|
Mr. Gattoni's practice focuses on complex civil litigation with an emphasis on products liability, business and environmental/toxic tort claims. Mr. Gattoni has considerable trial and courtroom experience and he has been involved in numerous highly publicized cases.
A significant portion of his products liability practice involves defending mass tort and class action lawsuits against pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, including electrical surgical devices, prosthetic heart valves, and pacemakers. Mr. Gattoni's product liability practice also includes providing product liability and risk management counseling to manufacturers and distributors of industrial and retail products, including review of product labeling and warnings.
Mr. Gattoni's environmental/toxic tort experience includes asbestos-related litigation defense of various clients, including oil refineries, railroads, chemical and dry-goods warehouses, as well as manufacturers and distributors of automotive friction products and wire and cable.
Mr. Gattoni has successfully defended numerous companies in litigation arising out of some of the largest fire losses in the United States and has an impressive record of summary judgment victories. He has worked closely with federal, state, and local arson and bomb investigators, as well as nationally renowned experts and testing facilities. He has represented numerous manufacturers and distributors, including oil and gas refineries, in massive litigation arising out of fires and other toxic tort-related incidents.
Prior to joining Dykema, Mr. Gattoni was a partner with Reed Smith LLP in Oakland, California. He has received high marks from judges, adversaries and colleagues. In 2004 he was recognized as one of California's "Super Lawyers". As a member of the California Bar, Mr. Gattoni periodically served as a Judge Pro Tem.
Experience
Member of national defense team for St. Jude Medical in the Silzone Heart Valve Litigation and Atrial J Lead Litigation
Regional counsel and expert witness team member for Merck in the VIOXX Litigation
Member of the California and national defense teams for Wyeth in the Diet Drug Litigation, including responsibility for defending numerous PPH and valvulopathy cases
Counsel for various product manufacturers, including Pfizer and Valleylab cases involving surgical units and consumer products, Trek Bicycle in various personal injury actions, and Lincoln Electric and Techalloy in welding rod chemical exposure lawsuits
Counsel for Securitas, Pinkerton's and APS in highly publicized wrongful death, and fire litigation
Product liability and risk management counseling for Sony and Microsoft
National Coordinating Counsel for General Motors in marine and aviation toxic tort litigation
Primary defense counsel for General Motors and Ford Motor Company in the Michigan asbestos litigation
Seminars and Speeches
Foreign Mass Torts Finding U.S. Courts, Inside Counsel Podcast, June 2007
10/2006 Triage Saves The Day, Dykema Litigation Seminar for In-House Counsel, Detroit Athletic Club, Detroit, MI
5/1998 The Impact of Medicare and Other Governmental Rights on the Settlement of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Cases, DRI Drug and Medical Device Seminar (Co-author), New Orleans, LA
2/1997 An Overview of Products Liability Litigation in the United States, Fire Retardant Chemicals Association International Conference, San Francisco, CA
Publications
9/2007 Pharmaceutical Technology, "The Perils of Purchase-Order Contracting In Pharmaceutical Transactions," (co-authored with Stephen D. Sayre)
Andrews Medical Device Litigation Reporter, "The Recent Trend of 'Backdooring' Foreign Mass-Tort Claims Into U.S. Courts," January 2007 (co-authored with Brian Oh)
10/2006 Counsel to Counsel, "Litigation Management: Triage Saves The Day"
10/2002 Security Management, "How to Win Vicariously: An Old Legal Theory Offers a New Defense," (Co-author)
11/2000 IADC Newsletter, Drug, Device & Biotech Committee, "The End of 'Constitutional Blackmail'"
Fall 1998 Journal of Property Management (Co-author), "Parking Garage Owners Beware: Your Premises Are Inherently Dangerous"
Professional Associations
California Bar Association
State Bar of Michigan
Judge Pro Tem in Alameda County, California, Consolidated Courts
Participant, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Advocacy Program (1996)
Participant, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), Instructor Training Program (1995)
Civic and Cultural Involvements
Oakland Zoo Board of Trustees (President, 2002-2005)
Member of Northern California Cultural and Trade Delegation to China (2002).
|
