Tim is a partner in the firm's Product Liability and Business Litigation practice groups. He is Chair of the Firm's Mass and Toxic Tort Group. He focuses his litigation practice on mass toxic tort, product liability, and commercial litigation on a national basis. Tim has represented our clients in over twenty-three states and Canada. Tim is the lead counsel for a number of chemical companies and the industry trade association on national litigation involving chemical exposures.

Tim is admitted to practice in Ohio, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, and the Central District of Illinois, and has been admitted to the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Fifth and Sixth Circuits.

Education

  • Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D., 1984, Order of the Coif
  • University of Notre Dame, B.B.A., 1981

Representative Matters

Reported Cases
  • Valentine v. Conrad, 110 Ohio St. 3d 42 (2006).
  • Michaels v. Ford Motor Company, 650 N.E.2d 1352 (Ohio S. Ct. 1995).
  • Taylor v. Am. Chemistry Council, 2009 U.S. App. LEXIS 17321 (1st Cir. Mass. Aug. 3, 2009)
  • BP Chemicals, Inc. v. First State Insurance Co., U.S. Ct. App. 6th Cir., 2000 U.S. App. LEXIS 22136.
  • Maddox v. Ford Motor Company, U.S. Ct. App. 6th Cir., 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 16831.
  • Feistner v. Ford Motor Company, U.S. Ct. App. 6th Cir., 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 1407.
  • Roney v. Gencorp, et al., No. 3:05-0788, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80849 (S.D.W. Va. Sept. 4, 2009)
  • Taylor v. Airco, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64441.
  • Hogan v. Goodrich Corp., 2006 WL 149011 (W.D. Ky. Jan. 17, 2006).
  • Bogner v. Airco, Inc., 353 F. Supp. 2d 977 (C.D. Ill. 2005).
  • Stouffer Corp. v. Teachers Insurance & Annuity Assn., 20 F.3d 1174 (7th Cir., 1994).
  • Dettinger v. Chrysler Plastic Products, 1987 U.S. Dist. Ct. LEXIS 14364.
  • Buynie v. Airco, Inc., 2007 WL 2275013 (N.J. Super. A.D., 2007).
  • Gay v. O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., 2009-Ohio-2954.
  • McEldowney v. Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., 2007 Mich. App. LEXIS 1452.
  • Chokan v. Ford , No. 87082, 2006 Ohio App. Lexis 5551 (8th Dist. Oct. 26, 2006).
  • Mayor v. Ford Motor Co., 2004 WL 1402692 (Ohio 8th Dist. Ct. App. June 24, 2004).
  • Anderson v. Airco, 2004 WL 2827887 (Del Super. Nov. 30, 2004); 2004 WL 1551484 (Del. Super. June 30, 2004).
  • Hurst v. American Racing Equipment, Inc., 1998 Tex. App. LEXIS 6246.
  • Loeschner v. Clark Material Handling, 1998 Ohio App. LEXIS 4318.
  • Furness v. Pois, 107 Ohio App. 3d 719 (Ohio App. 1995).
  • Pifher v. Ford Motor Company, 1994 Ohio App. LEXIS 3589.
  • Furbee v. Ford Motor Company, 1994 Ohio App. LEXIS 1478.
  • National City Bank v. Jim Pritz Ford, Inc., 1990 Ohio App. LEXIS 4200.
  • Neff v. Celanese Piping Sys., 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 8826.


  • Litigation
  • National representation of multiple chemical companies and the industry trade association in product liability and industry wide liability claims.
  • National representation of an after-market automotive supplier in product liability and contractual disputes.
  • National representation of the largest polymer service company in product liability matters.
  • Multi-state representation of a target defendant in a $282 million damage phase of consumer class action based litigation.
  • Defense of a putative consumer class action against a leading power tool manufacturer.
  • Representation of multi-national chemical corporation in product liability matters resulting in wrongful death suits.
  • Representation of multi-national electronic supplier in product liability matters.
  • Representation of multi-national electronics entity in commercial disputes over breaches of warranty.
  • Representation of numerous machine tool manufacturers in product liability matters.
  • Representation of numerous pesticide manufacturers in product liability matters arising out of chemical exposure.
  • Representation of various medical device manufacturers in product liability cases ranging from implants to sterilizers.
  • Statewide representation of a Fortune 10 manufacturer in all premises liability matters.
  • Representation of handgun manufacturers in various municipal litigation.
  • Representation of a Fortune 10 manufacturer in multiple jurisdictions for multi-million dollar fire and business interruption losses.

  • Technology
  • Represents court automation software firm in contract negotiation and licensing issues.
  • Represented software firm in $20 million sale to publicly traded government consulting firm.
  • Represents business-to-business firm in acquisition of media, print and database firm.
  • Represents Fortune 10 automaker in consumer facing web site compliance issues.
  • Represents software consulting firms on licensing issues.
  • Represents start-up biotech firm for light manufacturing.
  • Represents start-up supply chain management firm in medical supply field.

Professional & Civic Involvement

Professional Associations

Defense Research Institute · Industry Wide, Toxic Tort and Environmental Law (Program Committee)
International Association of Defense Counsel
Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association · Litigation & Environmental Section

Community Activities

University Mednet/Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament Board, 1986-Present; Tournament Chairman, 1998

Publications

  • "Preventing Forum Shopping Sprees: How to be the Squeaky Wheel on a Forum Shopping Cart" · For the Defense, October 2005
  • "The Benefits of an Extranet" · For The Defense, Defense Research Institute Incorporated, January 2001
View Related News and Publications >>

Presentations

  • Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case, Cleveland, Ohio, December 18, 2009
  • "Best Practices in Mass, Complex and Toxic Tort Litigation", Thompson Hine LLP seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 2009
  • "Best Practices in Mass, Complex and Toxic Tort Litigation", Thompson Hine LLP seminar, Cleveland, Ohio, May 2009
  • "Anti-Chemical Initiatives (chemical bans, chemical deselection mandates, and the future)", Ohio Chemistry Technology Council Annual Conference, Columbus, Ohio, April 2009
  • "Trends in Litigation" , Association of Corporate Counsel Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio, July 2002
  • "Using High Tech Tools for Litigation: A Survey of Cutting Edge Technology to Assist In-house Counsel", ACCA Conference for Corporate Counsel 2002, Washington, D.C., June 2002
  • "Emerging Trends in Liability Litigation", PricewaterhouseCoopers General Counsel Forum, February 2002
  • "Techno Torts", Network of Trial Law Firms, Stamford, Connecticut, July 2001
View Related Events >>

Awards & Honors

  • The Burton Award for Legal Achievement - 2006