TIM KAPSHANDY leverages more than 30 years of experience in order to assist his clients with their most complicated and significant litigation needs. A member of the firm’s Products Liability and Environmental litigation teams, Tim has experience in civil rights, defamation and complex litigation, particularly mass toxic tort litigation. In his career, he has focused his practice on the defense of such claims as fear of cancer, increased risk of cancer, immune dysfunction and neuropsychological damage as a result of exposure to various chemicals. This work has encompassed:
- Representing General Electric in obtaining summary judgments in dozens of cases in the MDL and state courts where plaintiffs were alleging that GE was liable for insulation applied by the Navy to marine steam turbines it sold to the Navy. In separate decisions involving both California law and federal maritime law, the courts held that GE was not liable for asbestos thermal insulation that was applied pursuant to Navy specifications and which was not made, installed or specified by GE.
- Working on a seven-year trial of 20 test cases in Montreal involving urea formaldehyde foam insulation resulting in a defense verdict that was upheld on appeal by the Quebec Court of Appeals. Obtained a significant award of costs and fees for client.
- Achieving a defense jury verdict in claims of a 500-member class for personal injury and property damage alleged to have been caused by a leak from a refinery. The verdict was upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Supreme Court, and cert denied by United States Supreme Court. Plaintiffs alleged novel chemical injury claims and property stigma damages. Also obtained a dismissal of competing federal class action under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine.
Tim has devoted substantial time to combating “junk science” techniques and has helped lead the firm’s coordination of asbestos and formaldehyde defense cases. He has worked on and tried toxic tort cases in jurisdictions such as Indiana, Florida, Alaska and Canada.
Strong advocacy on behalf of his clients has earned Tim acknowledgement in industry publications. Tim has been recognized as a “Best Lawyer” in the areas of Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2012–2019) and Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants (2018–2019) by The Best Lawyers in America. Additionally, this publication listed Tim as Chicago Products Liability Lawyer of the Year in 2012.