Paul H. Hulsey has spent his forty-five-year career as a trial lawyer. He has tried multiple cases to verdict in eight states of the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as appearing as counsel of record in contested matters litigated in over thirty states and federal jurisdictions. From time to time he has obtained the largest verdict of its kind in Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, West Virginia and Puerto Rico.
Hulsey has maintained a special interest in handling cases brought under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (Civil RICO). He tried the largest civil RICO class action in the country to verdict (Bonilla v. Volvo, $123,5000,000) and has maintained a special interest in negotiation, settlement and trial of cases brought under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act. He also specializes in the litigation of toxic and environmental tort cases, as well as defective medical devices and pharmaceuticals.
Cherie K. Dibbell Durand has spent the last thirty-one years as a trial lawyer litigating cases initially involving the defense of medical malpractice, but with more specific emphasis on plaintiff personal injury and products liability. Her career has included special focus upon health care fraud, Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (Civil RICO), tobacco litigation and other commercial litigation, defective medical devices and pharmaceuticals, and in bringing cases in the United States on behalf of foreign plaintiffs
A Team Proven by Experience
As a team, Paul Hulsey and Cherie Durand have been handling and trying major complex litigation cases for the last twenty-one years. Together they have seventy years of courtroom experience and over seventy complex civil jury trials. Their areas of joint participation and specialty involve cases brought under the RICO Act, Health Care Fraud, Consumer Fraud and Products Liability.
The "Trial of Firsts" in Wheeling, WV
Paul Hulsey presents opening statements at the first-ever civil trial against tobacco companies for medical monitoring in the US.
Over the years Paul Hulsey and Cherie Durand have successfully handled the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico case against the Tobacco Industry which was settled for 2.2 billion dollars. They pioneered in trying the first class action in the United States involving medical monitoring for smoking-related issues, In Re: Tobacco Litigation (Medical Monitoring), C.A. No. 00-C-6000, Circuit Court of Ohio County, West Virginia.
In September of 2002, Hulsey and Durand successfully tried to verdict In Re Mass Consolidation, the West Virginia consolidation for trial of over 8,000 cases against more than 200 defendants.
Hulsey acted as lead trial counsel for all consolidated plaintiffs in this historic West Virginia toxic tort case. Hulsey and Durand tried the case to verdict against Union Carbide after all remaining Defendants had settled. They obtained a verdict finding Union Carbide liable for injuries suffered by people working at Union Carbide as a result of uncontained asbestos exposure as well as the first ever verdict finding Union Carbide liable for its asbestos fibreCalidria it mined and sold from its California mine. In addition, the jury returned a verdict for punitive damages, finding that each plaintiff for which damages are proven will have those damages multiplied by three.
Hulsey and Durand learn of the verdict in a month-long asbestos trial.
The team of Hulsey and Durand is experienced in trying difficult and challenging cases to successful resolution. They successfully tried and won the largest personal injury verdict at the time in Puerto Rico, $10,000,000, in Rivera v. Pepsi Cola of Puerto Rico. All but one of seven passengers in a Toyota that collided head on in the wrong lane with a Pepsi Cola semi truck after attempting to pass in a no-passing zone were killed. Hulsey and Durand represented the sole survivor as well as the family of some of the innocent victims in this case.
Both Mr. Hulsey and Ms. Durand have specific experience and maintain a special emphasis on cases involving the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) and Ms. Durand has particular experience in the area of Health Care Fraud. Together, again, they combined their trial skills to successfully resolve the RICO case, FAC v. COSVI.
In FAC v. COSVI, our clients maintained that Cooperativa de Seguros de Vida, the fiscal intermediary charged with, among other things, with implementing Medicare reimbursements for Puerto Rico, was engaged in a racketeering scheme demanding kickbacks and receiving bribes in return for giving certain claims special consideration and handling for payment. Our clients, FAC, refused to pay a kickback and subsequently the claims they submitted for their clients were never even processed, much less paid.
Mr. Hulsey took charge of proving the RICO allegations and Ms. Durand handled the complicated aspects of the Medicare reimbursement.
Hulsey and Durand successfully settled the case for an amount in excess of seven figures during trial as well as future considerations valued in excess of twelve million dollars.
The Hulsey Durand trial team is dedicated to providing the highest level of expertise, ethics and proficiency in order to represent their clients in the most professional manner possible. This continues today.
When traditional approaches fail, when compromise falls short of resolution, when litigation becomes necessary to protect valuable rights, for Hulsey Law Group, with its experienced trial team and support staff, there is no matter too complex, no distance too far, no litigant too powerful to escape being brought to justice. Our record of standing up to anyone in the name of justice for our clients speaks for itself.
Paul Hulsey and Cherie Durand in Chambers of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, India after making the presentation, “The American System of Justice - Corporate Liability at Home for Misconduct Abroad.”