Terrence J. Dee, PC - McDermott Will & Emery

Overview

Terrence (Terry) J. Dee focuses his practice on product liability, class action, trade secrets, and other complex litigation. He has tried cases in federal and state courts throughout the country, including Illinois, Ohio, Washington, DC, Maryland, Arizona and Missouri, and has handled numerous commercial arbitrations. Terry has also served as coordinating or liaison counsel in several multi-district litigation matters, developing the national strategy and coordinating the joint defense of those cases. He has represented corporations and individuals in post-closing disputes, non-competition, contract and antitrust matters.

Results

Served as lead trial counsel for a client and joint defense group of cell phone manufacturers and service carriers in more than 50 individual and coordinated actions pending in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia claiming that cell phones caused plaintiffs’ brain cancer, and tried a month-long Frye hearing on admissibility of plaintiffs’ general causation experts; successfully argued the interlocutory appeal before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals en banc changing the expert admissibility standard in DC from Frye to Federal Rule of Evidence 702
Served as lead trial counsel for a client and joint defense group in a multi-district litigation in the US District Court for the Central District of California in which plaintiffs filed more than 25 consumer-fraud class actions throughout the country alleging that Bluetooth headsets cause hearing loss; successfully settled the action on a class-wide basis and argued the appeal of the settlement before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Served as lead trial counsel in a multi-district litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in which plaintiffs filed several purported consumer-fraud class actions throughout the country alleging wireless phones do not comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 911 call processing regulations, and was also selected as liaison counsel for national defense of more than 15 wireless industry companies; successfully argued summary judgment motion leading to the dismissal of all cases
Served as lead trial counsel for a client and a joint defense group in multi-district litigation in the US District Court for the District of Maryland in which plaintiffs filed several purported consumer-fraud and breach-of-warranty class actions claiming that defendants failed to disclose that cell phones caused adverse health effects; successfully argued for dismissal of the cases based on federal preemption and, in related litigation, successfully argued for the dismissal of a purported class action in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania based on federal preemption, which was upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Served as lead trial counsel for the largest privately owned coal company in the United States in a multi-jurisdiction dispute over a competitor’s breach of non-disclosure agreement and misappropriation of trade secrets
Served as lead trial counsel in a several-week arbitration representing a buyer in post-closing disputes related to breaches of warranties and covenants in the sale of a consumer goods packaging business; a three-arbitrator panel issued an award granting full relief to our client
Led defense and co-tried multi-day NYSE arbitration involving a major investment bank and one of its top brokers, involving claims of unsuitable investment recommendations, misrepresentations and failure to supervise; obtained a complete defense verdict and successfully had the claim expunged from the broker’s record
Served as lead trial counsel in a preliminary injunction hearing in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in a non-competition, misappropriation of trade secrets case involving the outsourcing industry; successfully negotiated a post-hearing settlement
Represented an industry trade group in making First Amendment and preemption challenges to the City of San Francisco and City of Berkeley ordinances requiring certain point-of-sale disclosures
Represented General Motors against claims that a defective car roof caused the death of former NFL player Derrick Thomas in a rollover accident, for which the jury returned a complete defense verdict after a three-week long trial in Kansas City, Missouri; successfully defended the appeal before the Missouri Court of Appeals
Lead trial counsel for Group Purchasing Organization in healthcare antitrust suit in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois. Successfully argued motion to dismiss

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Recognition

The Legal 500 United States 2018
Super Lawyers 2012, 2014 to 2016
Martindale-Hubbell, Peer Review Rated AV

Chicago Bar Foundation Distinguished Service Award 2018
Chicago Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under Law Pro Bono Attorney of the Year 2017

Community

Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, Board of Directors
Chicago Bar Foundation, President of the Board of Directors

Credentials

Education
Washington University School of Law, JD, Order of the Coif, 1992
Wesleyan University, BA, 1987

Admissions
Illinois
Missouri

Courts/ Agencies
US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Overview

Results

Recognition

Community

Credentials

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