Mr. Reif has applied his experience and trial skills to a wide range of cases in state and federal courts in Connecticut and other jurisdictions, with over two dozen jury verdicts and a more extensive number of court trials. A sampling of his cases includes defense and prosecution of fraud and civil RICO claims; representation of lending institutions in significant lender liability litigation; defense of class litigation arising under consumer fraud regulation; representation of the manufacturers and distributors of consumer and industrial products and chemicals both in product liability and distribution litigation; trade secret and unfair competition litigation; and defense of a wireless telecommunications company in Internet tort litigation. This range of experience and success has led to his membership by invitation in the American Board of Trial Advocates and Litigation Counsel of America.
Mr. Reif serves as co-chair of the firm's Franchising and Distribution Law group. He regularly assists national manufacturers, distributors and franchisors in reorganizing their distribution networks, including counseling in advance of the revamping, and the prosecution and defense of litigation with terminated distributors. He will serve as the Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association's Franchise and Distribution Law Section, commencing in June, 2012.
Mr. Reif is a member of the firm's Electronic Discovery group and a project participant in the development of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model.
He speaks extensively to bar and industry groups and has served on the Connecticut Judicial Branch's Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Mr. Reif has been selected as a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Association, reflecting superior service to the Profession. He was recognized as one of the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Connecticut for 2010 and 2011.
Memberships & Affiliations
American Board of Trial Advocates
American Bar Association - Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, former Chair, Business Litigation and Products Liability Committees
American Bar Foundation, Fellow
Connecticut Bar Association; former Chair, Litigation and Franchise Sections
International Association of Defense Counsel
Representative Matters
Representation of physicians in actions arising out of a withdrawal from a surgical practice group.
Successful defense of birth defect claims against hospitals and their staffs.
Defense of a client in Georgia State and Federal Courts in claims arising from alleged credit card fraud.
Franchisors and Franchisees
Representation of both franchisors and franchisees in litigation arising out of the franchisor's change in distribution methods. One of the matters involved simultaneous litigation in three State and Federal jurisdictions.
Simultaneous litigation in three jurisdictions arising out of claims between a steel importer and its domestic customer.
Defense of a state class action brought by several thousand consumers against a foreign product manufacturer, involving issues of corporate presence in the United States.
Defense of class actions in Connecticut and Idaho arising out of alleged violations of Federal consumer lending statutes and regulations.
Representation of a developer in a civil rights action, resulting from the failure of a municipality to grant zoning variances and building permits.
Representation of distributors of biologicals, fabricated steel materials, and automotive products in litigation over International sales contracts.
Representation of a real estate developer in the condemnation of a land acquisition agreement.
News
03/22/12, Chambers USA 2012 Awards "Leading Lawyer" Rankings to 51 McCarter Lawyers
12/22/2010, David Reif has been appointed by Chief Justice Chase Rogers to serve on Connecticut's Commission on Civil Court Alternative Dispute Resolution, which has been created to improve the effectiveness of ADR in the state courts.
Speaking
11/29/11, Connecticut's New Electronic Discovery Rules
David A. Reif
Connecticut Bar Association Litigation Section
11/10/11, Northern Connecticut/Western Massachusetts Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel
David A. Reif and Thomas J. Rechen
09/01/09, Handling Electronic Discovery Effectively in the Smaller Case
David A. Reif
Small and Solo Practitioners Group, City of the Bar of New York
2005, 2007, The Future of Class Action Litigation in America
David A. Reif
Program Chair, ABA Program
11/15/06, Electronic Discovery and the New Federal Rules
David A. Reif
New Haven County Bar Association
05/08/06, Electronic Discovery for Non-Geeks
David A. Reif
New Haven County Bar Association
2005, Hartford Chapter Association of Corporate Counsel
David A. Reif
1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, Products Liability Law
David A. Reif
Connecticut Bar Association
1991, Franchise Termination and Litigation
David A. Reif
Connecticut Bar Association
1989, Connecticut Franchise Law
David A. Reif
PEI
2008, Arbitrator Training in Electronic Discovery
David A. Reif
Center for Conflict Prevention and Resolution
1996-2000, Connecticut Institute of Trial Advocacy
David A. Reif
Instructor
2005, Electronic Discovery Presentations to Connecticut Bar Association
David A. Reif
2005, Electronic Document Retention for the Pharmaceutical Industry
David A. Reif
Publications
05/03/2010, U.S. Supreme Court Limits Class-Wide Arbitrations
M&E Business & Financial Services Litigation Alert
07/01/2004, Down on the Farm: Been Gored? Punitive Damages After State Farm v. Campbell, TIPS Business Litigation Committee Newsletter
David A. Reif
ABA TIPS Committee News
01/01/2003, Inside The Mind: Leading Product Liability Lawyers (Aspatore Press)
David A. Reif
12/01/2000, Inadvertent Disclosure
David A. Reif, Patrick Caruso
42 For the Defense 64
01/01/1997, While You Were at the Beach: A Product Law Update
David A. Reif
Sidebar, Vol. 5, No. 2
01/01/1994, Product Liability: Of Toys and Cars and Purple Chicks
David A. Reif
Sidebar, Vol. 2, No. 3
01/01/1993, Product Liability and CUTPA
David A. Reif
Sidebar, Vol. 1, No. 3
01/01/1993, The Use of Patents in Plaintiff's Product Liability Litigation
David A. Reif
Sidebar, Vol. 1, No. 4