Bowman and Brooke LLP is a specialist product liability defense firm for the automotive and transport sector, frequently acting as lead, national, and coordinating counsel in complex mass tort, class action, and warranty litigation. The firm’s practice is trial-focused, with a long record of first-chair advocacy across US jurisdictions, and a sustained presence in high-exposure automotive disputes. Recent work includes acting as counsel at trial for major manufacturers, securing significant defense verdicts and appellate wins in New Jersey, Florida, and Michigan, where the firm successfully defended Mercedes-Benz in one of Michigan’s largest wrongful death trials of 2025. The automotive practice is co-chaired by Paul Cereghini in Phoenix, Bard Borkon in Minneapolis, and Thomas Branigan in Detroit. Cereghini is one of the country’s most respected automotive product liability defense lawyers, with more than 40 years of trial experience and a nationwide record in high-exposure product liability, mass tort, and class action matters. Branigan, who frequently tries cases alongside Joel Smith, has secured a series of headline defense victories, including closely watched ADAS and autopilot trials that drew national media attention. Vincent Galvin Jr. maintains his leading role at the firm, while Matin Fallahi is noted as a key talent.

Dykema Gossett PLLC maintains an authoritative presence in the automotive sector, leveraging its Detroit heritage and a sprawling national network to provide comprehensive defense for OEMs and global suppliers. The firm is distinguished by its deep bench, featuring trial lawyers who have extensive nationwide experience. Its expertise covers the full lifecycle of vehicle litigation, from proactive regulatory counseling with NHTSA to defending high-stakes class actions and catastrophic injury claims. Dykema is increasingly noted for its specialized work in the electric and autonomous vehicle space, offering clients a strategic advantage in navigating emerging liability frameworks. The team also excels in B2B disputes, including supply chain breakdowns and dealer-franchise litigation, positioning it as a versatile partner for the transportation industry. The practice is co-led by Bloomfield Hills-based Brian Smith, who focuses on catastrophic injury and national class action defense, and Dallas-based Deron Wade, who is highly regarded for representing automotive manufacturers in complex MDLs. Michael Cooney, the firm’s litigation director, is a highly experienced trial attorney noted for his industry knowledge and success in high-exposure jury trials and intellectual property disputes nationwide.

King & Spalding maintains a formidable reputation in the automotive sector, drawing on over 50 years of experience defending industry titans such as GM, Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen. The firm is a go-to for high-exposure product liability and mass action litigation, frequently serving as national, strategic, and trial counsel in complex cross-jurisdictional matters. A key differentiator is the team’s deep technical proficiency in accident reconstruction, biomechanics, and human factors, which enables sophisticated defense of company witnesses and effective cross-examination of plaintiffs’ experts. The practice is led by Atlanta-based Andy T. Bayman, Geoffrey M. Drake, and Houston’s Tracie J. Renfroe. Geoffrey Drake and Susan Clare are currently serving as co-coordinating counsel for GM in a massive consumer litigation portfolio involving over 9,000 cases. In New York, John Hooper is noted for his strategic oversight of multi-state class actions and his successful track record in defending against punitive damages in high-stakes discovery and trial.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP fields a formidable mass torts and product liability practice, regularly entrusted with bet-the-company MDLs, class actions, and coordinated state proceedings. The team recently secured a defense verdict in the first bellwether trial in In re Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation in the Northern District of California, overcoming complex evidentiary issues and significant pre-trial publicity. It also achieved a landmark appellate win for General Motors LLC before the Sixth Circuit, decertifying 26 statewide classes comprising over 800,000 drivers and reinforcing stringent certification standards. Chicago-based partner Renee Smith is noted for jury trial successes across federal MDLs and nationwide courts for major corporates including 3M and Abbott. Since joining from King & Spalding in early 2025, New York-based Kristen Fournier has co-led several national dockets and is recognized for coordinating uniform defense strategies across coordinated federal and state dockets in high-exposure matters, including talc and asbestos litigation and the bellwether trials.

Led from McGuireWoods LLP’s Virginia offices, the firm’s product liability and mass tort practice is co-headed by Justin Howard, Samuel Tarry, and Benjamin Hatch. The team defends manufacturers and distributors in high-stakes, multi-forum disputes spanning automotive, consumer products, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and industrial equipment, as well as toxic tort matters involving PFAS, asbestos and other chemical exposures. Illustrative of its aerospace capability, the group is defending the world’s largest aerospace company in a wrongful death action pending before the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, arising from the mid-air collision of two AH-64D Apache attack helicopters following a military training exercise. Howard acts as national counsel in complex state and federal proceedings; Tarry focuses on coordinated defense strategy in large-scale product cases; and Hatch, chair of the Environmental & Mass Tort Department, brings significant trial and appellate experience before multiple US Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP continues to solidify its reputation as a powerhouse in the products liability arena. The firm maintains a deep bench, across key jurisdictions such as California, Texas, New York, and Florida, allowing the team to manage high-stakes toxic tort and product liability mandates nationwide, frequently acting as lead trial counsel in critical bellwether cases and as national coordinating counsel in MDLs. The practice is particularly lauded for its deep industry penetration within the automotive and transportation sectors, serving a blue-chip client roster that includes Ford, Honda, Kia, and Toyota. The practice is led by Columbia-based Mark Jones. In Richmond, Sandra Ezell is a prolific trial lawyer with over 30 years of experience, frequently serving as first-chair national trial counsel in high-exposure matters. Washington DC-based Terri Reiskin is noted for her leadership in complex MDLs and consumer class actions, particularly in the automotive and medical device sectors. Kurt Kern, based in Plano, is a veteran trial lawyer, specializing in comprehensive defense for international manufacturers. Additionally, Robert Wise provides significant value as an appellate and advanced motions specialist, coordinating legal strategies for nationwide putative class actions.

Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP occupies a pre-eminent position in automotive defense, distinguished by its technical fluency and a prolific trial record. Serving as national, regional, and convergence counsel for global manufacturers, the firm is a go-to for high-stakes product liability and consumer class actions. The practice is bolstered by a deep bench of specialists who can master the nuances of ADAS, electric vehicle systems, and autonomous technologies. Beyond traditional litigation, the group is highly regarded for its proactive risk mitigation and amicus curiae contributions. The practice is co-headed by Francisco-based Amir Nassihi, co-chair of the class action group, who has led the defense in over 150 class actions, Los Angeles Managing Partner Michael Mallow, who is noted for his 25-year track record in industry-impacting cases, and Orange County’s Janet Hickson, who is highly regarded for overseeing technical legal defenses as national counsel.

Condon & Forsyth LLP remains the pre-eminent specialist aviation disputes firm in the United States, with an unrivaled track record in airline mass accident defense, product liability, and high-stakes commercial litigation. The team is routinely mandated on NTSB investigations, crisis response and subsequent multi-jurisdictional proceedings, and acts as outside counsel to more than forty air carriers and manufacturers worldwide. Its bench strength is reinforced by in-house pilot and engineering expertise, enabling sophisticated handling of technical causation issues, regulatory exposure, and treaty-governed claims under the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions. The practice is led by New York-based co-heads Christopher Christensen and Bartholomew Banino, and Miami-based John Maggio. Christensen is noted for his command of NTSB procedure and manufacturer defense work; Banino is recognized for mass disaster litigation and commercial aviation advisory mandates; while Maggio spearheads complex appellate and Latin America-focused disputes.

DLA Piper LLP (US) continues to secure significant victories for a blue-chip roster of automotive and aviation clients, maintaining a strong reputation in handling high-stakes, cross-border disputes. Recognized for its capability in both class action and product liability litigation, the firm serves as a trusted advisor to global brands such as Porsche, Hyundai Mobis, and The Goodyear Tire Company. Beyond the automotive sector, the firm’s formidable presence in the aviation market is underscored by its long-term partnership with British Airways. The practice is led by a broad group of co-heads, including New York-based Loren Brown and Keara Gordon; Philadelphia-based Ilana Hope Eisenstein; Atlanta-based Christopher Campbell; Angela Agrusa in Los Angeles; and Isabelle Ord, based in San Francisco. Matthew Goldberg is another key partner of the firm who is frequently sought out by multinational manufacturers for his expertise in complex federal and state litigation. Furthermore, Timothy Pfenninger handles complex commercial, class action, and multi-district litigation, primarily for automotive manufacturers and distributors, and advises US and international clients through all stages of civil, product liability, and criminal proceedings.

Reed Smith LLP’s Product Liability & Mass Torts practice is co-headed by New York-based Oliver Beiersdorf and Princeton-based Patrick Bradley, who provide clients with extensive trial experience, deep industry insight, and strategic defense leadership in high-stakes nationwide litigation. The group is recognized for guiding companies through complex product liability, multidistrict, and toxic tort matters, defending leading manufacturers in sectors including aviation, automotive, life sciences, industrial, and consumer products, and providing preventive risk-management counsel. Beiersdorf brings over 20 years of litigation experience representing major clients in federal and state courts, and in arbitration proceedings and is highly experienced in contract, warranty and insurance law regarding international treaty issues, securing numerous appellate victories and trial wins. Bradley brings deep aviation industry knowledge, focusing on the defense of aircraft manufacturers, airlines and aviation service providers in catastrophic accident and product liability cases and has achieved defense verdicts, appellate wins, and favorable outcomes in mass tort and individual aviation litigation. Another key member of the team to note is Princeton-based Catherine Kiernan, who focuses on high-stakes product liability and complex commercial disputes, defending aviation, automotive, and industrial manufacturers in technically demanding wrongful death and catastrophic injury litigation across US courts and international arbitration.

Ballard Spahr LLP

Butler Snow LLP’s Products, Catastrophic and Industrial Litigation practice, co-led by Ridgeland-based Davis Frye and Atlanta-based E. Righton Johnson-Lewis, handles high-stakes product liability, mass tort, and complex commercial litigation on a regional and national scale. The team represents manufacturers, distributors, and service providers across industries, including aviation, automotive, firearms, healthcare, and industrial chemicals. Its work spans automotive, machinery, recreational products, toxic torts, and chemical exposure cases, as well as manufacturer product safety recalls and regulatory compliance matters. Frye brings nearly 30 years of experience trying jury and bench trials, arbitrations, and appellate matters, focusing on catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and professional liability across multiple sectors, while Johnson-Lewis has extensive experience in multidistrict litigation, defending automotive, highway product, and medical device manufacturers, handling discovery, expert coordination, dispositive motions, and national defense strategy. Together, they lead a practice recognized for strategic, technically rigorous, and nationally coordinated product liability defense.

Co-headed by D’Lesli Davis in Dallas and Ben Hulse in Minneapolis, Norton Rose Fulbright Product Liability and Consumer Disputes team advises on a broad spectrum of transport-related product liability matters spanning automotive, trucking and wider mobility sectors. The group represents component manufacturers, automakers, freight lines and infrastructure companies, coordinating multi-jurisdictional litigation and discovery while leveraging deep expertise in vehicle dynamics, regulatory frameworks and industry standards. Minneapolis-based Andy Crowder focuses on product liability and complex commercial litigation, acting for manufacturers across the automotive, aviation, energy, and chemical sectors in technically demanding matters. Crowder has tried cases to verdict in state and federal courts, argued appeals before state appellate courts and the Minnesota Supreme Court, and represents clients in complex arbitrations nationwide.

O'Melveny’s Product Liability & Mass Torts practice is co‑led by Washington-DC based Steven Brody and LA-based Sabrina Strong, who together guide high-stakes, complex litigation across pharmaceuticals, consumer products, healthcare, automotive, technology, energy, and environmental sectors. The team handles mass torts, class actions, and emerging product liability claims, including those extending into consumer protection, False Claims Act enforcement, and public nuisance litigation. Brody has spent two decades defending clients in high-profile mass torts, class actions, and state attorney general matters, including opioids, pelvic mesh, and social media platform litigation. Strong is a distinguished trial and appellate lawyer, with multiple top defense verdicts and experience before the California Supreme Court.