Steve concentrates his practice on large-scale consumer class actions and complex environmental mass tort litigation across the country. His diverse practice includes the defense of environmental torts concerning air and water quality, the representation of companies involved in product liability and catastrophic injury claims, and the handling of employment and business disputes. Steve has developed particular experience representing manufacturers in the automotive, industrial machinery and pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Steve has also acted as discovery liaison for distributors of generic pharmaceuticals in failure-to-warn mass tort litigation in multiple jurisdictions.
He has helped large companies and small businesses craft responses to wage-and-hour litigation, including the defense of putative class and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Massachusetts Wage Act. Steve has also represented both employers and employees in administrative hearings and appeals concerning discrimination, retirement, accidental disability and unemployment benefits in Connecticut and Massachusetts. He frequently consults on and acts as local counsel in matters pending in the state and federal courts of Connecticut. In addition, Steve has successfully defended nationwide consumer class actions alleging unfair business practices, false advertising and fraud, including the dismissal of claims brought against a pet food manufacturer that found that the phrase “grain free” was not misleading to reasonable consumers merely because laboratory testing found an undisclosed amount of gluten.
Steve is a voluntary attorney with the Discovering Justice program, a Boston-based civic education nonprofit that pairs attorneys with schools to teach students about the justice system and prepare them to participate in mock trial and moot court programs. He also is actively involved as an officer the Massachusetts Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, rising from the Young Lawyers Division to become a member of the chapter executive board and president for the organization.
Representative Matters
Bush v. WellPet, LLC, 2021 WL 1408118 (D. Mass.). The court granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss a purported nationwide class action, finding the phrase “grain free” was not misleading to reasonable consumers merely because laboratory testing found some undisclosed amount of gluten in the products.
Argued successfully before the Connecticut Appellate Court on behalf of a national bank concerning federal preemption of state licensing requirements for bank subsidiaries.
Drafted successful summary judgment motions on behalf of automotive manufacturers, defeating claims of defective air bag sensing systems in both deployment and non-deployment scenarios.
Publications
Judge Young Diverges From State Court Standard for Assessing Anti-SLAPP Motions to Dismiss, Federal Bar Association – Massachusetts Chapter Newsletter, Winter 2017, at 16-17.
"Products Liability" in Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education: Expert Witnesses, 2nd ed., 2013 Supp. 21-1 (Hon. Peter M. Lauriat & Hon. James F. McHugh eds., 2013) (with Richard P. Campbell and Michelle I. Schaffer).