Mass Torts and Product Liability

Cravath’s litigators have extensive experience leading defense strategy and reaching first‑of‑their‑kind resolutions in mass tort and product liability actions for domestic and multi‑national companies across a broad array of industries and jurisdictions. We draw on our technical knowledge to comprehensively address the substantive claims, while our generalist litigation training equips us with the skills to simultaneously manage, coordinate and direct a successful defense. Cravath navigates these complex cases through extensive investigation, fact and expert discovery, motion practice and, when necessary, even trial. In particular, effectively managing discovery in complex litigation is a critical priority, and Cravath’s cutting‑edge e‑discovery approach has achieved savings and litigation superiority in large‑scale cases involving unprecedented amounts of electronically stored information.

Among other matters, Cravath has served as lead counsel for PG&E, the nation’s largest utility, in connection with claims arising out of the unprecedented California wildfires between 2017 and 2021, including one of the largest and most complex sets of mass tort litigation in history. We have also served as national coordinating and advisory counsel for global healthcare companies in major mass tort matters, providing high‑level strategic litigation advice and coordinating resolution strategy. In addition, we have represented Colgate‑Palmolive as lead trial counsel in numerous product liability lawsuits concerning the company’s talcum powder products, and NCR Corporation in Superfund environmental actions, saving NCR from approximately $100 million in liability. Clients turn to us for these matters because we understand their needs against the backdrop of industry‑wide trends and practices, and we are distinctive for providing strategic guidance and commercially reasonable solutions in the face of these complex disputes.

Cravath’s litigation department is uniformly recognized as among the best in the country. Our team has been named New York Law Journal’s overall “Litigation Department of the Year” three times in the past six years, most recently in 2024, as well as its “Class Action Litigation Department of the Year.” We also have received the publication’s Innovation Award, which recognized the Firm’s success leveraging artificial intelligence to review the massive volume of documents frequently collected in mass tort and other complex litigation. In recognition of certain critical mass torts matters we have handled, Cravath was named “Energy Practice Group of the Year” by Law360. Year after year, the Firm has been ranked in the top tier of Benchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms.

Our team has earned repeated praise from clients and the market, including:

• “When you stand back and look at organizations, and put together your list of who you would go to if the world came to an end, it’s Cravath.” Client, Chambers USA
• “They were excellent. It’s hard to find the right word to describe the quality of lawyers they have there. They’re some of the smartest and most intellectual people, and their reputation speaks volumes for what they do.” Chambers USA 
• Cravath is “[a] superb choice for complex litigation.” Client, Chambers USA
• “Cravath commands the kind of nationwide acclaim that is usually reserved for firms with a much larger geographic footprint.” Benchmark Litigation
• Cravath’s “talented litigation group…impresses with its client-oriented approach and commercial know‑how” and “is regularly sought out for the most complex of litigation issues.” Chambers USA
• Cravath “has a strong reputation for handling high-end, complex commercial litigation across various fields.” The Legal 500 US