Larry R. (Buzz) Wood Jr.

Larry R. (Buzz) Wood Jr.
Partner
Business Litigation

Biography

CO-CHAIR, CORPORATE LITIGATION PRACTICE GROUP

CHAIR, WILMINGTON OFFICE

Buzz Wood has spent his career helping clients in a wide variety of litigation matters. Whether obtaining an early dismissal for a defendant or an award of damages for a corporate plaintiff, Buzz deploys effective strategies crafted to effectuate his client’s specific objectives. And, recognizing the importance of value, Buzz routinely uses and proposes creative billing arrangements tailored to align with the client's objectives for the specific matter. Some of the areas in which Buzz has successfully assisted his clients include: 

  • Complex business issues, including breach of contract, breach of representations and warranties in M&A transactions, fraud, RICO, and other business torts
  • Intellectual property issues, including misappropriation of trade secrets and non-competes
  • Employment issues, including discrimination and wrongful termination
  • Delaware shareholder/corporate issues, including breach of fiduciary duty, appraisal, books and records requests, and minority shareholder oppression
  • Class and collective action issues

Recent engagements include:

  • Successful resolution for a global medical technology company of various disclosure and securities claims relating to merger transaction
  • Obtaining a dismissal with prejudice in Delaware's Court of Chancery of a putative shareholder class action filed against Directors alleging breach of fiduciary duty in a merger transaction, affirmed by Delaware Supreme Court
  • Successful resolution of a complex business dispute for a leading global healthcare solutions company following an early dispositive motion
  • Obtaining a significant monetary recovery for a global chemical company in an International Centre for Dispute Resolution arbitration
  • Defeating injunctive relief sought against a global healthcare business in New York
  • Obtaining dismissal of discrimination, harassment, and other employment-related claims in California federal court for a global pharmaceutical services company
  • Obtaining a significant resolution for a global medical technology business in an International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution matter

After law school, Buzz clerked in a Delaware trial court and then in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, worked as a public defender and litigated in a boutique litigation practice.

Outside the Firm

Buzz is passionate about historic preservation, and regularly represents the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Pennsylvania, and various other state and local preservation organizations on a pro bono basis to protect our nation’s historic resources. Some of the historic treasures Buzz has helped to save are the Dream Garden, Camp Security, Philadelphia Lazaretto, and Pennhurst.

Related Services

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Special topics

Experience

Business Disputes

  • A global medical technology business in disclosure and securities claims stemming from merger transaction in Delaware, New York, and Massachusetts federal courts.
  • A global healthcare solutions business in business dispute involving breach of contract, fraud, and RICO claims pending in Wisconsin federal court.
  • A global medical technology business in business collaboration dispute in an International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution proceeding.
  • A leading U.S. supplier of industrial, medical, and specialty gases in breach of contract claims throughout the United States.
  • A global healthcare solutions business in California product liability claims.
  • A global industrial gas business, as a plaintiff in an acquisition agreement dispute involving contractual and tort claims in International Centre for Dispute Resolution arbitration forum.
  • Director defendants, in a shareholder class action quasi-appraisal breach of fiduciary duty action in the aviation industry client, affirmed on appeal (Kahn v. Stern, et al., 2017 Del. Ch. LEXIS 158 (Del. Ch. Aug. 28, 2017), aff’d 2018 Del. LEXIS 114 (Del. 2018)).
  • A global technology business, in a New Jersey contract dispute.
  • Breach of contract and tort action for global lighting manufacturer as a plaintiff in a stock purchase agreement dispute in the Delaware Court of Chancery (Osram Sylvania, Inc. v. Townsend Ventures, LLC, 2013 Del. Ch. LEXIS 281 (Del. Ch. Nov. 19, 2013)).
  • New York Asset acquisition dispute as a plaintiff for a large mining exploration company (Alliance Industries, Inc. v. Longyear Holdings, Inc., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25743 (W.D.N.Y. Feb. 26, 2012)).
  • A company, in an activist shareholder challenge to Bylaw provisions under Delaware law (AB Value Partners, LP v. Kreisler Mfg. Corp., 2014 Del. Ch. LEXIS 264 (Del. Ch. Dec. 16, 2014)).
  • A large education e-commerce company, in a business tort dispute in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
  • A minority shareholder, in breach of fiduciary duty action seeking the appointment of a custodian and other relief under Pennsylvania law.
  • A large health information technology company, defending in breach of contract action.
  • Pursuing breach of contract claims for global industrial and medical gas company (Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP v. Butterball, LLC, 2013 US District LEXIS 93378 (E.D. Pa. July 3, 2013)).
  • Dismissal of putative class Independent Offices Appropriations Act (IOAA) and antitrust action for large tax preparation services company, affirmed on appeal (Byers v. Intuit, et al, 600 F.3d 286 (3d Cir. 2010)).
  • Injunction impounding restricted stock and favorable settlement of business purchase/separation claims pending in numerous federal and state courts.

Employment Disputes

  • Successful resolution of discrimination and employment-related claims for global healthcare services company following summary judgment in Pennsylvania federal court.
  • Secured dismissal of discrimination, harassment and equal pay act claims for global pharmaceutical services company in California action (Banawis-Olila v. AmerisourceBergen Corp., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67613 and 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 99756 (N.D. Cal. May 23 and July 29, 2016)).
  • Won defense judgment in retaliation and discrimination claims pending in New Jersey for global pharmaceutical services company (Spreter v. AmerisourceBergen Corp., 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 154561 (D.N.J. Oct. 31, 2014)).
  • Obtained dismissal with prejudice of FLSA, ERISA, and RICO collective and class action claims for a large healthcare organization in Pennsylvania, affirmed on appeal (Davis v. Abington Mem. Hospital, et al., 765 F.3d 236 (3d Cir. 2014)).
  • A global supplier of products, solutions, and services for industrial customers, in New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act retaliation claim.
  • Global pharmaceutical services company, in Pennsylvania False Claims Act retaliation and age discrimination claims.
  • Won defense judgment and obtained decertification in collective and class age discrimination action for global industrial and medical gas company (Mitchell, et al v. MG Industries, Inc., et al., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48331 (E.D.Pa. June 9, 2009); 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113510 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 30, 2011)).
  • Obtained defense judgment for international staffing provider in employment/product liability action.
  • Secured defense judgment for major east coast utility in putative ERISA class action in Delaware relating to plan design and discrimination, affirmed on appeal (Charles v. Pepco Holdings, Inc., 314 Fed.Appx. 450 (3d Cir. 2008)).
  • Obtained dismissal of intentional discrimination claims involving large retail business (Pollard v. Wawa Food Market, 366 F.Supp.2d 247 (E.D.Pa. 2005)).
  • Defeated class certification and obtained summary judgment on equitable claim for large automobile finance company in a race discrimination action brought under Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Smith, et al. v. Chrysler Financial Co., 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28504 (D.N.J. Dec. 30, 2004)).

Intellectual Property Disputes

  • A world leader in high technologies for the gas field in claims pending in California relating to technology.
  • U.S. oil and gas participants in Pennsylvania-based action relating to misappropriation of trade secrets.
  • A lighting solutions company featured on Shark Tank in defense of patent infringement claims.
  • A large lighting solutions company in Delaware, in defense of patent Infringement claims.
  • Obtained dismissal in Delaware of misappropriation of trade secrets action (Raza v. Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., 607 F. Supp. 2d 689 (D.Del. 2009)).
  • Achieved favorable settlement for a large health information technology company in Lanham Act unfair competition/false advertising claim.
  • Obtained injunction enforcing terms of noncompete agreement for a large manufacturing company.
  • Obtained injunction enforcing terms of noncompete agreement and decision that stock sale does not change identity of corporate employer for noncompete enforcement (Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation v. Carmelengo, 167 F. Supp. 2d 752 (E.D.Pa. 2001)).

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2019, listed in America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators®
  • 2008–2018, “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer” in Business Litigation, listed in Super Lawyers

Affiliations

Professional Activities

Buzz recently served on the board and executive committee for the Foundation for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and has also served as a board member of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, co-chair of the Discrimination and Disability Law Subcommittee of the Federalist Society’s national Labor and Employment Law Practice Group, and as co-chair for the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Appellate Courts Committee.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Delaware
  • U.S. District Court - Delaware
  • U.S. District Court - Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of Michigan
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Education

  • Indiana University of PA, BA
  • Penn State University, Dickinson School of Law, JD

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.