Product Liability The Bryan Cave Product Liability team has substantial experience representing companies from a wide array of Leadership industries in product liability litigation involving wrongful death, personal injury and commercial disputes. The team also counsels clients on product liability prevention through training programs, counseling and advice on contractual protection. The firm has represented manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, aircraft, child products, aerospace products, automobiles, trucks, R. Bruce Duffield (Leader) Partner Chicago, Illinois bruce.duffield@bryancave.com tires, aerial lifts, railroad equipment, industrial machinery, construction materials, power tools, firearms, electronics, food products, recreational products, and many other consumer and industrial products. Lawyers on Bryan Cave s Product Liability team have served in national and regional counsel roles and as lead and co-lead trial counsel in cases throughout the United States and in foreign jurisdictions. Team members have tried numerous cases to a verdict with great success. Examples of cases in which Bryan Cave lawyers have represented clients in product liability litigation include: Successfully defended a child seat manufacturer in a wrongful death lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. After a two week jury trial, the jury returned a defense verdict. Page 1 of 5
Successfully defended one of the major Vioxx cases tried in Madison County, Illinois as trial counsel with a primary role on the national defense team. Successfully defended a pharmaceutical client as co-lead trial counsel in a personal injury lawsuit involving alleged birth defects related to use of anti-psychotic medication in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. The jury returned a defense verdict. Co-lead trial counsel in the third bellwether case in the Fosamax litigation in the Southern District of New York. The jury returned a defense verdict. Successful representation of a pharmaceutical manufacturer as co-lead counsel in coordinated proceedings in New Jersey and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri involving the NuvaRing contraceptive ring. The New Jersey court granted summary judgment in favor of the pharmaceutical manufacturer in all seven of the bellwether cases selected for trial. Successful representation of the designer / manufacturer of high tech, high pressure hydraulic hoses and fittings in a week-long arbitration hearing before a three-judge AAA tribunal achieving a multi-million dollar award for breach of contract against a global competitor. Successfully defended a rail car company in a personal injury lawsuit in Arkansas. The jury returned a defense verdict. Successful representation of the service / maintenance contractor for a fleet of railroad locomotives in a four-week AAA arbitration hearing before a three-judge AAA tribunal achieving a $70 million award against a major railroad for breach of a long-term maintenance contract. Successfully defended the designer / manufacturer of a personal watercraft in a two-week product liability jury trial involving wrongful death claims arising from a boating accident. Page 2 of 5
Successfully defended a pharmaceutical client in a wrongful death case involving the use of a pelvic mesh product as co-lead counsel. The court entered a directed verdict in favor of the client on the failure to warn and punitive damages claim, and the Plaintiff then settled the design defect claim. Leading role in the national defense team in nationwide litigation involving an anticoagulant medication. Regional counsel roles for manufacturers of tires and automobiles, including multiple trial victories. National counsel role for companies that rent cars and trucks, including multiple summary judgment and trial victories. Bryan Cave lawyers on the Product Liability team have represented aircraft manufacturers in significant cases in the United States and internationally, including: Successfully defended an aircraft manufacturer following a 19-month jury trial; the verdict was upheld on appeal by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Represented an aircraft manufacturer in civil and criminal actions arising out of an aircraft accident in Madrid, Spain. Represented an aircraft manufacturer in wrongful death actions arising out of an aircraft accident in Isparta, Turkey. Represented manufacturer in claims arising out of failed launch of Delta II rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Page 3 of 5
Successfully defended the designer / manufacturer of an aircraft engine in a four-week product liability jury trial in San Jose, California, involving the crash of a single-engine plane resulting in brain injury to the survivor. Represented a manufacturer in claims arising out of failed deployment of two satellites from Space Shuttle. Bryan Cave s Product Liability team and individual attorneys have been recognized as leaders in the profession for their superior skill and success. These recognitions include: BTI Litigation Outlook 2015 named Bryan Cave as one of 11 standout Product Liability Litigation firms across the country based on interviews with more than 300 corporate counsel. Legal 500 United States 2012 Bryan Cave was recommended in six areas of practice including Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense. Two attorneys on the team are fellows in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Two attorneys on the team are members of the Product Liability Advisory Council. One attorney on the team was selected for inclusion in An International Who s Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers. Many Bryan Cave Product Liability attorneys have received individual recognition by The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation, and Chambers, among other organizations. In addition to representing clients in individual product liability lawsuits and arbitrations, attorneys from the Bryan Cave Product Liability team have represented clients in class action Page 4 of 5
lawsuits and mass tort actions involving MDLs and other coordinated proceedings. Whether serving as lead trial counsel, working collaboratively with other law firms as part of a nationwide "virtual law firm," coordinating document review and management, serving as national settlement processing counsel, or counseling clients on ways to limit potential liability exposure, members of Bryan Cave s Product Liability team have demonstrated a superior ability to work with clients to meet their legal needs. Page 5 of 5