CHICAGO ― Daniel W. McGrath, a partner in Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP’s Chicago office, has been named the Vice Chair of the Defense Research Institute’s (DRI) Climate Change Litigation Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of eight attorneys.
This task force has been created to focus on litigation and other issues relating to climate change and their potential impact on members of the defense bar and their clients. The primary mission of the Climate Change Litigation Task Force is to educate DRI members, their clients, the media, the judiciary and the defense bar about the broad range of issues relating to this new and rapidly evolving area of litigation. DRI is one of the leading defense organizations in the country. It will maintain strict neutrality as to the political wisdom or social impact of climate change developments.
The Task Force is active in a number of areas, including: monitoring developments in climate change litigation, tracking legal decisions as well as international treaties and state and federal legislation and regulation. It will be fulfilling its mission statement of education through a number of activities, including:
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Looking for opportunities to comment on the legal and business implications of new climate-related initiatives.
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Coordinating activities with a number of DRI Substantive Law committees, including the Commercial Litigation, Government Liability, Insurance Law, International Law, Product Liability, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law and Trucking Law committees.
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Monitoring climate change-related topics that are addressed at various DRI seminars.
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Reviewing draft DRI publication articles on climate change.
Mr. McGrath has nearly 25 years of experience in the preparation and trial of products liability, toxic tort, environmental, construction and commercial litigation matters. He has substantial experience with mass tort and multi-district litigation (MDL), and is recognized for his ability to handle litigation in a variety of jurisdictions as well as in regional or national forums. He is the Chair of Hinshaw’s Toxic Tort Specialty Group. He was the 2006 and 2007 Program Chair of DRI’s Toxic Tort & Environmental Law Seminars, and he is a past chair of DRI’s Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee’s Chemical and Solvent Exposure Substantive Law Group.
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with 475 lawyers in 25 offices. The firm offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in litigation, corporate and business law, environmental, labor and employment law, professional liability defense, and wealth preservation and taxation matters. The firm provides services to a range of for-profit and not-for-profit clients in industries that include construction, financial services, health care, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation. Firm clients also include government agencies, municipalities and schools.
Hinshaw was founded in 1934. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, and maintains offices in 12 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.