A seasoned litigator, Todd focuses on representing clients in general and commercial aviation product liability and tort disputes, with an emphasis on defending aircraft and component parts manufacturers against product liability claims nationwide. Todd also represents aircraft owners, pilots, fixed base operators, and maintenance facilities in lawsuits arising from general aviation accidents, and domestic and foreign air carriers and product manufacturers in connection with substantial accidents. Todd litigates claims throughout the country in aviation, insurance, and commercial disputes, including matters involving personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, general tort, property damage, cargo losses, insurance coverage, and subrogation. Todd combines his experience with the firm’s vast bench of skilled attorneys across the country to bring results that often surpass clients’ expectations.
In his aviation practice, representative matters throughout his career have included defense of an air carrier in claims arising from alleged toxic fumes in the cockpit of a commercial passenger aircraft; defense of an engine manufacturer in wrongful death claims arising from the crash in Alaska of a charter plane in which all nine passengers – two families – and the pilot sustained fatal injuries; defense of a component manufacturer in wrongful death claims arising from the crashes of Pilatus aircraft; defense of a component manufacturer in a multi-million dollar claim in the United Kingdom for substantial damage to a commercial aircraft as a result of an uncontained lithium battery fire; defense of a tail rotor blade manufacturer from a personal injury claim as a result of the crash of an Apache helicopter in Alabama; defense of an engine component manufacturer from wrongful death claims as a result of a helicopter crash in Ohio; defense of a component manufacturer from a wrongful death claim and personal injury claims as a result of a float plane crash in Alaska; defense of a component manufacturer from wrongful death and personal injury claims arising from a crash near Ostersund, Sweden; defense of a pilot-owner in a severe personal injury action arising from a crash in Wisconsin; the defense of a pilot-owner in wrongful death claims arising from a crash in Wisconsin; defense of numerous agricultural applicators in overspray and drift claims.
In his commercial litigation practice, Todd defends complex contract disputes and professional liability claims. Representative matters include the successful defense of an international corporation and one of its employees in a lawsuit brought by the employee’s former employer alleging theft of trade secrets and breach of the employee’s non-compete contract, in which the plaintiff’s efforts to obtain an injunction against the corporation and its employee were thwarted and the previously entered temporary restraining order was dissolved following a multi-day evidentiary hearing on the merits; defense of an internation corporation for breach of contract, promissory estoppel, and unjust enrichment arising from a trade show at McCormick Place; successful defense against bad faith claims in consolidated multimillion-dollar coverage disputes, which prompted favorable settlement of additional insureds’ claims stemming from an air carrier’s bankruptcy and alleged missing aircraft and engine parts; representation of an insurance client at trial in a professional malpractice dispute arising from an HMO-managed care plan.
Todd has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer in Aviation & Aerospace. In addition to being a member of the Defense Research Institute, Aviation and Insurance Committees, the Aviation Insurance Association, and the Chicago Bar Association Insurance Law Committee, Todd is also a member and past Vice-Chair and Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Aviation Law Committee.
Todd is admitted to practice before the state courts in Illinois, the Federal District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of Illinois, the District of Colorado and the Northern District of Indiana, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits.
