Orr, Bette M.

Debbie Clayman has a wide variety of commercial litigation experience, including complex contract disputes, antitrust cases, securities investigations, and negligence actions, with a particular focus on cases involving the federal government. She currently represents an international government contracting firm in defense of both class actions and individual actions alleging billions of dollars in damages from flooding in the New Orleans area following levee breaches during Hurricane Katrina.

Debbie maintains an active practice in the United States Federal Court of Claims. In the fall of 2009, she tried a multimillion dollar breach of contract case against the United States on behalf of Chevron U.S.A. She also participated in two separate breach of contract trials in the Federal Court of Claims on behalf of Washington Mutual Bank, F.A. relating to the savings & loan crisis of the 1980s: Home Savings of America, FSB v. United States and Anchor Savings Bank, FSB v. United States. In Home Savings, Washington Mutual was awarded more than $134 million in damages against the United States. In Anchor Savings, the trial court awarded Washington Mutual $356 million in damages. Both damage awards subsequently were affirmed by the Federal Circuit on appeal and were remanded to the trial court for additional damages.

Debbie also is committed to pro bono representation. Among other things, she volunteers at the D.C. Bar Association's Landlord Tenant Resource Center and, as lead counsel, obtained a favorable settlement for a wrongfully evicted tenant following court-ordered mediation in D.C. Superior Court.