Mr. Barnes is a founding partner of the firm Goodell DeVries and a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center. He represents clients in complex tort, commercial, and product liability litigation. During his career, he has represented a variety of clients in disputes involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, patents, trademarks and the Lanham Act, antitrust, breach of contract, unfair trade practices, aviation, commercial torts, covenants not to compete, and state procurement laws. He has defended companies in federal and state court class actions in Maryland, West Virginia, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.
In 2015 he and his colleagues defeated a multi-million dollar claim for patent royalties based on various endodontic patents and inventions. His client was also relieved of its obligation to pay future royalties on several of the disputed patents and inventions. In December of 2013, Mr. Barnes and his colleague Ms. Woolf successfully defended Dentsply International in a three-week California UCL class action trial in San Francisco Superior Court. In 2013, he also successfully litigated a complex state procurement dispute before the Maryland Board of Contract Appeals on behalf of an institutional pharmacy. Mr. Barnes has also tried to verdict complicated multi-plaintiff product liability, pharmaceutical and medical device cases. He has briefed or argued cases before the United States Supreme Court and various state and federal appellate courts. He is currently serving as national counsel in two pharmaceutical litigations involving over-the-counter medications.
Mr. Barnes is a member of the Maryland and the District of Columbia bars, and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the United States Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits.
Professional and Civic Associations:
- The Defense Research Institute
- American Bar Association
- Law Business Research: An International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers
- Maryland Defense Counsel, Inc.
- Bar Association of Baltimore City
- District of Columbia Bar Association
Selected Cases and Decisions:
United States Supreme Court case
- Morrison-Knudsen Constr. Co. v. U.S. Dep’t of Labor, 461 U.S. 624 (1983)
Federal Appellate Court cases
- Quillin v. C.B. Fleet Holding Co. (4th Cir. May 14, 2009)
- Zinser v. Accufix Research Inst., Inc., 253 F.3d 1180 (9th Cir. 2001); 273 F.3d 1266 (9th Cir. 2001)
- In re Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc., 221 F.3d 870 (6th Cir. 2000); 148 F. Supp. 2d 936 (S.D. Ohio 2001); 137 F. Supp. 2d 985 (S.D. Ohio 2001); 137 F. Supp. 2d 1029 (S.D. Ohio 2001); 186 F.R.D. 459 (S.D. Ohio 1999); 172 F.R.D. 271 (S.D. Ohio 1997)
- Bullard v. Dalkon Shield Claimants Trust, 74 F.3d 531 (4th Cir. 1996); 845 F. Supp. 328 (D. Md. 1994)
- Hagepanos v. Shiley, Inc., 846 F.2d 71 (4th Cir. 1988)
- Bonstingl v. Maryland Bank, N.A., 841 F.2d 1122 (4th Cir. 1988); 662 F. Supp. 882 (D. Md. 1987)
- Kontoulas v. A.H. Robins Co., Inc., 745 F.2d 312 (4th Cir. 1984)
Federal District Court cases
- Moore v. Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, 236 F. Supp. 2d 509 (D. Md. 2002)
- Chertkov v. TPLC, Inc., 916 F. Supp. 608 (N.D. Tex. 1996)
- Pfizer Inc v. FDA, 753 F. Supp. 171 (D.Md. 1990)
- Pottratz v. Davis, 588 F. Supp. 949 (D.Md. 1984)
State Appellate Court cases
- In re: West Virginia Rezulin Litig., 585 S.E.2d 52 (W. Va. 2003)
- Sterry v. Bethlehem Steel Corp., 494 A.2d 748 (Md. App. 1985)
- Furr v. Spring Grove State Hosp., 454 A.2d 414 (Md. App. 1983)
Honors and Awards:
- Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants (2011 - Present)
- Maryland Super Lawyer, Class Action/Mass Torts, Personal Injury Defense: Products, Business Litigation (2007 - Present)
- International Who’s Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers, 2011 (nominated for 2012)
Publications:
- Co-author of book chapter “Impact of Insurance Policies on Product Litigation” in Current Law, Strategies and Best Practices in Product Litigation (Pract. Law Inst. 2009).
Education:
- Western Maryland College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1977) Honors: Omicron Delta Kappa, Pi Gamma Mu
- Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., cum laude, 1981) Editor, American Criminal Law Review
Admissions:
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
