Cal R. Burnton

Mass Torts

• Served as lead trial and coordinating counsel for chemical manufacturers in numerous lawsuits in both state and federal courts in Mississippi alleging environmental contamination leading to health and property damage. The suits were brought by over 1,400 residents living near a chemical plant. 
• Served as lead trial counsel in mass toxic tort litigation involving over 500 plaintiffs alleging trespass, nuisance and negligence claims, as well as violations of state regulatory laws in Little Rock, Arkansas. 
• Represented a chemical company against negligence, nuisance and trespass class action alleging injury and property damage in neighborhood surrounding a plant. Louisiana Supreme Court overturned class certification.
• Served as lead trial counsel for chemical company in toxic tort and personal injury litigation involving over 500 individual plaintiffs in Alexandria, Louisiana. In the first individual plaintiff trial, where plaintiff's counsel asked the jury to return a verdict in for millions of dollars, the jury was out for 90 minutes and returned a defense verdict for our client on all counts. 
• Defended chemical company in multiple wrongful death and personal injury suits brought in New Jersey after a chemical explosion at a manufacturing plant.
• Served as defense counsel in mass tort trial in Charleston, West Virginia, involving neighbors and former workers at a chemical plant. 
• Represented chemical company in toxic tort litigation in Texarkana, Texas.
• Served as lead counsel for manufacturer of water tank liner against allegations that the client contaminated water at a community housing facility; case involved claims of personal injury and medical monitoring on behalf of several hundred present and past residents. 
• Represents foreign corporation in claims asserting veil piercing theories of liability for environmental toxic tort claims brought against acquired subsidiary company. 
• Represents manufacturer of creosote and pentachlorephenol in ongoing national defense coordination for numerous toxic tort matters filed across the country.
• Defended regional agricultural cooperative network in five statewide class actions pending in Madison County, Illinois alleging that atrazine, a widely-used agricultural herbicide, caused property damage.

Product Liability

• Advise clients of responsibilities under Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. 
• Served as national counsel for well-known toy company advising on compliance with product safety and government regulation.
• Served as national counsel for well-known firearms company. Coordinated, managed, and defended numerous product liability cases alleging claims of wrongful death, hearing loss, and shooting injuries. Served as counsel in trials in Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; and New Haven, Connecticut. 
• Represented manufacturers of rifles and shotguns against various product liability claims. Achieved successful defense verdict in trial in Anchorage, Alaska in 2003. Defended other cases in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. 
• Served as national coordinating and trial counsel for manufacturer of wood cutting equipment, trying cases in Seattle, Washington; Iron Mountain, Michigan; and Fort Smith, Arkansas. 
• Provided counseling and training for Japanese manufacturers, conducting seminars in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Niigata on five occasions. 
• Counsels clients on national and international product safety issues, warning issues, FIFRA compliance, and drafting Material Safety Data Sheets.

• "Discussion on How Adequate Warnings Can Help a Defense Attorney Win a Lawsuit," 2016 DRI Product Liability Conference, February 4, 2016

• The Legal 500 US, Litigation: Product Liability and Mass Tort Defense, Toxic Tort (2016)

• Defense Research Institute
• Illinois State Bar Association
• International Association of Defense Counsel
• Wisconsin State Bar Association
• National Institute for Trial Advocacy