Ann Walsh is a trial attorney with the business litigation department. She is the practice group leader for Locke Lord's Product Liability Practice Group and a member of the firm’s Class Action Practice Group. For more than 30 years, Ms. Walsh has practiced in the trial area focusing on product liability and commercial litigation. She regularly represents clients in a variety of commercial disputes, including breach of contract, contract terminations and warranty disputes and has defended motions for temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunction. Ms. Walsh also provides counsel on contract negotiations to clients.
Ms. Walsh also has defended major manufacturers of a broad variety of products, including automotive, agricultural, construction, consumer, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, electrical, mining, recreational, chemical, industrial and other products. She has counseled manufacturers with respect to product liability prevention, regulatory compliance and recalls as well as product warnings and labels. In addition, she has participated in numerous root cause analyses. She has been involved in representing and counseling pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers throughout the country in cases involving drug packaging, adverse experience reporting requirements and warnings.
Ms. Walsh’s experience includes trials, alternative dispute resolutions and appeals in a large number of jurisdictions where she acts as lead trial counsel. To date, Ms. Walsh has handled cases in more than 40 states. She also has acted as national, regional and local counsel in nationwide litigation.
Ms. Walsh has spoken at the Defense Research Institute Conference on cost-effective management of discovery.
Ms. Walsh is Co-Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and handles and supervises a variety of pro bono projects and cases. Ms. Walsh was recently awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind Kane Legal Clinic.
Education
- J.D., DePaul University College of Law, 1980
- B.A., Economics, University of Illinois, 1977
Bar Admissions
Admitted To Practice
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Representative Experience
- National counsel with one other attorney for major automotive parts supplier in cases involving complex mechanical and electrical products and often catastrophic injuries or death. Lead attorney for all cases in half of the country. Developed database and program for an efficient approach to written discovery, expert testimony, legal issues, and key trial issues.
- Lead trial attorney on behalf of a variety of product manufacturers resulting in defense verdicts or nominal settlements, including trials involving issues of crashworthiness, airbag design, sensor technology, unwanted acceleration, vehicle handling, pharmaceutical warnings, and contaminated food and beverage.
- Represented an automotive parts supplier in a breach of contract suit relating to manufacturer’s early termination of a supply contract and defended against a motion for a temporary restraining order.
- National counsel for a mining company in its silicosis litigation and supervised the development and publishing of cutting-edge scientific work for use in the defense of the litigation.
- Regional counsel for product manufacturer in its asbestos litigation.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a consumer product manufacturer for plaintiff’s failure to properly preserve the evidence. Summary judgment affirmed on appeal and established the law in Wisconsin on spoliation of evidence in a product liability case.
- Represented a manufacturer of generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in a case involving catastrophic injuries and developed a manufacturer identification defense.
- Product liability counseling to major food processing equipment company, consumer goods retailer and automotive parts supplier manufacturers, including product liability prevention and regulatory compliance.
- Handled appeals in numerous states after defense verdicts or summary judgments for our client.
Publications & Presentations
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Co-Author,
"Locke Lord's QuickStudy: Illinois Supreme Court Limits Potential Liability of Construction Professionals In Negligence Cases,"
Locke Lord
(February 18, 2011)
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Contributor,
"Looking Ahead 2011: Product Liability,"
Locke Lord
(January 26, 2011)
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Co-Author,
"Client Alert: The CPSC’s New Rule on Children’s Products,"
Locke Lord
(December 15, 2010)
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Co-Author,
"Client Alert: Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down Caps on Noneconomic Damages in Medical Malpractice Cases,"
Locke Lord
(February 5, 2010)
Professional History
- Partner, Locke Lord LLP
- Practice Group Leader, Product Liability
- Co-Chair, Locke Lord Pro Bono Committee
Professional Affiliations & Achievements
- Recognized, Illinois Super Lawyers (2013)
- A.V. Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
- Certificate of Merit (for pro bono work), Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
- Member, Chicago Bar Association
- Member, Women's Bar Association of Illinois
- Member, Defense Research Institute
Community Leadership
- Leadership Council, National Immigrant Justice Center
- Board of Directors, Center for Disability and Elder Law
- Past President, Western Springs Foundation for Education Excellence
- St. John of the Cross, religious education instructor for 16 years
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