TK TRIAL - Key Persons
As a commercial litigator and advisor with more than a decade of legal experience, Arshia Hourizadeh brings passionate legal services to help clients navigate complex issues and works as a partner to manufacturers in a variety of industries. He believes in providing high-quality, cost-effective, and strategic representation to a diverse range of clients, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, at a dynamic and innovative law firm.
Mr. Hourizadeh leverages skills in negotiation and problem-solving to deliver practical and effective legal solutions with an emphasis on attention to detail. His experience spans a wide range of industries, including technology, automotive, health care, real estate, and finance.
Specializing in bet-the-company litigation, breach of contract, product liability, intellectual property, and environmental tort disputes, Mr. Hourizadeh has also successfully briefed and argued dozens of appeals in state and federal appellate courts, setting case law precedent and securing favorable outcomes for clients.
In addition to proven litigation experience, Mr. Hourizadeh brings extensive experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, such as joint ventures, licensing agreements, distributorship agreements, and strategic alliances. He sets a goal to collaborate with clients on effective corporate governance, compliance, and other regulatory matters related to the operation and growth of a successful business. He establishes close relationships with leaders and develops a deep understanding of a client's goals and objectives in an effort to best identify, develop, and tailor legal strategies that lead to favorable outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Partner
- Managing Partner / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Chris Keale continues to develop an accomplished track record of efficiently and effectively resolving complex product liability and mass tort matters in a beneficial manner for his clients. This includes a specific focus in the areas of toxic tort and asbestos litigation. He also has extensive appellate experience in the highest state and federal courts including the United States Supreme Court.
In addition, a significant portion of Mr. Keale's practice involves resolution counsel, which focuses on the development and execution of legal strategies allowing for favorable legal pathways in an effort to avoid unnecessary and costly litigation processes.
Mr. Keale's vast experience includes serving as national, regional and local counsel in mass tort matters, which require the navigation of integrated and complementary litigation to simultaneously protect the value of products, business image and financial stability. This often overlaps with resolution counseling. His clients in this area have included a global engineering, construction and power company; a manufacturer of industrial adhesives, coatings and sealants; and a global manufacturer of powertrain products.
Furthermore, Mr. Keale has represented an international energy company as well as a leading maker of paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals as trial and appellate counsel.
Specific to toxic tort matters, Mr. Keale provides effective defense strategies from inception to resolution, including through trial and appeal when necessary. In addition to high-profile asbestos litigation, he has experience with benzene, chemical exposure, environmental spills, lead, and silica cases, providing sophisticated, efficient and effective counsel aligned with the unique risk and exposure each case poses. He has also defended class actions in state and federal courts in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation.
Job Titles:
- Partner / Managing Partner, Seattle
- Partner / SEATTLE
Chris Marks is an accomplished trial lawyer with a private practice dedicated to successfully defending clients in general commercial, consumer, product liability and high-exposure mass tort litigation. His vast and wide-ranging experience allows him to serve as national, regional and local trial counsel for complex MDL matters throughout the United States with a verifiable track record of achieving favorable verdicts in jury and bench trials.
Mr. Marks represents individuals and companies in all three West Coast states where he is licensed and serves as national trial counsel in complex matters throughout the United States. He has tried cases to verdict in California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oregon, and Washington.
With a deep background in product liability, Mr. Marks handles matters varying in complexity and exposure, ranging from the strategic management and defense of MDL to the boots-on-the-ground defense of single-plaintiff cases often alleging catastrophic injuries or death. He approaches each case with a commitment to being thoroughly prepared to defend a client up to and through trial and appeal, when necessary, but also brings an ability to assess the pros and cons of other resolution methods.
In mass tort litigation, Marks brings specific experience to substantive product liability claims related to asbestos and talc, automotive consumer products, and transportation. He has developed a deserved reputation for being expeditious and efficient in coordinating and executing on document discovery, expert testimony development, depositions and motions beneficial to clients regardless of the eventual course of the litigation, managing multiparty litigation in a manner that ensures the company not only survives the challenge but also maintains a positive image with the consumers and the public during the fallout.
Through his work in product liability and multiparty litigation, Marks has become experienced and informed in defending automotive manufacturers, understanding the legal role of determined advocate and valued advisor during the process. He has worked with and against most of the leading experts in this industry, accumulating a wealth of knowledge beneficial to his clients.
Mr. Marks also has extensive experience preparing and defending corporate witnesses and designees for depositions and trial, as well as consulting with company engineers and experts to develop and conduct research and litigation test programs for rollover and crashworthiness litigation. He has honed these skills while handling matters for many of the world's leading automotive manufacturers.
Prior to joining Tanenbaum Keale LLP, Mr. Marks was a partner with Sedgwick LLP and the managing partner of the firm's Seattle, Washington, office and co-chair of the firm's Environmental and Toxic Tort practice. He is a frequent presenter and panelist on substantive matters in product liability, automotive and mass tort litigation in addition to trial best practices and skill development.
Job Titles:
- Special Counsel
- Special Counsel / SEATTLE
Daniel Womac brings a diverse background of legal experience to his private practice, focused in the areas of product liability and mass tort litigation. He handles matters from inception through resolution and appeal, when necessary, with extensive experience in both defense and plaintiff representation in jury and bench trials, arbitrations and mediations. His previous work as in-house trial counsel as well as his service in various governmental roles has informed his approach and ability to handle complex matters.
Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Womac served as senior trial counsel and commercial counsel for Fidelity National Title for more than a decade.
While representing the company, lenders and private individuals, Mr. Womac gained significant trial and general counsel experience in litigation involving real property, insurance, contract disputes and property torts. This included litigating trials as first chair before juries and benches in multiple states.
Mr. Womac's government roles include serving as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Pierce County, Washington, and as counsel for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services in the Division of Child Support.
Currently, Mr. Womac's product liability work includes representing businesses and individuals in complex matters, ranging from strategic management and defense of mass torts to the boots-on-the-ground defense of single-plaintiff product liability cases often alleging catastrophic injuries or death. He focuses on risk identification and mitigation and the defense of clients in industries including automotive, construction and mining equipment, consumer products and product liability claims related to asbestos and talc.
Not limited to product liability, Mr. Womac's mass tort litigation experience involves serving in roles for local, regional and national counsel teams involved in high-exposure matters that often threaten businesses and individuals with massive liabilities and legal exposure. He collaborates with all key stakeholders to develop integrated resolution strategies designed to protect the product value, reputation and financial stability.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / NEW YORK
Dennis Vega focuses his private practice in the area of product liability, regularly representing clients in complex, high-stakes litigation. This includes a successful track record of outcomes for clients in maritime, wrongful death, personal injury and premises liability matters in state and federal courts.
Through his product liability experience, Mr. Vega also developed and continues to hone his proven ability to handle mass tort and other forms of multiparty and multidistrict litigation. He regularly serves as local, regional and national counsel in environmental, toxic tort, health care, automotive and asbestos matters and has represented global industrial equipment manufacturers, distributors and contractors in the power, oil, chemical, railroad and automotive industries.
In addition, Mr. Vega proactively counsels corporate clients and scientists on selecting products suitable for laboratory testing to develop sophisticated exposure modeling for litigation and trial purposes. His noted defense work includes coordinating with distinguished scientific and medical expert witnesses and serving as lead counsel in various state and federal coordinated proceedings, including New York City Asbestos Litigation (NYCAL).
Mr. Vega has also represented leading New York-area teaching hospitals and public hospitals, as well as their affiliated doctors and other health care practitioners.
While attending law school, Mr. Vega served as executive editor of the Cardozo Women's Law Journal and represented the school on its trial team in national competitions. He began his career at the Bronx District Attorney's Office, where he earned assignment to the Trial Bureau and investigated, prosecuted and tried several capital cases. He is fluent in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Co - Chair / NEWARK
- Co - Chair / Partner
A founding partner of Tanenbaum Keale, Jim Keale focuses his nationally recognized private practice on defending manufacturers from a wide variety of industries in the areas of product liability, personal injury, commercial and specialty, and catastrophic tort litigation. He has also served as national, regional and local counsel in the defense of high-profile class action litigation matters.
Mr. Keale has a proven track record of defending clients against a wide variety of product defense claims involving construction, mining and earth-moving machinery, water heaters and boiler equipment. He has been involved in various fire-related cases involving high levels of legal and monetary exposure with claims of personal injury and property damage in addition to complex general commercial litigation. His experience includes serving as trial counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country, with a particular concentration in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia and New York.
A trial lawyer at his core, Mr. Keale offers clients a unique and fundamentally straightforward approach to all matters, regardless of size. He prides himself on providing a direct and uncomplicated analysis of a case on a path to trial that can be reduced to a presentation understandable to any jury in any jurisdiction.
In today's fast-paced, technologically driven world of sound bites and headline analysis, Mr. Keale's ability to present arguments and evidence in a format that can reach typical jurors remains the most critical aspect of his successful trial work. He developed and honed that skill through the entirety of his career.
Prior to founding Tanenbaum Keale LLP, Mr. Keale was a partner with Sedgwick LLP, where he served as chair of the Complex Litigation Division and was a member of the firm's Executive Committee. He was previously a partner with McCarter & English LLP.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Jay Ganatra focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation with a specific emphasis on product liability and mass tort matters. He handles all stages of litigation, including case management, discovery and motion practice, and his experience also includes breach of contract, business tort, shareholder and partnership disputes, and breach of fiduciary duty actions.
Mr. Ganatra continues to build proven experience counseling manufacturers involved in product liability litigation varying in complexity and exposure. This can include the strategic management and defense of mass torts to single-plaintiff cases - both often involving catastrophic injuries or death. He focuses on risk identification but also frequently handles matters when a claim is asserted and through a trial and appeal, when necessary.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Josephine Reina focuses her practice on collaborative client service in coordinating, managing, and executing on legal strategies designed to successfully resolve toxic tort, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and other mass torts.
With proven experience collaborating with internal and external attorneys in trial preparation and settlement negotiations, Ms. Reina keeps an intentional focus on proactive client service featuring timely and concise communication with thoughtful recommendations to best navigate the desired litigation process. Her clients also benefit from her understanding of mass tort case discovery, including taking and defending depositions of witnesses, as well as preparing and responding to discovery requests.
This provides Ms. Reina with unique insight into the likely trajectory of mass tort matters and identifies instances where associated litigation has the potential to develop into a mass tort, providing clients with decisive pathways to evaluate and allowing them to choose from alternative litigation and resolution strategies. This includes experience with asbestos, environmental, and toxic tort legal strategies that align with the potential risk and exposure.
In addition to toxic tort, Ms. Reina regularly works with clients in products liability litigation, specifically in the area of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. She handles all stages of cases, including court appearances, depositions, and motion practice. She approaches every case with a commitment to being thoroughly prepared to defend a client up to and through trial in an effort to defend the integrity of a product or brand, when necessary.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / SEATTLE
Ms. Johnson collaboratively develops and executes on innovative legal strategies aligned with client objectives in contentious and complex mass tort litigation. She prioritizes communicative and responsive client service in all matters, utilizing her ability to handle all phases of the process from initial investigation through to trial and appeal when necessary.
Notably, Ms. Johnson has served as part of local, regional and national counsel teams, with a particular emphasis on toxic tort, product liability and medical device tort litigation. She provides clients with unique insight into the likely case trajectory in an effort to analyze potential decisive pathways to pursue alternative dispute resolution strategies, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary and often costly litigation. This comes from an understanding that legal outcomes must take into account the need to protect the value of a product, business image and financial stability.
Specific to product liability, Ms. Johnson's work ranges from the strategic management and defense of mass torts to the boots-on-the-ground defense of single plaintiff cases often alleging catastrophic injuries and/or death. Clients frequently retain her when a claim is asserted, to investigate accidents or assess potential legal exposure.
Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Johnson served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in the special assault unit of the Pierce County (Washington) Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. Her experience in successfully trying cases on both sides of the courtroom provides her with a thorough understanding of all parts of the trial process to the benefit of her clients.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Marina McGuire focuses her practice on handling all aspects of complex and high-stakes products liability and environmental and toxic tort litigation. Her practice is predominantly concentrated on the defense of large companies, including pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, in both federal and state court.
With a curated track record of success, Ms. McGuire handles matters ranging from individual actions to large-scale mass torts and other forms of MDL. Her experience specifically includes pharmaceutical, medical device and environmental matters.
Ms. McGuire heavily involves herself in all stages of litigation in coordination with in-house and co-counsel, when applicable, to develop effective legal strategies through the entire life of a case. This includes discovery, motion practice, depositions, expert work and preparing for trial. In mass tort matters, she brings the capability of leading jury and bench trials but also regularly utilizes the full spectrum of traditional and alternative dispute resolution methods, including assisting with mediations and arbitrations or seeking settlements beneficial to her clients.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair / NEWARK / NEW YORK
- Co - Chair / Partner
A founding partner of Tanenbaum Keale, Mike Tanenbaum's accomplished private practice focuses on product liability with a particular emphasis on serving as national, regional and local counsel in pharmaceutical, medical device, roofing products, environmental and toxic tort litigation. His comprehensive litigation service to clients is enhanced by his deep experience providing resolution counsel services in contentious, complex multidistrict litigation matters.
For decades, Mr. Tanenbaum has handled matters from inception through trial and appeal for clients of all sizes, including corporations such as Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, ViacomCBS, ExxonMobil Corporation, General Electric Company, Clairol, Inc., Hoover Treated Wood Products and Foster Wheeler, LLC.
Mr. Tanenbaum has a proven track record evaluating risk and exposure and developing complementary litigation and resolution strategies designed to achieve the litigation and business goals of clients at each stage of any litigation, including pre-litigation risk avoidance. He approaches each matter with a trial lawyer's eye and an appreciation and understanding of how to influence the trajectory of a litigation to meet a client's goals, whether the goal is resolution or the defense of the client's product, brand and reputation at trial. This has made him a go-to resource for clients in a wide range of industries including automotive, power systems, construction, mining, pharmaceutical products, medical devices and more.
Mr. Tanenbaum's national experience handling and managing litigation equips him with unique insight into product liability risk that clients have sought during due diligence and their assessment and valuation of litigation risk when considering acquisitions.
Prior to founding Tanenbaum Keale LLP, Mr. Tanenbaum was a partner with McCarter & English LLP and Sedgwick LLP, where he also served as chair of the firm from 2007 to 2015.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Omari Reid is an experienced trial lawyer who enhances the firm's ability to service clients in the defense of products liability, mass tort litigation and toxic tort matters.
With an understanding that related litigation often threatens companies with massive liabilities, Mr. Reid helps develop integrated and collaborative legal strategies aimed at protecting the value of products, reputation and financial stability for his clients. He brings the ability to handle complex matters related to products, consumer goods, environmental contamination, chemical spills and toxic materials and substances.
Mr. Reid does not focus on "traditional" litigation strategies for multiparty litigation, instead offering aggressive, innovative options for beneficial resolutions, regardless of the jurisdiction of the threatened litigation. This includes an intentional priority on risk identification and mitigation that aligns with business objectives for the client.
Prior to joining Tanenbaum Keale LLP, Mr. Reid served as a Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General - Division of Criminal Justice. As a Deputy Attorney General, He tried jury cases to verdict, presented cases before the State Grand Jury, managed government investigations, conducted testimonial hearings, drafted and argued dispositive motions and conducted key witness interviews.
In his capacity as a Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Reid has also represented the State before the Appellate Division.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Reid served as a law clerk to the Hon. Lisa P. Thornton, an Assignment Judge of the Superior Court in Monmouth County, New Jersey. During his clerkship, he handled civil, criminal and family law matters. He also mediated small claims cases in the vicinage's Special Civil Part.
Mr. Reid's experience also includes real estate law, contracts law and land use litigation.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Pamela Kaplan utilizes a collaborative and creative approach to developing effective and practical legal defense strategies, assisting clients in their effort to reach favorable outcomes in product liability and automotive matters in addition to mass torts. She focuses her practice on asbestos and environmental and toxic tort litigation.
Ms. Kaplan's strength involves managing a diverse and challenging caseload, handling matters from inception through initial resolution and appeal when necessary. She regularly handles coordination of depositions and drafting successful dispositive motions.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate / SEATTLE
Dirk Bernhardt focuses his practice on defending manufacturers and corporate clients in mass tort and product liability litigation with an emphasis on asbestos, motor vehicle, premises liability and wrongful death matters. He has significant experience managing all aspects of the litigation process, including trials, client and carrier reporting, coordinating the discovery process and evaluating and developing effective case strategies.
When mass tort litigation threatens companies with massive liabilities, Mr. Bernhardt serves as a valuable member of local, regional and national counsel teams that develop integrated and complementary legal strategies aimed at protecting the client and maintaining short- and long-term financial stability.
Additionally, Mr. Bernhardt counsels a variety of product manufacturers in lawsuits that vary in complexity and liability exposure when catastrophic injuries and/or death are involved. He approaches every involvement with a commitment to being thoroughly prepared to defend a client up to and through trial and appeal in those matters that our clients believe may need to be tried to maintain the integrity and equity of their products and their brand. This includes a track record of representing corporate defendants in asbestos personal injury and wrongful death actions.
Prior to joining Tanenbaum Keale, Mr. Bernhardt managed state and federal litigation for national product manufacturers and defended the Washington State Department of Transportation against negligence claims.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Rob Gilmartin brings an extensive background to the defense of litigated product liability matters, focusing his private practice on the construction and mining equipment industries. This includes proven ability to analyze and strategically coordinate mass tort cases in the role of local, regional or national counsel.
A creative thought leader in litigation management, Mr. Gilmartin collaborates with key stakeholders in the development of pretrial defenses through deposition practice, creative motion practice and strong advocacy for the interests of his clients. This includes the use of mediation and arbitration hearings as well as in-court conferences and settlement conferences to avoid unnecessarily taking a matter to trial.
Mr. Gilmartin's background in the defense of litigated matters includes asbestos, pharmaceutical, construction, personal injury and premises liability matters, with a curated track record of successful resolutions in complex personal injury product cases. He handles the litigation process from pre-suit investigations up to and through trial and appeal when necessary.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Partner
- President
- President / NEWARK
Tom Robertson is a seasoned trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience focused in the areas of product liability, personal injury and commercial litigation. He has developed a well-earned reputation and impressive track record serving as national, regional and local counsel for businesses in a variety of industries, returning numerous successful jury verdicts as lead counsel in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Although Mr. Robertson typically defends large corporate clients, he has also tried cases on behalf of individual plaintiffs, with several verdict and settlement awards in excess of $1 million.
Mr. Robertson is a founding partner of Tanenbaum Keale LLP. He was previously a partner with Sedgwick LLP from 2004-2017 and before that an associate and partner with McCarter & English LLP from 1990-2004.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner / NEWARK / NEW YORK
Tim Freeman focuses his practice in the areas of product liability and catastrophic personal injury. His clients include manufacturers of heavy equipment, automobiles, appliances, and industrial equipment. He regularly provides counsel to clients in high-exposure, complex litigation from the moment a complaint is filed until the final appeal is resolved.
Having handled lawsuits varying in complexity and exposure, Mr. Freeman's experience ranges from the strategic management and defense of mass torts to defense of single-plaintiff product liability cases, often alleging catastrophic injuries. He brings the ability to focus on risk identification and mitigation and the defense of clients in the industries where our experience has been proven - medical devices and pharmaceuticals, automotive, construction and mining equipment, industrial equipment, and consumer products.