Candace Ali Blydenburgh

Candace is a partner in the firm's Products, Environmental and Mass Tort Litigation department. Her practice involves the representation of corporate defendants in high exposure, complex cases in state and federal courts throughout the country.

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Candace also has tried several cases to verdict in numerous jurisdictions including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Puerto Rico. Candace’s diverse trial experience includes defending manufacturers, distributors, component suppliers and sellers in matters of negligence, product liability, warranty, toxic exposure and punitive damage actions.

She has significant experience in defending automotive manufacturers against claims involving electronic stability controls, seatbacks, seat belts, rollovers and restraints for small occupants and children; and in handling consumer product matters involving recreational vehicles and claims alleging violations of state consumer protection statutes.

In addition to her automotive and consumer product litigation experience, she has handled medical device, nuisance, environmental and toxic tort cases. Specifically, she has defended corporations against claims related to surgical devices, MTBE, lead paint, asbestos, silica and other chemical substances. Candace also has extensive experience in managing and coordinating discovery for national and multi-district matters and serving as national coordinating counsel for transportation and transportation networking companies.

Candace has been selected as a member of Virginia’s Legal Elite for Environmental Law in 2015 and 2017. She currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Virginia State Bar Diversity Conference and chairs the firm’s African American Legal Network. She also teaches insurance law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Richmond School of Law.

Experience

Represent Fortune 500 companies in product liability, nuisance and in MTBE litigation.

Serve as national discovery and coordinating counsel for a Fortune 50 transportation company.

Represent municipality in breach of contract action involving municipality’s property.

Represent Fortune 500 companies in breach of warranty and consumer protection actions.

Coordinate document collection and review of electronic and hard copy materials and negotiate preservation order for Fortune 500 company in multidistrict litigation.

Defend corporate representatives and employees in product liability litigation and punitive damages actions.

Practices

Education

University of Virginia School of Law, JD, cum laude, 1996
University of Richmond, BA, cum laude, 1993

Affiliations

Adjunct Professor, University of Richmond School of Law, Spring, 2016

Member, Consumer Products Subcommittee; Women in Products Liability Litigation Subcommittee, Co-Chair, Automotive Subcommittee, 2008-2009, American Bar Association

Member, International Association of Defense Attorneys

Member, Commercial Law Section, National Bar Association

Member, Administration of Justice Committee, Richmond Bar Association

Member, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys

Member, Lewis Powell American Inn of Court

Events

Panelist, "Peak Behind the Partnership Veil," National Bar Association Commercial Law Section Corporate Counsel Conference, February 2016
Speaker, "Use of State, “Public Trust” Actions and Citizen Suits to Address Environmental Trends," IADC Mid-Year Meeting, February 2016
Panelist, "Expert Witnesses: Considerations in Federal & State Court," Richmond Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, October 2015
Speaker, "Piercing the Corporate Veil: The Pursuit and Defense of Shareholders' Individual Assets," Virginia CLE, March 2015
Speaker, "Plenary Session: Put Me In, Coach: Why Diversity Translates Into a Winning Team," 2015 Corporate Counsel CLE Seminar, February 2015
Panelist, "Sister 2 Sister: Becoming Our Best Selves," Mid-Atlantic Black Law Student Association’s 2015 Regional Convention, 2015 Corporate Counsel CLE Seminar, February 2015
Moderator, "Game On: Strategize to Win," DuPont Minority Counsel Conference, DuPont Minority Counsel Conference: Building and Sustaining Success Through the Power of the Network, June 2013
Presenter, "Depositions in Product Cases: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly," VADA Spring Meeting, May 2010
Emcee, Inside Counsel 10th Annual SuperConference, May 2010
Presenter, "Discovery and Expert Witnesses – Making Sure You Get and Give What You’re Allowed," Civil Discovery Institute, August 2009
Panelist, "Business Ethics in Distressed Times," NBA Commercial Law Section 22nd Annual Corporate Counsel Conference, February 2009
Panelist, "Witness Preparation: Avoiding Ethical Quagmires," ABA Women in Products Liability 9th Annual Regional CLE Workshop, October 2008
Presenter, "Product Liability and the Chinese Supplier," Protecting Your Company from the Trial Bar & Legislature in a Global Economy: A Product Liability Seminar, August 2008
Coordinator and Moderator, "Product Recalls & Class Action Litigation," NBA Commercial Law Section 21st Annual Corporate Counsel Conference, February 2008
Moderator, "E-Discovery: The First 180 Days," Automotive Regional Workshop, June 2007

Industries

Admissions

Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia

Recognition

Named to "Legal Elite," Environmental Law, Virginia Business, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

Insights

Author, "Class Actions: A Look at Past, Present, and Future Trends", Inside the Minds Series - Recent Trends in Class Action Lawsuits: Leading Lawyers on Overcoming Challenges in the Certification Process and Analyzing the Impact of Supreme Court Decisions, 2015
Co-author, "Recruitment and Retention as a Form of Marketing", Inside the Minds Series – Recruiting Top Legal Talent, 2010

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Candace Ali Blydenburgh Partner