FRIEDMAN LEAK: Attorneys & Counselors At Law
Friedman, Leak, Dazzio, Zulanas & Bowling, P.C.

Here at Friedman Leak, we act as both legal counselors and business partners in order to achieve the best solutions possible for your business and litigation needs by exercising superior legal skills and business judgment.

Friedman, Leak, Dazzio, Zulanas & Bowling, P.C. represents business and individual clients in the State of Alabama in both complex litigation matters and business transactions. Friedman Leak provides our clients with a broad range of legal services while focusing personal attention to each client's individual needs.

The firm has established its reputation by focusing great effort on aggressive and proactive legal advocacy and by taking the time to understand its clients’ specific business plans in order to deliver the highest quality litigation and business counseling in Alabama. Our attorneys respond promptly and effectively to each client’s needs with the highest level of service available.

Friedman Leak is known for the quality of our legal counsel and for our ability to find the best litigation or business solution because we listen to our clients, take the time to learn about their business needs, and understand their business environment. We are committed to finding the most effective approach to our clients’ problems.

Friedman, Leak, Dazzio, Zulanas & Bowling, P.C. is rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in Martindale- Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Friedman Leak is also listed in Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys.

The attorneys at Friedman Leak practice extensively in all Federal and State Courts throughout Alabama, as well as dispute resolution forums and various federal and state regulatory agencies.

Our Approach

We draw upon the broad base of expertise found throughout the firm in order to meet each client's needs. Our attorneys’ specializations in various areas of the law, as well as years of experience serving our clients’ through litigation and business consulting, fosters effective legal decision making in order to anticipate and minimize legal problems before they arise.

Should litigation ensue, Friedman Leak first analyzes the potential liability facing its clients in order to determine the absolute best course of action given each client's business goals. Clients are then counseled on available options, including early resolution or aggressive defense of the proceeding.

While we recognize that trial is not always the best solution for our clients, our attorneys vigorously litigate cases to conclusion in virtually every county and Federal District in Alabama. While we have the trial skills and experience to negotiate favorable settlements where settlement is desirable, our reputation for aggressive, thorough and effective litigation is well known. When our clients' best interests involve litigation, we do what it takes to win. Our attorneys have records of victories in both trial and appellate courts throughout Alabama.

Our Goal: "To act as both legal counselors and business partners in order to achieve the best solutions possible for the business and litigation needs of our clients by exercising superior legal skills and business judgment."

The attorneys at Friedman Leak follow these guiding principles in achieving the Firm’s stated goal:

We are dedicated to our clients’ needs.
We endeavor to deliver the highest quality work product and service on every legal assignment requested by our clients.

We put forth uncompromising effort.
Friedman Leak strives to put forth the kind of aggressive effort which distinguishes our lawyers from others in the profession.

We demand integrity.
Our attorneys observe the highest ethical standards by exhibiting honesty and integrity in dealings with courts, our adversaries and most importantly, our clients.

We foster accountability in our attorneys.
Our attorneys stand behind the advice, counsel and judgment made on behalf of our clients.

We strive to understand our clients' litigation and business needs.
A thorough understanding of the business plans of our clients allows us to become more responsive to their needs and thus enables us to deliver more effective legal services.

We are absolutely determined to win.
We teach our attorneys to do absolutely everything in their power, within reason, honesty and decency, to achieve our clients’ desired results.

Client List:
ACS Technologies
Allstate
American Claims Service
American General Life and Accident Insurance Company
American Liberty Insurance Company
Boren Explosives
Central States Indemnity
Central States Life and Health
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies
CNA Insurance Companies
Cotton States Insurance Companies
Crawford & Company
Custom Chip Connection
Dixie Drilling Co., Inc.
Employer’s Mutual Companies
Federated Life Insurance Company
Federated Mutual Insurance Company
Federated Service Insurance Company
Frontier Insurance Company
General Accident Insurance Company
Great West Casualty Company
Hartline & Roberts
HealthSouth Corporation
Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company
Independent Fire Insurance Company
Independent Property and Casualty Insurance Company
J. C. Penney Co., Inc.,
Lancer, Insurance Co.
Liberty Mutual Ins. Co.
Mountain Life Insurance Company
National Security Fire & Casualty Co., Inc.
Neel-Schaffer, Inc.
Nelson Brothers Management Services, Inc.
Nelson Brothers Mining Services, LLC
Nelson Brothers, LLC
Nobel Insurance Group
Ohio Casualty Group
Orica-Nelson Quarry Services, Inc.
Old Republic Insurance Group
Old Republic Union Insurance Company
Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
Physicians Life Insurance Company
Physicians Mutual Insurance Company
Reliance Insurance Company
RSKCo., Inc.
State of Alabama
Taylor Hicks
Utica Mutual Insurance Company
Wiley Sanders Truck Lines
Winterthur International Insurance Company

Practice Areas

Friedman Leak offers a wide array of services to its clients. While our primary focus has always been civil litigation, Friedman Leak also offers business counseling and transactional expertise. Friedman Leak clients are diverse and include large publicly held corporations, insurance companies, small and medium sized local businesses, and individuals. We work in the areas of commercial litigation, products liability, personal injury defense litigation, medical malpractice and other professional liability, trucking litigation, insurance coverage litigation, employment litigation and other matters. We work with our business clients and provide day to day counseling to help our clients navigate in today's complex business world. Our members are active in state, local and national professional activities and associations in which its clients are active. Firm members participate as faculty in continuing legal education programs and seminars and participate in and support civic work.

Litigation is the broad term used to encompass any process of dispute resolution between two parties. Friedman Leak attorneys confidently navigate their clients through any dispute process and have done so in numerous courts, arbitrations, venues and locales. We believes in zealous advocacy on behalf of our clients. We are proud of our record of representation of our clients in disputes played out in federal and state courts not just in Alabama, but throughout the country. Further, we have represented clients in practically all alternative dispute resolution forums available.

Friedman Leak is recognized for its expertise in the area of insurance law. It numbers among its clients some of the largest insurance carriers in the world. For these clients, we provide detailed coverage opinions and file declaratory judgment actions for the determination of insurance coverage. Friedman Leak has defended numerous breach of contract and bad faith claims against insurance carriers. Its attorneys are equally adept at fighting for its business and corporate clients when insurance coverage becomes an issue.

Friedman Leak has represented clients through the negotiation and closing of large commercial transactions, including sales and purchases of businesses, joint ventures, licensing agreements, franchising agreements, and other transactions. If disputes arise for our clients, we combine our knowledge of complex commercial transactions with our expertise in litigation. Friedman Leak attorneys are equally adept at pressing our clients' contractual claims or defending against such claims.

Friedman Leak offers its business clients guidance and support in dealing with employment issues. Our attorneys advise clients on policies and procedures, employee handbooks, how to avoid employment litigation and any other area necessary to prevent employment problems or litigation. If litigation arises, Friedman Leak combines its expertise and employment law with its litigation speciality to provide our clients with an aggressive defense.

Friedman Leak attorneys travel nationally defending professional liability claims. Our attorneys have an extensive practice consisting of the defense of medical malpractice claims brought against hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers and facilities. Friedman Leak has defended such claims in at least nine different states.

In addition to medical claims, Friedman Leak specializes in claims made against other professionals including architects, engineers and attorneys. The architects and engineers liability section lists among our clients some of the largest and most prominent firms in the State of Alabama. Friedman Leak is also panel counsel for several professional liability insurance carriers.

Friedman Leak attorneys represent commercial carriers in matters arising out of catastrophic accidents, freight and contract disputes, employment and regulatory compliance matters. Friedman Leak lists among its clients regional and national commercial carriers and its attorneys participate actively in the American Bar Association’s Trucking Law Committee and the Trucking Industry Defense Association. Our attorneys counsel commercial carriers in all aspects of their businesses, provide risk management and defend our clients vigorously in state and federal courts throughout Alabama should litigation arise.

Friedman Leak attorneys have extensive experience in the areas of alternative dispute resolution. Firm members have participated in the mediation process on behalf of clients in hundreds of instances. Friedman Leak offers attorneys trained in conducting mediations and arbitrations. Our attorneys have appeared in numerous arbitrations conducted under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association and other national organizations and have obtained significant arbitration awards on behalf of our clients.

Our Attorneys
Jeffrey E. Friedman
Joe L. Leak
P. Thomas Dazzio, Jr.
Christopher Zulanas
J. Michael Bowling
James W. Moss
Jess S. Boone
Michael J. Douglas
H. Spence Morano
Lee T. Patterson
David T. Gordon

Friedman, Leak, Dazzio, Zulanas & Bowling, P.C.
3800 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 650, Birmingham, Alabama 35243-3219
Phone: 205-278-7023, Fax: 205-278-7001