DOMINIC J. GIANNA
dgianna@midrid.com

Dominic Gianna, chair of our Litigation Section, is one of this country’s foremost teachers of the arts of advocacy, persuasion and trial techniques. He has trained thousands to be better trial lawyers. His meticulous trial preparation and creative approaches to the courtroom are reflected in his success rate before judges and juries nationwide. Dominic Gianna has received many awards as a result of his contributions to the arts of advocacy and has published numerous papers and books.  Most recently, he was selected for inclusion on the 2008 - 2012 Louisiana Super Lawyers list.

Peer Review Rated:  AV

Dominic J. Gianna, senior founding partner of Middleberg, Riddle & Gianna with offices in New Orleans, Dallas and Baton Rouge, is an elected Fellow of the International Society of Barristers, the world’s most prestigious organization of trial lawyers. Mr. Gianna has been recognized by his colleagues as one of America’s great trial lawyers and for 36 years has tried cases from both the plaintiff and the defense side throughout the United States. Mr. Gianna is also recognized as one of America’s most dynamic and inspired teachers of advocacy, persuasion and trial techniques. He was honored as a recipient of the Robert Keeton award as the best teacher of advocacy in America by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), the American Bar Association’s teaching arm. For 25 years, he has served as a member of NITA’s National Faculty, NITA Program Director and has led interactive NITA training programs throughout the English-speaking world, including every one of the 50 states, Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland and Wales. As Principal Faculty for The Professional Education Group, Inc. (PEG, Inc.), he has delivered and led over 400 lectures and seminars throughout the world. His "Reel Justice," "Winning Before Trial," "A Day on Trial" (with Professor Thomas A. Mauet), and currently, "Advocacy for the Ages and Sexes: Persuading Genders and Generations" (with his seminar partner, Lisa A. Marcy), have been presented throughout the world to extraordinary acclaim. Mr. Gianna is the author of numerous publications on advocacy and persuasion, including Thomson West’s Opening Statements 2d, Winning in the Beginning by Winning the Beginning (along with Lisa A. Marcy), Advocacy for the Ages (The Professional Education Group, Inc., along with Lisa A. Marcy), and numerous publications in legal journals. As a motivational speaker and seminar leader, he has trained thousands of lawyers of all ages and experience in the arts of advocacy, persuasion and trial techniques. His techniques have changed the careers of thousands of trial lawyers of all ages and experience throughout his 25 years of teaching advocacy. Mr. Gianna is a frequent commentator on Court TV, has made numerous television appearances on related matters and has been selected by professional groups from both sides of the courtroom to lead programs for them. He was recently selected, along with his partners Professor Thomas A. Mauet and Lisa A. Marcy, to be the Blockbuster Speaker at the Defense Research Institute’s (DRI), annual meeting, along with President Bill Clinton and Justice Scalia.

 Mr. Gianna chaired the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation Annual Meeting in 2001, and acted as Program Chair in 1992 and 1994. He serves as Director of Trial Advocacy at LSU School of Law, is Principal Faculty of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy, and has taught at numerous law schools throughout America.

 As a trial lawyer, Mr. Gianna has tried over 150 cases in both state and federal courts throughout the United States in areas such as complex commercial litigation, product liability, toxic tort, employment law, medical malpractice, major construction disputes, anti-trust matters, medical malpractice and complex toxic tort cases.

 Mr. Gianna has served as District Judge pro tem by appointment of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, and has been selected by both state and federal courts to serve as Special Master in complex matters. His client list includes Fortune 500 companies, medium-sized national business and small local organizations.

 Mr. Gianna has been a trial lawyer for 36 years. Prior to that, he worked as an organic chemist, professional athlete and professional actor. He received his B.S. degree from Manhattan College, New York, his M.A. degree in Chemistry from the State University of New York, and his law degree from Loyola University School of Law, where he was elected Editor-in-Chief of the Loyola Law Review.

 Fellow, International Society of Barristers

Dominic J. Gianna, founding partner of Middleberg, Riddle & Gianna, specializes in the preparation and trial of complex cases in many substantive areas of law, including complex construction disputes, commercial matters, product liability cases, toxic tort matters, mass tort actions, complex commercial litigation, employment law, and administrative matters before state and federal panels, courts and boards. Mr. Gianna’s expertise includes over 150 trials before juries and courts throughout the United States.

Professional Honors and Achievements:

National Faculty and Program Director

National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA)

Founder and Program Director

Louisiana State University Trial Advocacy Training Program

Principal Faculty

Professional Education Group, Inc.

Author (with Lisa A. Marcy)

Opening Statements: Winning in the Beginning by Winning the Beginning

(Thomson/Reuters, 2011).

Author

Opening Statements 2d (West Publishing Company, 2004)

Author (with Lisa A. Marcy)

Winning in the Beginning, "The Brief", American Bar Association Tort, Trial and Insurance

practice Section (Vol. 39, No. 3, Spring 2010)

Author (with Lisa A. Marcy)

Advocacy for the Ages (Professional Education Group, Inc., 2009)

Author

Winning Before Trial (Professional Education Group, Inc., 2005)

Author

Reel Justice! (Professional Education Group, Inc., 1995)

Author (with Prof. Thomas A. Mauet)

"A Day on Trial" (Professional Education Group, Inc.)

Blockbuster Presentation, Defense Research Institute (DRI) National Meeting 2012 (with Prof. Thomas A. Mauet, Lisa A. Marcy), "Advocacy for the Generations – Days of Future. . .Past" (with President Bill Clinton and Justice Scalia)

Judicial Appointments:

District Judge pro tem by appointment of the Supreme Court of Louisiana – 1986-87; 1990-1991

Special Master by appointment of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana – Patrick J. Turner v. Murphy Oil, Inc. (Judge Eldon Fallon)

Special Master by appointment of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans – Norplant Class Action Litigation – 1996-present

Special Master by appointment of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans – Scott v. American Tobacco Company – 1996-present

Special Master by appointment of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans – Nicholas Hingle v. ExxonMobil Corporation – 2002

Referee by appointment of the Honorable Lloyd J. Medley, Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Save our Park v. Audubon Institute – 2005

Member, Supreme Court of Louisiana Civil Bench Book Committee – 1992

Arbitrator, National Arbitration Forum – 2001-present

Special Appointments:

Chair, 2001 Annual Meeting – American Bar Association Section of Litigation

Program Chair, 1992, 1994 – American Bar Association Section of Litigation Annual Meeting

Chair, 1983-1985 - Section of Civil Law of Louisiana State Bar Association

Faculty Member – Louisiana Judicial College

Vice Chair, 1994-1996 - Trial Techniques Committee, Section of Torts and Insurance Law

Founder, Director and Chief Instructor, 1985-present – Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy

Elected Fellow, 1994 - International Society of Barristers

CLE1 Award – Professional Education Group, Inc.

Trial Experience:

Tried over 150 cases in both state and federal courts in the states of Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Massachusetts, Iowa and Utah in numerous areas. Trial experience encompasses all types of civil litigation for both plaintiff and defense. Specialty in complex commercial litigation, personal injury litigation, mass toxic tort litigation, class action litigation, product liability matters and employment law litigation.

Local counsel for numerous international and national law firms.

Seminars:

Conducted and led over 400 seminars for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and the Professional Education Group, Inc. in each of the 50 states, Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland and Wales. Created and delivered, along with Prof. Thomas A. Mauet, "A Day on Trial: Persuasion in the Courtroom" in 110 venues throughout the United States.

Creator and presenter, "Advocacy for the Ages: Persuading the Genders and Sexes" (along with Lisa A. Marcy), 2009-present, throughout the United States.

Creator and presenter, "Reel Justice! Power, Passion and Persuasion in the Modern Courtroom," 1995-present, throughout the United States.

Creator and presenter, "Winning Before Trial: 10 Keys to Winning Depositions," 2005-2008, throughout the United States.

Creator and presenter, "Winning in the Beginning by Winning the Beginning," 2003-present, throughout the United States. Blockbuster Presentation, Defense Research Institute (DRI), National Meeting 2012, "Advocacy for the Generations – Days of Future. . .Past" (with Prof. Thomas A. Mauet and Lisa A. Marcy)

Numerous individual lectures and presentations to professional legal groups, law students and law school audiences.

Publications: "Opening Statements: Winning in the Beginning by Winning the Beginning" (along with Lisa A. Marcy) Thomson/Reuters, 2011

"Opening Statements 2d: Winning in the Beginning by Winning the Beginning," Thomson/West publishing company, 2004

"A Day on Trial: Persuasion in the Courtroom" (along with Prof. Thomas A. Mauet) Professional Education Group, Inc., 1990

Numerous articles in Litigation (Journal of the ABA Section of Litigation) and other bar journals

Presented numerous trial demonstrations for professional groups including the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians, the American Academy of Vocational Rehabilitation Physicians, Hospital Association of America, Louisiana State University School of Vocational Rehabilitation, National Legal Services Corporation and for numerous business and social groups.

Education:

Loyola University School of Law, J.D., 1974

Elected Editor-in-Chief, Loyola Law Review

State University of New York at Buffalo, 1971, M.A. Degree, Organic Chemistry

Manhattan College, New York, New York, B.S. Degree, Chemistry

Hobbies:

 FAA Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot

Tennis – ATP rated

Theater/film