Product Liability & Mass Tort
McGuireWoods’ Product Liability & Mass Tort Litigation Practice Group leverages knowledge of clients’ businesses and goals to bring the most effective strategies to every legal challenge. We provide risk management advice and training — from a state, national or global perspective — to reduce the chance of future claims.
Clients turn to McGuireWoods in matters involving automobiles and automotive products; food and beverage products; electronic devices; lithium-ion batteries; medical devices; power tools; outdoor power equipment; recreational products; chemicals and toxic substances (PFAS, asbestos, lead, silica, latex, mold, formaldehyde, benzene, solvents, PCBs, VOCs); nicotine products; pharmaceuticals; aircrafts; trains; and building products.
Our team also guides clients through recalls, labeling disputes and investigations by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, and other regulatory and law enforcement agencies.
How We Help
When litigation arises, McGuireWoods lawyers defend clients’ interests. We have tried cases to verdict across the country, defending clients in pattern litigation, multidistrict litigation, complex consolidated cases and consumer class actions. When handling MDLs or serving as coordinating counsel, we work with a nationwide network of local resources. Our litigators’ strength in the courtroom creates leverage in settlement negotiations. The team understands the value of alternative dispute resolution to manage financial realities. With assistance from our subsidiary McGuireWoods Consulting, we help mitigate negative publicity. And the team works closely with clients to develop strategies to avoid litigation altogether.
Our strengths include:
- product liability litigation;
- class and mass tort actions;
- strategic risk management;
- trial practice and litigation roundtable;
- Consumer Product Safety Commission;
- labeling; and
- literature review and expert witness development.
Representative Experience
- Global aerospace company as lead counsel in a highly publicized federal criminal investigation into the crashes of two jets and subsequent class action involving nearly 200 million class members;
- international medical device company as trial and appellate counsel to defend nationwide suits following an FDA recall;
- American multinational automobile manufacturer as lead counsel in MDL alleging defects associated with Takata ammonium nitrate airbag inflators;
- American retailer of hard-surface flooring as lead counsel in state and federal attorney general investigations and two MDLs following a “60 Minutes” segment alleging excessive levels of formaldehyde in Chinese-manufactured laminate flooring;
- Private equity owner of a pain clinic chain as lead counsel in nearly 100 significant personal-injury claims alleging tainted steroid injections with potential exposure in the nine-figure range;
- Clients in numerous “frackquake” lawsuits as lead trial counsel;
- Fortune 100 chemical manufacturer as national coordinating counsel working on suits in multiple state and federal jurisdictions seeking billions of dollars; and
- Major food manufacturer as trial and appellate counsel in 300 related high-dollar nuisance cases.
Download a copy of our team brochure.
Whether it’s a global aerospace company, international medical device company, or a multinational chemical or automotive manufacturer, McGuireWoods’ Product Liability & Mass Tort Litigation Practice Groupknows clients’ products and processes and the standards and regulations that apply to them. We defend complicated, high-stakes matters in all 50 states, including the most difficult jurisdictions.
Nationally ranked for product liability and mass torts and state ranked in Virginia for product liability and toxic torts.
– CHAMBERS USA
Nationally ranked for product liability, mass tort and class action – defense for automotive/transport, consumer products, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and toxic tort.
– THE LEGAL 500 U.S.
Recognized as No. 1 law firm to defend Fortune 500 companies in tort litigation.
– CORPORATE COUNSEL MAGAZINE
Named a “Litigation Powerhouse” and an “Automotive Practice Group of the Year.”
– LAW360
