Product Liability and Mass Torts

With a national ranking in Chambers USA, our Product Liability and Mass Torts practice is recognized among the finest in the country. For more than 35 years, Barnes & Thornburg’s skilled team has defended Fortune 500 manufacturers in sophisticated product liability matters across nearly every industry – including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, appliances, automotive products, heavy industry, cosmetics, and consumer products – in single-plaintiff cases to 10,000-plus claim multidistrict litigation (MDLs).

At a time when consolidated litigations comprise more than 50% of cases in U.S. federal courts, our recognized practitioners are sought after for the breadth of their technical legal skills, complemented by Barnes & Thornburg’s national reach with its offices strategically located in the geographic areas where mass torts are litigated. Clients across the country rely on us to devote our energies to helping them discern the right strategy, one that focuses on their business goals and reputation management.

But our deep experience has not made us complacent – there is no one-size-fits-all model for addressing our clients’ legal challenges. Because we are sensitive to the economic risk and business interruption associated with litigation, we carefully tailor legal strategies for each phase of the dispute resolution process, from pre-litigation risk assessment to initial claim analysis to settlement negotiation to trial and appeal.

Substantively, our scientific experience is vast and virtually no biologic mechanism or plaintiff’s theory is intimidating. From antibiotics to appliances, prosthetics to pesticides, sutures to solvents, we have successfully defended, managed, and resolved tens of thousands of claims in MDLs, consolidated state proceedings, and individual lawsuits. It is this experience that allows us to partner with our clients to develop innovative solutions.

A snapshot of our current client portfolio further demonstrates the depth of our bench. In 2018 alone, our team served as national counsel for nine MDLs and coordinated proceedings, while simultaneously serving as trial counsel, regulatory counsel, settlement counsel, medical expert handlers, e-discovery and data collection counsel, and pre-acquisition/divestiture product liability risk assessment counsel. And most importantly, because we value our client relationships, Barnes & Thornburg is committed to the continued success of our product liability and mass torts practice – dedicating the necessary resources for training and continuing education to ensure that our knowledge and reach will continue to grow to the benefit of our clients.