Elizabeth Reese

Elizabeth Reese’s practice focuses on helping companies navigate the increasingly complex intersection between consumer-oriented regulation and product liability litigation.

She understands her clients’ long-term business needs and works to help them reduce future litigation risk by implementing policies and procedures designed to avoid litigation.

For clients already facing litigation, she provides strategic insight into how decisions made now will position them for long-range success.

Elizabeth handles all aspects of product liability, mass tort, and toxic tort litigation. She has successfully defended companies facing high-stakes consumer product liability litigation and regularly represents clients in complex commercial and civil disputes, including consumer class action defense.

Elizabeth also routinely evaluates regulatory compliance programs to provide insight and recommendations to companies regarding policies designed to mitigate future product liability and consumer protection litigation risk.

She represents major corporate clients across a broad spectrum of industries, with a special focus on the retail sector.

While in law school at the University of Virginia, Elizabeth was selected as a Dillard Fellow in Legal Research and Writing and served as the senior Dillard Fellow for the legal writing program during her final year.

She now works with the Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP/University of Virginia School of Law Pro Bono Partnership, representing clients on a pro bono basis in matters involving immigration, custody, guardianship, and veterans’ benefits.

Experience:

• Represents multiple Fortune 500 companies in mass tort and product liability litigation in jurisdictions throughout the United States.
• Provides strategic pre-market litigation risk analysis for product manufacturers and retailers, including guidance on potential risks of product or manufacturing changes, regulatory compliance programs and policies, investigations, and litigation avoidance.
• Counsels companies regarding “best practices” programs and policies designed to avoid litigation risk associated with the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”), the Consumer Product Safety Act (“CPSA”), the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (“CPSIA”), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), and other federal and state regulatory schemes.
• Defends retailers in consumer class actions involving claims of false or misleading product labeling.

EDUCATION:

• JD, University of Virginia School of Law, Dillard Fellow in Legal Research and Writing, Articles Editor, Virginia Journal of International Law, 2015
• BA, Political Science, Duke University, Robert S. Rankin American Government Award for Leadership and Academic Achievement, 2012

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Virginia

Memberships:

• Member, Virginia Bar Association
• Member, Richmond Bar Association
• Chair, Special Immigrant Juvenile Project, Young Lawyers’ Division, Virginia Bar Association
• Chair, Membership Committee, WishYP (Young Professionals), Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Virginia