P.J. Turner is a partner in the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Construction Law practice groups where she serves as a trial-level and appellate litigator. PJ focuses her practice in the areas of construction and products-liability litigation but has seasoned experience litigating a variety of complex commercial disputes, including those involving contract breaches, business torts, employment matters, collection matters, defamation, and insurance coverage disputes. In addition, P.J. has successfully handled multiple appeals to the Supreme Court of Virginia and Virginia Court of Appeals, as well as appeals to the Third and Fourth Circuit Courts of Appeals.
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The number of stoplights in my county growing up
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The fastest I’ve driven a boat
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Happy daughters (including twins)
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Tell us about where you grew up and the activities you liked to do as a child.
I am lucky enough to have grown up in the Northern Neck of Virginia in a log cabin at the mouth of the Potomac River. Summers were spent from dawn to dusk (and often beyond) crabbing, fishing, water skiing (and every other water sport), and otherwise cruising the Virginia and Maryland waters, always excited when the opportunity to outrun sudden, often violent, weather came upon us. Falls and winters were spent plucking rocks and sand out of fresh wounds caused by dirt bike and go-kart mishaps. Spring was just a pregame for summer.
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You have been snow skiing in Vermont every year since you were six years old. What do you love most about your yearly trips to Vermont?
At this point, one of my greatest joys is sharing the mountains with our kids, watching them get more confident in their abilities and excited to lead us down newly discovered tree and bump runs (that I had conveniently “forgotten” until now).
Education
- Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana, J.D.
- Davidson College, Davidson, N.C., B.A.
Experience
Construction
- Represented owners, manufacturers, and suppliers in alleged design defect matters
- Represented owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in alleged construction defect matters
- Represented owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in mediation and litigation in both state and federal courts.
- Represented owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in disputes where significant delay claims, including liquidated damages, were alleged
- Assisted contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in drafting and negotiating contracts
- Represented sureties, general contractors, and subcontractors in connection with bond claims
Products Liability
- Serves as national trial counsel for product manufacturer in asbestos litigation
- Succeeded on appeal in upholding summary judgment rulings by lower federal courts in several product-liability actions
- Obtained summary judgment for publicly traded corporation client numerous times in various product-liability actions
- Represented product manufacturers, contractors, and premises owners in defense of numerous product-liability actions related to garage doors, pumps, air compressors, boilers, HVAC equipment, turbine-generators, electrical equipment, wood roof trusses, gaskets, packing, automotive brakes and clutches, and other residential and commercial products and equipment
- Assisted in preparing nationwide strategy for publicly traded corporation client in defending products-liability actions concerning certain asbestos-containing electrical products
- Has taken and defended over 100 fact and expert depositions
Affiliations
- Virginia Bar Association, Member
- Appellate Practice Section; Civil Litigation Section; Construction/Public Contracts Law Section
- Virginia State Bar
- Litigation Section; Construction Law Section
- Bar Assocation of the City of Richmond, Member
- Litigation Section, Chair (2019-2020); Executive Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Member
- Board of Editors, The Journal of Civil Litigation (2013-present)
- Chair, Appellate Advocacy Section (2015-2016)
- Chair, Corporate and Commercial Litigation Section (2009-2019)
- Associated General Contractors of Virginia, Member
- Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute (“DRI”)
- National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), Member
- Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), Member
- Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate (GRACRE), Member
Admissions
- Virginia
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
Awards
- Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2014-2020 for Personal Injury – Products: Defense
