Automotive Defense Litigators to Co-Lead Nationally Ranked Shook Class Action Team

LOS ANGELES and SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A pair of complex class action defense litigators will co-lead Shook, Hardy & Bacon's Class Action and Appellate Practice. California Shook Partners Michael Mallow and Amir Nassihi will join longtime chair Tristan Duncan in the new management role. All three are highly sought-after winning trial and appellate lawyers with decades of experience defending commercial litigation and consumer class actions in the firm's roster of automotive, consumer products, cosmetics, energy, and food and beverage clients.

"We're excited to expand our leadership to our colleagues in California where we have top tier attorneys in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Orange County," said Shook Chair Madeleine McDonough. "Michael and Amir bring fresh perspective and, working with Tristan, will enhance our client service."

Mallow joined Shook in 2019 to open and grow the firm's Los Angeles office. For more than 20 years, Mallow has defended automotive companies and manufacturers against unexpected litigation ranging from product recalls to advertising claims. Beyond the auto industry, Mallow has created favorable law defending clients in Telephone Consumer Protection Act and false marketing class actions.

"Many of our client industries are experiencing paradigm shifts as artificial intelligence, new concepts of mobility and the COVID-19 environment force revolutionary changes in product offerings. While this is an exciting time for product innovation, these new opportunities for our clients are also rife with class action litigation risk. We are working with clients to mitigate, address and defend against this risk," said Mallow from Los Angeles where he also serves as managing partner. "I look forward to collaborating with Tristan and Amir in evolving Shook's extraordinary class action and appellate practice to better serve our clients' needs."

Nassihi knows the firm from the ground up, having begun his career at Shook almost 20 years ago. He has gone on to hold various leadership roles including managing the San Francisco office. He has substantial experience defending a broad array of consumer class actions and aggregated litigation in California and throughout the country, with a strong track record in favorably disposing of high-stakes litigation across a variety of industries, including automotive, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, retail, and consumer goods.

"The past year has seen enormous activity in the class litigation space, with a surge in opportunistic new filings. At the same time, we have had much success helping favorably develop the law at all stages of the litigation life cycle through novel and creative litigation approaches," said Nassihi from San Francisco. "There's no formulaic defense in these cases. Our job is to continue to stay one step ahead, and tailor innovative solution-based approaches for our clients, while leveraging our experience to help ensure favorable results."

In 2020, the firm advocated for clients when an uptick of consumer class actions emerged, and provided stalwart guidance in defending these cases. Led by Duncan, and previously Holly P. Smith, the team handled 680+ class action cases in the last decade, and been instrumental in favorably developing the law. Shook has persuaded courts to deny or otherwise throw out class actions across the United States—in cases spanning an array of theories of recovery. Interestingly, one of the things that distinguishes Shook's Class Action and Appellate Practice from others is its ability to attract literary and scholarly luminaries to their cases, including American literary icon Kurt Vonnegut who wrote a piece in support of their appellate arguments.  

"Shook's Class Action team, which includes attorneys generating laudable results nationally, had our biggest year ever in 2020," said Duncan, recognized for her acumen in energy class action law and client service. "The momentum going into 2021 is very encouraging, and with Michael and Amir's outstanding track record, I'm very bullish about this year."

Accolades for Shook's class action work include national recognition in Chambers USA and receipt of the Association of Corporate Counsel's "Value Champions" award for our "innovative and cost-effective" approach to handling complex class actions, and "standout" recognition from BTI Litigation Outlook.

To speak to a Shook attorney, contact Media Relations Manager Heather McMichael, [email protected], 816.389.0419.

About Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 16 offices in the United States and London, with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and commercial litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security and regulatory counseling.

SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.