Neil Covone concentrates his national tort litigation practice in the defense of product manufacturers and retailers in wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, premises liability, general liability and warranty disputes. He has litigated or managed litigation in 12 states around the country, and has deposed scores of plaintiffs and their experts in 24 states. Mr. Covone is experienced in mass tort litigation management, including the defense of automobile manufacturers in product liability cases, the defense of major airlines in commercial air disasters and airport accident claims, and the defense of Fortune 500 companies with general liability claims nationwide. In addition to his extensive experience defending manufacturers in courtrooms, he manages internal teams in early case assessment and the resolution of large volumes of claims.

In addition to his products liability experience, Mr. Covone also has extensive experience representing pharmacies in negligence claims throughout Florida.

Mr. Covone has represented national and international product manufacturers of a wide range of consumer, commercial and industrial goods, including:

• Automobiles
• Beverage containers
• Children's products
• Child restraints
• Diesel engines
• Drill bits
• Food equipment
• Grills
• Insulation products
• Pipes
• Propane heaters
• Tires
• Water filters
• Welding torches

From legal advice during product development to product labeling and content, loss prevention and accident reconstruction to litigation, trial and post-trial issues, Mr. Covone assists clients at every stage of a product's legal exposure.

Mr. Covone handles all phases of trial litigation in both state and federal courts. His representative trials include:

• Ruth Sack v. Andrea Bamberg et al. – Bench trial, with an advisory jury, involving trust contest and entitlement to life insurance proceeds. Trial before Judge William Thomas, in state Circuit Court, in Miami, Florida, November 2010. Verdict in favor of Hinshaw's client on a majority of the counts and issues, resulting in favorable judgment of $500,000.
• Lydia Santana v. Schering-Plough Corp. n/k/a Merck and Co., Inc. et al. – Personal injury action stemming from a rear end automobile collision. Trial before Judge Timothy McCarthy, in state Circuit Court, in West Palm Beach, Florida, August 2010. Liability was admitted, but medical causation and damages were contested. Settled near the end of voir dire for less than the demand made at the beginning of trial.
• McDonald v. Evenflo Company, Inc. et al. – Action brought for purported brain injury to five year old girl alleged to have been caused by a defective child restraint. Demand to jury was $20 million. Trial before Judge Walt Logan, in state Circuit Court, in St. Petersburg, Florida, July 2007. Jury found no defect in child restraint. Defense verdict for Evenflo after a three week trial. No appeal.
• Eva Meyerson v. Walgreen Co. – Action brought for a mis-filled prescription, wherein plaintiff alleged brain injury resulting in total and complete cognitive impairment. Claim for punitive damages was allowed to be heard by jury. Initial demand was $200 million. Trial before Judge Cecilia Altonaga, in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, in Miami, Florida, May 2006. Defense verdict for Walgreens after one month trial. No appeal. 

Mr. Covone’s other representative cases include:

• Robert Zazula, et al. v. Kimpton Hotels, et al., where he represented Culligan in personal injury actions stemming from a purported Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak at the Epic Hotel in Miami, Florida.
• In re: Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. ATX Tires Litigation, where he represented Ford Motor Company.
• In re: Crash of American Airlines Flight 965 near Cali, Colombia, where he represented American Airlines as a member of a three-attorney team defending more than 70 federal cases.

Mr. Covone joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in June 2005. Previously he was an associate for seven years with the law firm of Carlton Fields, P.A., where he chaired its Miami office's summer associate program, which was ranked number one in the country at that time by The American Lawyer.

He also spent one year with the law firm of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP, and two years with Wampler, Buchanan & Breen, P.A., both located in Miami.

Mr. Covone is a member of a number of professional associations, including The Florida Bar, the Defense Research Institute, the Dade County Defense Bar Association, the Council on Litigation Management and the American Bar Association.

He holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability.

During his undergraduate study, Mr. Covone was a member of the United States World Cup Soccer Team that competed in the 1990 World Cup Italy. He was also an NCAA Soccer All-American in both 1988 and 1990, and captain of the U.S. Under-20 World Cup Soccer Team in Saudi Arabia in 1990. While playing soccer, Mr. Covone traveled to 35 countries representing the United States in various competitions.

In October 2011, Mr. Covone was inducted into the Wake Forest University Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Covone’s presentations include:

• "What Attorneys Look for in Claims Files," Sedgwick CMS, Deerfield, Illinois, April 2010.
• “Parents in Time Out: Assigning Blame for Mis-Installation in Child Restraint Cases,” part of a closed door session connected to the Defense Research Institute’s seminar, “Product Liability in the Global Economy,” Phoenix, Arizona, February 2008.

Mr. Covone is active in his community. He is an Attorney Guardian Ad Litem in criminal courts, and in 2003 was the recipient of the John Edward Smith Child Advocacy Award from Lawyers for Children America, Inc.

He has also been a member of the local legal coordinating committee for the Broward County “Election Protection” program.