Class Action Lawsuit Defense Blog Editors
Patrick T. Lewis
Patrick T. Lewis focuses his practice on litigation, with an emphasis on complex commercial litigation, class action defense and banking litigation. He has represented clients before state and federal courts in a variety of litigated matters, including business litigation, real estate litigation, the defense of products liability claims (in the medical devices, pharmaceutical and automotive industries) and insurance coverage and bad faith matters. Mr. Lewis also represents clients on a variety of appellate matters before both state and federal appellate courts. Read more.
Rand L. McClellan
Rand McClellan brings a determined and thorough approach to serving his clients, and is dedicated to adding value to his clients’ endeavors. Rand can handle all aspects of a dispute from initial investigation, trial, and beyond. Rand focuses on complex litigation, and his practice includes, but is not limited to, creditors’ rights, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and false advertising claims. Read more.
Class Action Lawsuit Defense Attorneys/Blog Contributors
Paul Karlsgodt
Paul Karlsgodt’s practice emphasizes class action defense and other complex commercial litigation. Mr. Karlsgodt has represented insurance companies and other FORTUNE 500 companies in numerous nationwide and statewide consumer class action lawsuits and related litigation. He has represented clients in class action lawsuits involving sales and marketing practices, insurance coverage, claims adjustment practices, corporate securities, retailer/dealer disputes, employment and taxation. Read more.
Deborah Renner
Deborah Renner
focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, including the defense of consumer fraud and securities class actions. Ms. Renner leads BakerHostetler’s class action practice in New York. In addition, she currently acts as court-appointed counsel to the SIPA Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) and leads a team of lawyers investigating and litigating matters stemming from Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme in the ongoing recover effort for BLMIS customers with allowed claims. Read more
Casie D. Collignon
Casie D. Collignon has a broad base of experience in both trial and appellate courts in Colorado and around the United States. Ms. Collignon represents clients in a variety of litigation matters, including class action lawsuits, fiduciary relationships, trust and estates, construction defects, domestic relations and other commercial property and contract disputes. Read more.
Rodger L. Eckelberry
Rodger L. Eckelberry has a broad base of litigation experience in both trial and appellate practice. Focusing primarily on class action defense and complex litigation, he has represented clients in class action and other commercial disputes in both state and federal trial and appellate courts in Ohio and across the nation. In his class action practice Mr. Eckelberry has successfully defeated class certification, limited onerous discovery requests and utilized creative settlements to limit client exposure. Read more.
Joseph E. Ezzie
Joseph E. Ezzie focuses his practice in the areas of class action defense and complex commercial litigation. He has handled a variety of litigation matters, including commercial matters, the defense of professional negligence actions, trade secrets, class actions, construction cases and patent disputes. He has a broad base of litigation experience, including trial and appellate practice, original investigation of claims, injunctive relief and complex discovery. Read more.
Mark A. Johnson
Mark A. Johnson has broad and extensive experience in the defense of complex class action lawsuits, having handled over 50 class actions in state and federal courts across the country. Once certified as a class action, even a relatively small case can become a massive undertaking for any business to defend, not only because of the risks of an adverse result, but also because of the costs of defense and the time of personnel assisting in that defense. Selection of counsel experienced in class actions, who can aggressively defend the critical question of whether to certify a class action in an effective yet cost-efficient manner, is an important decision for a business. Read more.
Michael R. Matthias
Michael R. Matthias focuses his practice on business and commercial litigation. He has extensive experience in handling securities, unfair trade practice, real estate, false advertising, trade secret, tax, class action and other complex litigation. His practice includes Securities and Exchange Commission investigations and civil enforcement defense, as well as investigations conducted by state regulatory authorities and self-regulatory agencies. Read more.
Michael E. Mumford
Mike Mumford concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on defending class actions filed against the insurance industry and financial institutions. He has considerable experience in defending and counseling insurance companies and financial institutions with respect to rate and discount practices, premium collection practices, claims adjustment practices, residential lending practices, commercial contract disputes, consumer finance compliance, and banking practices. Read more.
Benjamin D. Pergament
Benjamin Pergament focuses his litigation practice on commercial contract disputes, business torts, securities actions and product liability matters. His experience includes representing institutional and individual clients in litigation and appeals in state and federal courts throughout the country, as well as arbitrations. Mr. Pergament’s experience also includes the defense of several class actions in both state and federal courts. Read more.
Ernest E. Vargo
Ernest E. Vargo is chair of the firm’s Class Action Defense Team. He focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, with emphasis on defending consumer class actions filed against the insurance industry.
Mr. Vargo has specific experience in defending and counseling insurance companies and other financial services companies regarding rate and discount practices, claims adjustment practices, commission structures, premium tax charges, refund of unearned premium, collateral protection programs, payments to third-party providers, agent relations and vanishing premium programs. Read more.
Brett A. Wall
Brett A. Wall practices in the litigation area with an emphasis on complex commercial litigation and class action defense. He has considerable experience in both state and federal courts, as well as in the arbitration and mediation of disputes. Mr. Wall is a member of the firm’s Class Action Defense Team. Read more.
Darren A. Crook
Darren Crook is responsible for a variety of client matters, focusing primarily on litigation and bankruptcy. During law school, Mr. Crook served on the Managing Board of the Ohio State Law Journal as Articles Editor. He also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable R. Guy Cole Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. During the summer of 2009, he studied law at St. Anne’s College at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Read more.
Jessie M. Gabriel
Jessie Gabriel’s practice focuses primarily on complex business litigation, including class actions and antitrust litigation. Prior to joining BakerHostetler, Ms. Gabriel was a litigation associate with a major New York law firm. During her tenure, she was involved in litigation relating to securities fraud and antitrust, as well as breach of fiduciary duty, New York state constitutionality, copyright law and criminal appeals. She also served as a legal intern for the Midwest Center for Justice where she drafted habeas petitions on behalf of death row inmates in Illinois, Indiana and Alabama. Read more.
Justin T. Winquist
Justin T. Winquist practices in the area of complex civil litigation. Mr. Winquist has experience with a wide variety of litigation in federal and state courts across the country, as well as before arbitration panels and mediators in alternative dispute resolution. He also has recent experience handling preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders from both a plaintiff and defendant perspective. Read more.
David M. McMillan
David McMillan is an Associate in the firm’s litigation group whose practice centers on class action defense, securities litigation, bankruptcy and other types of general commercial litigation. Read more.
