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Specialty and Catastrophic Torts

For decades, Our firm has been on the forefront of successfully handling specialty and catastrophic torts defense litigation for our clients. Our attorneys have litigated thousands of cases involving allegations of extensive property damage, serious personal injury, purposeful infliction of injury and wrongful death. We regularly represent national and international companies in these high-risk and potentially controversial matters, and our reputation for favorable outcomes is reflected by our long list of clients. Members of this practice group regularly appear in both state and federal courts throughout the country on behalf of our clients, who rely on us to protect their interests in expanding geographic markets. Our firm’s specialty tort practice has developed from decades of defending catastrophic injury cases. Our demonstrated ability to defend and try the most difficult cases in some of the most challenging jurisdictions and under the most sensitive of circumstances has earned us the reputation as the “go-to” trial firm on unique liability and high exposure claims. Our attorneys are skilled in protecting the interests of clients in courts of law and, when necessary, courts of public opinion. Our clients include corporations, real estate developers, property management companies, national nonprofit membership organizations, youth groups, churches, schools, insurance companies, government agencies, contractors, small businesses and individuals.

Early Case Resolution and Litigation Avoidance

Our firm attorneys recognize that many specialty catastrophic tort cases may be successfully and economically resolved short of trial. We have developed strategies for discovery and pretrial practice, which have resulted in the entry of defense judgments pursuant to motions. We also consult with in-house counsel and risk managers to develop risk avoidance strategies and programs that empower businesses to avoid litigation altogether, or to maximize the factual and legal defenses available, if sued. Our counseling services include actual or threatened product recalls where the issues are often critical to the success of underlying litigation, as well as the clients’ legal and business interests. Our firm attorneys also prepare risk analyses, assess advertising liability and develop pre-loss programs and effective procedures for receiving and responding to customer complaints and government agency inquiries. Our firm also prepares product warning labels, product literature, and instruction and policy manuals.

Specialty Torts

Our firm attorneys have protected the rights of businesses, nonprofit organizations and property owners in actions involving allegations of assault and battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, libel and slander, and physical and sexual abuse of children and the elderly, including claims of euthanasia by medical professionals. There may be no firm in the U.S. with greater experience defending institutions sued for sexual assaults by employees or others. We have defended hundreds of such claims and have helped to shape the law in this area.