Overview
Benjamin D. Lothson is a senior associate at Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP’s Chicago office. He represents clients in all phases of civil litigation, from initial investigations through pleadings, discovery, trial, and appeal. His practice focuses on product liability, commercial litigation, construction defects, and contract disputes, as well as other general tort and contract matters. He also consults consumer product sellers and manufacturers on state and federal regulatory matters.
- Successfully tried a case to a defense verdict in the Northern District of Illinois against the claim that the defendant store owner’s refrigerator contained defective and dangerous conditions, causing severe injury to the plaintiff.
- Successfully briefed and argued a winning motion for summary judgment in Cook County, Illinois, for a large general contractor in a complex work injury case.
- Lead brief writer in winning Daubert and summary judgment motion in complex product liability case in United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
- Lead brief writer in winning Daubert and summary judgment motion in complex product liability case in United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
- Lead brief writer in winning Daubert and summary judgment motion in complex product liability case in United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and for winning appellate briefs.
- Successfully prosecuted and arbitrated commercial dispute on behalf of energy provider against national telecoms company.
- Prepared 50 state regulatory framework spreadsheet for large national retailer for use at store-level sales of highly regulated product.
- Successfully briefed complex discovery dispute issues in a class action against a municipality in the Central District of California.
- Successfully defended retailers of highly regulated product against federal agency licensure revocation hearing.
- Lead brief writer for a team that successfully secured a $1.5 million binding arbitration award and defeated a $3.9 million claim on behalf of a large exterior metal panel subcontractor against a prominent Chicago general contractor following a seven-day arbitration hearing that included testimony from multiple experts.
