Paul Dougherty has been defending product liability and general liability cases for more than 25 years. His legal practice focuses on product liability defense of products and insurance matters and commercial negotiations. Paul relocated to Los Angeles after five years working with the firm’s clients in Tokyo. Prior to his tenure in Japan, Paul was a trial lawyer in the firm’s New York office, taking to verdict more than a dozen cases involving both domestic and foreign clients.

Paul’s domestic and foreign experience has endowed him with a seasoned perspective on the clients’ needs and with the judgment to craft efficient, reasonable and cost-effective resolutions to disputes and legal issues. His second-degree (Ni-dan) black belt in Japanese karate reflects the focus, discipline and concentration Paul extends to his clients. He is a member to the firm’s Attorney Education and Development Committee and the Los Angeles office Operations Group.

Areas of Focus

General / Product Liability / Commercial
Paul represents both U.S. and foreign clients in disputes in U.S. litigation involving tires; bicycle equipment, including crank-arms and seats; diagnostic medical equipment; consumer products, including bicycle components and paper shredders; industrial products, including rail cars; toilets; power tools; video arcade games; electrical components; and home appliances. Paul has represented clients in numerous voluntary CPSC recalls and provides advice on contractual disputes and negotiations, liability avoidance and prevention.

Commercial / Regulatory in Asia
Paul lectures and travels throughout Japan, China and Taiwan. He makes advisory presentations on the American legal system in general, and product liability litigation and prevention in particular before major insurance, manufacturing and industry groups. He continues to represent Asian clients from Los Angeles. Paul was formerly admitted to practice in Japan as a Gaikokuho Jimu Bengashi.

    Education

    • Villanova University School of Law (J.D., 1981)
    • Georgetown University (B.S., 1978)
      • cum laude

    Bar Admissions

    • California
    • New Jersey
    • New York

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey

E. Paul Dougherty, Jr.

Paul Dougherty has been defending product liability and general liability cases for more than 25 years. His legal practice focuses on product liability defense of products and insurance matters and commercial negotiations. Paul relocated to Los Angeles after five years working with the firm’s clients in Tokyo. Prior to his tenure in Japan, Paul was a trial lawyer in the firm’s New York office, taking to verdict more than a dozen cases involving both domestic and foreign clients.

Paul’s domestic and foreign experience has endowed him with a seasoned perspective on the clients’ needs and with the judgment to craft efficient, reasonable and cost-effective resolutions to disputes and legal issues. His second-degree (Ni-dan) black belt in Japanese karate reflects the focus, discipline and concentration Paul extends to his clients. He is a member to the firm’s Attorney Education and Development Committee and the Los Angeles office Operations Group.

E. Paul Dougherty, Jr.

Los Angeles and Phoenix Join Forces to Prevail in Jurisdictional Dispute for Chinese Tire Manufacturer

Partners Paul Dougherty (Los Angeles, CA), Greg Lee (Los Angeles, CA), and Taylor Allin (Phoenix, AZ) with Shirley Jin (Of Counsel-Los Angeles, CA) prevailed on a Rule 12 motion to dismiss in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on behalf of a Chinese tire manufacturer based on lack of personal jurisdiction. The lawsuit arose from a highway rollover accident in which the rear tire of the plaintiff’s motorcycle, which had been manufactured at the client’s plant in Jiangsu, China, experienced a tread/belt separation. The plaintiff argued that the Chinese client had sufficient minimum contacts with Arizona based on, among other things, marketing and sales throughout the United States, a website, authorized retailers in Arizona, and the issuance of a recall by a domestic subsidiary that allegedly impacted Arizona. After taking the motion to dismiss under submission for more than nine months, the district judge ultimately agreed with the defense team that the plaintiff had failed to meet his burden of establishing sufficient minimum contacts with Arizona, and granted their motion to dismiss without leave to amend. 

E. Paul Dougherty, Jr., Gregory K. Lee, Taylor H. Allin and Xiao Wen (Shirley) Jin

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