Mr. Connolly is a partner in the San Francisco office of Seyfarth Shaw and is the chair of the Firm’s Product Liability & Complex Tort Practice Group.
Mr. Connolly's practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation, defense of consumer fraud/unfair competition claims, and product liability/complex tort litigation. He handles individual and multi-plaintiff lawsuits—including numerous class actions—on local, state-wide and national levels. He has managed litigation occurring throughout the country and has been appointed to national trial teams, called upon to try cases and support trial teams in various jurisdictions. He has handled hundreds of cases involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, business torts, unfair competition and unfair business practices, false advertising, breach of fiduciary duties, trade secret appropriation, negligence, product liability and tort theories, and violations of various federal and state statutes and regulations. including California’s Proposition 65, the Consumer Product Safety and Improvement Act and the Federal Hazardous Substance Act.
Mr. Connolly was identified as a Top Attorney in Business Litigation in the 2008, 2010 and 2012 biennial Corporate Counsel Editions of Super Lawyers, published by Law & Politics, and was selected by that publication as a Northern California Super Lawyer in 2013 and six previous years. He recently was selected for inclusion in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions.
Mr. Connolly’s representative matters include representation of national web-hosting company in commercial disputes involving contract and unfair business practice claims; representation of major national food market in unfair business practice, unfair competition and false advertising claims concerning sales and marketing in California and nationally; representation of major computer manufacturer in unfair business practice, unfair competition and false advertising claims concerning sales and marketing practices; representation of international bio-pharmaceutical company in intellectual property dispute concerning proprietary gene therapy; representation of national company in commercial and fraud litigation regarding high-tech color imaging software and equipment; representation of major broker-dealer against California municipality alleging improper securities transactions; representation of major financial institution in lender liability litigation arising out of failed developments; national product liability counsel for major natural food market, including claims related to foodborne illnesses and private label dietary supplements and nutriceuticals; representation of target defendant in silicone breast implant litigation in all cases venued in Northern California, and in state coordinated and federal multi-district proceedings; national representation of leading manufacturer of latex products in litigation concerning latex allergies; representation of target defendant in multi-party market share litigation regarding diethylstilbestrol (“DES”) exposure; defense of claims arising from exposure to various chemicals and substances, including lead, silicone, silica, latex, qlutaraldehyde, hydroquinone, silver nitrate, film processing substances, asbestos and other materials.
