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R. Bruce Duffield

R. Bruce Duffield

Senior Counsel

Chicago

T: +1 312 602 5087

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Biography

Bruce Duffield has practiced as a trial attorney for 40 years, concentrating in product liability defense, commercial disputes, aviation litigation, class action defense, and construction litigation. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, his experience includes the defense of manufacturers of a wide range of industrial, chemical, aviation, marine, automotive, firearm and consumer products in jurisdictions nationwide, involving highly technical issues of product design, manufacture and performance, and regarding complex medical issues of causation and disability.

Mr. Duffield’s commercial litigation experience includes the successful defense of several national class actions; construction disputes among owners, architects and builders; and contractual disputes among parties to international commercial transactions in global tribunals. Mr. Duffield also has resolved complex commercial matters through AAA arbitrations.

In addition to his trial work, Mr. Duffield has counseled manufacturers on preventative steps that can be taken to reduce liability exposure before suits happen. His experience includes evaluating prototype designs, conducting hazard analyses, preparing safety manuals and product decals, evaluating industry accident data for possible product design improvements, overseeing recalls and safety bulletins, preparing for ISO 9000 certification and implementing document management and retention programs

Professional Affiliations

  • American College of Trial Lawyers
  • American Bar Association

Admissions

  • Texas, 2001
  • New York, 2000
  • Illinois, 1976

Education

Brigham Young University, J.D., magna cum laude, 1976

Brigham Young University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1974

Related Capabilities

  • Class Actions & Mass Torts

  • Financial Services

  • Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  • Employment Class & Collective Actions

  • Sports (Class Actions)

  • Data Privacy, Telecommunications & Collections

  • Aerospace & Defense

  • Regulation, Compliance & Advisory

  • Catastrophic Accidents

  • Consumer Fraud

  • Consumer Products

  • Food, Ag & Nutrition

  • Insurance (Class Actions)

  • Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices (Class Actions)

  • Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices (Mass Torts)

  • Class Actions

  • Mass Torts & Product Liability

  • Antitrust Class Actions

  • Shareholder Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Food, Ag & Nutrition (Class Actions)

  • Energy Transition

  • Business & Commercial Disputes

Experience

Mr. Duffield’s greatest strength is his courtroom experience. He has tried nearly 50 cases to verdict in jurisdictions nationwide, as well as numerous formal arbitrations, involving a wide variety of complex commercial and product liability issues. Examples of success include:

  • Alfa Gomma S.p.A. v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber / Veyance Technologies (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Alstom Transportation Inc. v. BNSF Railway Company (Chicago, Illinois)
  • David Michelberg v. Teledyne Continental Motors (San Jose, California)
  • Sondra and Barry Backes v. Bombardier, Inc. (Rockford, Illinois)
  • Michael Piontek v. Textron, Inc. and Sears Roebuck & Co. (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Emmanuel Petrinolis v. Makita U.S.A., Inc. (New York, New York)
  • Kermit Strohl v. Dolmar GmbH (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
  • Wendall Kalsow v. Shaughnessy Crane v. Time Condor Corporation (Boston, Massachusetts)
  • Ralph Gallup v. Procter & Gamble (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Daniel Rebrovich v. Time Manufacturing Company (Hibbing, Minnesota)
  • Rolling Lanes v. Raths, Raths and Johnson (Wheaton, Illinois)
  • Mill Equipment v. Robinson Steel v. Union Electric (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
  • John Hoekenga v. Makita Corporation (Wheaton, Illinois)
  • Renewable Energy Ventures v. Forrest v. Energy Sciences, Inc. (Los Angeles, California)
  • Kurland Steel v. Robinson Steel v. Inland Steel (Champaign, Illinois)
  • Consolidated Foods v. Oscaloosa Food Processors and Pietrus Foods (Des Moines, Iowa)
  • Krack Corporation v. Material Service Corporation (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Gail Tolley v. Kioritz Corporation of Japan (Joliet, Illinois)
  • Jose Torres v. Echo Inc. (Torrance, California)
  • Everett Sisson v. Hatteras Yachts (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Kenneth Hartwell v. Time Manufacturing Company (Manchester, New Hampshire)
  • Victor Borchardt v. McCulloch Corporation (Chicago, Illinois)
  • David Washington v. International Harvester (Chicago, Illinois)

Mr. Duffield also served as solo defense counsel for General Motors Corporation in five product liability jury trials in federal and state courts in Illinois, and won defense verdicts in all of them:

  • Darlene Pence v. General Motors Corporation
  • Raymond Kahn v. General Motors Corporation
  • Karen Hard v. General Motors Corporation
  • Dorlas Hayes v. General Motors Corporation
  • Sam Brodsky v. General Motors Corporation