Sean G. Williamson

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Commonwealth of Kentucky ex rel. Cameron v. Johnson, 658 S.W.3d 25 (Ky. 2022).  The firm represented the Council for Better Education and public school districts in a constitutional challenge to legislation authorizing near dollar-for-dollar tax credits to fund the payment of private school tuition and expenses. The Kentucky Supreme Court struck down the tax credit scheme as a violation of Section 184 of the Kentucky Constitution.
• Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. v. Log Still Distilling, LLC, 575 F. Supp. 3d 785 (W.D. Ky. 2021).  The firm represents Heaven Hill in an action alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition related its “J.W. Dant” trademarks.  The firm has secured preliminary injunctive relief in favor of Heaven Hill.
• Ronaldo Designer Jewelry, Inc. v. RDJ Internet & Social Media, Inc., No. 3:20-CV-469-DJH-RSE (W.D. Ky.).  The firm represents Ronaldo Designer Jewelry in an action against a former corporate officer, as well as his associates and affiliated entities, for infringement of Ronaldo’s trademarks, trade dress, and copyrighted works.
• American Commercial Barge Line LLC v. Louis Dreyfus Company LLC, No. 4:19-CV-00274-SEB-DML (S.D. Ind.).  The firm represented ACBL in a federal maritime dispute concerning liability for port charges imposed in connection with the fleeting and shifting of grain barges delivered to an export terminal on the lower Mississippi River.
• Malone v. Jefferson County Board of Education, No. 2019-CA-1398-MR,  2021 WL 137762 (Ky. App. Jan. 21, 2021).  The firm obtained summary judgment in favor of a public school district on claims of breach of contract, fraud, and various other causes of actions, arising from a former teacher’s decision to resign in lieu of facing disciplinary proceedings.  The Kentucky Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment.
• Burnett v. Neal, No. 18-CI-002002 (Jefferson Ky. Cir. Ct. 2019).  The firm obtained summary judgment in favor of a watercraft manufacturer dismissing indemnity and contribution claims, which alleged that a purported product defect caused or contributed to the death of a passenger in a boating accident.
• White v. Universal Fidelity, LP, 793 F. App’x 389 (6th Cir. 2019). The firm represented a hospital corporation and debt collection entities in an equal protection challenge to Kentucky’s necessaries statute and related FDCPA claims. The district court dismissed plaintiff’s claims, and the Sixth Circuit affirmed the judgment.
• Laborers’ Local #231 Pension Fund v. PharMerica Corporation, No. 3:18-CV-109-RGJ-CHL, 2019 WL 4645583 (W.D. Ky. Sept. 24, 2019).  The firm obtained dismissal of shareholders’ class action asserting claims under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for an allegedly misleading proxy statement associated with the company’s going-private merger.
• Allen v. American Commercial Barge Line, LLC, No. 4:17-CV-0222-SEB-DML, 2019 WL 4572796 (S.D. Ind. Sept. 20, 2019).  The firm obtained summary judgment in favor of ACBL on a former employee’s claims alleging breach of a severance agreement.  The trial court concluded that the plaintiff’s violation of the agreement’s non-disclosure and confidentiality provisions precluded his claims for additional severance payments.
• Cogan Imports, Inc. v. Dharod, No. 3:16-CV-00352-GNS, 2019 WL 3536000 (W.D. Ky. Aug. 2, 2019).  The firm obtained summary judgment for the defendant on breach of contract claims asserted by a motor vehicle dealer attempting to compel specific performance of an alleged email contract for the $2.7 million purchase of a Ferrari automobile.
• Parshall v. Citizens First Corporation, No. 19-CI-00643 (Warren Cnty. Ky. Cir. Ct. 2019).  The firm represented a local bank and its corporate officers in class action litigation brought by a putative class of shareholders demanding supplemental proxy disclosures and injunctive relief.  The litigation was dismissed before shareholders’ merger vote.
• Libertarian National Committee, Inc. v. Holiday, 907 F.3d 941 (6th Cir. 2018).  The firm obtained summary judgment in favor of public broadcaster on alleged viewpoint discrimination and other constitutional claims arising from a third-party candidate’s exclusion from a televised forum for U.S. senatorial candidates.  The Sixth Circuit affirmed the judgment.
• Nami Resources Co. v. Asher Land and Mineral, Ltd., 554 S.W.3d 323 (Ky. 2018).  The firm obtained reversal of $2.7 million punitive award based on alleged fraudulent concealment of underpaid natural gas royalties.
• Conrad v. Bevin, No. 3:17-CV-00056-GFVT, 2018 WL 988071 (E.D. Ky. Feb. 16, 2018).  The firm defeated a motion for preliminary injunction, and obtained dismissal of an action against a physicians’ health organization alleging antitrust, due process, equal protection, and ADA violations, as well as invasion of privacy claims, arising from the temporary suspension of plaintiff’s medical license.
• National Achievement Source, LLC v. Jefferson County Public Schools, No. 17-CI-004017 (Jefferson Cnty. Ky. Cir. Ct. 2017). The firm defeated a motion for preliminary injunction, and obtained complete dismissal of vendor’s claims of alleged violations of the Kentucky Model Procurement Code arising from student purchases of graduation memorabilia, including caps and gowns.
• Boyd ex rel. B.B. v. Jefferson County Public Schools, No 3:16-cv-00023-CRS-CHL, 2017 WL 4685737 (W.D. Ky. Oct. 18, 2017).  The firm obtained summary judgment in favor of a public school district and its employees on alleged Fourth Amendment, due process, and equal protection violations, as well as related state tort claims, arising from law enforcement’s arrest of a student on school property.