Bowman and Brooke LLP > Columbia, United States > Firm Profile

Bowman and Brooke LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: automotive/transport Tier 1

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.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices Tier 2

Product liability boutique Bowman and Brooke LLP represents pharma and medical device clients in individual and mass tort actions, with ongoing involvement in several multi-district litigations in federal courts and state-coordinated proceedings. The practice is led by Minneapolis-based Kim Schmid, a seasoned trial attorney who has tried multiple cases in both state and federal courts, including bellwether cases in medical device mass torts, and Texas-based first chair trial lawyer Randall Christian, who led the firm’s representation of Daiichi Sankyo as national counsel in the Injectafer litigation. Chris Carton, in the New York, New Brunswick, Philadelphia and Baltimore offices, serves as lead trial and national coordinating counsel for Patheon Manufacturing Services in the federal Zantac MDL. The team recently expanded with the addition of Joan Anderson in Charlotte from McGuireWoods LLP, who focuses on defending high-profile product manufacturers, and Baltimore-based Marisa Trasatti from Cipriani & Werner, bringing significant local and national lead counsel experience.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco) Tier 3

Bowman and Brooke LLP focuses on defending high-exposure product liability and mass tort cases for leading manufacturers across diverse industries. The firm handles complex litigation including class action lawsuits, often involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death, as well as cases involving consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial machinery, and medical devices. Clients include major manufacturers such as The Husqvarna Group, Glock, Yamaha, and Riddell, with matters spanning from concussion litigation to claims involving firearms, child car seats, and outdoor power equipment. Firm chair Paul Cereghini is a leading trial lawyer with deep experience, having defended cases in more than 40 states, including dozens of catastrophic injury trials. Jeffrey Warren is the firm’s managing partner and consumer product practice group leader, specializing in high-stakes personal injury trials and manages complex class actions, MDLs, and regulatory matters for product manufacturers. David Campbell works from the firm’s Detroit office, bringing extensive cross-border trial experience in defending claims involving consumer products, machinery, motor vehicles, and medical devices. Amanda Heitz specializes in product liability defense, class actions, and appellate litigation, representing consumer product manufacturers in high-stakes injury, fraud, and contract disputes. Lawyers are in Phoenix unless otherwise stated.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort Tier 3

Focused on national product liability matters having represented clients across the country in product liability and mass torts litigation, Bowman and Brooke LLP routinely serves as lead and national counsel in a large variety of toxic torts, including chemical exposure, soil and water contamination, asbestos, as well as other chronic and acute injuries relating to various exposures. The firm has a strong focus in handling matters directly related to industrial equipment and industrial products, Roshan Rajkumar, in Minneapolis, having served as national coordinating and lead trial counsel roles for manufacturers defending asbestos and toxic tort litigation, having been involved in one of the nation’s largest MDLs as one of 3M’s case work-up counsel for the Combat Arms Version 2 MDL. William Auther, in Phoenix, co-leads the practice with Larry Ramsey in Los Angeles, with Auther focused on litigating for clients in various industries including chemical and pharma in product liability and toxic tort claims. William Purnell departed the firm in March 2024, while Marisa Trasatti and Robert Scott both joined the firm from Cipriani & Werner in September 2024.