Distinctions · Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers · AV-rated, Martindale-Hubbell · The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants · The Best Lawyers in America®, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation (20+ years), Antitrust Litigation · Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Litigation: General Commercial · Mid-South Super Lawyers®, Personal Injury Defense: General · International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers 2010 · Faculty, International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy, 1994 · Brigadier General (Ret.), U.S. Army Reserve · Distinguished Member, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment · Fellow, American Bar Foundation · Fellow, Mississippi Bar Foundation · "Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation Magazine, Fifth Edition · Leadership in Law, 2011 Class (MBJ) Associations · International Association of Defense Counsel · American Bar Association · Product Liability Advisory Counsel · Defense Research Institute · Mississippi Bar Association
- Board of Commissioners · Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association · Hinds County Bar Association · Warren County Bar Association
- President, 1976 Legal Experience · More than 200 trials to verdict in 31 states and the District of Columbia; also several trials in countries in Europe and the Middle East. · Lead counsel, Henley v. FMC Corp., a chemical exposure class action case; after an initial $38.8 million award, obtained new trial based upon questionable testimony from unqualified witness, second trial ended in a defense verdict (Recognized by the National Law Journal as a Top Defense Win of 1999). · Irrer, et al. v. Milacron, Inc., 484 F.Supp.2d 677 (E.D. Mich. 2007); Gibson, et al. v. Milacron, Inc.; Babcock et al. v. Milacron, Inc., National counsel and Lead Trial Counsel in Metalworking fluids litigation both in state court and in federal court in Michigan. 400+ claims filed for adverse health effects from exposure to metalworking fluids manufactured by Milacron, Inc. · Mississippi Dioxin Litigation, lead counsel (See Simmons v. Leaf River; Ferguson v. Georgia Pacific). · Billiot v. Epps, 671 F. Supp. 2d 840 (S.D. Miss. 2009); Successful pro bono defense of capital case on appeal based upon mental condition that prevents execution. · Cook v. Baxter, et al. (ID); Morrison v. Baxter, et al. (FL), Lead Counsel in defense of a manufacturer of intravenous immunoglobulin alleged to have transmitted hepatitis C. · Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, Celanese Chemical Corporation and Henkel Corporation, Lead Counsel in defense of toxic chemical litigation, including class action litigation. · Pettry v. Peabody Energy, Inc. and other cases, Lead Trial Counsel in personal injury cases, both individual and class actions before the West Virginia Mass Tort Panel alleging various injuries from exposure to a wide range of different chemicals. · Colleen Mary and Robert Grobelny v. Baxter Healthcare Corporation and American Red Cross, United States District Court, District of New Jersey, Case No. 2:05-CV-4645 (PGS), Lead Trial Counsel for both Baxter and AMC, resulted in judgment for the defendants, July 2008. · Kim Bendall v. General Motors Corporation, Circuit Court of Genesse County, Michigan, Case No. 01-69496-NO, Lead Trial Attorney for General Motors Corporation, 2007. · Weber v. Roche Laboratories, Lead counsel in pharmaceutical product liability (Mississippi 2002). · Kamie Kendall v. Hoffman-LaRoche et al., Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division: Atlantic County; Docket No. ATL-L-8213-05 MT, Plaintiff's verdict reversed by the New Jersey Court of Appeals. · Kelly Mace v. Hoffmann-LaRoche, et al. Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division: Atlantic County; Docket No. ATL-L-199-05-MT; Lance Sager v. Hoffman-LaRoche, et al., Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division: Atlantic County; Docket No. ATL-L-197-05-MT; and Jordan Speisman v. Hoffmann-LaRoche, et al., Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division: Docket No. ATL-L-196-05-MT, Lead Trial Counsel in cases tried to verdict. Papers, Presentations & Publications · Co-author, "The Pharmacologist as an Expert Witness," In-House Defense Quarterly, Defense Research Institute, Winter 2009. · Co-Author, "Guide to Toxicology Chapter," Expert Evidence A Practitioner's Guide to Law, Science and the FJC Manual, published by West Group, 1997. · "Challenging Jurisdictions - What Makes Them That Way?" PLAC Meeting, April 2002. · "What Happens When Science Moves From The Laboratory To The Courtroom?" The 35th Annual Penner Blood Coagulation Conference sponsored by Michigan State University and held on Malta, June 2002. · "Exposure, Dose and Causation," Defense Research Institute, Products Liability Seminar, 1995. · "Expert Witnesses and Daubert Challenges," Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC). |