Valerie, a member of the Litigation Practice Group, has significant experience in US trial and appellate courts and in international arbitration proceedings.
Valerie's practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, including consumer and insurance class actions.
She has represented clients in arbitration proceedings seated in the US and Europe, as well as in state and federal courts throughout the US. Her clients include banks, finance firms, insurance companies and firms in the energy industry. Valerie speaks and writes frequently about international arbitration, jurisdictional, comparative law and class-action issues.
- Argued and won in the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit In re Infinity Business Group, Inc. (2024), involving fraud and related claims under state and federal law
- Won in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Van Tassel v. State Farm (2021) defeating certification of a Rule 23 (b)(3) damages class action alleging underpayment of “diminished value” with auto insurance claims
- Argued and won in New Jersey’s intermediate appellate court a putative class action involving automobile leasing
- Represented a major US energy company in international arbitration proceedings seated in Switzerland and involving US and Japanese parties
- Represented a US conglomerate in international arbitration proceedings seated in New York and involving parties from the US, Europe, and South America
- Getting Into and Out of Arbitration, June 14, 2022, 2022 Arbitration Forum
- Cross Border Discovery: Letters Rogatory, Hague Evidence Convention and Block Statutes, May 26, 2021, ABA
- Discharge Upgrades: The Challenge & Burden on a Veteran, April 28, 2021, The Veterans Consortium
- Webcast: Supreme Court Review/Preview – High Court Cases the Business Community Should Watch, October 4, 2018
- Compelling and Avoiding Arbitration, February 22-23, 2018, 11th Annual Arbitration Institute of the State Bar of Georgia’s Institute for Continuing Legal Education
- Named to Best Lawyers in the area of international arbitration - commercial (2022-2026) and commercial litigation (2022-2026)
- Recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the area of general commercial disputes (2018-2019)
- Selected for inclusion in Georgia Super Lawyers® “Rising Stars” (2013)
- Vice President, Atlanta International Arbitration Society
- Member, American Bar Association, Section of International Law, International Litigation Committee
- Member, International Trade in Legal Services Committee, State Bar of Georgia
- Former Board Member, Truancy Intervention Project
- Former Member, Court Futures Committee, State Bar of Georgia
- Former Member, Board of Directors, Flannery O’Connor – Andalusia Foundation
- Georgia
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- A.B., magna cum laude, Duke University
- J.D., cum laude, Duke University School of Law,
Member, Duke Law Journal