Jennifer M. Roberts

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    Jennifer is a member of the Casualty Department, handling cases involving premises liability, auto liability, general liability and and New York State Labor Law matters. She handles a wide variety of automobile litigation including personal injury involving commercial and fleet vehicles.

    She also handles matters involving toxic tort litigation, primarily focusing on the defense of companies in the New York asbestos  litigation.

    In her career, Jennifer has handled cases involving fraud and insurance fraud-related matters. She primarily dealt with evaluating medical provider fraud and fraudulent claims on the part of the clients' insureds. Her experience included Examinations Under Oath, drafting coverage opinions, large loss property investigation and bad faith. Jen also handled PIP disputes throughout the southeastern part of New York state.

    Jennifer graduated from The State University at Albany in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, in Political Science and Criminal Justice. Jennifer received her juris doctor from Albany Law School in Albany New York in 2012, graduating with honors.

    Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Jennifer was an associate attorney in upstate New York, where she focused her practice on product liability law and criminal defense work. Jennifer has successfully argued summary judgment motions in New York Supreme Court, in both Broome and Chenango county.

    Significant Representative Matters

    Obtained a unanimous defense verdict after a nine week trial in Suffolk County, New York, where the plaintiff’s counsel requested that the jury award $40 million in damages.  The plaintiff was 51 years old when she was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma allegedly as a result of being exposed to asbestos containing joint compound manufactured and sold by our client. Plaintiff who was 56 at the time of trial, testified that she had little or no knowledge of ever being exposed to asbestos. However, her older sister, who served as the only product identification witness at trial, testified that she recalled that their father used asbestos containing joint compound on two occasions, approximately fifty years ago when he repaired their home after a fire in 1970 and when he built a home in Florida around 1975. Plaintiff was five and ten years old respectively during the alleged exposures and plaintiff’s sister was seven years older. Plaintiff’s sister testified that she had a vivid memory of her father using six different joint compounds during the two projects, including our client’s product. She also testified that the plaintiff was present hundreds of times when their father mixed, applied and sanded the joint compound. At trial, we called an industrial hygienist, a toxicologist and an epidemiologist who testified that the type of asbestos fiber used in our client’s joint compound did not cause or contribute to her mesothelioma, because the fibers are too short and do not cause disease. Our epidemiologist testified that plaintiff’s mesothelioma developed spontaneously and was not the result of asbestos exposure. We also called a construction expert, who testified that the sister’s testimony regarding the amount of joint compound used and the time the sister was exposed were excessive. The jury deliberated an hour before returning the verdict. Post-trial comments from jurors indicated they did not find the sister to be credible.

    Legal Teaching Position

    Albany Law School Teaching Assistant: Torts, Fall 2010

    Albany Law School Teaching Assistant:  Constitutional Law, Spring 2010

    Pro Bono Activities

    Volunteer for Senior Citizen Law Day at Albany Law School, 2010, 2011, 2012

    Admissions
    New York
    2013
    Education
    Albany Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2012)
    State University of New York at Albany (B.A., magna cum laude, 2009)
    Associations & memberships
    American Bar Association 2009 - present
    New York State Bar Association 2009 - present
    Year joined
    2013