Hon. Stanley F. Birch, Jr. (Ret.) served as a United States Circuit Judge on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals for over 20 years. During that time Judge Birch authored over 3,000 opinions for the court and participated in over 11,000 opinions as a panel member. Prior to service on the court, Judge Birch was an active trial attorney in private practice focusing on intellectual property and tax matters. Judge Birch’s book, A Unified Theory of Copyright, co-authored with Professor L. Ray Patterson, was published in 2009. In addition to his extensive mediation and arbitration experience as a JAMS Neutral, Judge Birch has also heard a number of mock oral arguments, has been appointed as a Special Master by state and federal courts, and has appeared as an expert witness on United States law (both state and federal) before tribunals in London, Oslo, Singapore, Munich and Toronto.  

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Registered neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution
• Instrumental in establishing the mediation office at the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• Participated in the resolution of hundreds of civil disputes as reflected in the areas of law indicated below
• Was a frequent advocate in commercial and securities law arbitrations while in private practice
• Has heard hundreds of oral arguments before the Eleventh Circuit and has participated in numerous law school moot courts

Judge Birch authored the following representative Eleventh Circuit opinions in the areas of law indicated.

Representative Matters

• Administrative
• Emerald Shores Health Care Assocs. v. U.S., 545 F.3d 1292 (2008)
• Makro Capital of America., Inc. v. UBS AG, 543 F.3d 1254 (2008)
• Zukas v. Hinson, 124 F.3d 1407 (1997)
• Univ. Health Services, Inc. v. H&H Services, 120 F.3d 1145 (1997)
• Bama Tomato Co. v. USDA, 112 F.3d 1542 (1997)
• Wolfe v. Charter, 86 F.3d 1072 (1996)
• Marshall Durbin Food Co. v. ICC, 959 F.2d 915 (1992)
• Hussion v. Madigan, 950 F.2d 1546 (1992)
• U.S. v. Peppertree Apartments, 942 F.2d 1555 (1991)
• Cornelius v. Sullivan, 936 F.2d 1143 (1991)
• Charter Fed. Savings & Loan Assoc. v. Office of Thrift Supervision, 912 F.2d 1569 (1990)
• Admiralty
• Sweet Pea Marine, Ltd. v. APJ Marine, Inc., 411 F.3d 1242 (2005)
• Ibesa American, Inc. v. M/V Anglia, 134 F.3d 1035 (1998)
• Arbitration
• Frazier v. CitiFinancial Corp., 604 F.3d 1313 (2010)
• Klay v. All Defendants, 389 F.3d 1191 (2004)
• Brown v. ITT Consumer Financial Corp., 211 F.3d 1217 (2000)
• Scott v. Prudential Securities, 141 F.3d 1007 (1998)
• Chastain v. Robinson-Humphrey Co., Inc., 957 F.2d 851 (1992)
• Bankruptcy
• In re: Tanner Family, LLC, 556 F.3d 1194 (2009)
• In re: Builders Transport, Inc., 471 F.3d 1178 (2006)
• In re: Icarus Holding, LLC, 391 F.3d 1315 (2004)
• Parker v. Wendy’s International, Inc., 365 F.3d 1268 (2004)
• In re: Bateman, 331 F.3d 821 (2003)
• In re: Alabama Land and Mineral Corp., 292 F.3d 1319 (2002)
• In re: Welzel, 275 F.3d 1308 (2001)
• In re: Griffith, 206 F.3d 1389 (2000) (en banc)
• Havco of America, Ltd. v. Hill, 197 F.3d 1135 (1999)
• In re: Southeast Banking Corp., 179 F.3d 1307 (1999)
• In re: Southeast Banking Corp., 156 F.3d 1114 (1998)
• In re: Levine, 134 F.3d 1046 (1998)
• In re: Smith, 85 F.3d 1555 (1996)
• In re: Vann, 67 F.3d 277 (1995)
• In re: Haas, 48 F.3d 1153 (1995)
• In re: Coggin, 30 F.3d 1443 (1994)
• Transouth Financial Corp. of FL v. Johnson, 931 F.2d 1505 (1991)
• Civil Rights (Constitutional Torts)
• Boyce v. Andrew, 510 F.3d 1333 (2007)
• Smith v. Allen, 502 F.3d 1255 (2007)
• Epps v. Watson, 492 F.3d 1240 (2007)
• Kinnon v. Ancoub, Gapman & Assoc., Inc., 490 F.3d 886 (2007)
• Schiavo ex rel Schindler v. Schiavo, 404 F.3d 1270 (11th Cir. 2005) 
• Shotz v. City of Plantation, Florida, 344 F.3d 1161 (2003)
• Carr v. Tatangelo, 338 F.3d 1259 (2003)
• Harden v. Pataki, 320 F.3d 1289 (2002)
• Florida Right to Life, Inc. v. Lamar, 273 F.3d 1318 (2001)
• Morris v. City of West Palm Beach, 194 F.3d 1203 (1999)
• Crasby v. Paulk, 187 F.3d 1339 (1999)
• Mastroianni v. Bowers, 173 F.3d 1363 (1999)
• Wilson v. Blankenship, 163 F.3d 1284 (1998)
• Ensley v. Soper, 142 F.3d 1402 (1998)
• Parise v. Delta Airlines, 141 F.3d 1463 (1998)
• Davis v. Childs, 139 F.3d 1414 (1998)
• Arrington v. Cobb County, 139 F.3d 865 (1998)
• Jenkins by Hall v. Talledega City Bd. Of Educ., 115 F.3d 821 (1997) (en banc)
• United States v. Gecas, 50 F.3d 1549 (1995)
• Cuban American Bar Ass’n v. Christopher, 43 F.3d 1412 (1995)
• Parks v. City of Warner Robins, GA, 43 F.3d 609 (1995)
• Hill v. DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Ctn., 40 F.3d 1176 (1994)
• Sultenfuss v. Snow, 35 F.3d 1494 (1994) (en banc)
• Dimmitt Chevrolet v. City of Clearwater, 985 F.2d 1565 (1993)
• Ellis v. Coffee County Bd. of Regents, 981 F.2d 1185 (1993)
• Moore v. Gwinnett County, 967 F.2d 1495 (1992)
• Courson v. McMillian, 939 F.2d 1479 (1991)
• Contracts
• Cox Enterprises, Inc. v. News-Journal Corp., 510 F.3d 1350 (2007)
• Cox Nuclear Pharmacy, Inc. v. CTI, Inc., 478 F.3d 1303 (2007)
• HGI Associates, Inc. v. Wetmore Printing Co., 427 F.3d 867 (2005)
• Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, Inc. v. N.S.R. Company, 420 F.3d 1243 (2005)
• Palmer & Cay, Inc. v. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., 404 F.3d 1297 (2005)
• Keener v. Convergys Corp., 342 F.3d 1264 (2003)
• A.I.G. Uruguay Compania De Seguros, S.A. v. A.A. Cooper Transportation, 334 F.3d 997 (2003)
• CSX Transportation, Inc. v. City of Garden City, 325 F.3d 1236 (2002)
• Information Systems And Networks Corp. v. City of Atlanta, 281 F.3d 1220 (2002)
• NATCO Limited Partnership v. Moran Towing of Florida, Inc., 267 F.3d 1190 (2001)
• St. Charles Foods v. America’s Favorite Chicken, 198 F.3d 815 (1999)
• MCC-Marble Ceramic Center, Inc. v. Ceramica Nuova D’Agostino S.P.A., 144 F.3d 1384 (1998)
• Camp Creek Hospitality Inns v. Sheraton, 130 F.3d 1009 (1997) and 139 F.3d 1396 (1998)
• Denson v. Stack, 997 F.2d 1356 (1993)
• Integon Life Ins. Corp. v. Browning, 989 F.2d 1143 (1993)
• American Transport Lines, Inc. v. WRVES, 985 F.2d 1065 (1993)
• Oxford Furniture v. Drexel Heritage Furnishings, 984 F.2d 1118 (1993)
• Roboserve, Ltd. v. Tom’s Foods, Inc., 940 F.2d 1441 (1991)
• Devlin v. Ingrum, 928 F.2d 1084 (1991)
• Copyright
• Wilchombe v. TeeVee Toons, Inc., 555 F.3d 949 (2009)
• Greenberg v. National Geographic Society, 533 F.3d 1244 (2008)
• Corwin v. Walt Disney Co., 468 F.3d 1329 (2006)
• Calhoun v. Lillenas Publishing, 298 F.3d 1228 (2002)
• SunTrust Bank v. Houghton Mifflin Co., 268 F.3d 1257 (2001)
• Foley v. Luster, 249 F.3d 1281 (2001)
• Greenberg v. National Geographic Society, 244 F.3d 1267 (2001)
• Mitek Holdings, Inc. v. Arce Engineering Co., 198 F.3d 840 (1999)
• Mitek Holdings, Inc. v. Arce Engineering Co., 89 F.3d 1548 (1996)
• Bateman v. Mnemonics, Inc., 79 F.3d 1532 (1996)
• Warren Publishing, Inc. v. Microdos Data Corp., 115 F.3d 1509 (1997) (en banc)
• Bellsouth Adv. & Pub. Corp. v. Donnelley Info. Pub., 999 F.2d 1436 (1993) (en banc)
• Cable News Network v. Video Monitoring Services, 940 F.2d 1471 (1991)
• In re Capital Cities/ABC, Inc., 918 F.2d 140 (1990)
• Employment Discrimination
• Madray v. Publix Supermarkets, 208 F.3d 1290 (2000)
• Barnes v. Broward County Sheriff’s Office, 190 F.3d 1274 (1999)
• Bogle v. Orange County Bd. Of Comm., 162 F.3d 653 (1998)
• Doe v. DeKalb County School Dist., 145 F.3d 1441 (1998)
• Holbrook v. City of Alpharetta, 112 F.3d 1522 (1997)
• Little v. United Technologies, 103 F.3d 956 (1997)
• Belyeu v. Coosa County Bd. Of Educ., 998 F.2d 925 (1993)
• Employment
• Manuel v. Convergys Corp., 430 F.3d 1132 (2005)
• Waddell v. Valley Forge Dental Associates, Inc., 276 F.3d 1275 (2001)
• Lipphardt v. Durango Steakhouse of Brandon, Inc., 267 F.3d 1183 (2001)
• Adams v. Florida Power Co., 255 F.3d 1122 (2001)
• Lowe v. Alabama Power Co., 244 F.3d 1305 (2001)
• Durley v. APAC, Inc., 236 F.3d 651 (2000)
• Cash v. Smith, 231 F.3d 1301 (2000)
• Koch v. Rugg, 221 F.3d 1283 (2000)
• U.S. E.E.O.C. v. W&O, Inc., 213 F.3d 600 (2000)
• Reilly v. Alcan Aluminum Corp., 181 F.3d 1206 (1999)
• Chapman v. AI Transport, 180 F.3d 1244 (1999)
• Williams v. Vitro Services, Corp., 144 F.3d 1438 (1998)
• Jamieson v. Arrow Co., 75 F.3d 1528 (1998)
• Olmstead v. Taco Bell Corp., 141 F.3d 1457 (1998)
• Benson v. Tocco, Inc., 113 F.3d 1203 (1997)
• Daugherty v. Honeywell, Inc., 3 F.3d 1488 (1993)
• W.R. Grace & Co. v. Mouyal, 959 F.2d 219 (1992)
• Ferrero v. Associated Materials, Inc., 923 F.2d 1441 (1991)
• Environmental
• LEAF v. EPA, 118 F.3d 1467 (1997)
• ERISA
• Oliver v. Coca Cola Company, 4987 F.3d 1181 (2007)
• Green v. Holland, 480 F.3d 1216 (2007)
• Moorman v. Unamprovident Corp., 464 F.3d 1260 (2006)
• Popowski v. Parrott, 461 F.3d 1367 (2006)
• Slomcenski v. Citibank, N.A., 432 F.3d 1271 (2005)
• ITPE Pension Fund v. Hall, 334 F.3d 1011 (2003)
• Morstein v. National Ins. Services, Inc., 74 F.3d 1135 (1996)
• Paramore v. Delta Airlines, 129 F.3d 1446 (1997)
• Sanson v. General Motors Corp., 966 F.2d 618 (1992)
• Aldridge v. Lily-Tulip, Inc., 953 F.2d 587 (1992)
• Useden v. Acker, 947 F.2d 1563 (1991)
• Insurance
• Adams v. Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance, Co., 493 F.3d 1276 (2007)
• Dadeland Depot, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co., 483 F.3d 1265 (2007)
• Dadeland Depot, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co., 479 F.3d 799 (2007)
• Dadeland Depot, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co., 383 F.3d 1273 (2004)
• Nova Information Systems, Inc. V. Greenwich Insurance Co., 365 F.3d 996 (2004)
• Henning v. Continental Casualty Co., 254 F.3d 1291 (2001)
• Galindo v. Ari Mutual Insurance Co., 203 F.3d 771 (2000)
• DeHart v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co., 169 F.3d 727 (1999)
• Technical Coating Applicators v. U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 157 F.3d 843 (1998)
• Morstein v. National Ins. Services, Inc., 93 F.3d 715 (1996)
• Elan Pharmaceutical Research v. Employees Ins. of Wausau, 144 F.3d 1372 (1998)
• Venn v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 99 F.3d 1058 (1996)
• Amica Mut. Ins. Co. v. Bourgault, 979 F.2d 187 (1992)
• Camp v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 958 F.2d 340 (1992)
• Insurance Co. of North America v. Lexow, 937 F.2d 569 (1991)
• Martin v. Commercial Union Ins. Co., 935 F.2d 235 (1991)
• Lanier v. Traub, 934 F.2d 287 (1991)
• Labor
• Nat’l Mining Ass’n v. Sec’y of Labor, 589 F.3d 1368 (2009)
• Bhd of Locomotive Eng’rs & Trainmen v. CSX Transportation, 522 F.3d 1190 (2008)
• Marine Engineers Beneficial Ass’n v. GFC Crane Consultants, Inc., 331 F.3d 1287 (2003)
• CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, 327 F.3d 1309 (2003)
• Steger v. General Electric Company, 318 F.3d 1066 (2002)
• The Waldinger Corp. v. NLRB, 262 F.3d 1213 (2001)
• Cooper/T.Smith, Inc. v. NLRB, 177 F.3d 1259 (1999)
• Freeman v. City of Mobile, 146 F.3d 1292 (1998)
• Bradberry v. Director, Office of Workers’ Comp., 117 F.3d 1361 (1997)
• Irby v. Bittick, 44 F.3d 949 (1995)
• Color Pigments Mfgs. Assoc., Inc. v. Occupational Safety & Health Admin., 16 F.3d 1157 (1994)
• Sullivan, Long & Hagerty, Inc. v. Local 559, 980 F2d 1424 (1993)
• Dowd v. International Longshoremen’s Ass’n, AFL-CIO, 975 F.2d 779 (1992)
• Northpoint Health Services, Inc. v. NLRB, 961 F.2d 1547 (1992)
• Arlook v. S. Lichtenberg & Co., Inc., 952 F.2d 367 (1992)
• Securities
• Tello v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 494 F.3d 956 (2007)
• Wagner v. First Horizon Pharmaceutical Corp., 464 F.3d 1273 (2006)
• Tello v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 410 F.3d 1275 (2005)
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Mass Media Marketing, Inc., 297 F.3d 1321 (2002)
• Theratx, Inc. v. Duncan, 234 F.3d 1240 (2000)
• United States v. Elliott, 62 F.3d 1304 (1995)
• Telecommunications
• AT&T Broadband v. Tech Communications, Inc., 381 F.3d 1309 (2004)
• Hill v. BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., 364 F.3d 1308 (2004)
• AT&T Com. Of the So. States v. BellSouth Telecommunications, 268 F.3d 1294 (2001)
• BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. v. Town of Palm Beach, 252 F.3d 1169 (2001)
• Cable Holdings of GA v. McNeil Real Estate, Ltd., 953 F.2d 500 (1992)
• Torts
• Turner v. U.S., 514 F.3d 1194 (2008)
• Nimbus Technologies, Inc. v. Sunndata Products, Inc., 484 F.3d 1305 (2007)
• Levine v. World FinancialNetwork National Bank, 437 F.3d 1118 (2006)
• AMTRAK v. Roundtree Transport, 422 F.3d 1275 (2005)
• Rink v. Cheminova, Inc., 400 F.3d 1286 (2005)
• Flood v. Young Woman’s Christian Assoc. of Brunswick, 309 F.3d 1261 (2005)
• EDIC v. Century Products Company, 364 F.3d 1276 (2004)
• National Railroad Passenger Corp. v. Roundtree Transport, 286 F.3d 1233 (2002)
• Ochran v. U.S., 273 F.3d 1315 (2001)
• Royal Ins. Co. of America v. Whitaker Contracting Corp., 242 F.3d 1035 (2001)
• Waters v. International Precious Metals Corp., 190 F.3d 1291 (1999)
• Piamba Costes v. American Airlines, Inc., 177 F.3d 1272 (1999)
• Whitley v. United States, 170 F.3d 1061 (1999)
• Schafer v. Time, Inc., 142 F.3d 1361 (1998)
• Ochran v. United States, 117 F.3d 495 (1997)
• Sheckels v. AGV-USA, Corp., 987 F.2d 1532 (1993)
• White v. Edmoud, 971 F.2d 681 (1992)
• Trade Regulation
• International Cosmetics Exchange, Inc. v. Gapardis Health & Beauty, Inc., 303 F.3d 1242 (2002)
• Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. v. 1-800 Contacts, Inc., 299 F.3d 1242 (2002)
• Trademark
• Optimum Technologies, Inc. v. Henkel Consumer Adhesives, Inc., 496 F.3d 1231 (2007)
• Sunamerica Corp. v. Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada, 77 F.3d 1325 (1996)
• Mini Maid Services Co. v. Maid Brigade Systems, Inc., 967 F.2d 1516 (1992)

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Recognized by Best Lawyers as one of the Best Lawyers in America for ADR, 2015-2024
• Recipient, Intellectual Property Legends Award, presented by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Georgia State University Colleges of Business and Law, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Intellectual Property Sections of the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association, 2009
• Recipient, Leadership Award, Atlanta Bar Association, 2008
• Distinguished Alumnus of Calvert Hall (Baltimore) and The Emory University Law School, 2002
• Fellow, Academy of Court-Appointed Special Masters
• Fellow, Georgia Bar Foundation
• Member, State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Bar Association, the Gainesville-Northeastern Bar Association, the Old Warhorse Lawyers Club, and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta
• Member, Georgia Supreme Court Indigent Defense Commission, 2000-2002
• Former member, Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia, of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Legal Services Program, and of the Board of Directors of the Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Georgia
• Frequent speaker, including at the 36th Annual Donald C. Brace Lecture on the law of copyright, New York University School of Law, November 2006
• Publications
  • Co-author, A Unified Theory of Copyright, 46 Houston Law Review, 215-399, 2009
  • Co-author, Copyright and Free Speech Rights, 4 Journal of Intellectual Property Law, Fall 1997
  • Author, Copyright Protection for Attorney Work Product, National Law Journal, 23 January 1989

Background and Education

• Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1990-2010
• Partner, Vaughan, Davis, Birch & Murphy, Atlanta, GA, 1985-1990
• Partner, Birch, Hartness & Link, Gainesville, GA, 1983-1985
• Partner, Deal, Birch, Jarrard & Link, Gainesville, GA, 1976-1983
• Board of Directors, Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. (owner and licensor of The Cabbage Patch Kids® copyrights and trademarks), 1979-1988
• LL.M, Master of Law in Taxation, Emory University School of Law, 1976
• Law Clerk, Chief Judge Sidney O. Smith, Jr., U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 1972-1974
• First Lieutenant, United States Army, 1970-1972 (Vietnam service, 5th Special Forces)
• J.D., Emory University School of Law, 1970
• B.A., University of Virginia, 1967