Tamara Barago specializes in the defense of complex serial and mass tort litigation—primarily personal injury litigation involving regulated products. While she has significant experience with all facets of the litigation process, including motions practice, trial preparation, and appellate work, Tamara co-manages the firm’s corporate discovery team for a massive, multi-jurisdiction products liability litigation and handles corporate discovery strategy and response.

In the corporate discovery arena, Tamara contributes to discovery coordination across litigations in Australia, Canada, and other countries. She helps determine corporate discovery strategy, handles responses to all written discovery, assists with corporate witness deposition preparation, and works with co-defendants and co-counsel. She also advises clients on matters including confidentiality and privilege issues.

Prior to co-managing the corporate discovery team, Tamara had a number of successes that has helped define her practice:

  • She has developed persuasive arguments, such as an appellate brief that led to affirmance of a Daubert and summary judgment win in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • She wrote an amicus brief on a First Amendment issue submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court
  • As part of a winning trial team, she helped achieve a defense verdict for a major pharmaceutical company after a seven-day trial in federal court in a products liability case where the plaintiff alleged injury as a result of treatment with intravenous prescription medications. Her role included expert witness preparation, drafting witness direct and cross outlines, drafting motions in limine, and drafting a Rule 50 motion that persuaded the court to dismiss plaintiff’s implied warranty and punitive damages claims.

Tamara enjoys pro bono work, including through the Tahirih Justice Center, and achieved a victory for her client after an immigration court hearing. She also successfully negotiated a favorable settlement for a disabled client who was unable to exit a Washington, D.C. store in an emergency. Through law school, Tamara was an Articles Editor for the Virginia Law Review.

When not practicing law, Tamara treasures her family time, connecting with nature, and pursuing her passion for the arts. Along with having a master’s degree in Journalism, she is an author of novels and poems, as well as a singer and songwriter.

Education

University of Virginia School of Law (J.D., 2010) New York University (M.A., 1999) Tulane University (B.A., 1994, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)

Admissions

  • District of Columbia; New York; Virginia
  • United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia

Memberships

Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia

Cases

Insights & Events

PFOA Update

publication | December 1, 2010

IADC's Toxic and Hazardous Substances Litigation Newsletter (Tamara Fishman, December 2010)