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Legal Assistant : Tressy Wilson
205-503-4506 (Direct)
During his 31 years of law practice Mr. Donaldson has extensive experience in business litigation, securities litigation, and class actions. Mr. Donaldson has an “AV Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He was selected for inclusion on the 2010 and 2011 “Alabama Super Lawyers” lists and he was selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Donaldson has been lead trial counsel in hundreds of civil actions and he was counsel of record in thirty-four federal and state appellate decisions. He frequently lectures on topics related to business litigation, the prosecution and defense of class actions, and other complex litigation topics.
At the invitation of Senator Paul S. Sarbanes, Mr. Donaldson testified in 2002 before the Senate Banking Committee’s hearing on Predatory Mortgage Lending. Mr. Donaldson is a member of the Editorial Board of the Consumer Financial Services Law Report.
Mr. Donaldson graduated in 1975 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.A. in history and philosophy. He received a Dean’s Scholarship to Cumberland School of Law, where he was an associate editor of the Cumberland Law Review. He graduated cum laude from Cumberland in 1980.
Mr. Donaldson authored or co-authored the following law review articles: “Privity, Scienter and The Securities Act of Alabama,” 20 Cumb. L. Rev. 325 (1991); “Securities Litigation in Alabama: Open Shirts, Gold Chains and Pinkie Rings – A Guide For Widows and Orphans,” 20 Cumb. L. Rev. 481 (1990); “The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act: Has Congress Supplied A Limitations Period Appropriate For Use In Private 10b-5 Actions?” 47 Wash. and Lee L. Rev. 541 (1990); “Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction in Domestic Relations Cases,” 7 Amer. J. of Trial Advocacy 469 (1984); “Alabama’s Products Liability Statute of Repose,” 11 Cum. L. Rev. 163 (1980); “Civil Rights – States’ Eleventh Amendment Immunity Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983,” 10 Cum. L. Rev. 223 (1979).
Practice Areas:
Business Litigation
Class Action Litigation
Shareholder Derivative Suits
Minority Shareholder Squeeze-Outs
Covenant Not to Compete Litigation
Small Business Litigation
Misuse of Trade Secrets Litigation
Securities Litigation
Stock Broker Fraud
Broker/Dealer Litigation
Copyright Infringement Litigation
Intellectual Property Litigation
Mortgage Lending Litigation
Securities Litigation
Mediation
Special Master Services
Counsel to Special Litigation Committees
Internal Investigations
Educational Background:
B.A., University of Alabama in Birmingham, 1976
J.D., cum laude, Cumberland School of Law, 1980
Admitted to Practice:
Alabama
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Law Review Articles:
“Privity, Scienter and The Securities Act of Alabama,” 20 Cumb. L. Rev., 325 (1991);
“Securities Litigation in Alabama: Open Shirts, Gold Chains and Pinkie Rings—A Guide For Widows and Orphans,” 20 Cumb. L. Rev. 482 (1990); cited in Ritch v. Robinson-Humphrey Co., 142 F.3d 1391, 1395 (11th Cir. 1998).
“The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act: Has Congress Supplied A Limitations Period Appropriate For Use In Private 10b-5 Actions?” 47 Wash. and Lee L. Rev. 541 (1990);
“Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction in Domestic Relations Cases,” 7 Amer. J. of Trial Advocacy 469 (1984);
“Alabama’s Products Liability Statute of Repose,” 11 Cum. L. Rev. 163 (1980);
“Civil Rights – States’ Eleventh Amendment Immunity Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983,” 10 Cum. L. Rev. 223 (1979). Cited by the Alabama Supreme Court in Lankford v. Sullivan, Long & Hagerty, 416 So.2d 996, 1001 (Ala. 1982).
Law School Honors:
Graduated with honors
Cumberland Law Review
Bar Associations:
American Bar Association
Alabama State Bar
Birmingham Bar Association
Alabama Association for Justice
National Association of Consumer Advocates
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
Prior Positions:
1995-97, Hogan, Smith & Alspaugh, PC
1985-95, Ritchie & Rediker, PC
1982-85, Alabama Supreme Court (Staff Attorney)
1980-82, Gorham & Waldrep
Seminars Given:
Liability Under The Sarbanes-Oxley Act; Birmingham, Alabama; August 2003
RESPA Update; Atlanta, Georgia; October 2002
Real Estate Litigation In Alabama: Litigation Arising From Residential Financing; Birmingham, Alabama; September 2002
Covenants Not To Compete In Alabama: Defending Noncompete Actions; Birmingham, Alabama; September 2002
Litigating Business Split-Ups: Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies; Birmingham, Alabama; December 14, 2001
Recent Developments In Alabama Class Action Litigation; Birmingham, Alabama; December 15, 2000
Yield Spread Premium Litigation; Denver, Colorado; October 2000
Address to the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association; Dallas, Texas; May 2000
Yield Spread Premium Litigation Update; Atlanta, Georgia; April 2000
When Does A Lender’s Yield Spread Premium Payment Violate RESPA?; Washington, D.C.; November 1999
Conference on Home Equity Fraud and Predatory Mortgage Lending; Des Moines, Iowa; June 1999
Square Peg Into A Round Hole: Is A Yield Spread Premium Compensation For a Mortgage Broker’s Services?; Birmingham, Alabama; October 1998
Recent Developments In Alabama Class Action Practice; Birmingham, Alabama; May 1998
The Rise And Fall of Conditional Ex Parte Class Certifications In Alabama; Birmingham, Alabama; March, 1998
Current Trends In Alabama Class Action Litigation; Fairhope, Alabama; October 1996
Class Action Settlements: Negotiation And Structure of Settlement Agreements, Fairness Hearings, And Attacking and Defending Settlements; Orange Beach, Alabama; March 1996
Avoiding Common Pitfalls In Class Action Litigation; Orange Beach, Alabama; August 1995
Presenting And Opposing Commercial Experts; Birmingham, Alabama; July 1993
From Stocks and Bonds to Earthworms and Orange Groves…HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SECURITIES FRAUD CASE…And What to Do When You See One; Orange Beach, Alabama; April 1992
Selected Published Decisions:
U.S. Supreme Court
Irwin Mortg. Corp. v. Culpepper, 534 U.S.1118, 122 S.Ct. 930 (2002) (Denial of certiorari)
Lampf, Pleva, Lipkind, Prupis & Petigrow v. Gilbertson, 501 U.S. 350 (1991)
U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals
Heimmermann v. First Union Mortg. Corp., 305 F.3d 1257 (11th Cir. 2002)
Culpepper v. Irwin Mortg. Corp., 253 F.3d 1324 (11th Cir. 2001)
Culpepper v. Inland Mortg. Corp., 132 F.3d 692 (11th Cir.), rehearing denied, 144 F.3d 717 (11th Cir. 1998)
Freeman v. Laventhol & Horwath, 34 F.3d 333 (6th Cir. 1994)
Sewell v. Bank of Wedowee, 918 F.2d 152 (11th Cir.1990)
U.S. District Courts
Heimmermann v. First Union Mortg. Corp., 188 F.R.D. 403 (N.D. Ala. 1999)
Dujanovic v. MortgageAmerica, Inc., 185 F.R.D. 660 (N.D. Ala. 1999)
Iberville Parish Waterworks Dist. No. 3 v. Novartis Crop Protection, Inc., 45 F.Supp.2d 934 (S.D. Ala.1999)
Culpepper v. Inland Mortg. Corp., 189 F.R.D. 668 (N.D.Ala.1999), affirmed, 253 F.3d 1324 (11th Cir. 2001), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 122 S.Ct. 930 (2002)
Culpepper v. Inland Mortg. Corp., 953 F.Supp. 367 (N.D.Ala.1997), rev’d, 132 F.3d 692 (11th Cir.), rehearing denied, 144 F.3d 717 (11th Cir. 1998)
Woodward v. NOR-AM Chemical Co., 1996 WL 1063670 (S.D. Ala. 1996)
U.S. Fidelity & Guar. Co. v. Patriot’s Point Development Authority, 788 F.Supp. 880 (D. S.C. 1992)
U.S. Fidelity & Guar. Co. v. Patriot’s Point Development Authority, 772 F.Supp. 1565 (D. S.C. 1991)
South Carolina Nat. Bank v. Stone, 749 F.Supp. 1419, Fed. Sec. L. Rep. P 95,453 (D. S.C., Jul 25, 1990)
Thomasson v. AmSouth Bank, N.A., 59 B.R. 997 (N.D.Ala.1986)
Mashburn v. National Healthcare, Inc., 684 F.Supp. 679 (M.D.Ala.1988)
Mashburn v. National Healthcare, Inc., 684 F.Supp. 660 (M.D.Ala.1988)
Alabama Supreme Court
Hatch v. Health-Mor, Inc., 686 So.2d 1132 (Ala. 1996)
Defco, Inc. v. Decatur Cylinder, Inc., 595 So.2d 1329 (Ala.1992)
Hackney v. First Alabama Bank, 555 So.2d 97 (Ala. 1989)
Banton v. Hackney, 557 So.2d 807 (Ala.1989)
Western Sling and Cable Co., Inc. v. Hamilton, 545 So.2d 29 (Ala. 1989)
Selby v. Quartrol Corp., 514 So.2d 1294 (Ala. 1987)
City of Birmingham v. Smith, 507 So.2d 1312 (Ala. 1987)
Stallworth v. Hicks, 434 So.2d 229 (Ala.1983)
Woodard v. Woodard, 413 So.2d 1060 (Ala.1982)
Forrester v. Putman, 409 So.2d 773 (Ala. 1981)
Limbaugh v. Richardson, 402 So.2d 957 (Ala.1981)
Florida Court of Appeals
Banton v. Hackney, 700 So.2d 1248 (Fla.App. 1 Dist., Oct 30, 1997)
News Media:
8/02
Business Law Today
Class Actions Today
10/18/99
Forbes, “Borrower Beware”
1/26/98
Lawyers Weekly USA, “Foreclosure Defense Gets Boost”
1/27/98
“Mortgage Brokers Fight Ruling”
“Mortgage Company linked to fee lawsuit”
1/25/98
The New York Times, “A Mortgage Broker Fee on the Ropes”
1/24/98
The Washington Post, “Appeals Court Rules Some Fees Illegal”
1/26/97
The Birmingham News, “Mortgage Company Linked To Fee Lawsuit”
8/23/83
The Birmingham News, “City Law Firm Scoring Wins In Big-Stakes Securities Cases”
