Find Lawyers in Mississippi, United States for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Practice Area Overview
Class actions and mass tort litigation typically arise from a single episode or related events that allegedly injure a “mass” of individuals and/or their property. The number of claimants may range from a few dozen to many thousands. The volume of plaintiffs and complexity of claims and issues dictate special judicial management and require experienced defense counsel. In mass tort litigation, global issues that affect all claimants may be consolidated, especially in federal courts. Cases may be aggregated in federal multi-district litigation (“MDLs”) for coordination of pretrial proceedings, in which questions of fact common to all plaintiffs, key legal issues, and discovery may be handled on a global basis. Following the determination of fact issues, plaintiffs’ unique claims often are tried independently. The Court may order trials of the claims of certain plaintiffs in mass tort litigation as test, or “bellwether,” cases. Bellwether cases may provide the courts with guidance on the related claims’ suitability for group development and litigation. State court consolidation and management vary widely. With class actions, the class of plaintiffs may be voluminous, with all asserting damages arising from a common occurrence or related events; however, in contrast to mass tort litigation, the “class” often is represented by a single individual or a small group of individuals who embody the claims and damages of the larger group. Class actions in federal courts are governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. Members of the “class” may be bound by findings related to that class. Class certification often is denied due to state law restrictions (or prohibitions) on class actions or the predomination of plaintiffs’ individualized circumstances over any common issues.
Defense counsel's role in consolidated litigation includes all tasks inherent in the traditional litigation setting, with an added managerial component of litigation coordination and organization of global discovery, including:
- Identification and differentiation of the nature of individualized and global claims
- Document management and review, including electronic data and e-mails
- Expert witness development and preparation
- MDL and bellwether trials
- Defeating class certification
- Improper joinder
- Development of comprehensive trial strategies
- Development of consistent factual and legal positions in coordination with counsel representing named defendants on local and national levels
- Working with lawyers from different firms as a “virtual” law firm
- Trials of claims of certified classes or individual mass tort plaintiffs
- Global settlement negotiations
David Ayers was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1983 and is admitted to all state and federal courts in Mississippi and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also has handled cases in a number of other states under pro hac vice privileges. David's experience includes commercial litigation, premises litigation and general personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on automotive, heavy equipment, industrial equipment and recreational product litigation. His cases of ...
Joseph G. Baladi was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2000 and the Mississippi Bar in 2001. Since joining Watkins & Eager, Joe's experience has included numerous pharmaceutical litigations, medical malpractice bench and jury trials, and product liability trials. Joe's involved in several professional organizations and serves as co-chair of Watkins & Eager's Mass Tort and Repetitive Exposure practice group. Joe regularly speaks and presents on the subjects of science at trial, Daubert i...
Lewis W. Bell was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1987. His experience spans from general product liability, general personal injury litigation, and premises litigation to commercial and franchise litigation. His cases of note include Rials v. Philip Morris, USA Inc., et al. 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12420, February 21, 2007; Rawls v. Friedman's Inc., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21333, June 27, 2003; Everett v. Friedman's Inc., 2005 U.S. Dist LEXIS 23345, August 12, 2005; Allen v. Tyson Foods, Inc.,...
Walter represents a variety of individual and corporate clients in large, complex commercial litigation, arbitration, and personal injury litigation. Walter's primary area of expertise lies in the litigation of disputes in the federal and state courts of Mississippi, where he regularly tries cases to verdict. Specialties: Commercial litigation; catastrophic personal injury litigation; insurance coverage and defense.
Jim Crongeyer is a Managing Member of Watkins & Eager and has served in this capacity since 2008. He began the practice of law in Florida in 1995 after graduating cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Mississippi (1997), Alabama (1996) and Florida (1995), and has actively practiced in all three states. Jim has significant litigation and trial experience in the general product liability litigation, mass tort, complex litigation and constr...
Corey has practiced law with Watkins & Eager since he was admitted to the bar in 2004. He is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Mississippi, all federal courts in Arkansas and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He has also been admitted pro hac vice in numerous state and federal courts around the country. Corey's diverse litigation practice has involved representing clients in every phase of litigation-including trials, appeals and alternative...
Since joining Watkins & Eager in 1991, Walter's practice has included both federal and state court litigation in the areas of pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, medical malpractice, general product liability, and personal injury. Walter has served as lead trial counsel in numerous product liability and medical malpractice cases in both state and federal courts and has tried multiple cases to verdict. Walter chairs the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device and Alternative Dispute Re...
Will Manuel focuses his practice primarily on commercial and employment litigation. He has handled various disputes for both large and small businesses in both Mississippi and other jurisdictions. Will's clients include numerous manufacturers and commercial interests as well as various insurance and financial services companies. He has worked to defend these clients in both MDL litigation and individual actions brought in Mississippi. Will also has experience in advising businesses on issues ...
S pe c i f i c Areas of Practice/Main Focus Appellate Asbestos Bankruptcy Commercial Litigation Consumer Finance Drugs & Medical Devices Hearing Loss Personal Injury Product Liability Silica Or g a nizations/Committees Me m be r s hip The Mississippi Bar American Bar Association State Bar of Michigan L a w School Honors & Awards Dean Robert J. Farley Award for Highest Scholastic Average in Law School Class Mississippi Law Journal, Editorial Board Member Phi Delta Phi O ngoing Peer Edu...
Steve Orlansky has practiced with Watkins & Eager since graduating from Ole Miss Law School in 1980. Early in his career, he concentrated on insurance and product liability cases, trying more than twenty cases to verdict in Mississippi state and federal courts. In the past fifteen years he has had extensive experience in mass tort litigation, primarily involving pharmaceutical products, while maintaining a broader practice in commercial litigation, personal injury litigation and insurance...
Stephanie M. Rippee is admitted to the Mississippi and Tennessee Bars. For more than 20 years she has sought to creatively and efficiently resolve legal matters for clients. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation and product liability litigation. She is a recognized public speaker and author and has been selected by Mid-South Super Lawyers as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Mississippi.
Jim Shelson represents clients in a wide range of commercial litigation matters. His litigation experience includes toxic torts, business torts and commercial disputes, consumer finance and lender liability, coverage disputes and bad faith claims, products liability, and class action defense. He has represented clients from many industries, including chemical and product manufacturing, agriculture companies, insurers, banks and other financial institutions and lenders, telecommunications comp...
Jennifer is a partner in Balch’s Jackson office and holds licenses in Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. She is an experienced litigation attorney who practices primary in the areas of product liability, toxic and environmental torts, wrongful death, and negligence cases. For more than 18 years Jennifer has defended a myriad of product manufacturers and possesses specialized knowledge in silica litigation defense. Jennifer has defended thousands of silica claims across the Southeast for l...
Kathy K. Smith was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1996. She has represented local and national clients in all types of litigation, including mass torts, intellectual property, commercial, personal injury, insurance, products liability, medical malpractice, and environmental matters. She has defended manufacturers of lead paint, mobile homes, and heavy equipment. She has defended an employer involved in extensive PCB litigation and an insurance company sued in asbestos litigation. She has ...
Susan L. Steffey was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1987 and to the Mississippi Bar in 1991. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Mississippi and Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Before joining Watkins & Eager in 1991, Susan practiced in Tampa, Florida, with the law firm of Sessums & Mason (1987-1990), and served as law clerk to the Honorable Rhesa H. Barksdale, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1990-19...
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