Elizabeth P.Kessler (Liza)

Liza Kessler has more than 25 years of experience in complex litigation including multijurisdictional cases and class actions. She defends manufacturers of products such as medical devices, vehicles, paints, and chemicals in cases involving disease causation and economic damage models. Liza has led joint defense teams and her experience covers matters involving scientific, technological, and medical issues with claims in consumer fraud, false advertising, breach of contract, strict liability, public and private nuisance, medical monitoring, duty to warn, and preemption.

Liza defended Sherwin-Williams from claims of injury from lead paint exposure in public nuisance lawsuits and served as lead trial counsel for R.J. Reynolds, including as trial counsel where the jury returned a complete defense verdict after less than an hour deliberating. She serves as lead lawyer for a global retailer in consumer class action litigation and lead counsel in a mortgage services class action. She also was lead counsel in a full defense win in a toxic tort case alleging health damage from environmental exposure to specialty chemicals. Liza was a trial team member in a $2 billion class action that was named a "Top Defense Wins of the Year" by The National Law Journal.

Liza is Partner-in-Charge of the Columbus Office. Her community involvement includes serving on the Columbus Partnership and the John Glenn Columbus International Airport Board. She also serves on nonprofit boards such as the Wexner Center Foundation and was appointed by the governor to the Ohio Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees for The Ohio State University.