New York City Litigation Lawyers Blog

• February 17, 2010 8:12 AM
  Federal Agencies Set Criteria for Chinese Drywall DiagnosisFederal agencies recently released a new set of criteria to help members and inspectors determine whether recent renovations or construction definitively has defective Chinese drywall. Calling it a "preliminary" protocol, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) outlined standards for homes built from 2001-2008, for the first time acknowledging a wider range of possible homes may be affected than the earlier estimates of 2004-2007.
• December 21, 2009 8:44 AM
  Stark & Stark Joins HADD to Urge New Jersey Supreme Court to Uphold Homeowner Tort Remedies Against Manufacturers of Defective Building ComponentsThe law firm of Stark & Stark, P.C. has joined forces with Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings (HADD) to file an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief urging the New Jersey Supreme Court to allow homeowners to pursue tort remedies against manufacturers of defective building components.
• December 17, 2009 8:54 AM
  Stark & Stark's New WebsiteStark & Stark is pleased to announce the launch of its newly designed website at www.stark-stark.com. The design of the new site is intended to make it easier for visitors to access information, find attorney biographies, and research information on the many services Stark & Stark offers. The new home page offers easy access to information on individual offices, a sign-up page for industry specific newsletters and updates on the firm's active involvement in local community organizations.
• November 30, 2009 9:22 AM
  Corrosion Linked To Chinese DrywallA recent article on CBS reports that the federal government has found a "strong association" between defective Chinese drywall and corrosion of pipes and wires in homes where the drywall has been found. This confirmation supports complaints made by thousands of homeowners throughout the United States over the last year.
• November 4, 2009 8:58 AM
  Chinese Drywall Manufacturer Offers to Streamline Lawsuits in Federal CourtAn article online this week states that Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd., one of the leading defendants in a consolidated federal court lawsuit against drywall manufacturers in China, offered homeowners who sign up for he omnibus class action by December 2, 2009 and show proof that their homes were built with KPT drywall won't have to pay $15,000 to serve the company in China through the Hague Convention, according to an order issued Monday by United States District Court Judge Eldon Fallon. This offer will speed up the proceedings, reduce costs and aid in the consolidation of the disputes in federal court.
• October 28, 2009 1:34 PM
  Chinese Drywall Update: Tenebaum Brings Little Relief To US After Trip to China A recent report in the Wall Street Journal details the ongoing frustrations of US homeowners who have been affected by the defective Chinese drywall epidemic. Homeowners were hopeful that Inez Tenebaum, Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, would bring relief back to the US after a recent visit to China. Prior to the trip, Tenenbaum said she would speak to Chinese officials in an effort to gauge their willingness to help pay for the estimated $15-$25 billion dollars in damages.
• October 16, 2009 11:23 AM
  Insurance Companies Deny Claims, Drop PoliciesI found an article on line this week which reports that in the wake of the defective Chinese drywall epidemic, insurance Companies have started to deny claims, and even worse, refusing to renew entire policies. Thousands of homeowners nationwide have been affected by the defective building materials are now finding little assistance.
• September 15, 2009 11:44 AM
  Chinese Drywall: The Next EIFS?Though the final number has yet to be determined, recent reports state that the total cost of damages from Chinese drywall could reach $25 billion. Most reports place the final number somewhere between $15 and $25 billion, while others state that after repairs and litigation costs, the $25 billion mark could be surpassed.
• September 4, 2009 8:22 AM
  Chinese Drywall Found in Las VegasA recent report states that the Chinese drywall problem has moved west. Homeowners in Las Vegas have found instances of Chinese drywall in their homes, and have filed a class action lawsuit. The suit states that the drywall is causing health problems for homeowners in two Las Vegas neighborhoods.
• September 1, 2009 8:56 AM
  Tax Rebate for Homeowners With Chinese DrywallFor those who have found that their homes were constructed or remodeled in recent years with defective drywall imported from China, relief may be on the way. But it may not be as easy to get as some may think. Though State and Federal government officials have been working to determine how to distribute a tax rebate to those homeowners affected by the Chinese drywall epidemic, it is not an open and shut case for those who want to receive funds.

Additional Member Firms

Attorneys Toyota Action Consortium (ATAC)

BOSTON, MA (February 10, 2010) – In addition to the firms mentioned in the press release, key members of the ATAC Team include the following:

• In Florida, the consortium is led by Dr. Howard and Norwood Wilner of Wilner Hartley & Metcalf. The Wilner firm is currently playing a key role in more than 3,600 tobacco disease and death cases in Florida. Other Florida lawyers joining effort include:
  • Mike Papantonio, of Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Echsner & Proctor, P.A. of Pensacola, a firm that has won more than one billion dollars in total settlements. Papantonio's firm runs the successful "Mass Torts Made Perfect" series of seminars, training trial lawyers nationwide in advanced litigation strategies.
  • Douglas Lyons of Lyons and Farrar of Tallahassee, who won one of the first sudden acceleration cases against General Motors more than 20 years ago.
  • Eddie Farah, senior partner with Farah and Farah of Jacksonville, which has been involved in major product liability litigation nationally.
  • John Rimes, of The Law Office of John Rimes of Tallahassee, who has 25 years experience as lead trial and appellate counsel and as general counsel to various departments and other entities of state government.
  • Gary Farmer of Farmer, Jaffe, Weissing, Edwards, Fistos & Lehrman, P.L. of Ft. Lauderdale.
• In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the consortium is led by Stephen A. Sheller and Brian J. McCormick, Jr., of Sheller, P.C., in Philadelphia, who have already filed a case in Pennsylvania and will shortly file in New Jersey. Sheller was a finalist for the 2003 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award "for discovering the light cigarette fraud and initiating the litigation strategy to remedy the deception."  This innovative legal strategy resulted in a $10.1 billion verdict against Phillip Morris. The firm is among the best-known in the nation in the area of whistleblower cases – in 2009 alone, the firm represented the plaintiffs in separate settlements of $1.4 billion against Eli Lilly and $2.3 billion against Pfizer.
• In Massachusettsand Vermont, Edward Broderick of The Broderick Law Firm in Boston will lead the effort. Broderick has broad experience in complex litigation, including consumer and personal injury litigation. Broderick is joined by Dr. Richard Daynard, a well-known consumer law specialist and Director of the Tobacco Products Liability Project and the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University.
• In California, the consortium is led by Larry Gornick of Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick in San Francisco. Gornick is well known for his work involving defective products, toxic torts, unfair business practices and false advertising.
• In New York, the litigation is led by attorney James F. Haggerty, who is also among the nation's leading experts on effective public relations during lawsuits.
• Working with the consortium in Las Vegas, Nevada, is Dennis Kennedy of Bailey Kennedy. Kennedy is a well known Nevada lawyer whose firm has a long reputation in "bet-the-company" commercial litigation.
• In Kansas and Missouri, Neil Sader of The Sader Law Firm, located in Kansas City, is an experienced Kansas City consumer attorney. Sader's Firm has successfully handled significant class actions in the areas of consumer law and securities violations against some of the largest corporations in America.
• In Maryland, Philip Zipin of The Law Offices of Phil Zipin leads the effort. Zipin has handled numerous lawsuits in the automotive industry in Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, California, Colorado and Virginia.
• Shawn Council in Connecticut has handled hundreds of cases in state and federal court and is an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University.

Other current consortium members, consultants, and states where actions are being prepared for filing include:

• John Hughes , Wallace & Graham, Salisbury, North Carolina
• Bryce Johnson, Johnson & Biscone, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Butch Starns and Blake Shepard, Leonard, Street and Deinard, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Henry Garrard III, Blasingame Burch Garrard & Ashley, P.C., Athens, Georgia
• Don Slavik, Habush, Habush, Rottier, S.C., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

SOURCE Attorneys Toyota Action Consortium