- Find a Lawyer
- /
- United States
- /
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Find Lawyers in America for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Practice Area Overview
Class actions and mass tort litigation typically arise from a single episode or related events that allegedly injure a “mass” of individuals and/or their property. The number of claimants may range from a few dozen to many thousands. The volume of plaintiffs and complexity of claims and issues dictate special judicial management and require experienced defense counsel. In mass tort litigation, global issues that affect all claimants may be consolidated, especially in federal courts. Cases may be aggregated in federal multi-district litigation (“MDLs”) for coordination of pretrial proceedings, in which questions of fact common to all plaintiffs, key legal issues, and discovery may be handled on a global basis. Following the determination of fact issues, plaintiffs’ unique claims often are tried independently. The Court may order trials of the claims of certain plaintiffs in mass tort litigation as test, or “bellwether,” cases. Bellwether cases may provide the courts with guidance on the related claims’ suitability for group development and litigation. State court consolidation and management vary widely. With class actions, the class of plaintiffs may be voluminous, with all asserting damages arising from a common occurrence or related events; however, in contrast to mass tort litigation, the “class” often is represented by a single individual or a small group of individuals who embody the claims and damages of the larger group. Class actions in federal courts are governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. Members of the “class” may be bound by findings related to that class. Class certification often is denied due to state law restrictions (or prohibitions) on class actions or the predomination of plaintiffs’ individualized circumstances over any common issues.
Defense counsel's role in consolidated litigation includes all tasks inherent in the traditional litigation setting, with an added managerial component of litigation coordination and organization of global discovery, including:
- Identification and differentiation of the nature of individualized and global claims
- Document management and review, including electronic data and e-mails
- Expert witness development and preparation
- MDL and bellwether trials
- Defeating class certification
- Improper joinder
- Development of comprehensive trial strategies
- Development of consistent factual and legal positions in coordination with counsel representing named defendants on local and national levels
- Working with lawyers from different firms as a “virtual” law firm
- Trials of claims of certified classes or individual mass tort plaintiffs
- Global settlement negotiations
Select a location from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
State
Andrew has a history of representing corporate clients in sophisticated, complex, and sensitive matters in a wide variety of industries and disciplines. He has tried cases to verdict in Ohio, Florida, and California and has served as lead appellate counsel in the defense of a class certification denial. For the past 15 years, however, his focus has been in spearheading insurance recoveries for corporate policyholders in a variety of business sectors, under various state and international laws...
Mr. Alford represents public utilities and other clients in a variety of matters, including commercial and tort litigation, regulatory proceedings, and contract and property issues. Representative cases include construction disputes, securities actions, antitrust and unfair trade practice claims, medical licensing, and consumer litigation. Mr. Alford also counsels clients concerning regulatory compliance, employment, and general business issues. Mr. Alford graduated from Louisiana State Unive...
David Allen practices in litigation in a variety of industries. He has been trying lawsuits for more than 30 years with close to 100 juries empaneled during that time. He regularly represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies, manufacturing and chemical companies, local governments, physicians and hospitals, and corporations in complex business litigation in federal and state courts throughout the region. Mr. Allen also represents excess carriers on high value matters, both actively...
Clients trust Lee Ann to guide them through complex environmental litigation. She frequently serves as managing counsel for large corporations and develops and implements litigation strategy at every level. She concentrates her practice on complex civil litigation, with a focus on toxic tort, product liability, and environmental matters. Lee Ann has experience with every phase of the litigation process, including pre-trial case investigation and evaluation, taking and defending critical fact ...
Doug Arnold is Co-Chair of the firm’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. He has over 20 years of experience representing clients in environmental litigation, enforcement, and compliance matters. Doug also has client relationship responsibility for Electrolux North America, as well as for the firm’s environmental work for United Parcel Service, Inc. Doug is listed in Chambers USA , The Best Lawyers in America , and The International Who's Who of Environmental Lawy...
Barbara Arras represents defendants in toxic tort litigation primarily involving pulmonary diseases allegedly caused by asbestos and other pulmonary irritants and hematopoietic diseases allegedly caused by benzene. She is responsible for the medical defense in each case. Specifically, she analyzes the facts to formulate a theory of defense and identifies the correct scientific discipline needed to advance that theory. She then identifies and retains the best expert in that discipline from her...
Michael Austin focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation matters, arbitration and regulatory investigation matters, with a particular emphasis in the healthcare industry. Michael serves as co-chair of the firm’s healthcare litigation team, and represents a wide range of healthcare clients, including health systems, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic imaging companies, home health agencies, and medical and physician practice. Mike handles a variety of complex ...
David Ayers was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1983 and is admitted to all state and federal courts in Mississippi and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also has handled cases in a number of other states under pro hac vice privileges. David's experience includes commercial litigation, premises litigation and general personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on automotive, heavy equipment, industrial equipment and recreational product litigation. His cases of ...
For more than three decades, Joseph P. H. Babington has handled civil litigation in state and federal courts in Alabama and around the country. Joe has tried cases, argued appeals, and prosecuted and defended arbitrations. He has worked on a broad range of complex matters and has deep experience in products liability defense, catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, and business and commercial disputes. Joe presented the winning argument in the United States Supreme Court in Kumho Tire C...
Ruth A. Bahe-Jachna has more than 30 years of experience working on and managing large-scale litigation matters, including numerous MDL proceedings. She regularly defends clients in class actions and product liability and consumer fraud litigation in state and federal courts, as well as in employment-related class actions and FLSA collective actions. Her experience includes the representation of telecommunications clients, including a major U.S. trade association representing wireless manufac...
Mike Baker began his practice in 1977 in Strong Pipkin’s Beaumont office. Over those years of practice, he handled or tried to conclusion all types of personal injury litigation: worker's compensation, vehicular collision, industrial, retail or commercial premises liability, railroad crossing accidents, FELA, Jones Act, general maritime and offshore rig accidents, and 42 USCA 1983 actions defending local governmental units involving civil rights violations, and/or work place discriminat...
Tammy L. Baker is office managing principal of the Birmingham, Alabama, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She has experience in all aspects of workplace law, including multi-plaintiff and class action litigation. Tammy regularly advises employers on complex issues, including compliance with the FMLA and other employment laws. She lectures frequently on employment-related topics, including at national conferences sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management. While attending law school, Ta...
Joseph G. Baladi was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2000 and the Mississippi Bar in 2001. Since joining Watkins & Eager, Joe's experience has included numerous pharmaceutical litigations, medical malpractice bench and jury trials, and product liability trials. Joe's involved in several professional organizations and serves as co-chair of Watkins & Eager's Mass Tort and Repetitive Exposure practice group. Joe regularly speaks and presents on the subjects of science at trial, Daubert i...
Bryan Balogh focuses his practice on complex business litigation involving disputes with significant risk and damages, with a particular emphasis on class action litigation involving corporations and financial institutions. Industry sources praise Mr. Balogh on his practice, saying: "He is extremely knowledgeable and an expert on class actions. He also has a good demeanor with judges and other lawyers, he will take the higher ground and get the best result because of it." – Chambers USA...
Charles Barrett joined Neal & Harwell in September 2015. He works as a civil litigator in state and federal courts across the country. His practice focuses on personal injury cases, antitrust and consumer class actions, and False Claims Act claims, but he has also represented large multinational corporations in commercial disputes. Away from the office, Charles spends time with his wife, Elizabeth, and their five children. He also served on the board of directors of the Martha O’Bry...
John Beisner is the leader of Skadden’s Mass Torts, Insurance and Consumer Litigation Group. He focuses on the defense of purported class actions, mass tort matters and other complex civil litigation in both federal and state courts. He also regularly handles appellate litigations and has appeared in matters before the U.S. Supreme Court. Over the past 25 years, he has defended major U.S. and international corporations in more than 600 purported class actions filed in federal courts and...
Lewis W. Bell was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1987. His experience spans from general product liability, general personal injury litigation, and premises litigation to commercial and franchise litigation. His cases of note include Rials v. Philip Morris, USA Inc., et al. 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12420, February 21, 2007; Rawls v. Friedman's Inc., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21333, June 27, 2003; Everett v. Friedman's Inc., 2005 U.S. Dist LEXIS 23345, August 12, 2005; Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc.,...
Guides the strategic direction of the firm as managing partner. Twenty-five years of litigation experience. Develops innovative and practical solutions to solve complex problems. As Brownstein’s managing partner and a member of its executive committee, Rich works closely with clients, attorneys, policy advisors, staff and industry and community leaders to drive the firm’s strategic growth and development. From leading new ways to enhance client value to building and retaining a di...
David Bernick is a partner in the Chicago and New York offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He is a nationally renowned trial lawyer and strategist, having acted as lead trial counsel for major U.S. and international corporations in the chemical, tobacco, technology and life sciences industries for 40 years. His experience spans complex class action and other aggregated litigation, mass torts and product liability, antitrust and competition, business restructuring and reorganization, mergers ...
C. Byron Berry, Jr.’s practice covers a broad spectrum of litigation matters. He handles complex, multi-district and multi-party litigation (including class actions) and is known for leading, managing and coordinating counsel in such matters. These cases arise in the areas of administrative law, construction litigation, business litigation, professional malpractice liability, pharmaceutical drug liability, products liability, healthcare, professional licensure investigations and discipl...
Thomas A. Bickers graduated with honors in 1984 from Middle Tennessee State University. He graduated with high honors from The University of Tennessee College Of Law in 1987. Following law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable H. Ted Milburn of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. In 1993, Tom was appointed by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to serve as a member of the advisory group tasked with revising the Court’s l...
As a shareholder in the Milwaukee office of Ogletree Deakins, I represent employers before federal and state courts, arbitrators and administrative agencies throughout the country in nearly all areas of employment law, with particular focus in the following: • Union relations • Wage and Hour • Noncompetes and other Restrictive Covenants • Employee Benefits Litigation • Employment Discrimination I pride myself on providing thoughtful analysis and practical application ...
Kane is particularly active in the public education sector, where he has represented both public universities and boards of education on tax and finance matters, and he currently serves on the faculty of the University of Alabama's academy for finance training for new school superintendents and chief school financial officers. In addition to bond counsel engagements, he has served as company counsel and bank counsel in letter-of-credit backed transactions, as lender’s counsel in direct ...
Walter represents a variety of individual and corporate clients in large, complex commercial litigation, arbitration, and personal injury litigation. Walter's primary area of expertise lies in the litigation of disputes in the federal and state courts of Mississippi, where he regularly tries cases to verdict. Specialties: Commercial litigation; catastrophic personal injury litigation; insurance coverage and defense.
Companies rely on Meaghan Boyd to develop their complex environmental and toxic tort litigation defense strategy. She also guides companies through the hoops of compliance with federal statutes such as CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, and RCRA and their state counterparts. Meaghan is co-chair of Alston & Bird’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. She defends companies in complex environmental and toxic tort litigation in federal and state courts. She also routinely coun...
Bill Bradley represents health care providers and other professionals in court, on appeal and before regulatory agencies. His practice consists principally of the defense of medical malpractice actions in the Louisiana state and federal courts. He also has an extensive appellate practice. Through 2023, Bill has tried at least 42 jury trials and 37 bench trials.
Jeff Brenner is a trial lawyer who represents clients in complex business disputes in federal and state courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, arbitrations, mediations and before regulatory agencies. Jeff concentrates his practice on construction and real estate disputes, and he leads the firm’s Real Estate Litigation team and Construction group. What do you focus on? I help people and businesses that have disputes requiring litigation. I focus on construction and complex real estate...
A Denver native, Mr. Brooks’s practice concentrates on trial and appellate litigation in the areas of insurance bad faith defense, product liability, mass torts, insurance coverage, and construction defects. Mr. Brooks has been active in complex civil litigation on both the trial and appellate levels, particularly in product liability and insurance cases. His insurance practice concentrates on the representation of insurers in complex coverage and extra-contractual litigation arising ou...
Liz Broadway Brown is a business and commercial litigator who concentrates her practice on the defense of high-stakes class action and privacy litigation matters, primarily in the health care, technology, and financial services industries. Liz has significant experience litigating complex disputes in trial and appellate courts across the county. She has defended matters involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Electronic Communications Privacy Act, ERISA, R...
Carol Browning is an accomplished trial attorney who has tried more than 35 cases to jury verdict in multiple jurisdictions. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Her practice includes drug and medical device litigation, products liability and medical malpractice defense. She also serves as counsel to physicians and hospitals. Ms. Browning serves as national or state counsel for multiple drug, medical device and product manufacturers and is involved in multi-district litig...
Mike Brown is the head of the Real Estate Litigation Team at the firm. Mike is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice Group and the General Litigation Practice Group. Mike’s emphasis in both practice groups is on real property and land use matters. Because of this emphasis in his practice, Mike also works very closely with the Real Estate Group. For the past several years, Mike has served as an adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law wher...
While fully engaged as Managing Partner of Buckley King, Brent Buckley counsels and represents financial institutions, private equity firms, lenders, businesses and executive management on business issues, complex and structured finance, workouts, asset-based lending, corporate internal investigations, and commercial litigation matters. Brent is nationally recognized for excellence in both corporate law and banking and finance litigation. He is named among the prestigious Legal Who's Who as o...
Robert Burlington is Managing Member and co-founder of the firm. In his more than 35 years of practice, he has litigated and tried to completion a wide variety of jury and non-jury trials in state and federal courts. He has served as lead counsel in multiple arbitrations. These cases include business torts, commercial and real estate contract disputes, securities transactions, class actions, as well as many aspects of state and federal employment litigation. He has built his practice by assis...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.