Timothy J. Conner

Timothy J. Conner is a trial lawyer in Holland & Knight's Jacksonville office with a focus on healthcare litigation, including disputes involving insurance coverage, ERISA, the Affordable Care Act, contract disputes, antitrust, reimbursement and numerous other areas.

In addition to healthcare litigation, Mr. Conner litigates in the areas of commercial disputes, local government contracting and bid protest, admiralty and maritime law, media and communications, product liability, and personal injury, including claims of toxic and occupational exposure. He has litigated and tried multiple matters in numerous types of proceedings from federal courts to state circuit and county courts, as well as a variety of administrative proceedings. He also has handled matters throughout the United States.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Conner was a partner with Gabel & Hair in Jacksonville, Fla. Mr. Conner served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge John H. Moore II, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division, from 1988-1990.

Representative Work

• Successfully represented a major health insurer in defending against putative class action claims regarding a challenge to medical coverage guidelines with respect to behavioral health coverage, and alleging claims for breach of contract, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and breach of fiduciary duty, among other claims, obtaining complete dismissal with prejudice
• Successfully represented a major health insurer in defending against putative class action claims regarding "guaranteed issue" policies of health insurance, obtaining summary judgment in favor of client and an order denying class certification
• Successfully represented several major health insurers and individual investigators against claims involving antitrust, conspiracy, fraud, defamation and tortious interference with contract, brought by a wholesale pharmacy and specialty pharmacy related to factor medication, obtaining summary judgment in favor of all clients
• Successfully represented a major health insurer in defending against claims of antitrust, conspiracy and tortious interference with contract regarding the termination of a participating provider agreement with a large pathology group, obtaining a dismissal with prejudice and an affirmance of the dismissal by the appellate court
• Successfully represented a major health insurer in a series of lawsuits brought by a provider regarding healthcare claims that were subject to ERISA by removing cases to federal court, and following a series of hearings obtaining dismissals of all cases based on ERISA preemption
• Served as part of a team of lawyers who successfully represented a major U.S. maritime company in the investigation, litigation and eventually settling of multiple wrongful death claims arising out of the sinking of a cargo vessel during a hurricane that resulted in the loss of all crew members
• Successfully represented a major maritime insurer with respect to coverage involving a cargo vessel that sank while under tow, obtaining a judgment after trial and appeal in favor of the client that it had no obligation under its cover to pay the vessel owner for the sinking of the vessel
• Successfully represented a major newspaper in claims against a municipality under Florida public meetings law involving secret collective bargaining negotiations regarding a pension fund, obtaining injunctive relief requiring the municipality to negotiate in public in accordance with Florida law
• Successfully represented a major newspaper in defending against a claim of defamation brought by a high-profile professional athlete over the publication of an unflattering column
• Successfully represented a coalition of media companies in gaining access to trial proceedings with respect to a sensitive and high-profile criminal case, resulting in multiple appellate rulings in favor of the media coalition, including a significant appellate opinion on access to jury selection
• Successfully defended a lighting manufacturer against product liability claims arising out of a fire that destroyed an apartment building, obtaining a complete defense verdict following a jury trial
• Successfully defended a major health insurer in a bid protest matter defeating both an action in the trial court for a preliminary injunction and upholding the contract award following an administrative proceeding before a municipal body, involving a contract valued at more than $1 billion