Jennifer Kane
is counsel with King & Spalding’s Tort Litigation and Environmental Practice Group. She concentrates her practice on defending product manufacturers in the pharmaceutical, tobacco, alcohol, automotive, and firearms industries against individual and mass tort claims brought by plaintiffs across the United States and Canada.
Ms. Kane’s recent experience includes:
Served as a member of trial teams in tobacco litigation pending in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and West Virginia, including the “Engle progeny” litigation that has been pending in Florida state and federal courts since late 2007. Two recent progeny trials, Ojeda v. R.J. Reynolds, No. 09-7143-CA-01, Miami-Dade Circuit Court (Sept. 15, 2011) and Denton v. R.J. Reynolds, No. 3:09-CV-10036-MMH-JBT (M.D. Fla. Aug. 1, 2012) have resulted in complete defense verdicts.
Counseled a tobacco manufacturer regarding regulatory submissions to and hearings before the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Defended a pharmaceutical manufacturer against personal injury and wrongful death claims filed in state and federal courts across the country. Representative victories in this litigation include White v. SmithKline Beecham Corp., 538 F. Supp. 2d 1023 (W.D. Mich. 2008), a teenage suicide case in which the court granted judgment on the pleadings on the basis that the claims were barred by state statute and federal conflict preemption, and Vanderwerf v. SmithKline Beecham Corp., 529 F. Supp. 2d 1294 (D. Kan. 2008), an adult suicide case in which the court granted summary judgment on the basis that the plaintiff had no admissible evidence of general, specific, or proximate causation.
Managed Canadian individual and class action claims for a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Drafted trial and appellate briefing on controversial issues such as federal preemption of claims and appropriateness of punitive damages. See White v. SmithKline Beecham Corp., 538 F. Supp. 2d 1023 (W.D. Mich. 2008); Badon v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 2005-1048, 934 So. 2d 927 (La. App. 3 Cir. 7/12/06).
Served as counsel for an alcohol distiller in nationwide litigation involving improper marketing and advertising claims.
Represented an automobile manufacturer in airbag and safety belt litigation in Alabama and Georgia.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Kane was part of the trial team that defended nearly 70 firearms manufacturers and distributors in the matter of NAACP v. AcuSport, Inc., 271 F. Supp. 2d 435 (E.D.N.Y. 2003). Of the numerous cases pending against the industry at that time, NAACP was one of only two cases that ever proceeded to trial. The jury delivered a defense verdict, which The National Law Journal selected as one of the top 10 defense verdicts of 2003. Other reported cases in this litigation include: Johnson v. Beemiller, Inc., No. 03 CV 66, 2003 WL 21697025 (E.D.N.Y. July 21, 2003); City of Chicago v. Beretta U.S.A. Corp., 213 Ill. 2d 351, 821 N.E.2d 1099 (2004).
