Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce that Jacob Sawyer has joined as a partner in its Technology, Manufacturing, and Transportation industry group and as a member of its Toxic Tort practice. Based in Chicago, Sawyer arrives from Lewis Brisbois.
Sawyer defends manufacturers, premises owners, suppliers and others in mass tort and environmental litigation in federal and state courts. He has particular experience in asbestos and benzene litigation.
“Jacob has significant and deep experience in the mass tort space, including an established track record of building successful practice groups and leading trial teams,” said Jeff Sigmund, partner and head of the firm’s Technology, Manufacturing, and Transportation industry group. “Benzene and diacetyl-related litigation is shaping up to be the next ‘big frontier’ for plaintiffs’ firms in the mass tort space. Adding Jacob to our bench will allow us to provide additional support to current clients’ needs in these areas, as well as better position us to pursue new portfolios as this work continues to grow.”
For more than two decades, Sawyer has successfully managed litigation for companies by identifying readily available defenses to obtain quick and efficient case resolution. In other circumstances, he has helped to develop and implement defenses that serve his clients from the initial pleading stage through verdict at trial. He has drafted and argued motions through each stage of litigation and regularly participates in discovery into fact and expert witnesses.
“Husch Blackwell’s multidisciplinary national coordinating counsel (NCC) model—named Innovāt Alliance—is one of the preeminent leaders in asbestos litigation,” Sawyer said. “The team’s reliance on sophisticated data, process, and technology infrastructure has driven terrific outcomes for clients, and I’m eager to integrate this platform into my practice.”
The Innovāt Alliance National Coordinating Counsel team was shortlisted by the Financial Times for the Innovation in New Services to Manage Risk award at the Innovative Lawyers Awards North America 2024.