Bowman and Brooke LLP is a leading defense firm for the motor vehicle industry, serving as lead and national counsel in high-profile product liability and mass tort cases. The firm represents major automotive manufacturers, including BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen. The practice also often advise on electric vehicle litigation and defend companies involved in autonomous partnerships such as Waymo and Motional, frequently defending cases involving advanced vehicle technology, including autonomous systems, airbag control, electronic stability control, and other crash avoidance technologies. Phoenix based Paul Cereghini is nationally recognized as a trial lawyer, regularly serving as lead trial counsel in high-stakes product liability and mass tort cases. He has defended Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Ford in their most challenging litigations, securing critical defense verdicts in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. San Jose based Vincent Galvin is a seasoned first-chair trial lawyer with great experience, serving as lead counsel to Toyota and Tesla, including Toyota’s high-profile unintended acceleration bellwether trial and Tesla’s first U.S. automotive product liability trial. Columbia based Joel Smith is a veteran litigator specializing in high-exposure product liability defense, and currently serves as lead trial counsel for Tesla, handling its most significant product liability cases.

King & Spalding LLP is a leading defender of automotive manufacturers and transportation companies, specializing in high-stakes product liability and mass action litigation. The firm serves as national, strategic, trial, resolution, and regional counsel in some of the industry’s most complex, multi-jurisdictional cases. The firm represents industry giants such as GM, Toyota, Tesla, Mercedes, Ford, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, and Bentley, whilst the practice has successfully handled multidistrict litigations, state-coordinated mass actions and class actions. Working out of the firm's Atlanta office, Geoffrey Drake heads up the firm’s consumer products & automotive team and currently co-leads the high-profile GM consumer litigation, managing thousands of breach-of-warranty and fraud cases. Geoffrey has also defended Ford and GM in major regulatory and litigation matters. As a leading defense strategist in product liability, consumer class actions, and false advertising cases, New York based John Hooper advises clients like Toyota on national defense strategy and resolution planning for high-profile litigation. As chair of the automotive & transportation litigation team, Susan Clare frequently defends major manufacturers like GM and Tesla in high-exposure class actions and product liability cases from the firm’s Atlanta office. Alexander Calfo works out of the firm’s San Francisco office, representing Fortune 100 companies including Ford and Toyota in complex product liability matters.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP’s product liability practice are true specialists in automotive cases, and has recently expanded significantly with a raft of recent hires from rival firms. The practice’s lawyers regularly serve as lead trial counsel in high-stakes bellwether cases and as national coordinating counsel in major multidistrict litigations and complex product liability cases. The firm’s recent victories include achieving a complete dismissal for Tesla in a self-driving car collision lawsuit in California, a defense verdict for Crown Equipment Corporation in an $112m forklift crash case in New York, and representing Polaris in ongoing nationwide vehicle rollover cases. The firm’s high-profile clients include major automotive companies such as Tesla, Ford, Honda, Kia, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Richmond based Sandra Ezell is a leading trial lawyer in automotive product liability, representing Tesla, Ford, and Nissan in high-profile litigation. Terri Reiskin specializes in class actions and mass torts, working out of Washington DC and frequently serving as lead counsel in MDLs, particularly in the automotive and medical device industries. Kurt Kern , a seasoned trial attorney, focuses on automotive and industrial equipment litigation for Toyota and Honda from the firm's Plano office. Rob Wise is an appellate and advanced motions specialist with extensive experience in product liability defense. Also based in Richmond, Wise often defends major manufacturers in nationwide automotive and vehicle putative class actions.

Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP is well known in the market for its expertise defending automotive companies, combining deep industry knowledge with extensive litigation and regulatory experience. The firm serves as national, regional, and convergence counsel for leading automotive companies, having defended thousands of cases nationwide. As co-chair of the firm’s class action & appellate litigation practice group, Amir Nassihi works from the firm's San Francisco office. Nassihi is a premier class action and appellate litigator, with experience defending over 150 class actions across industries, including automotive. He has helped shape favorable law on personal jurisdiction, arbitration clauses, and fraud theories, securing key victories in federal and state appellate courts. Practice co-head Janet Hickson focuses on defending automotive and consumer product manufacturers from Orange County, bringing extensive trial experience and frequently managing national and regional defense programs addressing design, manufacturing, and warning defect claims. Los Angeles based Michael Mallow is a veteran trial lawyer with deep experience representing automotive clients in class actions, commercial litigation, and consumer protection cases. He has served as lead counsel in high-stakes industry-impacting litigation. Also based in Los Angeles, Colm Moran is a highly experienced trial lawyer focusing on motor vehicle franchise law and class action defense. He has represented manufacturers in over 25 jurisdictions, including international arbitration, and has extensive experience in RICO litigation, class actions, and appellate advocacy.

DLA Piper LLP (US)’s product liability automotive subgroup excels in defending transport, automotive companies, and multinational manufacturers in addressing complex litigation across federal and state courts in the US, working primarily out of the Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Washington DC offices. The team works with clients such as Hyundai Mobis, British Airways, and KLM in matters relating to manufacturing, safety standards, regulatory compliance, and product liability claims. The team’s notable recent achievements include significant victories for Hyundai Mobis in a multidistrict litigation, and for KLM in a putative class action. The subgroup is led by Matt Goldberg , a recognized leader in class actions and cross-border discovery issues, while the team also benefits from the expertise of Paul Hemmersbaugh, a former chief counsel to the national Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who advises on regulatory risks and strategies.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a well-known name in product liability and mass tort litigation, frequently working on high-stakes, bet-the-company disputes. The group operates primarily out of its Chicago and Washington DC offices, and has in-depth expertise in multidistrict litigation, class actions, defect investigations, appeals, and environmental cases. Notable recent matters for the firm include representing General Motors in multidistrict litigation arising from the Takata airbag inflator recall, achieving a major summary judgment that eliminated most of the claims against GM. The firm also represents GATX Corporation in litigation stemming from the East Palestine train derailment. Chicago based Renee Smith, a litigator known for her strategic acumen, has defended clients in some of the most complex class actions, multidistrict litigations, and product liability cases nationwide. Also based in Chicago, Hariklia Karis brings great experience in high-stakes product liability and mass tort cases, obtaining precedent-setting results for pharmaceutical companies. Working out of the Washington DC office, Mike Brock is an experienced trial lawyer with a strong record in high-stakes litigation, focusing on product liability and mass tort cases for pharma and life sciences companies.

McGuireWoods LLP’s product liability and mass tort team has defends major companies in complex litigation, with matters frequently concerning a range of products, including automobiles, medical devices, power tools, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The team handles toxic exposure cases, recalls, labeling disputes, and investigations by regulatory agencies such as the CPSC, EPA, and CARB. Clients of the group include Fortune 500 companies, aviation industry leaders, and leading automakers including Mazda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Ford, whom the firm serve in a variety of product liability and mass tort matters. Key attorneys working in the group include Norfolk based Benjamin Hatch, chair of the environmental & mass tort department, recently involved in the defense of an aerospace manufacturer in a nationwide RICO class action lawsuit. Perry Miles is a national trial counsel frequently working on high-exposure product liability matters, with expertise in motions practice, expert testimony, and appellate work. Virginia Bondurant Price is a trial and appellate lawyer with significant experience as national coordinating counsel for a fire-safety products company and also advises clients on labeling, warnings, and strategies to reduce litigation risks. As co-leader of the group, Tysons based Samuel Tarry has over thirty years of experience representing clients in tort, environmental, and public health litigation, often serving as punitive damages counsel in state and federal courts across the country. All lawyers mentioned are in Richmond unless stated otherwise.

At Ballard Spahr LLP, the product liability and mass tort team frequently work on high-value and complex product cases pending in both the federal and the state courts. Operating primarily out of New Jersey, the team specializes in handling complex product liability cases nationwide, from catastrophic injury claims to national class actions and appeals. The firm serves a diverse client base, including leading automotive companies and emerging technology firms, offering strategic counsel on product risks, warranties, and compliance to prevent litigation. Notable recent achievements include defending Subaru in six national class actions, securing rare post-trial class decertification in a major case, and successfully limiting class actions at early stages. Head of team Neal Walters directs the group, with extensive experience counseling automotive companies on regulatory, product development, and service issues, as well as defending them in product liability litigation. Steven Burkhart, a former general counsel, works out of Maryland to bring additional expertise in commercial litigation, internal investigations, product liability, and risk management matters, while Casey Watkins specializes in hands-on autonomous vehicle regulatory experience, further bolstering the team’s technical expertise. All lawyers mentioned are based in New Jersey unless otherwise stated.

Norton Rose Fulbright’s environmental and mass torts team specializes in automotive and especially trucking-related litigation, offering clients such as Walmart extensive trial experience and in-depth industry expertise. Serving a wide array of clients including automakers, component manufacturers, freight lines, and rental businesses, the team particularly excels in coordinating multi-jurisdictional litigation, consumer class actions, nationwide discovery, safeguarding trade secrets, and managing multiple ongoing personal injury cases. The group is led by Houston based partner Brett Young , who has significant trial experience and expertise in catastrophic event response.