Meet Our Food Liability Defense Team

Our food safety lawyers work with food companies nationwide helping prevent litigation, manage recalls and defend high profile food-borne illness outbreaks and claims. 

Over the last decade, the firm has worked closely with many food companies throughout the country (including major food producers, national restaurant chains, and several distributors and grocers) assisting with a wide-range of food safety matters, including crisis planning, management and outbreak litigation.

During this period, the firm has worked with food clients in over 20 states (including Arizona, Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin), has represented clients in major outbreak litigation (including outbreaks and cases involving E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium Perfringens, Staphylococcus and Norovirus), and has assisted with crisis management and other issues in advance of and following major food product recalls.

  

Shawn K. Stevens, a member of the firm's food safety defense team, defends and counsels clients nationwide in product liability, personal injury and food-borne illness matters. 

Mr. Stevens speaks regularly to national audiences on issues relating to crisis management, food-borne illness outbreaks, recalls and lawsuits, and works with numerous food companies (including one of the nation’s largest food producers, national restaurant chains, and several food distributors and grocers) in the defense of food-borne illness claims. 

Mr. Stevens also has wide ranging experience defending clients in commercial, insurance and medical malpractice disputes, and was recently recognized by his peers as a Wisconsin Super Lawyer Rising Star.   

 

Ralph A. Weber, Ralph A. Weber has represented clients in several of Wisconsin’s highest profile lawsuits over the past several decades, and currently litigates for one of the world’s largest companies in food safety cases throughout the United States. His trial experience includes many lengthy jury and court trials. His appellate experience includes multiple oral arguments before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and intermediate appellate courts.

The prestigious international lawyer reference, Chambers Guide-USA, identifies Mr. Weber as a top commercial litigator. He also has been recognized by his peers through selection to Best Lawyers in America, Wisconsin Super Lawyers, and has been selected one of the Best of The U. S.’s list of “Best of Class” service providers in the United States.

An Adjunct Professor at Marquette University Law School, he taught Trial Advocacy for 15 years, and created a jury research and courtroom facility, the Trial Science Institute. In addition to speaking about litigation subjects, Mr. Weber co-edited a best selling book, Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan (Doubleday, 2003).

Mr. Weber served on the Law Review at Columbia University Law School, graduating in 1982, and then served as a Law Clerk for the Hon. Richard D. Cudahy, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He graduated summa cum laude from Marquette University in 1978.
 

Amelia L. McCarthy, a member of the firm, specializes in general commercial, health care, food and product liability litigation.

She also currently serves as a Municipal Prosecutor for a Wisconsin community and has served as a Public Service Special Prosecutor for the Dane County and Milwaukee County District Attorney's offices. 

Throughout the course of her career, Ms. McCarthy has tried over 50 court and jury trials. She also successfully defended four class action lawsuits, obtaining three dismissals with prejudice and one nuisance value settlement without having to proceed through class certification.

Ms. McCarthy has been recognized by her peers through selection to Wisconsin Super Lawyers and was recently named one of Milwaukee's Top "40 under 40" business leaders.