Denis F. Alia

Denis F. Alia concentrates his practice in the defense of litigation matters, including products liability, toxic torts, automotive accidents, insurance claims, and premises litigation. He has represented a broad range of companies, including manufacturers of heavy industrial equipment, automotive friction parts, premises owners and ride-sharing companies.  Denis also serves on the national coordinating counsel team that manages multi-jurisdictional toxic tort litigation for a Fortune 500 company, a role where he has extensive experience handling dockets in trial threat jurisdictions.  Denis has represented clients in both state and federal courts as well as at settlement negotiations.

Denis periodically speaks at national conferences, where in the past he has addressed issues involving the statute of repose and its application in various jurisdictions, the evolution of remote depositions as the new discovery frontier, and liability concerns related to remote technologies including self-driving vehicles. Denis is an active member of the Defense Research Institute (“DRI”), where he is currently serving as Chair of DRI’s Products – Regulatory, Risk, and Safety Specialized Litigation Group.  Denis previously served as Co-Chair of the Corporate Counsel Development committee with the Young Lawyers group, and Vice-Chair of the Manufacturer’s Risk Specialized Litigation Group. Denis also periodically publishes articles with the Defense Research Institute and American Bar Association.

While in law school, Denis interned at the Queens, New York Supreme Court and at the Suffolk County Superior Courthouse in Boston. Denis was also involved with the New York City Unemployment Action Center, where he represented clients in front of administrative law judges during employment termination hearings.  Prior to starting his legal career, Denis worked as a portfolio analyst for a Fortune 100 insurance company where he focused on complex data analysis.

• Obtained favorable settlement for equipment manufacturer after extensive negotiations with plaintiff’s counsel during first day of jury selection in trial involving mesothelioma plaintiff.
• Assisted in successfully defending corporate representative deposition in group of cases involving twenty-five (25) plaintiffs resulting in disposition of all matters for nominal value.
• Successfully negotiated dismissal of claim against heavy equipment manufacturer in claim alleging exposure to insulation on Navy ships.
• Secured dismissal for ride sharing company in case involving auto accident.

Authorships

• Remote Depositions in the Covid-19 Era, Defense Research Institute, The Brief Case: DRI Committee News, July/August 2022 Edition, Volume 1, Issue 5
• Employment and Tenancy Litigation Due to COVID-19, and Legislative Responses, Defense Research Institute, The Voice, Volume 20, Issue 2
• Tort Suits Seeking to Circumvent Workers’ Compensation Exclusivity, Defense Research Institute – For The Defense Magazine
• A Comprehensive Permit Application Is Not Complete Without Full Payment of Filing Feel, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Real Estate
• Should a Trustee Be Physically Present at the Auction Sale?, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Real Estate, Condemnation & Trust Litigation
• Considerations of Using the Statute of Repose Defense in Latent Disease Cases, Defense Research Institute, The Newsletter of the Young Lawyers Committee

Presentations, Classes & Seminars Taught

• Shift Into Gear: Self-Driving Vehicles and Questions of Liability, Defense Research Institute, Product Liability Conference, Denver, Colorado (2024, Speaker)
• Succeeding in the Practice of Law as a Parent, Defense Research Institute, Young Lawyers Seminar, Atlanta, Georgia (2022, Moderator)
• Strategies for Taking & Defending Remote Depositions, Defense Research Institute, Business Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation Super Conference, Houston, Texas (2022, Speaker)
• Statute of Repose: The SOR Defense Is Both Highly Effective and Constantly In Flux, Defense Research Institute, Product Liability Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana (2020, Speaker)

• Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Award, five (5) consecutive years at Northeastern University based on academic merit and community service.
• O’Rourke Scholarship, two (2) consecutive years at Northeastern University, based on academic merit.