Biography: Product Liability Defence

Walt Cofer is a member of the firm's national product liability section and recently completed his fourth term 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, Florida, Massachusetts, 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.

Mr Cofer has been successfully trying cases for the tobacco companies for two decades. His more notable trials include Ierardi v Lorillard, Inc, et al, the first Kent Micronite filter case; Broin v Philip Morris Incorporated, et al, a class action brought by non-smoking flight attendants alleging injury from breathing second-hand smoke on aeroplanes; and Williams v Philip Morris Incorporated, a smoking and health-related case that ultimately led the United States Supreme Court to limit the power of juries to award punitive damages; as well as a number of other important and unique cases for the tobacco companies and other manufacturers.

Mr Cofer is a frequent lecturer on trial practice and litigation strategies. Since 2007, Mr Cofer has been included in Expert Guides: Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers and The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers. He has been selected as a Missouri Super Lawyer and has been recognised three times as the "Best Lawyer in Kansas City" by KC Magazine. He has also been repeatedly recognised as one of The Best Lawyers in America.