David focuses on representing corporations as national, regional, local and trial counsel in all phases of complex product liability litigation from pre-litigation crisis management through trial. He has been involved in the defense of a wide variety of product liability litigation, including automobiles, exercise and recreational equipment, heavy industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals and toxic torts, including asbestos. He has also defended corporations in class actions, multi‑district litigation and state-wide consolidations. David has extensive deposition experience including preparation and defense of corporate executives, as well as scientific, medical and technical experts. He also has experience in the defense of catastrophic accidents on construction sites. David has represented construction clients in disputes involving construction defect and breach of contract.
Prior to joining Harris Beach, David practiced with a New York City law firm where his experience included representing a company as national counsel in the “Fen Phen” litigation. He also represented a major Japanese international manufacturing client as Northeast Regional Discovery Coordinator responsible for preparation of discovery responses and mass document production. David also has significant experience in defense of international automotive manufacturers against product liability claims.. The types of claims range from allegedly inadequate occupant restraint systems, airbags and seat belts, to crashworthiness, failure to comply with Federal Regulations and a variety of failure to warn claims.
As a partner at Harris Beach, David also has extensive firm management responsibility. He serves as partner-in-charge of the New York City office summer associate program and supervises the New York City docketing and managing clerk staff. He is also a member of the hiring and associate training committees.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS + SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Presented a construction law defect program at the Defense Research Institute’s (DRI) Construction Law Seminar in September 2010.
- Co-author of “Moving from the Minors to the Majors: Catastrophic Failure” published in the August 2011 edition of DRI’s For the Defense.
- Published numerous articles and lectured extensively in the products liability field regarding admissibility of expert testimony, crashworthiness in automotive litigation, establishing defenses such as assumption of the risk and open and obvious dangers, rebutting failure to warn claims, and legal ethics.
- Published the article “The Biomechanical Expert: Why, When and How to Use Testimony,” in the November 2006 edition of DRI’s For The Defense.
- In March 2007, spoke on the topic, “How to Litigate a Products Case: The Fundamentals,” for a New York State Bar Association CLE program.
- On the Editorial Board for DRI’s Daubert Compendium 2002 and authored a chapter of the Compendium entitled “What is the Known or Potential Rate of Error.”
