Doug is a partner in the General Litigation Division and is the Managing Partner for the Orange County office. He has defended individual, wrongful death, multi-party and class-action claims in various industries, including medical device, automotive, machinery, agriculture, construction, consumer goods, transportation, and insurance. He has tried and litigated cases in multiple jurisdictions throughout the country. He has served as national, regional and local counsel in a variety of litigation subject matters. For more than 10 years he has represented a national architectural and engineering firm in litigation involving design and construction of highway projects, including matters pending in California. In California, he has represented clients in complex coordinated and consolidated proceedings involving multiple defendants and plaintiffs. Most recently, he was counsel for a national fire safety system design company in a multiple-lawsuit consolidated proceeding arising from the construction of a university medical center. His experience includes representing corporations in shareholder litigation and other business disputes involving fraud and trade secret claims. He is currently representing a medical device company in a mass tort coordinated proceeding involving multiple personal injury, wrongful death lawsuits. His experience includes meeting with representatives and producing witnesses for deposition for clients in Japan and Korea. With an engineering degree, he has also advised clients on issues related to warnings/instructions and product design. Doug has been recognized in the 2010 and 2011 editions of The Legal 500 United States.

Recent Trial Experience
Donnelly v. Magna Seating of America, Inc., et al., Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County (2013) (Defense of a two week trial involving claims that a defective front seat caused the death of the seat occupant).

Boren v. Kia Motors America, Inc., et al., District Court of Oklahoma County (2009) (Three week crashworthiness trial involving quadriplegic injuries, resulting in an unanimous defense verdict). View Law 360 article about the verdict.

Guyer v. Hussmann Corp., Circuit Court of Clay County, Missouri (2007) (Defense of a three day trial involving auto negligence and wrongful death).

Slaughter v. Ford Motor Co., Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis (2005) (Defense of a seven day trial involving a quadriplegic/traumatic brain injury allegedly caused by a defect in a seat belt).

Sullins v. Ford Motor Co., Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County (2005) (Defense of a two week trial involving a quadriplegic/traumatic brain injury allegedly caused by a defect in a seat belt).

Belkin v. Ford Motor Co., Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri (2004) (Trial resulting in defense verdict involving allegations that faulty wiring caused a vehicle fire).

Canfield v. Ford Motor Co., Circuit Court Jackson County, Missouri (2003) (Defense of two week trial involving claims that a defective front seat caused traumatic brain injury).

Shimon v. Ford Motor Co., Circuit Court of Scott County, Missouri (2000) (Trial resulting in a defense verdict involving allegations of defective wiring resulting in vehicle fire).

Reported Decisions
Creative Mktg. Assocs. v. AT&T, 476 F.3d 536 (8th Cir. 2007) (affirming summary judgment).

Ingraham v. Kia Motors Am., No. CIV-05-0771, 2007 Lexis 50295 (W.D. Okla. July 10, 2007) (granting Daubert motion on liability expert and summary judgment on product defect claims).

State ex rel. Ford Motor Co. v. Messina, 71 S.W.3d 602 (Mo. 2002) (writ quashing deposition notices of corporate executives).

State ex rel. Ford Motor Co. v. Bacon, 63 S.W.3d 641 (Mo. 2002) (writ ordering transfer of venue motion related to relationship between wholly owned subsidiary and manufacturer).

State ex rel. Ford Motor Co. v. Manners, 161 S.W.3d 373 (Mo. 2005) (writ granted on venue motion related to personal service of corporate employee).

State ex rel. Gaydos v. Blauer, 81 S.W.3d 186 (Mo. Ct. App. 2002) (writ granted on First Amendment grounds in defamation action).

State ex rel. Ford Motor Co. v. Westbrook, 12 S.W.3d 386 (Mo. Ct. App. 2000) (writ on venue motion).

Scherer v. GE Capital, No. 99-2166-GTV, 2000 Lexis 9150 (D. Kan. 2000) (summary judgment on ERISA claim).

Eye v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 202 F.Supp.2d 1204 (D. Kan. 2002) (summary judgment on ERISA claim).

Coday v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 183 F. Supp.2d 1332 (D. Kan. 2001) (summary judgment on ERISA claim).

Appellate Arguments
Moore v. Confluent Surgical Inc., et al., 9th Cir. (2011), affirming trial ruling in favor of defendants on summary judgment.

Courtenay v. United States Surgical, et al., Ca. Ct. App. 2/3 (2010), affirming trial court ruling in favor of defendant on summary judgment.

Product Liability Roundtable: Developments in UCL, Preemption and Punitive Damages Law, California Lawyer, July 2009.

Fair Warning, Legal Eagle, Pool & Spa News, January 23, 2006.

Guidelines for Deposing High-Level Corporate Employees, MODL, July 2002.

Moderator, "The Blockbuster Developments in Class Action Litigation," American Bar Association's Emerging Issues in Motor Vehicle Product Liability Litigation, April 2013.

Presenter, "Sudden Acceleration Into the Future: Liability from Autonomous Driving and Robotics," Association of Defense Counsel's 51st Annual Meeting: Connecting to the Future, December 2010.

Workshop presenter, "Automotive Litigation – Examples and Practices," Legal Aspects of Autonomous Driving (Stanford University’s Center for Automotive Research and Law Science and Technology Program), March 2010.

CLE presenter, "Secrecy and the Civil Justice System: Defense Perspective," KCMBA, June 2003.

Intellicus Life Care Plan Certification Seminar, presented as defense counsel cross-examiner, April 2001.

Doug is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts of California, Missouri, and Kansas, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth and Tenth Circuits. He is also registered before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

1998   J.D., George Washington University

1993   B.S., Kansas State University (Industrial Engineering)