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Kathryn Humphrey has served for six years as a Practice Group Leader for the 150-member Litigation Practice Group. Ms. Humphrey's practice includes complex and high-stakes matters in aviation, pharmaceuticals, automotive and industrial products, construction and commercial disputes, and environmental litigation. She has successfully defended product liability claims concerning chemicals, natural gas, automobiles, trucks, general aviation aircraft, airline, executive jet and cargo aircraft, paper-making machinery and materials handling equipment. She has handled multi-million dollar construction and contract law disputes, trademark and RICO matters, and has defended banks, small and large businesses, standards setting and testing organizations, non-profit corporations, governmental entities, and global corporations. She is a certified commercial arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, and has served as a mediator and evaluator in dozens of matters in the state courts of Michigan.
Experience
Among the matters she has handled as an advocate are:
A wrongful death action involving a landing accident of an executive jet carrying six persons. Along with a colleague, Ms. Humphrey tried this action, obtaining an excellent result in both the jury portion of the case and the concurrent bench trial decision.
A wrongful death action involving a mid-air collision of two general aviation aircraft. Along with co-counsel from another firm, Ms. Humphrey obtained a defense verdict for the client and then obtained the award of attorney fees to be paid by plaintiff.
A forklift product liability claim involved a serious injury in a workplace setting by a worker crushed between the forklift and a column. Ms. Humphrey tried the case to a jury and obtained a defense verdict for the client forklift manufacturer.
The defense of two clients, suppliers to the automotive industry, alleged to have liability in a $400+ million environmental clean-up of a Michigan river. This CERCLA case required four trials and three appeals, and resulted in a zero allocation against both clients for the cost of the river clean-up.
The coordination, management and prosecution of multi-million dollar construction claims on behalf of contractors.
An arbitration over several days of a dispute involving wastewater treatment technology, resulting in a successful arbitration award in favor of the client.
The defense and dismissal of claims against 13 clients in an environmental clean-up case, having assisted the clients in an arrangement that allowed sharing of fees. The results were total victory and the cost for each client was very low.
Representation of several family members contesting the allocation of a wrongful death settlement in which they were not adequately considered. The matter was tried to the bench and reallocation occurred in a manner satisfactory to the clients.
Successful negotiation of very favorable settlements in wrongful death, personal injury, product liability, environmental and commercial claims arising in a variety of contexts, industries and settings (including private, public and military contexts).
Significant Decisions
In re Airport Disaster at Metropolitan Airport, 782 F.2d 1041 (6th Cir. 1985)
Kalamazoo River Study Group v. Rockwell Int'l Corp., 274 F.3d 1043 (6th Cir. 2001)
W.R. Grace & Co. - Conn. v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22554 (W.D. Mich. 1999)
Wright v. Bond-Air, Ltd., 930 F. Supp. 300 (E.D. Mich. 1996)
City Envtl. v. United States Chem. Co., 814 F. Supp. 624 (E.D. Mich. 1993)
Attorney General v. Oakland Disposal, Inc., 226 Mich. App. 321; 573 N.W. 2d 300 (1997)
Professional Associations
American Arbitration Association: Certified commercial arbitrator
Wayne County Mediation Tribunal: approved case evaluator
Member, Board of Visitors, Wayne State University Law School
Local Rules Advisory Committee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (1995 - 1998)
Legal Aid and Defender Association of Detroit -- President of the Board of Directors (1996 - 1998)
International Aviation Women's Association -- founding member
Lawyer-Pilot Bar Association
Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
Awards
Named 2006 Michigan Super Lawyer by Law & Politics.
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