Scott R. Jennette

Education:

• Allegheny College, B.A.
• University of Dayton, J.D.

Bar & Court Admissions:

• New York
• Massachusetts (inactive)
• Ohio (inactive)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York

• Serving as Statewide and Nationwide Trial Counsel for corporations in asbestos products litigation.
• Successfully trying to verdict a claim of bad faith on behalf of an excess insurer against a primary insurer. See Quincy Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. New York Cent. Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 89 F. Supp. 3d 291 (N.D.N.Y. 2014).
• Successfully defending a New York public utility in a six-week trial involving an alleged $20 million fire loss caused by an electrical fault in 12kV pad-mounted switchgear.
• Obtaining summary judgment on behalf of a Fortune 500 company sued for products liability by an x-ray technician alleging that his lung cancer was caused by long-term use of a cleaning product containing sodium dichromate. The court ruled that plaintiff’s experts’ opinions on general and specific causation were unreliable. [Barbaro v. Eastman Kodak Co., 26 Misc.3d 1224(A), 2010 WL 597204 (Nassau Co. N.Y. Sup. Ct. Jan. 28, 2010 (NO. 13400/07)].
• Obtaining summary judgment on behalf of a Fortune 500 chemical company sued for products liability by a worker alleging that his leukemia was caused by his use of pure benzene. [Nelson v. Ashland Oil, Inc., 375 Fed. Appx. 74 (2d Cir. 2010)].
• Defending several chemical manufacturers and suppliers in the first mass tort litigation arising from alleged chemical exposures to cleanroom workers in the manufacture of computer chips and related products. These cases, which achieved national media attention, involved claims of multiple forms of cancer and birth defects and alleged exposures to solvents, alcohols, and acids. On behalf of all defendants, Scott briefed and argued the appeal that caused the dismissal of the claims of 76 plaintiffs in 12 related actions on the basis of New York’s novel statute of limitations provisions for toxic exposure actions. [Bass, et al. v. Union Carbide Corp., et al., 22 A.D.3d 618 (2d Dept. 2005)].

Attorneys in our Product Liability & Complex Tort Practice know how to best protect your business in the face of litigation that can threaten your company’s operations, product development, and reputation. With over two centuries of experience, we will partner with you to devise the best strategy to manage and resolve these lawsuits when your company faces an injury claim as well as preventing similar ones in the future.

Our team prides itself on its client-centered approach and understanding of your overall business goals. This perspective enables us to effectively defend you and to minimize long-term risk for your business in the future. To that end, our lawyers are active in civil justice reform; we are members of relevant trade associations and defense organizations; we visit our clients’ facilities to better learn their operations; and we remain current on industry trends and developments materially affecting our clients’ businesses. In the event of a claim or lawsuit, we will conduct comprehensive investigations and consult with highly qualified experts to develop successful litigation strategies and solutions.

Hodgson Russ works to protect your interests inside and outside the courtroom. Beyond litigation matters, our lawyers also advise and guide clients in the development of product warnings, owners’ manuals, contract documents, and other risk mitigation policies and procedures. We counsel clients on their compliance obligations under federal regulations and state statutes, including the labeling and warning requirements of California’s Proposition 65.

Hodgson Russ is a full-service firm that, for more than 200 years, has delivered high quality legal advice and exceptional service to our clients across the globe. We have worked alongside innovators and leaders of businesses large and small whose ideas have changed their companies, industries, communities, and in some cases, the world.

We are frequently recognized for excellence in the practice of law. The firm, our practices, and our attorneys are regularly honored by clients, other lawyers from around the country, national legal publications, and ranking organizations.

A small selection of these honors include being listed in The National Law Journal’s “NLJ 500,” and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (nationally and regionally); ranked as a “Best-Branded Law Firm” in BTI Brand Elite: Client Perceptions of the Best-Branded Law Firms report; and awarded various attorney and practice rankings in Best Lawyers’ “Best Law Firms,” “Best Lawyers in America,” and “Best Lawyers in Canada.”