Alston & Bird has enhanced its mass tort and toxic tort practices with the addition of two new partners. Kara McCall, who advises businesses facing toxic tort and products liability litigation, and Beth Chiarello, who defends class actions and mass tort cases on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, will reside in the firm’s Chicago office.
“Beth and Kara are renowned litigators and trial lawyers with outstanding track records for their clients in complex mass tort and toxic tort actions,” said Clay Massey, Alston & Bird partner and chair of the firm’s Toxic Torts Group. “They will contribute significantly to the strength of our high-profile litigation offering while expanding our presence in Chicago.”
In defending against mass products liability actions and other complex litigation, Kara simplifies complex scientific and technical concepts for jurors to make winning trial presentations. Kara has defended companies facing personal injury, wrongful death, and property damage lawsuits and has experience in state consumer protection statutes. Kara’s extensive experience includes managing and challenging expert witnesses in economic and scientific fields, including toxicology, epidemiology, and cancer biology.
“Alston & Bird has an excellent team and talented bench, and I am very excited to be part of the strategic growth of key areas of their litigation practice, as well as be a part of their continued expansion of the Chicago office,” said Kara.
For nearly two decades, Beth has successfully defended companies in mass tort, toxic tort, and class actions. Her experience encompasses a wide range of sectors, including industrial services, medical device and device sterilization, pharmaceutical, electronics, financial services, transportation, telecommunications, cosmetics, food, and nutritional supplements.
“I’m very excited to join a formidable mass tort and toxic tort team and a broader Alston & Bird platform, which poses a unique opportunity to continue expanding my practice and serve my existing clients,” said Beth.
Alston & Bird’s products liability attorneys defend clients in industries as varied as automotive, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, and consumer products.
Alston & Bird’s toxic tort practice represents sophisticated clients across the United States as trial counsel, coordinating counsel, and appellate counsel in a spectrum of claims that include high-stakes environmental air, ground, and drinking-water contamination litigation and class actions, as well as toxic product exposure claims before federal and state courts.