Education
Boston College Law School, J.D., cum laude
Columbia University, M.A. International Affairs, Presidential Scholar
Colby College, B.A., History
Experience
Walter has been successfully trying liability cases for almost three decades and most recently Walter has:
- Won a $3.66 million jury verdict in federal court for a business client. This commercial verdict was the 61st largest in the United States in 2019.
- Won many defendant’s verdicts for supermarkets and other premises liability defendants against customer’s slip, trip, and fall claims.
- Obtained a low verdict for a supermarket against a customer’s claim of severe and permanent brain injury from a falling shelf.
- Won defendant’s verdict for trash hauler against personal injury claim, and won the subsequent appeal.
- Has won numerous defendant’s verdicts for retailers, private individuals, and product manufacturers against liability claims.
- Won $25 million judgment for trade secret theft against ex-employee and his new employer.
- Walter also provides the content for the Vermont chapter of several national legal publications (non-competition law, employee duty of loyalty, trade secrets, etc.), and provides legal updates and alerts on developments that could impact his clients’ business.
Admissions
Massachusetts, 1990
Maine, 1991
Vermont, 1992
Memberships & Activities
American Bar Association, 1991
Defense Research Institute (DRI), Member and former State Representative for Vermont
International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
Tri-State Defense Lawyers Association (Maine, NH, and Vermont), founding member
Vermont Bar Association, various committee leaderships
American Board of Trial Advocates
Accolades & Awards
Listed in Best Lawyers®, Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
Chambers USA: Leading Lawyer in Vermont
Listed in Best’s Directory of Insurance Defense Attorneys
New England Super Lawyers®, 2010-2020
Community Involvement
Volunteers for the Legal Profession
Reported Cases
Mansfield Heliflight, Inc. v. Freestream Aircraft USA, Ltd., 2019 WL 5081061 (D. Vt. Oct. 10, 2019)
Underwood v. Risman, 414 Mass. 96, 605 N.E.2d 832 (1993) (lead paint/landlord-tenant/consumer protection)
Vermont Microsystems, Inc. v. Autodesk, Inc., 88 F.3d 142 (2d Cir. 1996) (trade secrets/computer software)
White v. Quechee Lakes Landowners’ Association, Inc., 170 Vt. 25, 742 A.2d 734 (1999) (indemnification/products liability)
McKinnon v. F.H. Morgan & Co., Inc., 170 Vt. 422, 750 A.2d 1026 (2000) (choice-of-law/products liability)
Smith & Croyle, LLC v. Ridgewood Power Corporation, 111 F. Supp. 2d 77 (D. Mass. 2000) (contract/fraud/consumer protection)
Macia v. Microsoft Corporation, et al., 152 F. Supp. 2d 535 (D. Vt. 2001) (trademark infringement)
Pcolar v. Casella Waste Systems, Inc., 2012 VT 58, 192 Vt. 343, 59 A.3d 702 (2012) (personal injury/negligence)
Bindrum v. NuQuest Bridge Pointe, 2016 VT Unpub. Lexis 150 (August 19, 2016) (professional negligence/Medicare)
Publications
Principal contributor of the DRM Food & Beverage Law Blog
Co-Author or Co-Editor of several publications (BNA/Bloomberg) on Trade Secrets, Non-Competition Agreements, and Employee Loyalty
Vermont Court Rules That Commercial Landlord Cannot Be Liable for Injury to Retail Tenant’s Invitee Involving Tenant’s Operations on Premises
VT Federal Court Rules in Favor of Vermont and Against Alleged Patent Troll in Preliminary Decision
DRM Litigation Partner Walter Judge Submits Amicus Brief To Vermont Supreme Court In Products Liability Case
Walter Judge Authors Top 10 Legal Blog Post for October
Presentations
Presented to Bar Meetings and Trade Associations on Legal Developments, Insurance, Intellectual Property, and Food & Beverage legal issues.
Languages
German