Nancy Shane Rappaport
Pennsylvania
DLA Piper LLP (US)
One Liberty Place, Suite 5000
1650 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19103-7300
Tel: +1 215 656 3357
Email:
nancy.rappaport@us.dlapiper.com
Web:
www.dlapiper.com
Nancy Rappaport is a Partner with DLA Piper and serves as Chair of the Philadelphia Litigation Practice, while also working out of the Wilmington, Delaware office.
Nancy is a national trial lawyer involved in a variety of matters focusing on product liability litigation, including the defense of multinational manufacturers in catastrophic injury cases arising from the use of such products as consumer and commercial outdoor power equipment, construction equipment, farming equipment, heavy commercial machinery, building construction materials, automobiles and automotive component parts, among others. She acts as national counsel for various outdoor power equipment manufacturers, managing all stages of litigation, and acting as lead trial and appellate counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country.
Nancy’s practice also includes national, regional and local representation of various U.S. Government defense contractors, among other manufacturers, in toxic tort litigation, as well as representation of national and multinational corporations in complex commercial disputes in Delaware state and federal courts. Nancy also provides direct defense of aging services facilities in Pennsylvania and Delaware in lawsuits asserting professional liability, personal injury, negligence, elder abuse, wrongful death and other related claims.
Manufacturers also seek Nancy’s guidance in the preparation of manuals, warranties, labels and marketing materials for new products, including heavy commercial machinery, outdoor power equipment, kitchen appliances, glassware and baby products. Her practice also includes counselling clients and speaking at industry meetings regarding litigation prevention, discovery and trial strategies.
Nancy has been an instructor at firm-wide litigation associates training events on discovery and trial techniques since 2008, served as a national delegate and task force committee member during creation of the firm’s women’s initiative – Leadership Alliance for Women (“LAW”) — in 2006, served as local chair for LAW from 2015-2017, and chaired the Philadelphia office’s summer associate program from 2002 – 2006. She also lectures regularly at Villanova School of Law on litigation, negotiation, mentoring, networking and interviewing skills.
Legal 500 United States has repeatedly recognized Nancy, noting that she “is an excellent attorney, trial lawyer and brief writer,” “a fierce advocate,” and “the best outside counsel you could find.”
Nancy serves as national counsel to various multinational companies in litigation arising in the United States, handling all matters from inception through trial and appeal in matters involving catastrophic injuries arising from the use of products, as well as commercial disputes. Her experience includes the following:
- Obtained dismissal for forum non conveniens on behalf of leading provider of innovative architectural products in wrongful death and products liability mass action brought by 247 plaintiffs and their estates in Philadelphia state court (successfully removed to federal court) seeking damages arising out of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London.
- Tried to defense verdict, and argued/successfully defended through appeal, catastrophic injury case for world’s largest farm machine manufacturer in Michigan state court.
- Tried to defense verdict catastrophic injury cases for multinational manufacturers of consumer and commercial mowing equipment in state and federal courts throughout the country.
- Tried to defense verdict premises liability case in Delaware state court.
- Representation as national trial counsel for catastrophic injury cases for largest manufacturers of consumer and commercial mowing, cutting and trimming equipment, including all aspects of litigation, trial and appeal.
- Representation as national trial counsel for global defense and technology company, including all aspects of litigation and trial in toxic tort matters.
- Representation as national trial counsel for national military vehicle manufacturer, including all aspects of litigation and trial, in toxic tort matters.
- Successfully briefed and argued manufacturers’ dismissal on summary judgment in catastrophic injury cases before various federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country, including: the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; the District of Utah, the District of Maryland, the Western District of Oklahoma, and the District of Delaware.
- Successfully defended various clients in product liability and commercial matters at arbitrations in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
- Obtained dismissals on behalf of global defense and technology company and on behalf of military vehicle manufacturer in toxic tort matters throughout the country.
- Prepared manuals, warranties and on-product labeling for manufacturers of various consumer and commercial products including kitchen and household appliances; baby products; outdoor power equipment and construction equipment.
- Provided counsel on preparation of marketing materials for safe use of outdoor power equipment on behalf of several outdoor power equipment manufacturers.
Our Product Liability, Mass Torts and Product Stewardship team assists our manufacturing clients on risk, compliance and business management at every stage of the product life cycle. We are positioned to defend claims of any scope, around the globe. We help our clients keep ahead of the game on compliance with product safety legislation, lobbying and engaging if necessary with government legislatures and the public regulatory authorities. We advise on environmentally friendly supply chain management.
We handle crises that involve product recalls, governmental investigations, insurance coverage and environmental concerns. We are mindful of the need to maintain reputations. In the event of claims that may need to go to arbitration or trial, our team includes some of the most highly regarded dispute resolution lawyers in the world, according to respected legal publications, including Chambers and Partners, and Legal 500.
We collaborate with our colleagues around the world to ensure that each client receives sound advice based on a multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional approach.
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help clients with their legal needs around the world.
We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality and value to our clients.
We achieve this through practical and innovative legal solutions that help our clients succeed. We deliver consistent services across our platform of practices and sectors in all matters we undertake.
Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies. They include more than half of the Fortune 250 and nearly half of the FTSE 350 or their subsidiaries. We also advise governments and public sector bodies.