Overview
Drake’s practice is devoted to civil litigation, including complex business disputes, construction disputes, banking and consumer finance litigation, class actions, and personal injury/wrongful death litigation. He has litigated cases on behalf of clients in federal and state courts across the southeast.
Drake represents clients on both the plaintiff and defense side of contentious matters. He has successfully litigated cases involving claims of breach of contract, fraud, bad faith, professional negligence, and tortious interference, as well as the FDCPA and FCRA.
- AV-Preeminent rating, Martindale-Hubbell
- Successfully represented a client in a high-stakes partnership dispute where the defendant had diverted over $1 million from the company for gambling and personal expenses. After extensive litigation marked by multiple contempt citations and courtroom disruptions, the court awarded nearly $2 million in damages including punitive damages and attorney’s fees, and issued a 12-month injunction preventing the defendant from interfering with the business.
- Obtained defense verdict on behalf of client following two week jury trial in Blount County, Alabama, in wrongful death/trucking case. The trial involved application of the South Carolina wrongful death act, and the jury returned a verdict of $5 million against the co-defendants.
- Member of trial team that obtained judgment on behalf of real estate developer following trial in Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia.
- First chaired construction defect jury trial in Jefferson County, Alabama. Obtained favorable six-figure settlement on behalf of clients on the sixth day of trial.
- Successfully litigated trademark infringement case in federal court in South Carolina on behalf of national bank, leading to six-figure judgment on behalf of client.
- Member of litigation team that successfully defended one of nation’s largest financial institutions against class action lawsuits filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama.
- State Bar of Georgia (since 2012)
- Alabama State Bar (since 2001)
