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Mr. Mullin is a trial and appellate lawyer, and his practice focuses on the defense of product liability cases, with a particular emphasis on defending fire, burn and electrocution and electric shock cases. He chairs the firm’s Products Liability group. Mr. Mullin is national coordinating counsel for The Black & Decker Corporation, where he supervises nationally the defense of cases involving a variety of household products, including coffeemakers, toaster ovens, toasters, hand-held vacuums and step stools, as well as catastrophic claims involving power tools and heavy industrial machinery. In addition, he acts as Maryland and national trial counsel for The Black & Decker Corporation and other major manufacturers including General Electric Company, Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc., Electrolux North America, Inc., Broan-NuTone, LLC and Jarden Corporation (formerly Sunbeam Products, Inc.). Mr. Mullin also assists clients in the area of risk management and represents clients before the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and in connection with corrective action plans (recalls), civil penalties and reports and investigations under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Mr. Mullin is well versed in the application of Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to products liability cases. For example, he was the principal attorney in Knotts v. Black & Decker, Inc., 204 F. Supp. 2d 1029 (N.D. Ohio 2002) and Booth v. Black & Decker, Inc., 166 F. Supp. 2d 215 (E.D. Pa. 2001), both of which extended the reach of Daubert in fire litigation. Mr. Mullin also successfully established the limited immunity of paramedics employed by the Baltimore City Fire Department, thereby shielding them from tort liability in the performance of their duties in the case of Mayor & City Council v. Chase, 360 Md. 121 (2000), rev’g 126 Md. App. 427 (1999). In addition to his legal career, Mr. Mullin has been involved in the fire service as a firefighter and fire officer for over 30 years. He is a frequent author and lecturer in the areas of fire and products liability litigation. Practice Areas: Insurance Recovery & Risk Management Products Liability CPSC & Other Regulatory Compliance Fire & Electrical Injury Litigation Industrial Machinery Litigation Medical Malpractice, Medical Products & Health Care Power Tools Litigation Bar Admissions/Court Admissions:District of Columbia Maryland Education:Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. 1980, Magna Cum Laude. Dickinson College, B.A. 1977, Magna Cum Laude. Affiliations, Associations and Special Achievements: Baltimore Magazine: Listed as a "Maryland Super Lawyer" (2008) Baltimore Regional Burn Center Foundation Community Fund: Board of Directors (2001-present); Treasurer (2002-2008) Defense Research Institute: Co-Chair, Products Liability Committee; Fire and Property Damage Subcommittee; Products Liability Committee International Association of Arson Investigators National Association of Fire and Emergency Services Attorneys: Secretary (2004-2006) National Association of Manufacturers CPSC Coalition National Fire Protection Association Product Liability Advisory Council The Best Lawyer in America: Listed for Product Liability Litigation (2007, 2008) Publications: Applying Daubert to Fire Origin and Cause Investigations, Defense Research Institute, For The Defense (October 1999). Countering Circumstantial Evidence of Defect, Defense Research Institute, For The Defense (April 2002). Spoliation of Evidence: Destruction of the Fire Scene, Defense Research Institute, For The Defense (September 1997). The Daubert Compendium 2002 (Editorial Board), Defense Research Institute (2002). The Daubert Compendium 2002, (Editorial Board) Defense Research Institute (2002).Using Daubert to Challenge Expert Testimony in an ‘Indeterminate Defect/General Malfunction’ Case," International Association of Defense Counsel, Product Liability Committee Newsletter (June 2001). Interstate Deposition Statutes: Survey and Analysis, 11 U. Balt. L. Rev. 1 (1982). Judicial Review of Health Claims Arbitration Awards: Practice and Pitfalls, 17 U. Balt. L. Rev. 433 (1989).Standards for the Admissibility of Expert Evidence in the 50 States, (Maryland Chapter) Product Liability Advisory Council (2005). Speaking Engagements: Conducting an Effective Product Recall, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Crystal City, Virginia (October 2003). Consumer Products and Fire Issues: The Defense of the Product, International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO), Orlando, Florida (February 2003). CPSC Update: Will the New Chairman Change the Agency? National Association of Manufacturers, Chicago, Illinois (March 2003). Daubert and the In-House Expert: Avoiding Plaintiffs’ Counterattack, National Association of Manufacturers, New Orleans, Louisiana (June 2003). Defense Attorneys’ Role in Fire Litigation, International Association of Arson Investigators, Las Vegas, Nevada (May 1999). Developments in Attacking Plaintiff’s Case: NFPA 921, Spoliation of Evidence and Daubert as They Apply to Fire Litigation, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Tampa, Florida (October 1999). European Union/CPSC Cooperation and the EU Revised General Product Safety Directive: Global Product Safety Issues, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Product Safety and Liability Conference, Washington, D.C. (October 2005). Investigation of Electrical Appliance Related Fires: Defense Attorneys’ Role in Fire Litigation, International Association of Arson Investigators and Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, St. Louis, Missouri; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Biloxi, Mississippi; Rockville, Maryland; Reno, Nevada; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Meriden, Connecticut (1998-2001). Investigations of Electrical and Appliance Related Fires: Appliance Fire Investigation in the Legal Arena, International Association of Arson Investigators and Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Las Vegas, Nevada; Savannah, Georgia; Medford, Oregon; San Marcos, Texas; West Palm Beach, Florida; Mesa, Arizona; Arlington, Texas (2004-2007). Knotts v. Black & Decker: A Case Study in Daubert Strategy and Application, Defense Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona (November 2003). Mandatory Disclosure Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26: The Role of National Counsel, Defense Research Institute Product Liability Committee, San Diego, California (February 1996). Opening Statements Get Your Pitch in Before the Steel Trap Shuts, Maryland State Bar Association, Sections of Litigation, Negligence, Insurance and Workers’ Compensation, Ocean City, Maryland (June 1998). Product Liability, Warnings and the Universal Safety Guide Project, Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association (FEMSA) and Fire Apparatus Manufacturer’s Association (FAMA), San Diego, California (October 2002). Product Recalls and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: The Manufacturer’s Perspective, National Appliance Service Association, Breckenridge, Colorado (June 2000). Recent Changes to NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations and Failure to Preserve the Fire Scene as Spoliation of Evidence, Defense Research Institute Product Liability Committee, Chicago, Illinois (September 1995). Technical and Other Specialized Knowledge: The Application of Daubert to Fire Investigation, Defense Research Institute Product Liability Committee, Chicago, Illinois (September 1998). Who Let the Lawyer into My Fire Scene? Critical Legal Issues in 2004, International Association of Arson Investigators (MD/DC Chapters), Beltsville, Maryland (May 2004). ‘Contra Spoliatem’: Attacking the Spoliator in Fire Litigation, Defense Research Institute, New Orleans, Louisiana (September 2002). ‘It Just Blew’: Defense of Cases Involving Circumstantial Evidence of Defect, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Crystal City, Virginia (October 2001). Daubert and Spoliation of Evidence: The Defense Attorney’s Perspective, International Association of Special Investigation Units (Virginia Chapter), Annual Seminar, Richmond, Virginia (May 2005). Evidence Spoliation, International Association of Arson Investigators (MD/DC Chapters) and Maryland Fire and Explosive Investigators Association, Joint Training Seminar: The Mechanics of Fire Investigation, Rockville, Maryland (May 2000). Managing Outside Counsel Through Proven Reporting Structures,National Association of Manufacturers Product Liability Seminar, Chicago, Illinois (March 2003). NFPA 921 An Attorney’s Perspective, International Association of Arson Investigators (Iowa Chapter), 20th Annual Fire Investigation Seminar and Annual Meeting, Waterloo, Iowa (September 2002). Product Liability and Warnings, National Association of Manufacturers, National Manufacturing Week booth presentation, Chicago, Illinois (March 2003). Proposed Changes to the Consumer Product Safety Act," Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Appliance Safety and Product Liability Seminar, Washington, DC (October 09, 2007). Strategies for Preventing and Defending Against CPSC Civil Penalties," Defense Research Institute, Product Liability Conference, New Orleans, LA (February 7-9, 2007). The Human Factor: Often Overlooked Causes of Fires," Defense Research Institute, Fire and Casualty Seminar, Chicago, IL, November 2-3, 2006 (with Scott R. Pinzone, Esquire).Truck Insurance v. MagneTek A Legal and Technical Analysis, Defense Research Institute, Fire and Casualty Seminar, Chicago, Illinois (with Donald J. Hoffmann, Ph.D.). (November 2005).Witness Skills for Fire Investigators, International Association of Arson Investigators (MD/DC Chapter), 2005 Spring Seminar, College Park, Maryland (with Gillian Drake) (May 2005). |
