Jim O'Neal is a nationally recognized litigator who focuses on the defense of complex product liability, class actions and mass tort litigation. For a number of years, Jim acted as head of the firm's product liability group and chief counsel to the firm on ethics and loss prevention issues.

Examples of his prominent cases include:

• National counsel for Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Zelnorm litigation.
• National coordinating counsel for Novartis Pharmaceuticals in multiple class actions and individual product liability litigation involving the Attention Deficit Disorder medication Ritalin.
• National counsel for major window manufacturer in consumer fraud and product liability class actions.
• Successfully defended the Minnesota Vikings in wrongful death litigation arising from the 2001 training camp death of Pro Bowl offensive lineman Korey Stringer.
• National counsel in hormone therapy litigation
• Lead counsel for plumbing products manufacturer in multi-district litigation.
• National coordinating counsel for Schwan's Sales Enterprises, defending tens of thousands of personal injury claims arising from a 1994 salmonella recall. Jim's negotiation of a prompt and favorable settlement of the Minnesota class action, with subsequent dismissals of rival class actions in other states, was the subject of a front page article in the November 1995 edition of Corporate Legal Times.
• Hired as national coordinating counsel when a food products manufacturer engaged in nationwide salmonella recalls in 1998 and 2008.
• Minnesota liaison counsel for the defendants in the Minnesota tobacco personal injury and consumer fraud class action, which ended with the defeat of class certification and the subsequent voluntary dismissal of the case.
• National coordinating counsel for Ciba-Geigy Corporation in cases arising from a 1995 recall of an anticonvulsant medication. Class certification was defeated.

Pro Bono

• Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission Diaspora Project, management team member
• Faegre & Benson John C. Benson Award for outstanding pro bono service, 2008
• Special Recognition Award from Advocates for Human Rights for work with Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 2009

Honors

• Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Litigation: General Commercial, 2009 and 2010
• The Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation, Product Liability Litigation, 2008–12
• Super Lawyers, Class Action/Mass Torts, 2001–11

Professional Associations

Presentations

• Managing Recalls & Actions Short of Recall
  2010 Product Liability Advisory Council
• Product Liability, Consumer Fraud, Class Actions, Mass Torts
  CLE seminars
• Product Liability, Consumer Fraud, Class Actions, Mass Torts
  Various trade associations

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