David M. Doto

David M. Doto

Partner

AV

702.385.2500

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Admissions

Nevada
Pennsylvania (Inactive)
New Jersey (Retired)

Education

Dual B.A., Philosophy and Psychology, Villanova University

J.D., Villanova University School of Law

LL.M., Dispute Resolution, Straus Institute of Pepperdine University School of Law

BIOGRAPHY

David is a Partner with the Firm and has had a distinguished legal career spanning four decades as a civil litigator representing clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 100 companies in the state and federal trial and appellate courts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada. He has also provided services as general counsel to business clients, addressing legal issues that arise in the course of business while emphasizing the preservation of economic resources through litigation avoidance. David was nominated in 2012 as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, co-founded the LCA’s American Academy of Alternative Dispute Resolution, and is a former Chair of the organization.

Since 2008, David has devoted much of his career to the practice, teaching, and promotion of ADR. From 2011-2015, David co-founded and served as the Director of the Conflict Transformation Institute of CoralBridge Partners, LLC, where he provided mediation and conflict-related training and consulting services to organizations and law firms nationwide. After having served the local community as Judge Pro-Tem handling civil matters in the Clark County Justice Court since 2011, David accepted a full-time judicial appointment to the Traffic Division where he served from 2015- 2019. Since 2013, David has been an adjunct professor of law at both the Saltman Center for Dispute Resolution in UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law, and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution in the Pepperdine University School of Law, where he teaches negotiation, mediation, mediation advocacy, and conflict management systems design.

In addition to providing a full spectrum of litigation services in personal injury, business, commercial, and employment matters, David is a skilled mediator able to employ facilitative, evaluative, and transformative techniques to litigated and non-litigated matters. David will also serve as a high conflict group meeting facilitator for corporations, law firms, and small businesses facing strategic and succession planning, contractual issues, and potential dissolutions. Relatedly, he is an experienced conflict coach and consultant with special expertise in organizational conflict management/ litigation prevention systems design.

David offers customized training for organizations, corporations, attorneys, and working professionals. These trainings include conflict management and de-escalation, conflict competent leadership skills, negotiation, mediation skills for working professionals, dealing with high-conflict personalities, basic and advanced mediation, mediation advocacy, decision-making skills, mindfulness for working professionals, and soft skills for attorneys.

David is a 1986 graduate of Villanova University with dual B.A. degrees in Philosophy and Psychology, and earned a J.D. degree from the Villanova University School of Law in 1991. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Law (LL.M.) in Dispute Resolution with a concentration in Mediation, together with Certificates in Dynamic Group Facilitation, Conflict Management Systems Design, Mindfulness in Legal Practice, Settlement Decision Making, and Advanced Mediation Skills from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution of the Pepperdine University School of Law.

Personal
David loves to spend time with his family. He is an avid swimmer, and also enjoys playing the guitar, teaching, writing, and building models. He never read a Clive Cussler or Michael Creighton book that he didn’t like. As a Philadelphia area native, David is an avid Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and 76ers fan, though he also supports the Raiders, Golden Knights, and the San Diego Padres.

Representative Engagements

  • Exxon-Mobil: Achieved a $20 million verdict on behalf of Exxon Mobil in a property damage lawsuit. Also successfully defended multiple serious personal injury claims alleging chemical exposures.
  • General Electric: Obtained summary judgement defending a catastrophic personal injury claim.
  • Ashland Chemical Company: Successfully defended multiple catastrophic injury claims resulting from third party industrial plant explosions.
  • Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority: Successfully defended dozens of serious personal injury and death claims asserted under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act.
  • Lehigh University: Achieved a multi-million dollar settlement award arising from cost overruns in the construction of a world-class structural engineering testing facility.
  • Grace Industries, Inc.: Provided general counsel/business consulting services to a mid- to large-construction company and successfully defended and prosecuted several matters on their behalf.
  • Bala Consulting Engineers: Successfully defended a mid-size engineering firm in a serious partnership matter and prosecuted a claim for proprietary business information.
  • Backe Communications Group: Provided general counsel/business consulting services to a mid-size communications firm.
  • Apex Janitorial Services Inc.: Provided general counsel/business consulting services to a large commercial janitorial company.
  • Malvern Fire Company: Provided general counsel/business consulting services to a large municipal fire company and emergency responder. Later served as a Board Member.
  • Home Depot Pre-Suit Personal Injury Mediation Program: Mediation of customer personal injury claims in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.
  • Pittsburgh Federal Express: Negotiation training.
  • NV Association for Court Career Advancement (NACCA): workplace conflict management and de-escalation training.
  • NV OSHA: Conflict management & de-escalation training for field and management personnel.
  • NV Public Utilities Commission: Consultation regarding conflict management system design.
  • Clark County School District: Consultation regarding conflict management system design to address School Organizational Teams.
  • Confidential NV Transportation Company: Mediated/facilitated multi-day meetings between principals that resulted in business continuation instead of dissolution.
  • UNLV Law School: Multiple engagements regarding mediation certification training for the NV Courts.
  • Wockhardt Pharmaceuticals USA: Conflict management & de-escalation training to mid-level management; leadership development training to several key corporate leaders/managers.
  • Confidential Il IT Company: mediated/facilitated internal individual and departmental dispute.
  • Clark County Neighborhood Justice Center: Mediation training.
  • EEOC, Philadelphia and Los Angeles Districts: Mediation training.
  • NV Offices of Lewis Roca Rothgerber: Mediation advocacy training.
  • Fox Rothschild LLP National Retreat: Conflict management & de-escalation training for attorneys.
  • PA BAR Annual Retreat: Negotiation training


Courts

  • Nevada State Courts
  • Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • Pennsylvania State Courts
  • U.S. District Court of Nevada
  • U.S. District Court of New Jersey
  • U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals

Civic and Professional Activities

  • Co-Founder, American Academy of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Nevada State Bar ADR Committee
  • Nevada State Bar Fee Dispute Committee
  • Clark County Bar Association Publications Committee
  • Clark County Bar Association CLE Committee
  • Las Vegas Southwest Rotary

Recognitions

  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Bernard L. Bonniwell Medallion for Academic Excellence
  • Rhodes Scholar Nominee
  • Villanova Law Review Nominee
  • Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Philadelphia Business Journal Elite Regional Mediation Firm, 2012 & 2013
  • Rotary Distinguished Service Award
  • Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. Honoree Award: Pedestrian Highway Safety Program (2017)
  • Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. Homeland Security Medallion Award (2019)

Contact David M. Doto

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