Debra L. Doby

Debra L. Doby concentrates her practice on Workers’ Compensation, Opioid and Cannabis litigation, Maritime law, and Intellectual Property . Named a “Rising Star” in New York Metro Super Lawyers every year since 2016, she has built a reputation on success in the courtroom and as well as a history of substantive and innovative engagement with the issues her clients face. Debra routinely handles all aspects of complex construction matters pre-litigation through trial encompassing OSHA, Jones Act and Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act. Debra created Goldberg Segalla’s Opioid Impact Program (OIP)-a comprehensive program which identifies and mitigates claims that have the potential to spiral out of control in terms of cost and exposure. Drawing on her undergraduate degree in chemistry and substantive knowledge regarding prescription medications, Debra regularly engages in highly complex and high value patent litigation including pharmaceuticals, chemical processes, and biotechnology.

Experience Highlights

Workers’ Compensation

Debra has extensive experience representing clients before the New York Workers’ Compensation Board and in appellate courts, deposing medical professionals and other experts, and advising on all aspects of workers’ compensation law-including claims arising under the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and the Jones Act. Debra organizes the firm’s workers’ compensation webinar series. The free, monthly series highlights state-specific information on workers’ compensation claims and litigation, and provides a high-level look at industry trends. Debra is also co-editor of Goldberg Segalla’s Workers’ Compensation Defense blog, which examines the latest rulings, developments, and trends impacting the defense of workers’ compensation claims.

OSHA and Worksite Safety

Debra counsels employers on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance and frequently conducts training seminars on minimizing the risk of workplace accidents and related litigation.

Opioid Impact Program

Drawing on both her undergraduate degree in chemistry as well as her insights into workers’ compensation issues and trends in pain medication prescription practices nationally, Debra created Goldberg Segalla’s Opioid Impact Program (OIP)-a comprehensive program designed to help claims professionals reduce claimants’ use of prescription medications. The program also helps identify and mitigate claims that have the potential to spiral out of control in terms of cost and exposure. She frequently writes and presents on the subject for industry publications and conferences.

Maritime Law

Debra is an authority on maritime law generally and on workers’ compensation issues arising from maritime occupations. She developed this interest as a legal clinician at Maritime New Zealand in Wellington, New Zealand, where she counseled employees on OSHA, delegations, and other obligations under the Maritime Transport Act. She continued to develop her study of international trade while earning an L.L.M. at Trinity College, Dublin, and has written on comparative law and maritime jurisdictional conflicts. Today, Debra assists her clients in ensuring compliance with a wide range of internal conventions including the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), International Convention on Load Lines, International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STWC), pilotage, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). She also represents her clients in litigation arising from maritime workers’ compensation claims, and has tried many cases involving the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Jones Act, the Limitation of Liability Act, and other federal and international regulations.

Intellectual Property

As a member of the Intellectual Property practice group, she works to protect the ideas, innovations, inventions, and creative property that have fueled her clients’ successes. This includes litigation and arbitration involving patents, trademarks and copyrights, trade secrets, licensing and portfolio management, and unfair competition-especially in matters of international trade.

Honors & Awards

National Law Journal, Cannabis Law Trailblazer, 2019

New York Metro Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2016-19

Publications & Events

Publications

•“Exploring the Limitations of Interventional Pain Management, ” DRI For The Defense, October 2019
•“How Artists Can Curtail Online IP Theft Defended by Fair Use, ” (Co-Author), Law360, October 18, 2019
•“The Uphill Battle: Challenging Bio-Pharma in IPRs ” (Co-Author), New York Law Journal, March 22, 2019
•“Impact of the USMCA on the Medical Device Industry ” (Co-Author), MD+DI, January 11, 2019
•“Opioids - Reducing Exposure in State Workers’ Compensation Claims, ” DRI For the Defense, December 2018
•“Will Sovereign Immunity Shield Patent Owners From IPR Challenges? ” (Co-Author), New York Law Journal, May 18, 2018
•“Recent Developments in Admiralty and Maritime Law ” (Co-Author), Tort Trial and Insurance Law Journal, Winter 2018
•“Applicability of 101 Challenges in ANDA Pharmaceutical Litigation ” (Co-Author), New York Law Journal, March 23, 2018
•“Marijuana and Opioids: Controlling Their Effects in the Workplace ” (Co-Author), IndustryWeek, May 26, 2017
•“Curbing Overprescription of Painkillers With Interstate Data Sharing ” (Co-Author), American Bar Association TortSource, Vol. 19, No. 1, Fall 2016
•“Data-Driven Solutions for America’s Expanding Obesity Problem ” (Co-Author), USLAW Magazine, Spring/Summer 2016
•“There’s No Such Thing as Free Labor: Risks Associated With Internships ” (Co-Author), American Bar Association Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Law Newsletter, Summer 2014
•“Employment of Undocumented Workers by Subcontractors: Evaluating General Contractor Workers’ Compensation Potential Liability ” (Co-Author), USLAW Magazine, Spring/Summer 2014
•“Whale Wars: How to End the Violence in the Southern Ocean,” Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce, April 2013
•Contributor, “Australia” and “New Zealand,” The ABA Guide to International Bar Admissions, American Bar Association, 2012
•“The Wreck of the Andrew J. Barberi: The Role of Limitation of Liability,” Florida Journal of International Law, August 2011
•“Piracy Jure Gentium: The Jurisdictional Conflict of the High Seas and Territorial Seas,” Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce, October 2010

Presentations

•“The Opioid Crisis: Understanding Present and Future Opioid Exposures (Including, Yes, Environmental)” (Co-Presenter), GS 2019 TTEL Roundup: Glyphosate, Superfund Mega-Sites, and Emerging Problems with the Cannabis Industry and the Opioid Epidemic, New York, NY, May 21, 2019
•“Weed at Work,” CLM Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, March 13, 2019
•“Business Busters: Protecting Your Business from Employment Risks” (Co-Presenter), Buffalo Niagara Partnership Speaker Series, Buffalo, NY, October 19, 2018
•“Business Busters - Protecting Your Business from Employment Risks ” (Co-Presenter), Buffalo Niagara Partnership, June 28, 2018
•“Marijuana, Opiates, and Alcohol,” Safety Executives of New York Professional Development Conference, New York City, NY, March 20, 2018
•“Perception vs. Reality of Formularies,” New York Self-Insurers Association, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 8, 2017
•“Reducing Overprescription of Narcotic Medications,” ExecuSummit, Uncasville, CT, February 1, 2017
•“Medicinal Marijuana and Its Impact on New York WC,” SES Advanced Worker’s Compensation, January 2017
•“Preventive Strategies to Reduce Risk for Employees On Drugs, Alcohol, or Marijuana,” Facilities Conference, Indian Wells, CA, October 19, 2016
•“Lovin’ & Leavin’ Them: Over-Prescription of Medications,” Worker’s Compensation Institute National Conference, Orlando, FL, August 17, 2016
•“How to Limit Medical Exposure Using New York’s Medical Guidelines,” SES Advanced Worker’s Compensation, January 23, 2015
•“Sue Everyone! The Anatomy of a Construction Lawsuit” (Co-Presenter), Professional Women in Construction, New York, May 22, 2014
•“The Practical Ramifications of Zamora,” Continuing Legal Education Seminar, March 2013
•“Limitation of Liability Regimes in the U.S. and E.U.,” Irish Comparative Law Conference, Belfast University, March 2011

Webinars

•“COVID-19: How to Respond to Claims,” GS Webinar Series, March 20, 2020
•“Public Nuisance Claims: Emerging Insurance Risks Associated with Opioids,” (Co-Presenter) GS Webinar Series, November 14, 2019
•“NY Drug Formulary: Everything You Need to Know,” (Presenter) GS Webinar Series, October 16, 2019
•“Medical Cannabis - How to Navigate MG-2 and Arbitration Issues in New York,” (Co-Presenter) Workers’ Compensation Webinar, January 16, 2019
•“The National Opioid Addiction Crisis: Coverage Implications and Cost Containment Strategies,” (Co-Presenter) Worker’s Compensations Webinar, June 20, 2018
•“Overview of the New York Workers’ Compensation Board’s New RFA-2 and Opioid Procedure,” Worker’s Compensation Webinar, April 12, 2017
•“Tricks to Navigating the New York Workers’ Compensation Electronic Data Interchange,” Workers’ Compensation Webinar, November 16, 2016
•“Litigation Strategies for Addressing Over-Prescription of Narcotic Medications,” Workers’ Compensation Webinar, August 10, 2016
•“Third Department Finds Closure of 25-a Unconstitutional: Now What?,” Workers’ Compensations Webinar, July 13, 2016

Recent Insights

Exploring the Limitations of Interventional Pain Management, DRI For The Defense

November 4, 2019

How Artists Can Curtail Online IP Theft Defended by Fair Use, Law360

October 23, 2019

36 Goldberg Segalla Attorneys Featured in 2019 New York Metro Super Lawyers

September 12, 2019

Advertising Copyright Suit Ends in Favorable Settlement for Fine Art and Advertising Photographer

August 29, 2019

New York Adopts Drug Formulary for Workers’ Compensation

August 27, 2019

No More Punies: Supreme Court Rejects Punitive Damages for Unseaworthiness

July 24, 2019