Led from Washington DC by ‘absolute rock star’ Matt Howsare, and also able to draw upon ’incredibly talented attorneys’ in other nationwide offices, Cooley LLP‘s product safety group advises consumer product manufacturers on all aspects of the product life cycle, particularly in a regulatory and risk management context. Much of the firm’s success in this area can be attributed to Howsare, who ’understands the politics and personalities of the CPSC at the most granular level’. Drawing upon the firm’s overarching technology sector expertise, the team, as well as handling work for established entities including Google, is also very adept at guiding fast-growing early stage companies. The firm is also able to draw upon broader litigation capabilities to handle disputes stemming from product recalls as well as enforcement actions brought by the CPSC. Lauded for his ‘excellent grasp of strategy’ , Washington DC-based Shawn Skolky is also a key member of the team, regularly acting alongside Howsare.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'The team at Cooley has incredibly talented attorneys that are always available to help companies with urgent matters they are dealing with.'
  • 'The firm has excellent insights into the inner workings of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Their expertise spans enforcement to advocacy and has resulted in huge wins for my company.'
  • 'Matt Howsare is an absolute rock star.'
  • 'Matt Howsare understands the politics and personalities of the CPSC at the most granular level.'
  • 'Shawn Skolky is fully capable of handling matters on his own and producing very significant victories. His grasp of strategy far exceeds most associates.'

Key clients

  • Google
  • SunSetter Products LP
  • Johnson Health Tech
  • Thorley Industries, LLC (d/b/a 4moms)

Work highlights

  • Defending SunSetter in Consumer Product Safety Act litigation.
  • Successfully represented Google, obtaining a motion to compel arbitration regarding the recall of the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch in March 2022.
  • Defended Johnson Health Tech North America, Inc., in a lawsuit filed in federal court in the Central District of California arising from the company’s recall of approximately 192,000 of its Horizon T101-05 Treadmills, which was announced on October 27 2022.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Matt Howsare