Paul V. Cassisa, Jr.

Contact

Oxford Office

(662) 513-8004 Email Me Download vCard

Practice Areas

Industries

Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare

Paul Cassisa is a seasoned product liability attorney who has been lead trial counsel in many cases for major manufacturers. Paul has tried many lawsuits in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is rated AV®-Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell; was selected as Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants in 2020; and is recognized as one of the Mid-South Super Lawyers®.

Biography – View PDF Bio

Associations

Bar Admissions

Mississippi, 1986
Louisiana, 1985
U.S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
- Louisiana: Western, Middle, Eastern
- Tennessee: Western
- Florida: Northern
U.S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit

Distinctions

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
Best Lawyers in America®
- Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2013-2020
- Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2013, 2020
Super Lawyers®
- Mid-South Super Lawyers, Personal Injury – Products: Defense, 2012-2019
- Top 50: Memphis Super Lawyers, 2013
- Top 50: Mississippi Super Lawyers, 2013
Martindale-Hubbell®
- AV^®– Preeminent^™Peer Review Rated
Benchmark Litigation
- Member of the team selected as nationwide Product Liability Firm of the Year, 2018

Education & Honors

Louisiana State University, M.J., 1991
Loyola University, J.D., cum laude, 1985
- Loyola Law Review
Louisiana State University, B.A., Journalism, cum laude, 1982

Experience

Lead trial counsel for Johnson & Johnson, Janssen, McNeil and Ethicon in pharmaceutical and medical device products liability cases.
Lead trial counsel for General Motors, Mazda and Nissan in automotive products liability cases.
Trial counsel for Linde and Clark Equipment in forklift products liability cases.
Federal and state court appeals in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Salinero v. Ethicon, USDC for the Southern District of Florida (January, 2020) – Trial.
Samuels v. Sinha, Chancery Court, Lafayette County, Mississippi (October, 2019) – Trial.
Yeager v. Southern Cardiovascular, PLLC, Circuit Court, Lafayette County, Mississippi (October, 2017) – Trial.
Bindom v McNeil, Civil District Court, Orleans Parish, Louisiana (June-July, 2016) – Trial.
Broome v General Motors LLC – County Court, Jackson County, Mississippi (July, 2015) – Trial.

More...

Taylor v Johnson & Johnson, Circuit Court, Copiah County, Mississippi (November, 2014) – Trial.
Lifestyle Homes v A-Tech Engineers – Circuit Court, Desoto County, Mississippi (August and December, 2014) – Arbitration.
Taylor v Johnson & Johnson – Circuit Court, Copiah County, Mississippi (August, 2014) – Trial.
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, USDC for Eastern District of Louisiana (March-April, 2014) – Trial
Esquivel v. Johnson and Johnson, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (January, 2014) – Trial.
Honeywell, Inc. v. Gibson, 2020 WL 957416 (N.D. Miss. 2020).
Anthony v. Genie Industries, Inc., 2019 WL 5777385 (N.D. Miss. 2019).
Salinero v. Johnson & Johnson, Inc., 400 F.Supp.3d 1334 (S.D. Fla. 2019).
Salinero v. Johnson & Johnson, Inc., 2019 WL 2410076 (S.D. Fla. 2019).
Johnigan v. Ethicon, Inc., 2018 WL 6335774 (E.D. La. 2018).
Johnson & Johnson, Inc. v. Fortenberry, 234 So.3d 381 (Miss. 2017).
Smith v. General Motors Corp., 2017 WL 4582330 (N.D. Miss. 2017).
Clark v. General Motors LLC, 2017 WL 3581671 (S.D. Miss. 2017).
Caravella v General Motors LLC – 34th Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Bernard, Louisiana (August, 2017) – Summary Judgment.
Whitaker v. General Motors, 2017 WL 2424717 (E.D. La. 2017).
Mays v. General Motors, 2017 WL 1398471 (N.D. Ala. 2017).
Whitaker v. General Motors, 2017 WL 1346271 (E.D. La. 2017).
Clark v. General Motors LLC, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81831 (N.D. Miss. 2016).
Thompson v. General Motors LLC, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50411 (N.D. Miss. 2016).
Moore v. General Motors LLC, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43041 (W.D. Tenn. 2016).
Moore v. General Motors LLC, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15987 (W.D. Tenn. 2016).
Underwood v General Motors LLC, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124774 (M.D. La. 2015), aff’d 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 6201 (5th Cir. 2016).
Cantrell v. General Motors LLC, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 165614 (N.D. Miss. 2014).
Thomas v. FireRock Products, LLC, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 86492 (N.D. Miss. June 25, 2014).
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39542 (E.D. La. 2014).
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, U.S. Dist. 14263 (E.D. La. 2014).
Broome v. General Motors LLC, 145 So.3d 645 (Miss. 2014)
Kennedy v. UCB Pharmaceuticals, et al, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113874 (W.D. La. 2014)
Lucas v. General Motors LLC, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 111272 (W.D. La. 2014)
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61955 (E.D. La. 2014)
Esquivel v. Johnson and Johnson, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (January, 2013) – Trial.
Reckis v. Johnson & Johnson, Superior Court, Plymouth, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (January-February, 2013) – Trial.
Jones v. Polaris Industries, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40354 (N.D. Miss. 2013).
Steede v. General Motors LLC, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 184873 (W.D. Tenn. 2012), aff’d 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5557 (W.D. Tenn. 2013).
Woolens v. Merck & Co., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 176692 (E.D. La. 2012).
Steede v. General Motors LLC, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 184628 (W.D. Tenn. 2012).
Harris v. Merck & Co., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157079 (W.D. La. 2012).
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151318 (E.D. La. 2012).
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150071 (E.D. La. 2012).
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96557 (E.D. La. 2012).
Hunt v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 86950 (E.D. La. 2012).
Graham v. Hamilton, 872 F. Supp.2d 529, 2012 U.S. Dist. 71962 (W.D. La. 2012).
Postley v. General Motors, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 10865 (5th Cir. 2012).
Graham v. Hamilton, 2012 U.S. Dist. 52492 (W.D. La. 2012).
Steede v. General Motors LLC, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81103 (W.D. Tenn. 2012), aff’d 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79465 (W.D. Tenn. 2012).
Steede v. General Motors LLC, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81292 (W.D. Tenn. 2012), aff’d 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79467 (W.D. Tenn. 2012).
Graham v. Hamilton, 2012 U.S. Dist. 35316 (W.D. La. 2012), rev’d 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35322 (W.D. La. 2012).
Murray v. General Motors, LLC, 2011 WL 52559, rehearing denied, 2011 WL 3684517 (S.D. Miss. 2011), aff'd Murray v General Motors LLC, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 11323 (5th Cir. 2012).
Maya v. Johnson & Johnson, Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania (March-May, 2011) – Trial.
West v. Drury Co., 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS1308 (5th Cir. 2011).
Rutledge v. Harley-Davidson Motor Co., 2009 WL 1635762 (S.D. Miss. 2009) aff’d 2010 WL 445498 (5th Cir. 2010).
Hoffpauir v. Linde Lift Truck, USDC, Western District of Louisiana (September, 2009) – Trial.
West v. Drury Company, USDC, Northern District of Mississippi (June, 2009) – Trial.
Doyle v. General Motors Corp., Rapides Parish, Louisiana (March, 2009) – Trial.
Simmons v. General Motors Corp., St. Clair County, Alabama (February, 2009) – Trial.
Richardson v. General Motors Corp., 2009 WL 2487379 (N.D. Miss. 2009).
Brown v. General Motors Corp., 4 So.3d 400 (Miss. App. 2009).
Forbes v. General Motors Corp., 993 So.2d 822 (Miss. 2008).
Washington v. General Motors Corp., 2008 WL 1782344 (N.D. Miss. 2008).
Green-Johnson v. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 2008 WL 941708 (E.D. La. 2008).
Roy v. Optima Batteries, Inc., 2008 WL 1968326 (W.D. La. 2008).
Bellow v. General Motors Corp., Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana (October, 2007) – Trial.
Burns v. General Motors Corp., Hinds County, Mississippi (September, 2007) – Trial.
Cook v. General Motors Corp., Pearl River County, Mississippi (August, 2007) – Trial.
Jacobs v. General Motors Corp., Morgan County, Alabama (February, 2007) – Trial.
Lowery v. General Motors Corp., 2007 WL 4374291 (W.D. La. 2007).
Palmer v. State, ex rel. Dept. of Transp. and Development, 2006 WL 3110610 (La. App. 1st Cir. 2006).
Caboni v. General Motors Corp., 398 F.3d 357 (5th Cir. 2005).
General Motors Corp. v. Myles, 905 So.2d 535 (Miss. 2005).
Beckham v. General Motors Corp., Jackson County, Mississippi (October, 2004) – Trial.
Dykes v. General Motors Corp., Shelby County, Tennessee (March-April, 2004) – Trial.
Noah v. General Motors Corp., 882 So.2d 235 (Miss. App. 2004) cert. denied 882 So.2d 772 (Miss. 2004).
Bennett v. General Motors Corp., Hinds County, Mississippi (October, 2003) – Trial.
Vassar v Mazda Motor of America, Inc., Monroe County, Mississippi (September, 2003) – Trial.
Forbes v. General Motors Corp., Marion County, Mississippi (May, 2003) – Trial.
Caboni v. General Motors Corp., USDC for the Eastern District of Louisiana (May, 2003) – Trial.
Myles v. General Motors Corp., Humphreys County, Mississippi (November, 2002) – Trial.
Williams v. General Motors Corp., Orleans Parish, Louisiana (June – July, 2002) – Trial.
Lewis v. General Motors Corp., Lawrence County, Mississippi (April, 2002) – Trial.
Smith v. General Motors Corp., Greene County, Mississippi (March, 2002) – Trial.
Mulcahy v. General Motors Corp., Elmore County, Alabama (January, 2002) – Trial.

In the News

Papers, Presentations, & Publications

Presenter, (Tailoring Your Experiences, Resume and CV to Fit the Job): University of Mississippi Black Law Student Association Professional Symposium, Oxford, MS, October 27, 2018.
Co-Author of Mississippi Section of DRI’s Products Liability Defenses, A State-by-State Compendium, 2014 and 2017.
Presenter, (Opening Statements), "Trial Tactics," DRI in Miami FL, March 13, 2014.
Speaker, "Insight into Effective Trial Techniques," Sirote & Permutt CLE in Birmingham, Ala., December 2009.

Office Information

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Practice Areas

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Biography – View PDF Bio