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North America - United States • Dispute resolution

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

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With a ‘team-focused approach to litigation’ which draws upon a cohesive unit of practitioners throughout the country, including a notable group in Virginia, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP provides ’sound counsel and advice’ to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) seeking to resist customer and third-party product liability claims. Noted for its ability to ‘understand a product from inception to alleged failure’, the team combines exceptional subject matter knowledge with strategic and procedural litigation prowess, ensuring that clients are well served throughout the litigation process. Displaying ’outstanding judgment on every aspect of a case’, Sandra Ezell is a popular choice among major manufacturers including Ford, Tesla, and Nissan, defending against catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims as a result of alleged product liability defects. Other recommended practitioners include Virginia-based Rob Wise, who is ‘great at what he does’, with standout work including  coordinating and planning the strategic aspects of high-profile automotive-related class and mass actions; Atlanta-based Richard North, who has developed significant experience as a first-chair trial lawyer in aviation and helicopter-related product liability cases; and Baltimore-based Mike Brown, who regularly handles toxic tort-related cases (including exposure to asbestos) in the automotive sector. Mark Jones and Alana Bassin co-head the overarching product liability team out of South Carolina and Minnesota respectively, and Terri Reiskin in Washington DC is a key contact for multidistrict litigation.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'They are responsive, business savvy, experienced, and cost effective.'
  • 'They always provide sound counsel and advice.'
  • 'They have a team-focused approach to litigation where lawyers from multiple offices join together to provide exemplary work and strategy for clients.'
  • 'They have deep product liability experience and take the time to truly understand a product from inception to alleged failure.'
  • 'Sandra Ezell has outstanding judgment on every aspect of a case.'
  • 'Robert Wise is great at what he does.'

Key clients

  • Crown Equipment Corporation
  • FCA US LLC (Fiat Chrysler)
  • Ford Motor Company
  • General Electric Company/Global Aerospace Inc.
  • Honda
  • Hyundai
  • Kia
  • Mazda
  • Mitsubishi
  • Mercedes-Benz USA
  • Navistar, Inc.
  • Nissan (Nissan North America, Inc. and Nissan Motor Co. LTD)
  • Razor USA LLC
  • Safran Helicopter Engines
  • Skinny Labs Inc. d/b/a Spin
  • Tesla, Inc.
  • Textron (comprising Textron, Inc., Textron Specialized Vehicles, Inc., and various Arctic Cat subsidiaries)
  • Toyota (comprising Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., Toyota Motor North America, inc., and certain other Toyota subsidiaries)
  • Winnebago

Work highlights

  • Serving as lead counsel in multiple collision cases for Ford Motor Co., including a multi-vehicle rear-end collision matter.
  • Secured victory for Tesla in a recently filed multimillion-dollar exposure case in Florida.
  • Acting for General Electric Company/Global Aerospace Inc. and Safran Helicopter Engines in the wake of wrongful death product liability cases arising from separate helicopter crashes.

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Mark Jones, Alana Bassin

Other key lawyers

Terri Reiskin, Sandra Ezell, Richard North, Rob Wise, Jahmy Graham, Eden Darrell, Heather Fields, Jason Hodge, Mike Brown