Background
- Steve is a litigator with over 30 years of civil trial experience involving toxic torts, product liability and commercial litigation
- He is recognized as one of the preeminent asbestos/toxic tort lawyers in the state
- Steve has extensive experience in numerous jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations
Areas of Experience and Focus
- Asbestos, Benzene and Toxic Tort Litigation
- Provides advice and counsel on Toxic Tort defense strategies
- Product Liability Litigation
- National trial experience for a wide variety of products including blood filters, lathes, grinding machines, turning machines, heat treating machines, compressors, and roofing materials
- Commercial Litigation
- Extensive experience in trade secret and intellectual property cases
- Has tried and arbitrated many construction claims
Achievements/Honors
- Defense verdict in Wille v. A.W. Chesterton, et al. in US Federal Court, Northern District of Ohio
- Defense verdict in Betty Werts Executrix of the Estate of Ronald Werts, Deceased v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, et al. in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, upheld in Betty Werts Executrix of the Estate of Ronald Werts, Deceased v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, et al. in the Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District (June 2009)
- Defense verdict and favorable written opinion on issues of causation and substantial factor under Ohio and maritime law in 2004 see Bartel v. John Crane, Inc. 316 F.Supp.2d 603, 610 (N.D. Ohio, 2004); upheld by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
- Briefed and argued cases at the appellate level which have established law favorable to defendants - Bartel v. John Crane, Inc. 316 F.Supp.2d 603, 610 (N.D. Ohio, 2004), aff’d, Lindstrom v. A-C Product Liability Trust, 424 F.3d 488 (6th Cir. 2005) and Barone v. GATX Corp., 167 Ohio App.3d 744 (11th Dist. 2006)
- Numerous defense verdicts in asbestos, benzene, and product liability cases
- Major successes in commercial, contract and construction trials and arbitrations
Professional Involvement
- Member, Defense Research Institute
Publications and Presentations
- Harris Martin Asbestos Litigation Conference on Friction Products, May 2005
- Authored the chapter on Product Liability Law in the United States in the International Personal Injury Sourcebook. Campbell, Dennis, ed. London: Sweet & Maxwell: 1996.
- Lecturer, "Economic Loss and Emotional Damages Experts," Lohrman Educational Services
- Several presentations regarding expert discovery, evidence and trial preparation
