John Hooper > King & Spalding LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Co-headed from New York and Atlanta by John Hooper and Susan Clare, respectively, and drawing upon significant resources across other key national offices, including Los Angeles, King & Spalding LLP‘s automotive and transport litigation team is well-positioned to defend clients in high-profile product liability and mass action disputes throughout the country. The team, which is noted for its deep subject matter knowledge, ‘technical excellence’ and ability to provide ‘class leading litigation strategy and execution’, regularly secures high-profile roles as national and trial counsel in big-ticket litigation. In addition, it often acts as strategic counsel to major automotive manufacturers in potential reputational threatening litigation, and has gained market acclaim for its ability to minimize any negative press attention and to effectively protect brand reputation. Hooper is leading the firm’s efforts for Toyota as strategic counsel across a myriad product liability and class action cases pending in various courts nationwide. Clare continues to grow her reputation in the market among domestic and foreign automotive manufacturers as a result of her ability to secure favorable outcomes in plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions in cases involving allegations of vehicle safety defects. As part of her impressive docket of work, alongside fellow Atlanta practitioner Geoffrey Drake, she leads the firm’s ongoing efforts for GM on the strategy for managing 3,000 plus breach of warranty and consumer fraud lawsuits.

Leveraging the expertise of product liability lawyers drawn from across the firm’s national network of offices, many with significant trial experience, King & Spalding LLP handles a wide range and volume of cases, for manufacturers and producers, across a broad spectrum of consumer products. The tobacco industry remains a core area of strength, with the firm’s longstanding representation of RJ Reynolds continuing to generate a slew of high-profile mandates in trial and appellate courts across Florida, in particular. Many litigators in the firm’s Miami office have been central to the recent trial successes for Reynolds, with Val Leppert ‘s recently chalking up a string of notable appellate victories, saving the company significant financial burdens following the reversal of adverse judgments totaling almost $65m. The firm’s strength within the food and beverages sector, which is increasingly being targeted by the plaintiff’s bar for alleged consumer deception offences, was recently enhanced following a trio of experienced hires in June 2022, including the ‘highly impressive’ Dale Giali and Keri Borders, who joined the Los Angeles office from Mayer Brown LLP and San Francisco-based Michael Resch , who reunites with his former colleagues following his most recent stint as general counsel at Amy’s Kitchen. In New York, John Hooper and Morton Dubin are also key members of the team, with the latter noted for his trial skills, which have been put to good use in many high-profile product liability matters, including for Johnson & Johnson in its cosmetic talc litigation. Bruce Hurley in Houston, Ursula Henninger in Miami, and New York’s Shaila Rahman Diwan co-lead the overarching trial and global disputes team.

King & Spalding LLP‘s recent track record includes advice on significant automotive industry diesel issues, as well as regulatory, enforcement and policy work. The firm also houses experts in transportation-related high-stakes disputes, government investigations, and corporate and finance work. On the litigation side, the group’s prowess covers both single-plaintiff catastrophic injury cases and multi-district litigation and class actions. As a former assistant administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance, Washington DC-based Granta Nakayama is go-to practitioner for automakers facing diesel-related issues, and Livia Kiser in Chicago represents automotive manufacturers, automotive technology companies, and distributors and suppliers in matters involving vehicle components. Other names to note are Los Angeles-based Alexander Calfo and Susan Vargas, whose product liability practices cover the automotive sector; DC-based environmental law specialist Ilana Saltzbart; and New York-based automotive industry expert Jacquie Seidel. Also in New York, John Hooper chairs the firm’s automotive and transportation litigation practice, which is co-chaired by Susan Clare in Atlanta, where class action and product liability litigator and newly promoted partner Adam Reinke is located.