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 manufacturers and carriers, various wireless and landline service providers, and a tower siting company. She represented the trade association in multiple lawsuits spanning a 10-year period concerning health and safety issues related to wireless phone emissions. Ruth also counseled a major telecommunications provider with respect to potential class action exposure in connection with one of its acquisitions. She regularly counsels clients, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers, on a wide variety of product safety and risk management matters, including providing guidance on U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reporting requirements, recall issues and appropriate recall processes, and drafting release and waiver forms, warning labels, and warranties. Ruth also has represented clients in
qui tam litigation involving retail sales and use tax issues in Internet sales, and in litigation alleging violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. She also has wide-ranging appellate experience.
Ruth studied in Japan from 1979 to 1982 and represents Japanese clients in various litigation and product liability matters. She has given presentations internationally on U.S. product liability law and class actions.
For 16 years, Ruth developed and oversaw intensive “hands on” training for the firm’s National Litigation Practice. She now has developed a curriculum for use in training those involved in American Indian trial court systems and regularly serves as Faculty for the firm’s American Indian Tribes Criminal Trial Advocacy Trainings.
Concentrations
•Litigation and MDL proceedings
•Class actions
•Product liability litigation and counseling
•CPSC recalls, reporting, and counseling
•Telecommunications
•American Indian Tribes criminal trial advocacy training
Recognition & Leadership
Awards & Accolades
•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, 2024-2026
•Team Member, a Law360 'Product Liability Practice Group of the Year,' 2011 and 2021-2022
•Recipient, Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Executive Director’s Award, 2019
•Listed, Leading Lawyers Network, 2011-2025
•'Top 100 Women Lawyers' in Illinois, 2012, 2018
•Team Member, The American Lawyer’s “Products Liability Litigation Department of the Year,” 2018
•Team Member, a Law360 'Employment Practice Group of the Year,' 2011 & 2013
•Team Member, a Law360 'Appellate Practice Group of the Year,' 2010
•Presidential Scholar, U.S. Department of Education, 1976
The American Bar Foundation
•Shareholder in charge of training for Greenberg Traurig's National Litigation Practice
•Member, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation
•Co-Chair, Legal Services Training Committee
•Co-Chair, Task Force on Human Trafficking
•Member, Chicago Bar Association
•Past Chair, Class Litigation Committee
•Member, The Economic Club of Chicago
•Member, Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA)
•Member, Seventh Circuit Bar Association
•Member, Wartburg College Board of Regents, Executive Committee Fellow: The American Bar Foundation
• Shareholder in charge of training for Greenberg Traurig's National Litigation Practice
• Member, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation
- Co-Chair, Legal Services Training Committee
- Co-Chair, Task Force on Human Trafficking
• Member, Chicago Bar Association
- Past Chair, Class Litigation Committee
• Member, The Economic Club of Chicago
• Member, Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA)
• Member, Seventh Circuit Bar Association
• Member, Wartburg College Board of Regents, Executive Committee
Awards & Recognition
• Listed, Leading Lawyers Network, 2011-2013
- "Top 100 Women Lawyers" in Illinois, 2012
• Team Member, a Law360 "Product Liability Practice Group of the Year," 2011
• Team Member, a Law360 "Employment Practice Group of the Year," 2011
• Team Member, a Law360 "Appellate Practice Group of the Year," 2010
• Presidential Scholar, U.S. Department of Education, 1976
Professional Experience
Significant Representations
• Represented wireless telecommunications trade association in multiple lawsuits challenging the safety of wireless telephones.
• Represented wireless telephone manufacturer in multiple lawsuits alleging harmful exposure to electromagnetic emissions.
• Obtained dismissal of all claims with prejudice in favor of wireless telecommunications provider in a putative class action complaint customer challenging billing practices and various provisions in form service contract.
• Represented numerous home builders in U.S. CPSC investigation relating to Chinese drywall.
• Represented various retailers and importers in U.S. CPSC proceedings in connection with "made in China" toys and other consumer products alleged to contain excessive levels of lead.
• Obtained summary judgment (upheld on appeal) for Nintendo of America, Inc. in a putative class action in which plaintiffs alleged that they developed visually induced seizures while playing video games sold and distributed by the manufacturer. Coursey v. Nintendo of America, Inc., 309 Ill. App. 3d 1069 (1st Dist. 1999)
• Coordinated and supervised on-site electronic and paper document preservation and collection for Fortune 500 company in nationwide product liability litigation.
• Represented leading international specialty retailer in a putative class action alleging exposure to excessive amounts of lead and seeking relief in the form of medical monitoring.
• Represented Fortune 50 company in two putative statewide class action wage and hour lawsuits.
• Defended of a multi-district litigation matter involving numerous putative class actions relating to identity theft protection and consumer fraud.
Publications & Presentations
Articles, Lectures & Publications
Articles
• Quoted, "Developing Trial Lawyers in the Age of Shrinking Trial Dockets," The Women Advocate Newsletter, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Fall 2010
• Co-Author, "Product Liability Insurance: Can You Not Have It?" Law Journal Newsletters, Product Liability Law & Strategy, September 2006
• Author, "Nebraska Supreme Court Rejects Infancy Tolling Argument for Statute of Repose," Law Journal Newsletters, Product Liability Law & Strategy, November, 2005
• Author, "Personal Injury Settlements with Minors: Avoiding Potential Pitfalls," Law Journal Newsletters, Product Liability Law & Strategy, September, 2004
• Co-Author, "The Treatment of Children as Chattel in Recent Adoption Decisions," Human Rights, the quarterly magazine of the American Bar Association's Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, Vol. 26, No. 2, Spring 1999
Books
• Author, "Contract Disputes and Litigation," Contract Law, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2013
• Author, "Joint and Several Contracts," Contract Law, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 2006, 2008, 2013
Lectures
• Lecturer, "LLM in Advanced Litigation," Nottingham (Trent) Law School, Nottingham England, 2001
Speeches
• Speaker, "A Winning Beginning: How to Make Phenomenal Opening Statements" and "Avoiding Ethical Minefields When Preparing and Examining Witnesses," ABA Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, July 30 - August 1, 2009
• Speaker, "Inadvertent Waiver of Attorney-Client Privilege" and "Tips for Effective Direct and Cross Examination," ABA Section of Litigation Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, April 30 - May 1, 2009
• Speaker, "The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008," Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Retailers Association of Massachusetts and Greenberg Traurig, LLP Seminar, Waltham, MA, March 2009
• Speaker, "Seven Steps Korean Companies Can Take to Avoid U.S. Products Liability Lawsuits," Seoul, South Korea, February 2007
• Speaker, "Seven Steps Japanese Companies Can Take to Avoid U.S. Products Liability Lawsuits," Tokyo, Japan, February 2007
• Speaker, "Discovery in Class Actions: Successful Strategies for Complex Litigation," Strafford Publications, Inc. CLE Program, July 2005
• Speaker, "Litigation Issues Facing the Wireless Industry: Health and Safety Litigation," CTIA-FCBA CLE Program, New Orleans, LA, 2005
Miscellaneous
• Faculty, Telecommunications Industry Bankruptcy and Workouts Forum, Washington, DC, September 1999
• Editorial Board, Product Liability Law & Strategy, published by American Lawyer Media
Member: Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA); American Bar Foundation; Chicago Bar Association (Past Chair, Class Litigation Committee); Seventh Circuit Bar Association; American Bar Association (Co-Chair, Legal Services Training Committee, Section of Litigation).
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respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
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