We represent a broad spectrum of businesses around the globe that currently or historically have manufactured, processed, distributed, and used chemical substances, pesticides, biochemicals, nuclear fuels, and antimicrobial products, including nano-scale materials and genetically modified materials. Such industries have been targeted in private litigation from a variety of sources relating to toxic tort and products liability, public nuisance, intellectual property, or environmental and occupational health and safety considerations. Further, these sectors increasingly are subject to a variety of existing and emerging regulatory requirements worldwide.
Our lawyers routinely advise clients concerning their obligations under national and international environmental requirements concerning the regulation of commercial chemicals, pesticides and biocides, and the industrial and consumer products that contain these substances. Our experience advising clients in these sectors covers not only litigation matters, but also the regulatory requirements of all the major pertinent federal statutes in the US, including TSCA, FIFRA, EPCRA, and OSHA, as well as state regulatory programs such as Proposition 65 in California and international requirements such as REACH.
Our toxic tort litigators have proffered, deposed, and debunked many of the field's leading experts in a multitude of scientific and other expert disciplines. We have defeated class certification in federal and state cases across the US. Our experience enables us to counsel clients on ways to minimize exposure after liability-creating conduct has occurred, but before litigation is initiated. We help clients analyze and assess exposure; consider proactive measures; unify, simplify, and ensure the accuracy of the company's public "voice"; get on top of the scientific and technical issues; and develop, if need be, an integrated, coherent litigation strategy.
Our toxic tort team has been recognized among the strongest anywhere, and several of our lawyers have been singled out for high commendation in the fields of toxic tort, class action, and product liability defense. Outside of our environmental toxic tort litigators, the firm has a deep bench of lawyers who have been lead or national counsel to numerous companies in major mass tort litigations, including Wyeth (formerly American Home Products), Philip Morris USA and its parent Altria, Atlantic Richfield Company, The Red Cross, Motorola, and Hoffmann-LaRoche.