Debra R.Belott

Partner

Washington + 1.202.879.3689

Debra Belott is a trial lawyer with experience in complex and fast-paced litigation across a range of jurisdictions and industries. Clients have praised her ability to understand their business and approach litigation in a strategic and efficient way. Debra is the administrative partner for the Business & Tort Litigation Practice in the Firm's Washington Office.

Debra is defending a manufacturer from product liability claims in multiple coordinated proceedings across the country, including a federal multidistrict litigation and coordinated proceedings in California and Delaware.

Debra has represented clients in a variety of areas, including commercial contract disputes, antitrust merger challenge litigations, insurance recovery, consumer class actions, and multidistrict litigation. She also has been involved in several cases bringing claims related to public and private nuisance, green washing, and consumer fraud. She has experience working with expert witnesses in many substantive areas, including climate science, economics, epidemiology, damages, and health care quality.

She has handled several antitrust merger litigations, including the successful defense of Cabell Huntington Hospital's acquisition of St. Mary's Medical Center from an FTC challenge. She also represented Electrolux Corporation in its defense of the DOJ's challenge to its proposed acquisition of General Electric's appliance business.

Debra has experience with jury and bench trials as well as commercial arbitrations. She has appeared in federal courts across the country.

Debra is co-founder of Jones Day's Black Lawyers Group and a member of the Washington Committee on Diversity. She also maintains an active pro bono practice through the DC Children's Law Center and has handled several clemency petitions through the Clemency Project. Debra also serves on the Executive Committee of the Council for Court Excellence (CCE).

Experience

  • Chevron secures significant wins in paraquat multidistrict litigationJones Day secured two important wins for client Chevron in the paraquat multidistrict litigation (MDL).
  • Student resolves lawsuit against American University and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department over incident with university policeMs. Wheeler and American University announce that they have mutually resolved her lawsuit against the University.
  • Cabell cleared to acquire St. Mary's following dismissal of FTC antitrust lawsuit to block transactionAfter a nearly two-year fight with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Cabell Huntington Hospital, Inc. has overcome all regulatory hurdles to its acquisition of St. Mary’s Medical Center, Inc., clearing the way to combine Huntington, West Virginia’s only two health systems.
  • Cable company wins favorable U.S. Supreme Court ruling denying plaintiff’s "sham litigation" appealThe U.S. Supreme Court on April 23, 2018, denied the request of a Puerto Rican telecommunications company to hear the appeal of its claims against Jones Day client San Juan Cable, a subsidiary of Liberty Global (the world's largest international TV and broadband company), bringing an end to the long-running antitrust case. 
  • Liberty Global defends antitrust class action brought by cable services subscribersJones Day is defending Liberty Global, Inc. subsidiary Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico in an antitrust lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleges monopolization and exclusionary conduct in a claimed market for cable television services in Puerto Rico.
  • Electrolux attempts acquisition of GE appliances businessJones Day represented Swedish appliance maker AB Electrolux as antitrust and labor counsel in its attempted $3.3 billion acquisition of the appliances business of General Electric.
  • XIO acquires Lumenis for approximately $510 million, $14 per share, in cashJones Day advised XIO Group in its acquisition of Lumenis Ltd., the world's largest energy-based medical company for surgical, ophthalmology, and aesthetic applications, for $14 per share in cash, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $510 million.
  • Tesoro companies obtain insurance coverage for losses arising from refinery fire and explosionJones Day successfully represented Tesoro Corporation and Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company in litigation to recover costs of defending and resolving a wrongful death litigation arising from a refinery fire and explosion.
  • Xilinx settles patent infringement dispute with Agere Systems and LSI over FPGAsJones Day represented Xilinx, Inc. in a patent infringement action involving twenty patents (10 asserted by Agere, 10 asserted by Xilinx) relating to field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and other related technologies.
  • Additional Speaking Engagements

    • June 23, 2020
      Defending Covid-19 Product Liability & Consumer Fraud Class Actions: Protecting Companies That Are Part of the Pandemic Solution