Hassia’s practice involves defending Fortune 500 clients in complex litigation across a variety of industries and fields, concentrating on cases involving mass torts and class action product liability claims and employment litigation matters, from EEOC claim investigations through trial preparation of diverse employment matters. Her experience includes handling and managing cases from the filing of initial pleadings, through discovery, trial and post-trial practice.
Hassia is also a selected trial counsel for several firm clients and is able to identify and develop successful pre-trial and trial case strategy, including strategically positioning cases for dismissal or early resolution or settlement.
Notably, Hassia currently serves as trial counsel for Philip Morris USA in tobacco litigation currently pending throughout the state of Florida. For more than a decade, she has assisted with the firm’s defense of Philip Morris USA in various Engle-progeny cases tried throughout the state of Florida.
Recent trial work includes:
- Anderson v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, et al., Gadsden County (2022)
- Cuddihee v. Philip Morris USA, Duval County (2020)
- Gaboury v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., et al., Miami-Dade County (2019)
- Sermons v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., et al., Duval County (2016)
- Mary Brown v. Philip Morris USA Inc., Duval County (2015)
- Danielson v. Philip Morris USA Inc., Escambia County (2015)
- Starbuck v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., et al., Duval County (2014)
- Blasco v. Philip Morris USA Inc., Miami-Dade County (2013)
- Mary Brown v. Philip Morris USA Inc., Duval County (2013)
Before joining the firm, Hassia represented Fortune 500 companies and government entities in a diverse range of matters, including litigation involving national, multidistrict class action lawsuits involving RICO, antitrust and consumer fraud issues; labor and employment law disputes; and a broad spectrum of general contractual corporate and partnership disputes involving derivative lawsuits, franchise agreement disputes, and financial and reorganizational business matters.
Hassia is actively involved in ensuring the continued success of the firm in achieving the advancement and promotion of the firm’s diverse attorneys and creating a broader, richer environment from which to produce innovative solutions for our clients.
Publications and Presentations
Panelist, 5 Signs It Is Time to Leave Your Current Job and 5 Steps to Re-Strategize Your Career to Land Your Dream Job, Corporate Counsel Women of Color and Hogan Lovells 17th Annual Career Strategies Conference (Sept. 22-25, 2021).
Defense Faculty, South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association's Trial Superstars Program, University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina, April 12, 2019.
Panelist, Lessons from the Rock Stars: Top 10 Business Development Tools, Hispanic National Bar Association Corporate Counsel Conference and Moot Court Competition, Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 20-23, 2019.
Panelist, Lawyers as Managers, Emory Law School Institute for Complex Litigation & Mass Claims Leadership Conference (January 19, 2018).
Hassia Diolombi, Madeleine McDonough, Alicia Donahue, Jolie Justus, & Lindsey Heinz, Staying in the Game, Shook's Junior Women's Management Counsel, October 6, 2017.
Hassia Diolombi, William Geraghty, Sergio Pagliery & Frank Cruz-Alvarez, Avoiding In-House Counsel Nightmares, Miami GC Summit/CLE, August 25, 2017.
Speaker, "Constitutional Law, the Bill of Rights, and Civil Duties," Miami-Dade County, Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, Ethical Governance Day, (2014 & 2017).
Hassia Diolombi, Dan Gardner, Daniel Rogers & Miranda Lundeen Soto, Pre-Suit Preparation: Avoiding the Nightmare Becoming Reality, Shook, Hardy & Bacon Have No Fear: Avoiding In-House Counsel Nightmares CLE (May 24, 2016).
Steven D. Ginsburg & Hassia T. Diolombi, Depositions and Discovery, Florida Civil Practice Before Trial, Fla. Bar CLE (6th ed. 2003, 7th ed. 2004, 8th ed. 2009, 9th ed. 2011, 10th ed. 2013, 11th ed. 2015).
Hassia T. Diolombi, Protecting Litigation Rights, Florida Civil Practice Before Trial, Fla. Bar CLE (9th ed. 2011, 10th ed. 2013, 11th ed. 2015).
Eileen Moss & Hassia T. Diolombi, Class Action Fairness Act – 2005 – The Year in Review, 17:1 American Bar Association’s Class Actions & Derivative Suits Newsletter (2006).
Media Coverage
J&J Trial Over Doctor's Cancer Death Ends In Hung Jury, Law360, March 5, 2024.
CVN’s Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts of 2022, Courtroom View Network, January 12, 2023.