Dara Mann

Dara Mann is a class action and product liability litigator in our Atlanta, Georgia office. She has more than 20 years’ experience functioning as national, strategic or coordinating counsel for multiple Fortune 200 corporations in complex litigation involving class action, product liability, environmental and commercial disputes.

Dara’s product liability experience encompasses mass tort and consumer fraud actions involving a broad array of products, including automobiles, airplanes and machinery, as well as asbestos, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and tobacco products.

With a demonstrated strength in developing innovative and effective strategies in high-stakes litigation, Dara has litigated cases in federal and state courts throughout the country, including in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

She is an active member of the Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC), including serving on the PLAC board of directors from 2011-2016. She is also a member of the Publications Board and Toxic Tort Committee of the Defense Research Institute (DRI).

Education :

• Emory University, J.D., 1996
• Agnes Scott College, B.A., with honors, 1993

Admissions :

• Georgia, 1996
• Minnesota, 1996

Courts :

• U.S. Dist. Ct., Dist. of Minnesota
• U.S. Dist. Ct., M. Dist. of Georgia
• U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Georgia

Experience :

• Class Actions
  • In re Continental Airbag Products Liability Litigation – Lead counsel for Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. in national class action litigation stemming from the recall of approximately five million airbag units. Achieved early dismissal of plaintiffs’ claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act and various state consumer fraud statutes and common law claims.
  • Phillips, et al. v. The Leland Stanford University d/b/a Stanford University, et al. – Successfully defended Parsons Government Services, Inc. against a putative class action alleging that defendants conspired with the US Army to disperse toxic substances on a housing complex in St. Louis from the 1950s through the 1960s under the auspices of the US government’s biological warfare program. After three years of litigation, our team obtained the voluntary dismissal of lead and putative class claims.
  • Adkins, et al. v. Chevron Corp., et al. – Defense of nuclear fuel facility in a putative class action alleging release of radioactive and hazardous materials to air and water. Obtained early dismissal under Price Anderson Act preemption and federal pleading standards.
• Environmental/High-exposure
  • Audit Committee of the Tennessee Valley Authority – Assisted an independent investigation for the Audit Committee of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as to causes and needed remediation in the aftermath of a major coal ash spill costing the TVA more than US$1 billion in damages.
  • State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Food, Inc., et al. – Handled an action involving natural resource damage, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, commonly known as Superfund) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCA). This entailed allegations of more than US$2 billion in environmental damage from land application of poultry litter.
• Product Liability and Toxic Torts
  • Confidential multinational conglomerate client – Wrongful death action stemming from alleged asbestos exposure of decedent during Navy service.
  • Confidential multinational conglomerate client – Wrongful death action alleging failure to properly monitor decedent, who was required to undergo court-mandated home-based alcohol monitoring.
  • Halford v. Honeywell, Inc. – Wrongful death action alleging a police helicopter crash during a nighttime child search and rescue mission was caused by equipment failure.
  • Florist Mutual Ins. Co., et al. v. Syngenta Seeds, Inc., et al. – Multi-plaintiff litigation regarding seed performance.