Lisa Meyer joined Eimer Stahl as a partner at its formation in 2000, and is the co-chair of the firm’s Environmental, Products Liability and Toxic Torts practice group. Lisa represents corporate clients in complex litigation across the country, including products liability, toxic tort, consumer fraud and business disputes. Lisa has been recognized as an Illinois Leading Lawyer in Commercial Litigation.
Lisa also has represented clients in a variety of pro bono matters, including hate crime and international human rights cases. In 2018 and 2019 she served as the President of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. From 1995 to 2000, Lisa was an associate in the Chicago office of Sidley & Austin.
Experience
Case Experience
- Representing U.S. oil refiner in six climate change lawsuits filed by California counties and municipalities claiming that a number of oil, natural gas, and coal companies are responsible for sea level rise attributable to greenhouse gas emissions. Plaintiffs claim substantial infrastructure and real property injuries have arisen from the alleged defective nature of defendants’ fossil fuel products, from defendants’ placement of those products into the marketplace without sufficient warnings, and from an alleged campaign of misinformation that undermined public understanding of those dangers.
- Defending a group of corporate affiliates in federal court in Delaware against a series of fraudulent transfer actions, in which creditors of foreign sovereign parent corporation seek to hold affiliates liable based on alleged transfers in excess of $2 billion; obtaining dismissal of one client in district court and successful outcome for second client in the Third Circuit.
- Representing an oil refiner in federal multidistrict litigation and individual state and federal actions brought by State attorneys general asserting claims for statewide environmental remediation costs and natural resource damages due to alleged contamination of groundwater by a gasoline blending agent known as MTBE; leading defense efforts and achieving dismissals of certain claims and other favorable resolutions, including denial of class certification.
- Defeating an attempted class action brought in federal court in Florida by a statewide class of boat owners claiming damage to their engines due to the use of ethanol-blended fuel.
- Obtaining dismissal in Louisiana federal court of a case brought by an Italian company against a U.S. oil refiner for vicarious liability based on contractual debts in excess of $100 million allegedly owed by one of the refiner's foreign corporate affiliates. Successfully defended dismissal on appeal in the Fifth Circuit.
- Successfully moving to dismiss a multi-million dollar breach of contract case brought against a gasoline supplier by one of its largest distributors in North Carolina state court.
- Representing a national packaged gas company in a $100 million claim brought in North Carolina state court against a competitor and third-party distributor for entering into a joint venture that violated a right of first refusal, resulting in favorable summary judgment ruling and successful resolution of case.
- Defending a Fortune 500 consumer products company in AAA arbitration proceedings in Alabama involving claims arising out of plant closure.
- Representing an industrial gas company in an array of business cases involving acquisition of a distributor, supply contract disputes, employee claims, and operational issues.
- Winning dismissal with prejudice of two Maryland state court actions alleging property damage and contamination caused by leaking underground storage tanks at two branded stations.