Drawing upon the expertise of lawyers across the US with significant product liability expertise and also leveraging the firm’s overarching litigation pedigree, Winston & Strawn LLP is well-positioned to defend leading manufacturers and brands against high-profile consumer class action and product liability claims in the tobacco, oil and gas, and food and beverage sectors. Vastly experienced Chicago-based duo George Lombardi and Dan Webb are recognized for their versatility, with Lombardi having a particularly strong track record across product liability matters. In Miami, David Coulson has a formidable reputation for defending clients against consumer class actions, including claims in the food and beverages space. In Chicago, the ‘excellent’ Christopher Essig is noted for his ’collegiate approach’ and is increasingly involved in cases brought against major consumer product companies. San Francisco-based Sandra Edwards chairs the product liability practice, which also includes Washington DC-based John Rosenthal, who is ‘one of the foremost thought leaders in e-discovery’, and Stephanie Clouston, who joined the firm’s Dallas office in June 2023 from Alston & Bird LLP; she is noted for her broad litigation practice.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'They have amongst the strongest advocates you could want in a court room. They excel at big cases and MDLs.' 
  • 'Christopher Essig is an excellent litigator and is very collegiate in his approach.'
  • 'John Rosenthal is one of the foremost thought leaders in e-discovery and an excellent trial attorney.'

Key clients

  • Monsanto Company
  • The J.M. Smucker Company
  • T-Marzetti
  • Abbott Laboratories
  • Albertsons Companies
  • Champion Petfoods
  • Motorola Mobility
  • Glasshape LTD
  • ASSA ABLOY
  • Unilever

Work highlights

  • Representing Abbott in state and federal proceedings involving numerous product liability lawsuits, alleging that cow milk-based preterm infant formula products cause a naturally occurring gastrointestinal disorder in premature infants.
  • Representing Monsanto Company as trial counsel for the Roundup product liability matters, including the first US jury trial, defending against allegations that the herbicide causes Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
  • Representing Albertsons Companies, Inc., Safeway Inc., and Lucerne Foods, Inc. d/b/a O Organics, in connection with the defense of litigation filed in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia alleging that their baby foods had excessive levels of heavy metals.

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Practice head

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Sandra Edwards