Practice Areas
Global Product Liability
Shook, Hardy & Bacon has earned international acclaim as a premier product liability and mass tort litigation defense firm. Cited by BusinessWeek as “...the law firm of choice for many companies plagued by high-stakes and often controversial product-liability woes,” SHB has successfully defended clients for over 50 years in some of the most challenging and contentious legal arenas. In recognition of this expertise, The National Law Journal has singled out the SHB product liability group for its “cutting-edge work on the defense side” that includes litigation related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices; alcohol, tobacco and firearms; automobiles and machinery; aviation; electronics and fire protection equipment; and chemical applications. This wealth of experience has led numerous industry leaders and their subsidiaries to select SHB as national, regional and convergence counsel in critical product liability matters.
The SHB Global Product Liability Group offers clients the complete defense package combining decades of courtroom success with state-of-the-art support services and cost-effective business solutions. Selected in 2009 by Chambers USA as one of the nation’s five “Band One” national products liability firms, SHB has also been named "Global Product Liability Law Firm of the Year" by Who's Who Legal for five consecutive years.
These veteran trial lawyers partner with corporate counsel to ensure ongoing compliance with state and federal regulations, as well as document preservation requirements, in high-volume litigation scenarios. Their trial teams include attorneys well-versed in areas such as expert witness development, class action litigation and attorneys general litigation. Because product liability lawsuits often involve complex questions and demand a high degree of technical savoir-faire, the firm has also invested in an extensive scientific infrastructure based on more than 125 researchers and analysts with advanced degrees. Known for its exceptional courtroom performance, this practice combines both innovative and time-tested techniques designed to reduce case management expenses and streamline the legal process.
The SHB Global Product Liability Group also provides risk assessment and risk avoidance counseling for domestic and international entities. Recognizing that lawsuits can jeopardize a company's reputation and disrupt business operations, SHB attorneys use their knowledge of the relevant federal agencies, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission, to review product warnings, instructions for use, warranties, advertisements, and related written materials. They also compare the client’s programs and practices with industry standards; analyze the case law concerning litigation against similar products; and work with the SHB Public Policy Practice to advocate legislative tort reform and minimize future risks.
Practice Area Contacts
Robert T. Adams
816-559-2230 
Walter L. Cofer
816-474-6550
Madeleine M. McDonough
816-559-2342
Related Practice Areas
Class Actions & Complex Litigation
Data Security & Privacy
eDiscovery, Data & Document Management
Pharmaceutical & Medical Device
Public Policy
Tort
Product Liability Litigation Report
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Attorneys in Global Product Liability
News & Events
- Debra S. Dunne Joins Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Philadelphia
5/13/2013
- Newstead Authors Article on EU’s System for Reporting Unsafe Products
5/7/2013
- Ratliff to Discuss Product Recalls at ACI’s “Consumer Products Litigation & Regulation” Conference
4/12/2013
- SHB Attorneys to Join Faculty of ABA's 2013 Emerging Issues in Motor Vehicle Product Liability Litigation Conference
3/26/2013
- Shelley Publishes on OECD’s Global Online Product Recall Portal
3/25/2013
- Newstead Discusses Notification Responsibilities for Potentially Unsafe Products
3/25/2013
- SHB’s Gregory Wu Selected as Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow
3/14/2013
- SHB Geneva Partners Recognized by Who’s Who Legal
2/28/2013
- Saikali, Wajert Join Law360 Editorial Advisory Boards
2/15/2013
- SHB Named Benchmark’s Midwest Product Liability Firm of the Year
2/7/2013
- SHB to Co-sponsor DRI’s Drug and Medical Device Seminar in NYC
1/23/2013
- Wajert Provides List of Notable 2012 Product Liability Cases for Law360
1/15/2013
- Croft Addresses Italian Supreme Court Ruling on Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumors
1/4/2013
- Reynolds Explores Product Liability Risk in Counterfeiting Context
11/6/2012
- Fujimoto & Nease to Address DRI 2012 Annual Meeting
10/15/2012
- Newstead Addresses the Risk of Criminal Liability Following a Product Recall
9/27/2012
- Newstead Addresses Risks Following Product Recalls in The In-House Lawyer
9/20/2012
- Kaiser, Blues & Heinz Provide Practice Tips on Striking Class Allegations in Law360 Article
9/5/2012
- Croft Article on Breast Implant Reports Published by In-House Lawyer
8/22/2012
- Wajert Discusses Longneck Beer Bottle Ruling in Law360 Article
8/22/2012
- SHB Recognized by LMG Life Sciences 2012
7/6/2012
- Former Altria Counsel Rejoins SHB Global Product Liability Practice
6/26/2012
- Law360 Recognizes SHB as Nation’s Largest Product Liability Practice
3/1/2012
- Law360 Features SHB’s Engle Win in Federal Court
3/1/2012
- Crampton, Kaplan & Shelley Update Chapter on International Class Action Developments for PLI Product Liability Treatise
1/10/2012
- SHB Named Law360 Product Liability Group of the Year
1/21/2011
- Shook, Hardy & Bacon Names 10 New Partners
1/4/2011
- SHB Named Global Product Liability Law Firm of the Year
6/28/2010
- The Legal 500 US 2010 Edition Recognizes SHB
6/22/2010
- Chambers USA 2010 Recognizes SHB
6/21/2010
- Court Grants SHB Client Guidant Corp.’s Motion for Non-Suit
9/21/2009
- SHB Secures Defense Verdict for Guidant Corp.
9/10/2009
- SHB Named Global Product Liability Law Firm of the Year
5/19/2009
- AmLaw Gives SHB Top Product Liability Award
1/2/2008
