Caroline Turner English

Practice Areas

As a partner in the litigation department, Caroline Turner English has focused her practice on commercial litigation, with substantial experience in complex multiparty disputes and class actions. She has appeared before state and federal courts nationwide in both trial and appellate matters, and has tried both jury and non-jury cases. Over the last several years, her practice has been composed primarily of litigation in the ERISA and bankruptcy fields, along with commercial contract and tort litigation and construction litigation.

Client Work

In her ERISA practice, Caroline represents major employers and fiduciaries in a wide array of class action lawsuits and well as multiparty lawsuits. Cases that she has handled range from defending challenges to cash balance plans to “stock drop” cases and other claims for breach of fiduciary duty with respect to 401(k) plans. Caroline’s work in the ERISA field has also extended to include DOL investigations and handling inquiries from the IRS.

Her work in the bankruptcy area has included, most notably, the representation of a group of auto dealerships in the Chrysler bankruptcy and the representation of an indenture trustee and majority bondholder in the United Air Lines bankruptcy. She has also litigated numerous adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court, and has represented debtors, creditors, and official committees of unsecured creditors with respect to issues such as challenges to pre-petition liens, preference actions, executory contract rejection, assumption, and assignment, asset sales, and challenges to debtor-in-possession financing.

In the construction field, Caroline has represented general contractors in actions against owners, architects, subcontractors, and sureties involving contractual no-damages-for-delay clauses, limitations on total cost claims, loss of productivity claims, defective design and construction claims, bid protests, and performance and payment bond claims, among others.

Caroline’s experience has covered a large variety of clientele and substantive areas of the law in addition to those described above. She has represented both large and small businesses, as well as individuals. Other issues litigated by Caroline have included business torts, civil RICO and fraud claims, trademark and copyright infringement, government contracts, and commercial breach of contract claims. She has also represented clients in white collar criminal investigations and proceedings.

Finally, Caroline has represented indigent clients and nonprofit entities in a plethora of cases she has handled pro bono, including two death penalty cases.

Reported Decisions

The following is a representative list of several reported cases that Caroline has worked on:

Bunch v. W. R. Grace & Co., 555 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2009)
Evans v. Akers, 534 F.3d 65 (1st Cir. 2008)
In re Mutual Funds Investment Litigation, 529 F.3d 207 (4th Cir. 2008) (amicus brief)
Seabulk Offshore, Ltd. v. American Home Assur. Co., 377 F.3d 408 (4th Cir. 2004)
Scandinavian Satellite Sys., AS v. Prime TV Ltd., 291 F.3d 839 (D.C. Cir. 2002)
Walker v. Monsanto Co. Pension Plan, 636 F.Supp.2d 785 (S.D. Ill. 2009)
Walker v. Monsanto Co. Pension Plan, 636 F.Supp.2d 774 (S.D. Ill. 2009)
Walker v. Monsanto Co. Pension Plan, 252 F.R.D. 450 (S.D. Ill. 2008)
Bunch v. W. R. Grace & Co., 532 F. Supp. 2d 283 (D. Mass. 2008)
Evans v. Akers, 466 F. Supp. 2d 371 (D. Mass. 2006)
Walker v. Monsanto Co. Pension Plan, 472 F. Supp. 2d 1053 (S.D. Ill. 2006)
In re UAL Corp., 346 B.R. 456 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2006)
Shook v. District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, 964 F. Supp. 416 (D.D.C. 1997)
In re Old Carco LLC, 406 B.R. 180 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2009)
In re Chrysler LLC, 405 B.R. 84 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2009)
Hyde v. State, 950 So. 2d 344 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006)
Hyde v. State, 894 So. 2d 808 (Ala. Crim. App. 2004)

Professional Activities

Caroline has served as an adjunct professor teaching legal writing at George Washington University.

Publications, Presentations and Recognitions

In 2004, Caroline was awarded the Albert E. Arent Pro Bono Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Public Interest in recognition of her long-standing commitment to pro bono work.

During law school, Caroline was a member of the George Washington Law Review, and her article on mediator immunity was published in the DC Circuit Review and subsequently cited in State v. Second Judicial District Court ex. rel. County of Washoe, 55 P.3d 420 (Nev. 2002).

Bar and Court Admissions

District of Columbia Bar
Virginia Bar
US Court of Appeals, First Circuit
US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
US Court of Federal Claims
US District Court, several

Education

George Washington University Law School, JD (high honors; Order of the Coif), 1996
Denison University, BA (magna cum laude), 1992