Homer concentrates his practice on complex civil litigation including class actions, multi-district litigation and multifaceted individual litigation matters, and has served as lead counsel in jurisdictions throughout the U.S. Homer practices extensively in New York and New Jersey, and is also regularly asked by major corporate entities to be admitted pro hac vice to represent their interests throughout the country, where he has led teams to successfully dispose of nationwide class actions and related high-stakes litigation. He is an expert in product-related litigation, serving as both national lead class action counsel and regional lead product liability counsel for prominent manufacturers and distributors of cars, trucks, buses, heavy machinery, appliances, medical implants and consumer products. He counsels and represents domestic and foreign companies, organizations and entities in all phases of complex claims including product liability, consumer fraud, personal injury defense, mass tort, and commercial and business litigation.
Homer is recognized by his clients for the significant benefits that he provides by forging strategic and collaborative relationships that go beyond any single case. He represented major automotive companies in In re Takata Airbag Products Liability Litigation (S.D. Fla.), a multi-district litigation consolidating nationwide class actions regarding the most extensive recall in automotive history. He has also coordinated the global representation of clients in international class actions, including in Australia, Canada and Israel, and is conversant with the business needs and cultures of domestic and multinational clients whom he has had the privilege of representing for more than 25 years. Homer is experienced in minimizing and defending opt-out litigation flowing from resolutions of class actions, and effectively managing the interplay between class action litigation and related individual breach of warranty/lemon law matters.
An established resource for successfully handling unique and challenging causes of action, Homer has lectured on effective litigation practices and is regularly consulted by both clients and colleagues regarding thorny and atypical issues that require innovative strategies and creative solutions. He also proactively counsels businesses in risk and litigation avoidance, with the objective of keeping clients out of court by identifying and preemptively responding to potential problems before they become lawsuits. In the litigation arena, he coordinates and directs high-caliber, thorough, no-holds-barred representation tailored to each client’s specific needs, ranging from global conglomerates and Fortune 100 organizations to small businesses and family-held entities. He is also experienced in implementing efficient, proportional and cost-effective approaches to expansive and multi-faceted discovery, including management of e-discovery, use of appropriate technologies and analytical tools, and enforcement of GDPR and other data privacy regulations.
Homer has been repeatedly selected to New York Super Lawyers by his peers and is the recipient of the highest peer-review rating (AV) from the Martindale-Hubbell directory of attorneys. He has also received accolades from some of the most prominent companies he has worked with for exemplary representation and results. Before joining Shook, Homer was a director of Herzfeld & Rubin, where he was the co-leader of the firm’s nationwide class action and product liability practices.
Representative Matters
In re Takata Airbag Products Liability Litigation, MDL Master File No. 15-02599 (S.D. Fla.).
In re Volkswagen Timing Chain Product Liability Litigation, Civil Action No. 16-2765 (D. N.J.).
Read v. Subaru of America, Inc., Docket No. ESX-L-646-17 (N.J. Super. 2020).
David v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70284 (D. N.J. 2018).
Wiggins v. Subaru of America, Inc., Docket No. MRS-L-2572-13 (N.J. Super. 2015).
Carobert v. Baldor Electric Co., 102 A.D.3d 905 (2d Dept. 2013).
Giannotti v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, 56 A.D.3d 610 (2d Dept. 2008).
Schultze v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85273 (S.D.N.Y. 2006).
Gangi v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 14 A.D.3d 482 (2d Dept. 2005).
Caronna v. Macy’s East, Inc., 800 N.Y.S.2d 343 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County 2001).
Kumar v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, 2009 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4671 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. County 2009).
Presentations
Lecturer, Panel on Class Actions and Multi-District Litigation, Product Liability Advisory Council Spring Conference, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, April 2022.
Lecturer, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program on Discovery Practice in New York State and Federal Courts, August 2014.
Lecturer, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program on Spoliation of Evidence in New York, June 2009.