Jonathan Judge

Jonathan Judge is a trial lawyer who believes that analytics are an important part of cutting-edge legal advice. Jonathan is frequently asked to handle challenging cases involving consumer products, particularly those involving children and/or serious or fatal injuries to others.

As an analyst, Jonathan publishes statistical models that outline “fair” levels of government agency fines; uses analytics to demonstrate the effectiveness of client strategy changes, and employs machine learning to separate legal coincidences from legal facts.

Jonathan is particularly focused on the growing role of Adaptive Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in the automotive sector. Successful defense of ADAS, both within litigation and to the public, is much easier when counsel are as capable working inside modeling software as they are in a courtroom. Attorneys who already understand statistics and machine learning are best placed to hit the ground running when an ADAS issue arises.

From Agencies to Juries

Jonathan has extensive experience defending client interests during Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigations, and he helps product manufacturers and importers comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). He develops a unique vision for each case or investigation and turns to the engineers and experts best qualified to support his argument.

Jonathan also acts as national coordinating counsel for companies seeking comprehensive product liability representation. He helps product sellers understand that there is no such thing as an isolated case anymore, and that mistakes made in one case can haunt a company for years to come. In particular, he works to ensure that CPSC product investigations do not compromise the defense of related product liability lawsuits, and vice versa.

Ongoing Counsel

Jonathan utilizes his experience to help consumer product entrepreneurs launch their products safely and effectively. He provides these clients with vital legal information including standards for warning labels, instruction booklets and necessary product testing.

Clients benefit from Jonathan’s ability to advise them on proper insurance coverage, improved product labeling and product marketing campaigns. Additionally, he helps protect parent companies from the liabilities of their subsidiary investments. With a keen procedural acumen, Jonathan is respected for his knowledge of the sophisticated legal issues that affect consumer products, particularly when their performance is being challenged in court.

Jonathan has provided regulatory advice in relation to:

• Insurance regulatory fines and assessments
• Product Regulatory Safety Plans (PRSP)
• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• Washington Children’s Safe Products Act (CSPA)
• Health Canada (HC)
• Toys regulations (ASTM)

A Trusted Advocate

When defending clients, Jonathan draws upon his own technical knowledge as well as the expertise of engineers and others in the manufacturing industry. But most of all, he aims to succeed. He believes that too many lawyers fail to instill the confidence in their client that they can actually win the case. While many cases should be resolved, clients usually get a much better result once the opponent recognizes that their counsel is actually willing to take the case to trial if necessary.

EDUCATION:

• University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D., 2001
• Lawrence University, B.A., 1998

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Illinois
• Wisconsin
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• International Association of Defense Counsel
• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Wisconsin
• Defense Research Institute, Trial Tactics Committee