John C. McMeekin II and Julie Nord Friedman spoke at the 24th Annual National Forum for Environmental & Toxic Tort Issues (FETTI) Conference on October 6, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois. Their session “Personal Jurisdiction: A New Look at Mass Tort Litigation – Where Do We Go from Here?” explored recent developments in the exercise of personal jurisdiction and explained where personal jurisdiction motions can be used. If you were unable to attend and are interested in learning more on this topic, John and Julie are available to present the session at your offices.

John C. McMeekin II is a partner in our Philadelphia office. He represents clients as local, national and trial counsel in environmental, toxic and mass torts product and related class actions, products liability, insurance coverage and aviation litigation. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law. John is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland and related U.S. District Courts. He has been published in professional and law review journals on a variety of topics related to toxic tort and environmental litigation. His significant cases can be found in the BNA Law Reports and Law 360. He was recently elected Section Secretary of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association. He has served as the Section Revenue Officer, Chair of the Toxic Tort & Environmental Law Committee, Chair of the International Law Committee, Chair of the CLE Board and is currently co-Chairing the Corporate Counsel Initiative Task Force. In addition to his service with the ABA, John chaired the Philadelphia Bar Association Environmental and Toxic Tort Law Committee and has been a member of the Delaware Valley Environmental Inn of Court. He is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and Chair of the Firm’s Aviation Section. He has been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine in 2005-2011, 2014, 2015 and 2017. He has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.

Julie Nord Friedman is a partner in our Pittsburgh office. She concentrates her practice on the defense of manufacturers, suppliers and contractors in mass and toxic tort litigation, with an emphasis on asbestos litigation. Her clients range from Fortune 500 companies to regional contractors and suppliers. She is a National Coordinating Counsel for one client and she also acts as trial counsel in the defense of claims in mass tort and toxic tort litigation and regularly handles matters for multiple clients in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Julie is active in the Defense Research Institute and is a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. Julie has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. She earned her J.D. in 1995 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and her B.A. in 1992 from the American University in Washington, D.C.  She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of West Virginia.