When product liability claims threaten your business, you need more than litigators. You need counsel who understand your products, your industry, and the stakes. Moran Reeves Conn’s Product Liability practice has been ranked Band 2 in Virginia by Chambers USA for seven consecutive years, reflecting the depth of experience and courtroom judgment clients rely on in complex, high-exposure cases.
National Reach, Coordinated Defense
Our product liability defense attorneys have appeared in virtually every U.S. state on behalf of manufacturers, distributors, and individuals. That national reach gives clients a coordinated, practical defense strategy across jurisdictions, whether the matter involves a single serious incident or litigation with broader business implications.
Technical Experience in High-Stakes Claims
For more than 75 combined years, our team has handled claims involving commercial and consumer products, with particular experience in heavy equipment, including agricultural, construction, and industrial machinery. We have served as national and regional counsel for product manufacturers, coordinating defense strategy from initial investigation through trial and appeal. Clients benefit from our established network of attorneys, technical experts, and scientific consultants who can help address the engineering, regulatory, and causation issues that often drive product liability litigation.
Risk Management Beyond Litigation
We also help clients reduce risk before disputes arise. Our attorneys advise on product warnings, owner’s manuals, contract provisions, and related risk-management strategies that help clients identify exposure, strengthen documentation, and make practical decisions before litigation begins. We also provide guidance for international manufacturers importing products into the United States and domestic companies exporting to foreign markets.
Representative Products
Our lawyers have represented manufacturers and distributors across a wide range of product categories, including agricultural, construction, and industrial equipment; automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, tires, and automotive products; air conditioning systems, cabinets, roofing systems, asphalt composite shingles, and reinforced plastic mortar pipe; amusement park rides, recreational products, food and meat processing equipment, hay balers, tractors, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and asbestos products.
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Representative Cases
- Serve as National Trial Counsel for a leading company in the food processing equipment industry and National Discovery Counsel for a global tire manufacturer.
- Serve as National Coordinating Counsel for multiple clients defending their friction products in national asbestos litigation.
- Sardis v. Overhead Door Corp. (4th Cir. 2021). Obtained judgment for defendant product manufacturer in wrongful death lawsuit, while obtaining oft cited Fourth Circuit opinion reenforcing trial court “gatekeeping” responsibilities under Federal Rule 702.
- DeLeon v. The Biro Manufacturing Company (Hudson Co., NJ). Obtained summary judgment for defendant meat saw manufacturer in defective design and failure to warn case where plaintiff’s expert lacked factual basis for any defect opinions.
- Norris v. Excel Industries, Inc. (4th Cir. 2016). Obtained summary judgment for defendant mower manufacturer in a fatal rollover case alleging defective design and failure to warn from the absence of rollover protection.
- Johnson v. Southern States (2014). Earned dismissal for client against novel spoliation of evidence lawsuit.
- Jacqueline Downing v. UCS (U.S. Dist. E.D. Va., 2013). Obtained summary judgment for client in multi-plaintiff lawsuits based on novel “act of God” defense and aggressive motions practice to restrict opposing experts and evidence.
- Obtained dismissal of major U.S. roofing materials manufacturer in a benzene case in West Virginia based on lack of evidence of harmful exposure (2024)
- Secured defense verdict for global gasket manufacturer following jury trial in an asbestos-related wrongful death action in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (2019)
- Won dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction in favor of a leading multi-national European automotive components manufacturer in California asbestos action (2019)
