Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, LAW FIRM NEWS—Noteworthy developments in the legal community, (Apr 12, 2024)

Law Firms Mentioned:Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP | Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP | Spencer Fane | Venable LLP

By WK Editorial Staff

Firms welcome new product liability attorneys.

By WK Editorial Staff

Firms welcome new product liability attorneys.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP has added partner Erin Ehlert to its Litigation & Investigations department in Seattle. With more than 25 years of litigation experience, Erin’s practice focuses on cases making their way to trial. Her experience includes product liability, tort cases, defending municipalities in personal injury and use of force litigation, medical malpractice defense, and wrongful death. Previously a criminal prosecutor with thousands of hours in the courtroom, she is highly skilled in reviewing and synthesizing complex discovery and investigations, identifying experts, crafting persuasive arguments in favor of clients, and executing winnings strategies.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP has announced the addition of partner Paul Collier to its Chicago office. Collier joins from Kirkland & Ellis, where he was a partner. As a trial lawyer, Collier has a wide range of experience in a broad array of mass tort litigation, product liability, and intellectual property matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. For example, he served as trial counsel for BP in the Deepwater Horizon matter, developing and successfully executing BP’s trial strategy, and General Motors in the General Motors Ignition Switch MDL and related matters. Recently, Collier has been trial counsel for Polaris, the off-road vehicle (ORV) manufacturer, in numerous commercial class action and product liability cases involving its side-by-side vehicles.

Spencer Fane has welcomed a team of seven attorneys to its Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group across the country:

Carmen Bickerdt, partner, represents clients in product liability, toxic tort, warranty, company car, and trucking litigation, defending both individual cases and claims and coordinated mass actions with proven strategies geared toward mitigating liability and preserving clients’ reputations regardless of scope, including with early resolution programs. With over 20 years of experience defending cases across the country, she focuses her practice on the automotive industry, defending catastrophic personal injury litigation involving multiple component defects, autonomous vehicle technology, toxic tort, and warranty matters on behalf of multiple domestic and international motor vehicle manufacturers.
Christa Chance, attorney, advises clients in complex, multiparty toxic tort and product liability litigation. Working closely with clients and their in-house counsel, she develops effective strategies for resolving cases and manages mass actions throughout the U.S. Christa also handles cases pending in both state and federal courts, including multidistrict litigation and class actions. She currently serves as national coordinating counsel for litigation involving asbestos and has defended clients in toxic tort matters involving silica, benzene, and other substances. Additionally, Christa has defended manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of consumer products and medical devices.
Audra Dean, of counsel, defends businesses in complex commercial, product liability, mass tort, and toxic tort disputes. With a domestic and international reach, she has defended manufacturers and retailers in product liability matters involving consumer products, medical devices, power tools, and vaping products. Audra has also defended contractors, premises owners, manufacturers, and distributors in asbestos-related claims as well as claims arising from human exposure to mold and various chemicals. Boasting deep experience in mass torts and litigation management across multiple jurisdictions, she has managed more than 10,000 asbestos claims as well as a large team of lawyers with highly successful outcomes.
David Koob, partner, defends clients in commercial, general liability, premises liability, complex product liability, drug and medical device, automotive, and toxic tort matters. In more than 20 years as a litigator, David has tried hundreds of cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States as well as in administrative and regulatory proceedings. He has served as national counsel for several large corporations and has experience in creating and implementing legal and business risk management programs for his clients.
Hannah Lee, partner, defends clients on product liability, warranty, premises liability, toxic tort, and construction defect matters. From high-profile catastrophic injury cases to large-scale warranty matters, she brings focused experience within the automotive, consumer, and chemical product industries. Specific to her product liability practice, Hannah defends major motor vehicle and highway product manufacturers in high-exposure cases often involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death.
Tori Levine, partner, defends clients in complex disputes including product liability, premises liability, toxic tort, construction litigation, business and commercial disputes, insurance litigation, and noncompete and trade secrets litigation across numerous industries. She also has deep experience creating and implementing legal and business risk management programs for manufacturers and other businesses and has served as general counsel to two startup companies. On a national level, Tori defends manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of a variety of products and raw materials. She was instrumental in assembling a major automobile manufacturer’s National Asbestos Trial Program and has remained on the trial team for the past 18 years.
Stacy Young, of counsel, defends clients in complex product liability, premises liability, toxic tort, and construction defect disputes. Specific to her product liability practice, Stacy defends major motor vehicle and respiratory device manufacturers in high-exposure cases often involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death. Stacy’s work includes researching cases, discerning relevant facts, researching novel areas of the law, and developing defense case strategies in complex litigation.

Venable LLP has expanded its Product Liability and Mass Torts Group with the addition of three new partners:

Derek Smith represents chemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and specialty-material companies in complex and mass tort litigation, with a focus on product liability, toxic tort, and commercial matters. He provides counsel on environmental, health, and safety matters, and defends clients against personal injury, property damage, and other environmental-related claims brought by individual, mass, and class plaintiffs, as well as local and state government entities.
Jeremy Goldkind represents national and international clients in commercial disputes and product liability/mass tort matters. He litigates cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, focusing on a variety of legal issues, including toxic tort claims in the areas of carbon-based products and wood treating exposures, and environmental contamination claims.
Joo Cha Webb is a complex civil litigator who focuses her practice on defending and advising companies in matters involving environmental and toxic tort claims, product liability law, and compliance issues. She represents energy and oil companies, as well as those that manufacture, distribute, and use a variety of chemicals. Ms. Webb has extensive experience defending companies of all sizes against claims related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), benzene, organic solvents, silica, aluminum, lead, formaldehyde, and other substances.

Attorneys: Erin Ehlert (Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP). Paul Collier (Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP). Carmen Bickerdt, Christa Chance, Audra Dean, David Koob, Hannah Lee, Tori Levine, and Stacy Young (Spencer Fane). Derek Smith, Jeremy Goldkind, and Joo Cha Webb (Venable LLP).

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Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, LAW FIRM NEWS—Noteworthy developments in the legal community, (Apr 12, 2024)

Law Firms Mentioned:Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP | Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP | Spencer Fane | Venable LLP

By WK Editorial Staff

Firms welcome new product liability attorneys.

By WK Editorial Staff

Firms welcome new product liability attorneys.

Spencer Fane has welcomed a team of seven attorneys to its Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group across the country:

Carmen Bickerdt, partner, represents clients in product liability, toxic tort, warranty, company car, and trucking litigation, defending both individual cases and claims and coordinated mass actions with proven strategies geared toward mitigating liability and preserving clients’ reputations regardless of scope, including with early resolution programs. With over 20 years of experience defending cases across the country, she focuses her practice on the automotive industry, defending catastrophic personal injury litigation involving multiple component defects, autonomous vehicle technology, toxic tort, and warranty matters on behalf of multiple domestic and international motor vehicle manufacturers.
Christa Chance, attorney, advises clients in complex, multiparty toxic tort and product liability litigation. Working closely with clients and their in-house counsel, she develops effective strategies for resolving cases and manages mass actions throughout the U.S. Christa also handles cases pending in both state and federal courts, including multidistrict litigation and class actions. She currently serves as national coordinating counsel for litigation involving asbestos and has defended clients in toxic tort matters involving silica, benzene, and other substances. Additionally, Christa has defended manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of consumer products and medical devices.
Audra Dean, of counsel, defends businesses in complex commercial, product liability, mass tort, and toxic tort disputes. With a domestic and international reach, she has defended manufacturers and retailers in product liability matters involving consumer products, medical devices, power tools, and vaping products. Audra has also defended contractors, premises owners, manufacturers, and distributors in asbestos-related claims as well as claims arising from human exposure to mold and various chemicals. Boasting deep experience in mass torts and litigation management across multiple jurisdictions, she has managed more than 10,000 asbestos claims as well as a large team of lawyers with highly successful outcomes.
David Koob, partner, defends clients in commercial, general liability, premises liability, complex product liability, drug and medical device, automotive, and toxic tort matters. In more than 20 years as a litigator, David has tried hundreds of cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States as well as in administrative and regulatory proceedings. He has served as national counsel for several large corporations and has experience in creating and implementing legal and business risk management programs for his clients.
Hannah Lee, partner, defends clients on product liability, warranty, premises liability, toxic tort, and construction defect matters. From high-profile catastrophic injury cases to large-scale warranty matters, she brings focused experience within the automotive, consumer, and chemical product industries. Specific to her product liability practice, Hannah defends major motor vehicle and highway product manufacturers in high-exposure cases often involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death.
Tori Levine, partner, defends clients in complex disputes including product liability, premises liability, toxic tort, construction litigation, business and commercial disputes, insurance litigation, and noncompete and trade secrets litigation across numerous industries. She also has deep experience creating and implementing legal and business risk management programs for manufacturers and other businesses and has served as general counsel to two startup companies. On a national level, Tori defends manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of a variety of products and raw materials. She was instrumental in assembling a major automobile manufacturer’s National Asbestos Trial Program and has remained on the trial team for the past 18 years.
Stacy Young, of counsel, defends clients in complex product liability, premises liability, toxic tort, and construction defect disputes. Specific to her product liability practice, Stacy defends major motor vehicle and respiratory device manufacturers in high-exposure cases often involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death. Stacy’s work includes researching cases, discerning relevant facts, researching novel areas of the law, and developing defense case strategies in complex litigation.

Venable LLP has expanded its Product Liability and Mass Torts Group with the addition of three new partners:

Derek Smith represents chemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and specialty-material companies in complex and mass tort litigation, with a focus on product liability, toxic tort, and commercial matters. He provides counsel on environmental, health, and safety matters, and defends clients against personal injury, property damage, and other environmental-related claims brought by individual, mass, and class plaintiffs, as well as local and state government entities.
Jeremy Goldkind represents national and international clients in commercial disputes and product liability/mass tort matters. He litigates cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, focusing on a variety of legal issues, including toxic tort claims in the areas of carbon-based products and wood treating exposures, and environmental contamination claims.
Joo Cha Webb is a complex civil litigator who focuses her practice on defending and advising companies in matters involving environmental and toxic tort claims, product liability law, and compliance issues. She represents energy and oil companies, as well as those that manufacture, distribute, and use a variety of chemicals. Ms. Webb has extensive experience defending companies of all sizes against claims related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), benzene, organic solvents, silica, aluminum, lead, formaldehyde, and other substances.

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