Craig L. Hodgson is a partner in the Firm’s Litigation Services Department, focusing his practice on product liability matters. He serves as national coordinating counsel to six Japanese automobile and motor sport manufacturers, overseeing hundreds of toxic tort cases involving claims of asbestos, silica and benzene exposure across the country.
In these roles, Mr. Hodgson directs and coordinates all aspects of defense strategy. He assists clients with litigation management, the collection and preservation of client documents both domestically and abroad, discovery coordination and support, case strategy development, national expert development and support, corporate witness development, and trial preparation. He works with hundreds of local counsel throughout the country, training them on client company history and strategy. From initial investigation through final disposition, Mr. Hodgson provides creative problem-solving and candid judgment in a cost efficient manner.
News & Publications
Community & Pro Bono
- Board of Directors, Marin School of Environmental Leadership
- Board of Directors, Terra Linda Orcas Swim Team
- Youth Soccer Coach, Dixie Youth Soccer Association
Education
- University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D., emphasis on the management of complex mass tort litigation, 2001
- University of California at Santa Barbara, B.A., Political Science, 1990
Bar Admissions
- California, 2003
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Member
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Member
- California Bar Association, Litigation Section, Member
- Defense Research Institute (DRI), Member
Other Distinctions
- Named a Northern California Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in Product Liability Defense, 2009 and 2010
Representative Matters
- Serves as National Asbestos Coordination Counsel to six automobile and motor sport clients
- Representation of foreign and domestic automobile and motor sport clients in complex personal injury trials
- Responsible for assisting clients with the selection and preparation of foreign and domestic corporate witnesses
- Nationwide selection, retention and preparation of expert witnesses in product liability cases nationwide
- Development of discovery strategy and preparation of responses to discovery and production of documents
- Conducts investigations and advises clients as to risk potentials in complex product liability disputes
- Conducts company-wide fact investigations and trains local counsel in various jurisdictions as to client company history and defense strategy