Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP

Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell is nationally recognized as one of the premier trial firms representing manufacturers of automobiles, trucks, and automotive components in a wide range of litigation and regulatory matters throughout the nation. Litigation matters have included national, regional and local representation, class action litigation, and the wide range of subject matters listed below. We have tried or appeared as counsel in automotive industry cases in numerous states, briefed and argued appeals in federal and state appellate courts throughout the country, including the United States Supreme Court, and acted as coordinating counsel for cases filed not only in the United States, but in South America and Canada. We have assisted in hearings, investigations, or negotiations with or by legislatures, agencies, and state attorneys general.

Attorneys in the firm have appeared on behalf of automotive industry clients regarding matters in litigation on numerous television shows, including 20/20, CNN's Burden of Proof, Dateline NBC, and 90 Minutes (a European news show), as well as nationally broadcast radio programs.

Name partner Malcolm Wheeler has defended automotive manufacturers at trial in several highly publicized cases, including the Ford Pinto criminal prosecution, the first "no airbag" case tried to verdict and the first defective airbag case tried to verdict. Many attorneys in the Automotive Industry Group have engineering, science, or business degrees.

Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell attorneys have tried and arbitrated a wide range of claims involving virtually every aspect of the automotive industry, including disputes related to:

• Antitrust
• Consumer protection/consumer fraud
• Contracts
• Director/shareholder matters
• Employment
• Franchise distribution, including antitrust, bankruptcies, breach of contract, class actions, discriminatory practices, encroachment, factory ownership, fraud, intellectual property, licensing, manufacturer/dealer, marketing, negligent misrepresentation, ownership transfer, product allocation, RICO, sale, termination, warranty reimbursement
• Insurance coverage
• Intellectual property, including copyright infringement, discovery and protection of electronic data, licensing, patent infringement litigation and arbitration, trade secret misappropriation
• Lemon law
• Premises liability
• Product liability, including class actions, design, development, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, manufacturing, pattern litigation such as rollover, air bag, fuel system integrity, seats, seat belts, door latches, side impact protection, crashworthiness, tire matters, recall, testing
• Toxic torts
• Unfair business practices
• Warranties
• Wrongful death and injury

At Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell, we value the differences in people and believe that diversity enhances our ability to succeed and to serve our clients well. We welcome inquiries from qualified diverse candidates for both lawyer and staff positions.

WTO provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. It is the policy of the firm that all employees shall work in an environment free from all forms of discrimination. The firm does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or veteran status in matters of hiring, promoting, disciplining, and rewarding employees.

WTO strives for continuous improvement in recruiting and retaining women and diverse lawyers. Since the firm's inception in 1998, WTO has engaged in multiple efforts to promote diversity within the firm through activities such as:

• Targeted and word-of-mouth recruiting;
• Sponsoring financially and volunteering with the Center for Legal Inclusiveness;
• Serving on the board of directors of the Deans' Diversity Council led by the deans of the University of Colorado and the University of Denver law schools;
• Serving on the Deans' Diversity Council's pipeline and retention committees;
• Sponsoring continuing education programs on diversity issues;
• Sponsoring and participating in diversity career fairs;
• Sponsoring and participating in specialty bar associations;
• Supporting local law schools and alumni law school associations;
• Financially supporting diversity scholarships.

We continue to educate ourselves about the best diversity practices and to undertake new approaches to diversify further.

To retain and to enhance diversity among our lawyers, WTO provides all associates with mentoring, guidance, and on-the-job supervision by experienced partners. In doing so, we take into account the background, experience level, and needs of each associate. We also have a formal professional development program. In addition to actual, hands-on trial work, we offer all attorneys workshops with the firm's senior partners and trial presentation consultants.

We encourage and support our minority and female attorneys' interests in specialty bar associations, programs, and networking.

In addition to our ongoing efforts aimed at increasing and retaining the diversity among our lawyers, WTO is committed to building a pipeline of diverse lawyers and helping them develop professionally.

• WTO partner Mark Clouatre was appointed to a leadership position in the ABA Forum on Franchising for 2013 - 2014. He will assume the role of liaison to the Forum for the American Bar Association's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commission.
• The firm is a founding sponsor of a National Institute of Trial Advocacy scholarship program for public service lawyers.
• The firm is a member of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and was a founding sponsor of the MCCA diversity scholarship program.
• The WTO Foundation supports with volunteer time and donations nonprofit organizations such as Denver Urban Debate League and Denver Kids, Inc.,which provide mentoring to underserved youth to encourage them to complete high school and pursue post-secondary education.

For more information, contact Connie Proulx, Executive Director, at (303) 244-1919 or [email protected].