In almost thirty-five years as a trial lawyer, Gino has litigated civil cases of every stripe. He has done so in state and federal courts across Tennessee and the country, having been admitted pro hac vice in over twenty different federal district courts and multiple states. While fewer and fewer lawsuits ever reach trial, Gino has tried over 100 cases to verdict, recovering multi-million-dollar awards in both personal-injury and commercial actions. His efforts have obtained judgments and settlements for clients that total well in excess of $100 million. And he has successfully defended clients against an array of high-stakes claims as well.
Gino has represented clients multiple times before the Tennessee Supreme Court, including in the ground-breaking case of Turner v. Jordan, 957 S.W.2d 815 (Tenn. 1997), which set important contours for Tennessee comparative-fault law, and Travelers Indemnity Co. of America v. Moore & Associates Inc., 216 S.W.3d 302 (Tenn. 2007), concerning the interpretation of insurance policies in the context of construction defects.
In addition to his work before the Tennessee Supreme Court, Gino has handled numerous cases in the Tennessee Court of Appeals and in the United States Courts of Appeals. He has represented clients before the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eleventh Circuits.
Today, Gino continues to represent clients in a broad range of commercial disputes in trial and appellate courts and in arbitration. His cases in recent years have involved securities, trademarks and copyrights, insurance coverage, disputes arising from real-estate boundaries or transactions, construction defects, breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition and interference with business relationships, and other business disputes. His extensive experience makes him an expert at every stage of the litigation process, from framing the issues to securing proof in discovery to presenting and cross-examining at trial.
Gino has been continuously listed in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation since 2008. He was named that list’s Nashville Real-Estate Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” for 2014 and 2020. Likewise, he has been recognized, both by the Nashville Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar” for business litigation and as a Mid-South Super Lawyer, since 2007.
Gino currently serves as Chairman of the Supreme Court of Tennessee’s Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure. Gino is a competitive tennis player and during 2017 was ranked by the USTA as the No. 1 player in the State of Tennessee for the Men’s 55’s singles division.
Education
- J.D., Emory University School of Law, 1986
- B.Ph., Bachelor of Philosophy, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa, 1983
Published Works
Ex Parte Communications with Corporate Employees: Still an Open Issue in Tennessee, 31 Tenn. Bar J. (March 1995)
Bar Admissions
- Supreme Court of Tennessee, 1986
- Supreme Court of the United States, 1994
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2009
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1987
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2003
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1992
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Arkansas, 2003
- U.S. District Court Western District of Arkansas, 2003
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, 1987
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Tennessee, 2008
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 2006
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1996
Classes / Seminars Taught
- Speaker: “Taking and Defending Effective Depositions,” Nashville Bar Association, 2012
- Speaker: “Summary Judgment Update,” Nashville Bar Association, 2011
- Speaker: “Top Ten Verdicts of 2010,” Nashville Bar Association, 2010
- Speaker: “Business Litigation Update”, Nashville Bar Association, 2007
- Speaker: “Using Technology in the Courtroom”, Nashville Bar Association, 2006
- Speaker: “How to Win the War After Winning the Battle: A Systematic Approach to Execution of a Tennessee Judgment”, Nashville Bar Association, 2005
- Speaker: “Ethics and Professionalism”, Nashville Bar Association, 1995
Representative Cases
- Orlando Residence, Ltd. v. Nelson, 565 F. App’x 212 (4th Cir. 2014)
- GuestHouse International LLC v. Shoney’s North America Corp. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2010)
- Blackburn & McCune, PLLC v. Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. and Pre-Paid Legal Services of Tennessee, Inc. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2010)
- Travelers Indemnity Co. of America v. Moore & Associates, Inc., 216 S.W.3d 302 (Tenn. 2007)
- Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Ass’n, Inc. v. Concord EFS, Inc., 59 S.W.3d 63 (Tenn. 2001)
- Turner v. Jordan, 957 S.W.2d 815 (Tenn. 1997)
- Moore & Associates, Inc. v. Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals, 2008 WL 3906084 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2008)
- Morris Properties, Inc. v. Johnson, 2008 WL 1891434 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2008)
- Orlando Residence, Ltd. v. Nashville Lodging Co., 213 S.W.3d 855 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006)
- Lipman Brothers, Inc. v. Arete Agencies, Inc., 2005 WL 3333270 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005)
- Hollis v. Doerflinger, 137 S.W.3d 625 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2003)
- State ex rel. Moore & Associates, Inc. v. Cobb, 124 S.W.3d 131 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2003)
- Glenn v. Gordon Constr., Inc., 2002 WL 598553 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002)
- Orlando Residence, Ltd. v. Nashville Lodging Co., 104 S.W.3d 848 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002)
- Frank Rudy Heirs Associates v. ShoLodge, Inc., 967 S.W.2d 810 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997)
- Orlando Residence, Ltd v. Kenneth E. Nelson et al., 553 F.3d 550 (7th Cir. 2009)
- Southeast Texas Inns, Inc. v. Prime Hospitality Corp., 462 F.3d 666 (6th Cir. 2006)
- Lenscrafters, Inc. v. Robinson, 403 F.3d 798 (6th Cir. 2005)
- SF Hotel Co. v. Sholodge, 170 F.3d 187 (11th Cir. 1999)
- SF Hotel Co. v. Sholodge, Inc., 107 F.3d 26 (11th Cir. 1997)
- Milan Exp. Co., Inc. v. Western Sur. Co., 886 F.2d 783 (6th Cir. 1989)