Overview
John Baker maintains a general litigation practice, with a focus on commercial litigation, mass torts, product liability, toxic torts, and cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death.
Throughout his career and the wide variety of cases he has handled, he has been fortunate to have been frequently called on to defend companies in complex “bet the company” litigation. John also has extensive experience representing clients in high exposure cases after prior counsel, the client, or both have been sanctioned. In addition to the areas listed above, he also has significant experience representing healthcare providers against medical malpractice claims, all of which have been wrongful death claims. He has handled cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, including the United States Virgin Islands.
John firmly believes that you have to understand a client’s business to provide effective counsel, and he strives to apply that understanding, as well as the client’s goals and desires, to his strategy for every matter he handles from the outset.
Experience
- Mass Tort: Represented a lumber product treater and manufacturer against contract, tort, and warranty claims in a series of cases involving nearly one hundred plaintiffs that were pending in the United States Virgin Islands. Successfully resolved all of the claims after securing summary judgment for the client on several of the claims while dispositive motions were still pending as to the remaining claims.
- Product Liability: Represented an industrial furnace manufacturer in a product liability case filed by a plaintiff who suffered severe burns in an explosion occurring while he operated an allegedly defective furnace. Plaintiff sought more than $10 million in damages. Helped successfully resolve the case after being retained just six weeks before the trial setting.
- Mass Tort: Represented a medical device manufacturer in Multi-District Litigation where he was responsible for identifying, vetting, retaining and working with the experts that would ultimately be needed to tell the client’s story and address plaintiffs’ claims and allegations.
- Mass Tort: Represented a casino in a case pending in federal court in Mississippi after the court entered severe sanctions against the casino based on its previous counsel’s misconduct. The case related to a bus crash and was filed by 28 wrongful death and personal injury plaintiffs. Secured a defense verdict on all claims that could not be favorably resolved before trial, despite the harsh sanctions entered against the casino.
- Mass Tort: Represented one of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers against nearly fifteen hundred (1,500) claims that were brought in Alabama where plaintiffs alleged injuries resulting from alleged exposure to toluene diisocyanate (TDI).
- Mining Industry: Represented a mining company in West Virginia in a case where plaintiff suffered significant injuries after he was run over by a shuttle car inside the mine. Plaintiff sought $15 million in compensatory damages.
Honors & Recognitions
- Super Lawyers "Rising Star," Business Litigation (2017, 2019-2022)
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation (2024)
Newsroom
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Paralegal/Assistant
Legal Practice Assistant/Paralegal
Tara L. Thompson
(904) 232-7209
tthompson@burr.com
