County, New Jersey (2011) Defense verdict in permanent disability case involving commercial truck/pedestrian accident).
Nacol & Associates v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., USDC for Southern District of Texas (Houston) (2011). Jury verdict in $1.8 million exposure consumer fraud case remitted to $1,000.
PacifiCorp v. SimplexGrinnell, Multnomah County, Oregon (2010). Defense verdict in case involving electrical engineering issues following power plant accident.
Traveler’s Indemnity v. SimplexGrinnell, Placer County, California (2009). Defense verdict in multimillion-dollar case involving restaurant fire.
Appeals
Watermark v. Morrison, Inc., 905 F.3d 421, (6th Cir. 2018). Affirming issue of first impression regarding collateral estoppel in wrongful-death case.
Heeter v. ADT LLC, (3d Cir. July 24, 2017). Affirming wrongful death case for lack of proximate cause.
ADT Sec. Services, Inc. v. Van Peterson, --- So.3d --- (2016). Reversal of seven-figure DTPA verdict with entry of judgment for client.
Barko Hydraulics, LLC v. Shepherd, 167 So.3d 304 (2014). Reversal of adverse jury verdict.
Davis v. Brickman Landscaping, Ltd., 219 N.J. 395 (2014). Reinstating summary judgment on expert issues in $10 million case where two minors died.
Nirvana v. ADT Sec. Services Inc. 881 F. Supp. 2d 556 (S.D.N.Y. 2012), aff’d (2d Cir. 2013). Affirming dismissal of $3 million tort and fraud theories.
ADT Sec. Services, Inc. v. Van Peterson Fine Jewelers, 390 S.W.3d 603 (Court of Appeals of Texas, Dallas, 2012). Interlocutory appeal reversing denial of summary judgment on four claims.
Core-Mark Midcontinent, Inc. v. Sonitrol Corp., 300 P.3d 963 (2012 COA 120). Vacating jury award based on erroneous exclusion of expert witnesses.
Valenzuela v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., 475 Fed. Appx. 115 (9th Cir. 2012). Affirming summary judgment on tort and fraud claims.
Greenspan v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., 444 Fed. Appx. 566, 2011 WL 4361530. Affirming favorable summary judgment order and reversing sole adverse ruling.
United States v. Taylor, 636 F.3d 461, (8th Cir. Feb. 18, 2011). Reversing denial of motion to suppress evidence obtained during automobile search that violated Fourth Amendment.
Spengler v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., 505 F.3d 456 (6th Cir. 2007). Affirming summary judgment in wrongful death case, creating significant industry precedent.
Synnex Corp. v. ADT Sec. Services, Inc., 394 N.J. Super. 577 (App. Div. 2007). Dismissal of jury verdict.
United States v. Aldridge, 413 F.3d 829 (8th Cir. 2005). Vacated unconstitutional sentence, ultimately resulted in a significant reduction; affirmed conviction over dissent.
Johnson v. Blaukat, 453 F.3d 1108 (8th Cir. 2006). Reversal of adverse grant of summary judgment in civil rights case.
Publications
Charles C. Eblen & Kristina L. Burmeister, Minimize Liability in Freeze and Burst Lawsuits, Fire Protection Contractor, December 2013, at 28.
Charlie Eblen & Aaron Kirkland, Maximize Your Contract’s Exculpatory Provisions, Law360, July 15, 2013.
Paul A. Williams, Charles C. Eblen & Kristina L. Burmeister, Minimizing Tort Liability With The Right Terms, Law360, Feb. 28, 2012.
Charles C. Eblen, Defining the Geographic Market in Modern Commerce: The Effect of Globalization and E-Commerce on Tampa Electric and its Progeny, Baylor Law Review, December 2004.
Presentations
Panelist, Effective Appellate Advocacy: How to Identify, Raise and Preserve Issues on Appeal, Federal Bar Association, November 15, 2023.
Media
A Case Study in Getting an Associate Stand-Up Experience in a High-Stakes Trial, American Lawyer Media, September 28, 2023.
Federal Jury in St. Louis Awards $8.5 Million in Health Care Jail Crisis, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 28, 2022.
Woman prevails in claims of providers failing to care for, diagnose her late brother's cancer in jail, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, June 7, 2022.