Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Denis L. Durkin is a civil trial lawyer who practices in the firm’s litigation group. He has acted as trial counsel in diverse matters, including a $53 million junk bond securities fraud class action, claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, multimillion-dollar construction contract disputes, copyright and trademark claims, federal and state employment discrimination claims, ad valorem tax assessment appeals, defamation claims, eminent domain claims, product liability defense, personal injury and wrongful death claims.

Mr. Durkin has extensive jury and non-jury experience in all Florida courts and in jurisdictions throughout the United States. His trial experience includes the successful defense of numerous employment cases asserting age, race, disability and sex discrimination. He also has successfully tried a variety of construction contract claims, including a recent significant multimillion-dollar dispute before the Veterans Administration Board of Contract Appeals.

Mr. Durkin was lead trial and appellate counsel for the taxpayer in the landmark ad valorem tax assessment decision in Havill v. Scripps Howard Cable Company, 742 So. 2d 210 (Fla. 1998), which held that the Lake County property appraiser had employed an unconstitutional appraisal methodology in assessing the tangible personal property of a cable TV company. The client realized a tax and interest savings in excess of $4 million.

Mr. Durkin has successfully defended Florida newspapers, television stations and their reporters against defamation and invasion of privacy claims. He advises clients on litigation avoidance strategies, risk management issues, federal procurement and contract matters. He frequently lectures to various groups on litigation-related topics.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Durkin was a captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. His assignments included Labor Counsel and assistant procurement legal counsel at Fort Ord, California, and appellate counsel at the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Durkin is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell. He is a member of the trial bar of all Florida federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th and 11th Circuits and various other federal courts throughout the United States.

Areas of Practice

• Litigation: Commercial
• Litigation: Media
• Litigation: Product Liability & Toxic Tort
• Tax: Controversy & Litigation
• Media
• Noncompete and Trade Secrets

Bar Admissions

• Georgia, 1973
• California, 1975
• Florida, 1977
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1979
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1981
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1979
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 1979
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1979
• U.S. Federal Courts, 1988

Honors and Awards

• "Leading Business Lawyers"
• "Leading Business Lawyers"
• "Super Lawyers"

Past Employment Positions

• U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, Captain

Education

• Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia, 1973
  J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
  
  Law Journal: Journal of Public Law, Executive Research Editor
• Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida, 1970
  B.A., Bachelor of Arts
  Honors: cum laude

Address

SunTrust Center, Suite 2300
200 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801-3432

Phones

(407) 649-4053

Faxes

(407) 841-0168

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.bakerlaw.com