Overview

After clerking for the Superior Court of Delaware upon graduation from law school, Karl has been practicing commercial, construction and corporate litigation in all of Delaware’s trial courts for over thirty years. Over the course of his career, he has litigated and tried cases in a variety of matters including cases involving trade secrets, fraud, breach of contract, tortious interference, construction, real estate, trusts, and corporate disputes representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He has also argued eight cases before the Delaware Supreme Court. Karl is also selected to act as the mediator or arbitrator in commercial and construction disputes.

Bar & Court Admission

Supreme Court of Delaware, 1989

United States District Court District of Delaware, 1990

United States Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1993

Experience

Representative Cases:

  • C. B. Research and Development, Inc. and Beard Research, Inc. v. Kates et al., 8 A.3d 573 (Del. Ch. 2010), affd, after argument, 11 A.3d 749 (2010). Obtained multi-million dollar judgment after trial against former employees and their new employers relating to their misappropriation of trade secrets relating to chemical compounds, tortious interference and breaches of fiduciary duty. On same case obtained sanctions relating to spoliation of laptop, 981 A.2d 1175.
  • Successful defense after trial of shareholder case involving management fees.
  • Summary judgment obtained in derivative action seeking to invalidate patent transfers.
  • Summary judgment for Plaintiff against statutory trust in books and records action that was affirmed on appeal after argument. Defendant was represented by one of the word’s largest law firms. GA v. Passco Springs, 145 A.3d 990 (Del. Ch. 2016).
  • Multimillion dollar jury verdict after a three week trial in Delaware Superior Court involving contract, fraud and trade secrets relating to armor technology.
  • Successful defense of various cases involving real estate brokers and agents in cases involving a variety of fraud, disclosure, contract and mold issues.
  • Representation of condominium council against various parties relating to substantial common element construction defects.
  • Representation of developers, contractors and owners in cases involving development projects and construction defects.
  • Successful defense of trustees and fiduciaries in respect to actions seeking their removal and other trust issues.
  • Representation of a successor trustee in various lawsuits against a predecessor corporation in environmental claims and insurance coverage related thereto in federal courts in New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Successful defense of Bankruptcy trustee in professional negligence action.

Memberships & Associations:

  • Delaware State Bar Association, 1989 – Present

Classes & Seminars Taught:

  • Member, Superior Court Civil Rules Advisory Committee, 2007 – Present