Jessica L. Farmer
Partner
Overview
Jessica Farmer is an experienced trial attorney in Holland & Knight's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice in the firm's Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Farmer has a diverse federal and state court litigation and international arbitration practice, representing clients in complex commercial disputes, in a wide array of matters involving breach of contract, allegations of fraud, real estate disputes, purported class actions, product liability and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including litigation involving employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
Ms. Farmer has experience prosecuting and defending claims to verdict in federal and state courts. Ms. Farmer excels in managing litigation strategy, successfully navigating complicated discovery, taking and defending depositions, arguing motions and negotiating settlements.
Ms. Farmer also actively provides pro bono representation to veterans in cases involving Military Sexual Trauma (MST) before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and to individuals seeking asylum in the United States. In addition, Ms. Farmer is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and co-chairs the Washington, D.C., office's DEI Committee.
Representative Experience
- Representing a privatized military housing operator defending against purported class actions alleging mold exposure to residents on U.S. military bases
- Member of national counsel team representing a pharmaceutical manufacturer in federal and state mass tort actions
- Defending a company and its board of directors and obtaining a complete dismissal on standing in an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) putative class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty and engaging in prohibited transactions arising out of a $200 million employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) transaction
- Representing a mortgage lender in purported data breach class actions
- Representing the manufacturer of an automated parking system in a wrongful death lawsuit
- Representing commercial landlords and tenants in lease disputes, including evictions and breach of lease claims involving force majeure and COVID-19-related restrictions
- Defending a commercial landlord through trial in a breach of contract matter regarding substantial completion of certain construction
- Representing real estate developers and commercial landlords in breach of contract litigation
- Defending companies and plan service providers with respect to fiduciary and prohibited transaction issues in investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) involving employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
- Defending a company and its board of directors and obtaining a complete dismissal on standing in an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) putative class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty and engaging in prohibited transactions arising out of a $200 million ESOP transaction
- Representing an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor in a multibillion-dollar arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arising out of the construction of a mega-infrastructure project
- Representing a television distributor in breach of contract litigation with a major programming content provider through trial and subsequent appeal
- Representing Native American tribes in suits against the U.S. government for breach of funding obligations under self-determination contracts
- Defending commercial property owners and construction companies against Fair Housing Act claims and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) claims
Credentials
- University of Maryland School of Law, J.D.
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County, B.A., Psychology
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Washington, D.C. Commercial Litigation Ones to Watch, 2022-2024
- Holland & Knight Rising Star, Class of 2024