Manufacturing | McGlinchey Stafford PLLC

An innovative leader in manufacturing

Manufacturers in today’s global economy face as much competition as ever, an environment which demands continuous innovation – from the factory floor to sales and distribution systems. Meeting the constantly changing needs of customers around the globe requires creative and reliable business and legal counsel.

McGlinchey’s Manufacturing team supports the growth and operations of manufacturing companies by addressing the full range of business and legal needs – asset purchases and acquisitions, warehouse and facility leases, collective bargaining and other employment matters, patent prosecution and defense, tax matters, contract and other business disputes, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, auto finance, direct and indirect lending and sales finance programs, motor vehicle franchise law, ancillary products and warranty programs, regulatory compliance, and product liability defense – including multidistrict litigation (MDL) as well as insurance defense and coverage cases.

With a nationwide footprint that allows us to represent companies in virtually every jurisdiction in the United States, our lawyers have represented manufacturers in a wide range of industries: automotive, aviation, asbestos, energy, gas and chemical manufacturing, healthcare, heavy equipment and industrial products, transportation, boats and motors, consumer products, and more.

Our manufacturing clients rely on our high-touch capabilities – where extensive contact with our partners brings the highest quality legal and business acumen as well as efficiency to the advice we provide. Moreover, our collaborative approach enables us to assemble teams of lawyers from multiple legal specialties to anticipate and uncover novel issues and strategies – all for the benefit of clients.

Contact your McGlinchey Manufacturing team for our latest insights about the following:

Data privacy and cybersecurity. Potential losses – both financial and reputational – resulting from data breaches are a concern for manufacturing entities, and with the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) – and ever more quantities of proprietary data present in manufacturing environments – such concerns only continue to grow. With McGlinchey’s large base of clients in the financial services sector, our firm is audited yearly for data privacy and cybersecurity concerns, and we invest heavily in compliance and data privacy protections. Our lawyers are leaders in the field of data privacy protection and we bring this compliance mindset to our manufacturing clients and their operations.

Indemnity issues loom large. Liability cases are on the rise for downstream users of manufactured products, especially in the arena of toxic and asbestos exposure cases. Our decades-long experience defending manufacturers – addressing the complex science and technology issues at the heart of toxic tort claims – enables us to defend against such claims wherever they arise.

New technologies. With technological innovation moving ever faster – toward autonomous vehicles and more bio-engineered and genetically engineered products – new business and legal risks are emerging. Our manufacturing team stays current with the technologies being used by our clients in order to anticipate risks and, whenever possible, prevent exposure.

Litigation and cost containment. As the cost of litigation rises, businesses look for greater economy and predictability in litigation spending. Whether incisive early case evaluation, tactics for quick resolution, pro-active use of alternative dispute resolution, or representing defendants in cases where plaintiffs’ lawyers are supported by third party litigation funding, the McGlinchey Manufacturing team works strategically to devise risk mitigation and containment strategies consistent with a client’s unique legal and business objectives.

Automobile product liability defense. McGlinchey lawyers have been recognized with a Nationwide ranking by Chambers USA for automobile product liability and general product liability defense.

Product liability defense. For decades, we have defended manufacturers from product liability claims with experience mastering technical complexity which is second to none. We have built trusted relationships with technical experts who are leaders in their fields, providing us with a base of knowledge critical to the defense of design defect and other claims. We have defended product liability claims against a vast universe of products including agricultural equipment, airbags, aircraft (fixed-wing and rotary), asbestos, automobiles (OEM), aviation equipment, buses, chemical plant equipment, commercial vehicles, construction equipment, consumer appliances, consumer products, diesel engines, diesel-electric locomotives, diesel generators, drywall (Chinese), elevators and escalators, exercise equipment, food manufacturing equipment, healthcare equipment, heavy equipment, hospital equipment, hydraulic systems, industrial equipment, lead paint, marine engines and products, medical devices, mining equipment, motorcycles (OEM), natural gas engines, paper mill equipment, pharmaceuticals, pleasure craft, plumbing supplies, power control systems, powertrain applications, woodworking and other power tools, power turbines, refinery equipment, specialty vehicles, tires and tire rims, tractors, transmission systems, trucks, and watercraft.

Government investigations. Unlike many of our competitors, McGlinchey brings extensive experience in regulatory compliance and related government investigations to the services we offer manufacturing clients.

Specialized knowledge and hybrid strengths. Our team’s deep knowledge of a wide variety of industries and legal disciplines gives us unique capabilities – for example, aviation intersecting with admiralty, deep knowledge of product liability claims brought against marine products, premises liability and related insurance issues for asbestos manufacturers, and auto finance (including national retail and lease programs and related regulatory compliance matters).

Cost Predictability Combined with Strategic, Aggressive Patent Prosecution is Key to Successful Global Patent Portfolio Management
Where we started: Our client, a multinational developer and manufacturer of specialty chemicals, ranks among the top three product suppliers, and in one case the top product supplier, in the world in its primary business segments. The company demands excellence in the crafting of its patent procurement strategy and global patent procurement activities, to protectMore
Knowing the Intricacies of State Law Made the Difference in Obtaining Dismissal of a Disability Discrimination Charge
Where we started: Our client, a national chemical manufacturing company, had an employee with multiple and recurring performance issues. He also had a complicated medical history which included episodes of mental illness. Though these incidents required absence from work for medical treatment, his physician routinely released him to resume work without any limitations. After theMore
Responsiveness and knowing the unique needs of a closely held family business provided the steadying hand needed to complete a business sale and transition plan for the family and the purchaser
Where we started: Our client – a highly successful, family-owned, specialized defense industry manufacturer – was approached by one of its vendors who expressed strong interest in purchasing the business. Our strategy – plus more: We recognize that the needs of family-owned businesses differ – often in significant ways – from those of investor-owned andMore
Quick and Complex Cross-Border Work Led to Successful Mediation
Where we started: Our client, a European manufacturer, faced personal injury and wrongful death litigation arising from an accident involving a large piece of container handling equipment at the Port of New Orleans. The client called the mobile phone of one of our product liability lawyers asking if we could help locate a forklift expert.More
Creative Lawyering Surmounts a Unique Challenge in Collision Trial
Where we started: Our client, a multinational automobile manufacturer, was sued by the family of a teenage girl who died in an accident involving a vehicle made by the manufacturer. Beyond the facts of the case – a rear-end collision and post-collision fire – the case was complicated by the fact that the girl was theMore
Quick and Skillful Engagement with Regulators Prevented a Potential $1 Million Fine
Where we started: Our client, a manufacturer and supplier from outside Louisiana, came to us when the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors cited them for acting as a contractor without a license and hiring unlicensed contractors on a $10 million+ contract. The investigation and citation arose from a jilted bidder filing an administrative complaint as wellMore
Invoking the “Government Contractor Defense” Resulted in Summary Judgment in Favor of Military Aircraft Manufacturer
Where we started: Our client was sued by the family of a U.S. Marine killed in the crash of a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft during a training exercise in Hawaii. The Osprey is a multi-mission military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing and short takeoff and landing capabilities. It is designed to combine theMore
Early Motion Practice in State Court Resolves Private Aircraft Crash Lawsuit
Where we started: The case involved a single-engine aircraft crash that killed both the pilot and his passenger. The resulting multi-defendant litigation comprised two separate cases and included wrongful death and survival claims brought by the surviving family members who sought actual and punitive damages in excess of $100 million. Our strategy – plus more:More

Why Equity Must Take Center Stage
Join attorneys from McGlinchey’s Labor and Employment group and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, for an interactive panel discussion about why organizations should go beyond diversity and instead focus on fostering equity.
Podcast: Redefining Personal Jurisdiction – SCOTUS rules on the Ford Cases
What does the U.S. Supreme Court's March 25 decision regarding personal jurisdiction in the Ford cases mean for litigants and litigation across the country?
Supreme Court Rejects Ford’s Narrow Reading of Personal Jurisdiction
In a much-anticipated U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued on March 25, the Court unanimously rejected Ford Motor Company’s argument that it could not be subject to personal jurisdiction in products liability actions filed in the states where the plaintiffs resided and where the underlying accidents occurred.
Webinar: Updates to the Paycheck Protection Program & Other Issues
Join us on Thursday, March 18 for the second installment in our 3-Part webinar series on the Paycheck Protection Program and formulate your game-plan before you apply for forgiveness.
Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines: An Employer’s Guide to the Perils, Policies and Best Practices
Mag Bickford (New Orleans) will present "Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines: An Employer’s Guide to the Perils, Policies and Best Practices" to the New Orleans Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.