Profile: Walter L Cofer

Product Liability

Biography: Product Liability

Walt Cofer is a member of the firm's national product liability section and is on the firm's executive committee. Mr Cofer is nationally known as an accomplished trial lawyer and for his experience as a skilled client counselor and litigator.

Mr Cofer has tried cases to a verdict, in state and federal courts, in Oregon, Pennsylvania, Missouri, California and Ohio. He has served as national coordinating counsel for Philip Morris and Lorillard in cases throughout the country, many times managing hundreds of cases simultaneously, in jurisdictions as diverse as Mississippi, New York, California, Pennsylvania, and Florida. He has also handled cases in Argentina and Brazil.

In 2005, Mr Cofer was the lead trial counsel in Coolidge v Philip Morris USA Inc, a smoking and health case that was tried in state court in Riverside, California. After an 11-week trial, the jury swiftly returned a unanimous defence verdict. In 2001, he was lead trial counsel in Tompkin v The American Tobacco Company et al Tompkin was tried in federal court in Ohio. After a defence verdict, Walt successfully argued the appeal on behalf of the four defendant tobacco companies in the US Court of Appeals for the sixth circuit.

Mr Cofer is a frequent lecturer on trial practice and litigation strategies, and has been selected as a 'Missouri Super Lawyer' and twice-recognised as the 'Best Lawyer in Kansas City' by KC Magazine.