Barbara S. Wahl

Partner
Barbara’s practice encompasses a wide range of complex commercial litigation, representing both plaintiff and defendant.
Barbara Wahl, Partner, Washington DC at Arent Fox

Barbara’s litigation practice involves all phases of litigation from business counseling, including the use of litigation as a business tool and risk avoidance, to the preparation and the filing of a lawsuit, through discovery, pretrial motions, consideration of settlement, trial, and appellate review. She is also a third-party neutral, providing mediation services to parties interested in dispute resolution outside of litigation, and is a member of the panel of mediators for the DC Circuit and District Court’s Mediation Program.

Barbara currently serves as a firm EEO Coordinator. She has been chair and co-chair of the Complex Civil Litigation practice group and the recruitment committee, and the founder and chair of the Women's Leadership Development Initiative.

Client Work

Barbara has experience in litigating disputes involving commercial contracts, libel law, intellectual property including the areas of patent, trademark, trade dress, trade secrets and copyright, trusts and estates (probate), torts (particularly fraud), and eminent domain. She also represents clients in mediation and alternative dispute resolution, outside of the traditional litigation process.

Representative cases litigated by Barbara include the following:

  • Kennedy v. Dabbiere, C.A. No. 1:20-cv-00882
  • Khodorkovskaya v. Gay, Case No. 1:19-CV-00809-DCF (D.D.C.)
  • Behnke v. Hoffman, Case No. 2017 CV 005989B (D.C. Sup. Ct.).); 20-cv-0318 (D.C. Ct. App.)
  • James v. Hoffman, Case No. CA 027735 (Ct. App. of Ohio, 2nd App. Dist.), Case No. 2017 CV 00839 (Ct. Common Pleas, Mont. Co., Ohio); Sect,
  • Banks v. Soldz, Dkt. No. 1884CV01968 (Suffolk Co., Mass, Sp. Ct.)
  • CopyWatch, Inc. v. American National Red Cross, C.A. No. 1:17CV01219 (D.D.C.)
  • Len Stoler, Inc. v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., 232 F. Supp. 3d 813 (E.D. Va. 2017)
  • Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Ed. Geistlich Sohne A.G. fur Chemische Industrie, Case. 1:11 cv-0681 (S.D.N.Y. 2015)
  • General Motors v. Hall Chevrolet, LLC, C.A. No. 2:15 cv 301, 2015 WL 6830309 (E.D.Va. Nov. 6, 2015)
  • Landini v. Weaver, Case No. 2014 CA 0001452B (D.C. Sup. Ct.)
  • In re Estate of Karen Glass Shah, 2014 ADM 518 (D.C. Sup. Ct., Probate Div.); Shah v. Kalucha, C.A. No. 2016 CA 000738B (D.C. Sup. Ct.)
  • Day v. District of Columbia, 894 F. Supp.2d 1 (D.D.C. 2012); Thorpe v. District of Columbia, 916 F. Supp.2d 65 (D.D.C. 2013); C.A. No. 10-2250, 2014 WL 1273134 (D.D.C. March 29, 2014); 2014 WL 3883417 (D.D.C. Aug. 8, 2014); Day v. District of Columbia, 2012 WL 456491 (D.D.C. Feb. 14, 2012)
  • Council of the District of Columbia v. Gray, C.A. No. 1:14 CV-00655-EGS, 2014 WL 2025078 (D.D.C. May 19, 2014) (representation of amici)
  • UrbanAmerica, LLP v. District of Columbia, C.A. No. 2008 CA 3253R(RP)(D.C. Sup Ct. 2014)
  • In the Matter of the Trust u/w Ronnie Harold Russel, Case No. 03-T-13-261 (Cir. Ct. Balt. Co. 2014)
  • Prosperity Mortgage Company v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London, C.A. No. 12-CV-02004 GLR (D. Md. 2013)
  • Advanced Aerospace Technologies, Inc. v. United States, Case No. 12-85C (Fed. Cl.)
  • Manigo v. Holland & Knight, LLP, 2012 CA 003263M (D.C. Sup. Ct.) (expert witness)
  • Contract Materials Processing, Inc. v. Kataleuna GmbH Catalysts, No. 10-1497, 2012 WL 287543 (4th Cir. Feb. 1, 2012 ), 303 F. Supp.2d 612 (D. Md. 2003); 222 F. Supp.2d 733 (D. Md. 2002); 164 F. Supp. 2d 520 (D. Md. 2001)
  • Choice Hotels International, Inc. v. Klein, No. FSTCV114020107, 2011 WL 5925081 (Conn. Super. Nov. 7, 2011)
  • American Psychological Ass’n v. American Psychological Ass’n Insurance Trust, C.A. No. 8801-08 (D.C. Sup. Ct.)
  • Choice Hotels International, Inc. v. PLC Partners, LLC, Case No. 306989V (Mont. Co. Cir. Ct.)
  • Love v. Vilsack, 563 F.3d 519 (D.C. Cir. 2009); Love vs. Johanns. 439 F. 3d 723 (D.C. Cir.2006);
  • Love v. Connor, 525 F. Supp. 2d 155 (D.D.C. 2007);
  • Jackson v. Iris.com, 524 F. Supp. 2d 742 (E.D. Va. 2007)
  • Watts v. Parking Management, Inc., Case No. 06-7055 , 2006 WL 3835764 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 22, 2006)
  • Galaxy Computer Services, Inc. v. Baker, 325 B.R. 544 (E.D. Va. 2005); 2005 WL 2171454 (E.D. Va. Sept. 02, 2005)
  • Weiss v. American Jewish Committee, 335 F. Supp. 469 (S.D.N.Y. 2004)
  • Glaxo Wellcome, Inc. v. Impax Laboratories, Inc., 220 F. Supp.2d 1089 (N.D. Cal. 2002)
  • Levin v. Septodont, Inc. Case No. 01-1852, 2002 WL 654098 (4th Cir. April 22, 2002)
  • Foster v. U.S., 130 F. Supp.2d 68 (D.D.C. 2001)
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Corp. v. Shalala, 993 F. Supp. 1 (D.D.C. 1997)
  • Shook v. District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, 132 F.3d 775 (D.C. Cir. 1998); 964 F. Supp. 416 (D.D.C. 1997)
  • Howe Laboratories, Inc. v. Stevick, 94 cv 5013 (SJ), 1997 WL 340916 (E.D.N.Y. June 18, 1997); 1996 WL 652608 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 6, 1996)
  • Carboni v. Meldrum, 103 F.3d 116 (4th Cir. 1996); 949 F. Supp. 427 (E.D. Va. 1996)
  • Media Group, Inc. v. Turtle Wax, Inc., C.A. No. 96-234 MMS, 1996 WL 756760 (D. Del. Dec. 23, 1996)
  • Merck & Co., Inc. v. Kessler, 80 F.3d 1543 (D.C. Cir. 1996)
  • Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. v. Atlantic Research Corp., 847 F. Supp. 389 (E.D. Va. 1994)
  • Intelsat v. Colino, CA. Nos. 88-1266 (RCL), 87-2749 (RCL), 1992 WL 93129 (D.D.C. 1992)
  • 1108 K Street Associates v. Jewett, 976 F.2d 726 (4th Cir. 1992)
  • Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac R.R. Co. v. Davis Industries, Inc., 787 F. Supp. 572 (E.D. Va. 1992)
  • Mayer v. Dell, 139 F.R.D. 1 (D.D.C. 1991)
  • Robertson v. McCloskey, 666 F. Supp. 241 (D.D.C. 1987)
  • LaRouche v. National Broadcasting Co., Inc., 780 F.2d 1134 (4th Cir. 1986)

Previous Work

Following law school graduation, Barbara clerked for the Honorable Albert V. Bryan, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division. Following the end of the clerkship, she became associated with a law firm specializing in commercial litigation. Thereafter, she joined the firm as an associate and was later elected to the partnership.

Professional Activities

An active member of the legal community in the Washington, DC area, Barbara has been selected to be a mediator in the DC Circuit's Mediation Program; she was President of the Northern Virginia chapter of the Federal Bar Association for the 2004-2005 term; and she has served on the boards of the Council for Court Excellence, Appleseed, and the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Barbara has been listed in Chambers USA every year since 2014 for practice in litigation. She is also consistently listed in The Best Lawyers in America, in addition to being ranked in Super Lawyers.

Awards

Awards

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