Joe concentrates his practice on defending toxic tort and products liability cases involving allegations of exposure to solvents, benzene, industrial chemicals, pool treatment chemicals and asbestos. He has significant experience deposing plaintiffs, fact witnesses and expert witnesses in cases involving alleged exposures to asbestos, benzene, vinyl chloride monomer, chlorine, hydrochloric acid, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons and pool treatment chemicals pending in some of the most dangerous jurisdictions in the United States, including Illinois, Texas, Missouri, California, New York, Wisconsin and West Virginia. Joe coordinates the defense of claims for mesothelioma, lung cancer, pleural plaques and asbestosis alleged to have resulted from exposures to asbestos against product manufacturers, including manufacturers of paints and coatings products, premise owners and contractors.
Joe has defended several chemical manufacturers in cases involving alleged respiratory injuries such as occupational asthma, chemically induced pneumonia and reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS). He has also served as the national discovery coordinator for a chemical manufacturer’s docket of trace benzene litigation involving claims for leukemias, lymphomas, myelodysplastic syndromes and other blood diseases. In this role, as well as in his practice in toxic tort and products liability litigation in general, Joe has assisted in coordinating discovery efforts for clients nationwide, developing and implementing overall defense strategies, deposing fact witnesses and experts, developing expert witnesses and preparing cases for trial.
Additionally, Joe has significant experience defending products liability cases for a major automobile parts manufacturer and has defended class actions involving products liability and toxic tort claims. He has handled appellate matters and has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Joe has also handled commercial litigation, insurance coverage litigation, debt collection actions and real estate foreclosures in both Missouri and Illinois.