Gilbert S. Leeds chairs Schenck, Price, Smith & King’s Products Liability Defense Practice Group and co-chairs its Insurance Defense Practice Group.  Within the Firm, Mr. Leeds is a member of the Management Committee.  Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney, Mr. Leeds has also been included on the roster of court-appointed mediators through the Administrative Office of the Courts.

In professional liability suits, he defends insurance agents and brokers, attorneys, physicians, and other medical personnel.  Mr. Leeds’ caseload also includes substantial insurance defense, professional E & O claims and employment defense matters for Westport Insurance, Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual, Franklin Mutual, Farmers Mutual, The Hartford, and medical malpractice defense for Atlantic Health System and its medical staff. 

His product liability clients include such commercial and home appliance and equipment manufacturers as Raytheon, Electrolux, Amana, Frigidaire, Tappan, Murray of Ohio, and Cavagna North America, for which Mr. Leeds has served as national coordinating counsel.

Mr. Leeds also handles public entity defense and represents the State of New Jersey in defense of many tort, employment and false arrest cases.

Mr. Leeds has been recognized every year since 2005 by New Jersey Monthly magazine as one of New Jersey’s Super Lawyers. *

Areas of Concentration

Professional liability defense, product liability defense, insurance defense, employment law, public entity defense, and commercial litigation.

Representative Matters

• Obtained dismissal of class action “blast fax” case on behalf of wellness company in which class action plaintiffs sought $78 million in damages.
• Defense verdicts in favor of client manufacturers in numerous jury trials, including manufacturers of outdoor power equipment and household appliances.                                    
• Successful defense of trade association of insurance agents in a case in which several agents were found responsible for a $9.1 million dollar judgment.  Represented trade association as a “friend of the court” on successful appeal resulting in complete dismissal of case against agents.
• Successful defense of insurance agent in case in which plaintiff claimed client responsible for approximately $1 million for claimed failure to offer insurance coverage for accident. Obtained case dismissal at trial level which both Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed.
• National Coordinating Counsel for insurance company in construction defect cases, coordinating all local counsel in defense of major construction litigation nationwide.
• National Coordinating Counsel for manufacturer and distributor of component parts in propane industry.
• Successful defense of defendant physician in medical malpractice case in which plaintiff lost three limbs as the result of an infection. Obtained case dismissal on motion before trial court and case affirmed on appeal.
• Daily handling of diverse caseload of substantial matters.

* For more information about the Super Lawyers selection process, please go to:
http://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process.html
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