Photo of Terri S. Reiskin

Terri S. Reiskin Member

Areas of Practice

Industries

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia, 1984
  • Maryland, 1995

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude

Princeton University, A.B., magna cum laude

  • Phi Beta Kappa

Terri S. Reiskin leads the Firm’s Class Actions Practice and was the Practice Group Leader for the Products, Class Actions and Professional Liability Practice Group from 2016-2020. Ms. Reiskin is a litigator with extensive national experience handling product liability litigation, class action defense, consumer finance, appeals, and other complex litigation. She has served as lead MDL counsel, national and regional counsel, and as first-chair trial and appellate counsel. Ms. Reiskin’s product liability experience has involved a variety of products, including automobiles, trucks, pharmaceuticals, food products, and medical devices, including hip implants, breast implants, bone screws, latex gloves and pacemakers. She is recognized as a leading class action defense lawyer at both the trial and appellate level. Her class action experience includes cases alleging consumer fraud and other causes of action in courts around the country relating to products as varied as automobiles and lacrosse helmets. She has also defended Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act class actions. Ms. Reiskin has been recognized nationally for two consecutive years (2018-20) by The Legal 500 United States, having been named a “Leading Lawyer” in Dispute Resolution - Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Automotive/Transport.” Clients note she is “an extremely talented class action lawyer.”

Following law school, Ms. Reiskin served as a judicial clerk to the Hon. Thomas Penfield Jackson on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Before joining Dykema, she was a partner in a major, international law firm and was part owner and partner in a D.C. litigation boutique.

Experience

  • Lead MDL counsel for a major automobile manufacturer in litigation relating to Takata airbag inflator ruptures.
  • Lead counsel in numerous product-based class actions against automobile manufacturers and suppliers.
  • National and regional counsel to a major U.S. automobile manufacturer in product liability litigation.
  • National coordinating counsel on preemption issues for a major US automobile manufacturer.
  • Lead counsel in defense of Telephone Consumer Protection Act and FDCPA class actions.
  • National coordinating counsel to a fast food chain for hot coffee litigation.
  • First chair trial counsel in individual product liability and class action cases.
  • Numerous medical device cases involving silicone gel breast implants, bone screws, latex gloves, pacemakers, knee implants and hip implants.
  • Non-litigation counseling of clients on class action and product liability issues, including pre-marketing and warnings.
  • Appellate counsel in product liability cases, including briefing and oral argument in state and federal courts nationwide.
  • Lead counsel in hundreds of individual product liability cases.
  • Author of amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and state appellate courts. 
  • Hall v. General Motors LLC, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46595 (E.D. Mich. Mar. 18, 2020) (granting motion to dismiss)
  • In re: Takata Airbag Prods. Liab. Litig., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131746 (S.D. FI. Sept. 21, 2016) (granting in part motion to dismiss)

  • In re Ford Tailgate Litigation, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159534 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 25, 2015) (granting summary judgment and Daubert motions to exclude four plaintiffs’ experts; denying motion for class certification as moot).

  • Mickens v. Ford Motor Co., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 121029 (N.J. Sept. 10, 2015) (granting summary judgment)

  • In re Ford Tailgate Litigation, 2014 WL 1007066 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 12, 2014) (granting partial motion to dismiss class action).
  • In re Ford Tailgate Litigation, 2014 WL 3899545 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 8, 2014) (granting partial motion to dismiss).
  • Davisson v. Ford Motor Company, 2014 WL 4377792 (S.D. Ohio Sept. 3, 2014) (granting motion to dismiss multi-state class action without leave to amend).
  • Brey Corp. v. LQ Management LLC, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11223 (D. Md. Jan. 30, 2014) (denying class certification in TCPA case)
  • Capital Motor Lines v. Detroit Diesel Corp., 799 F. Supp.2d 11 (D.D.C. 2011) (granting summary judgment in case involving motor coach fire)
  • Marsikian v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117012 (C.D. Cal. May 4, 2009) (granting in part motion to dismiss class action involving alleged defect in air-intake system).
  • Anchia v. DaimlerChrysler AG, 230 S.W.3d 493 (Tex. Ct. App. July 23, 2007) (affirming trial court ruling regarding lack of personal jurisdiction over foreign parent corporation).
  • Terry v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, 2007 Tex. App. LEXIS 5601 (July 18, 2007) (affirming summary judgment in putative class action involving alleged bumper defect).
  • Coker v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 2004 WL 32676 (N.C. Super. Jan. 5, 2004, aff'd.) (dismissing no-injury class action under N.C. unfair trade practices statute based on lack of standing, economic loss rule and primary jurisdiction doctrine putative class action).
  • O'Keefe v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, 214 F.R.D. 266 (E.D. Pa. 2003). (approving class action settlement of case involving alleged engine problems due to use of non-synthetic oil).
  • Ziegelmann v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 649 N.W. 2d 556 (N.D. 2002). (affirming summary judgment in no-injury class action involving lack of brake-shift-interlock devices).
  • Cooper v. Smith & Nephew, Inc., 259 F.3d 194 (4th Cir. 2001). (affirming summary judgment based on successful Daubert motion in bone screw case).
  • Christian v. Minnesota Mining & Mfg. Co., 126 F. Supp.2d 951 (D. Md. 2001). (granting summary judgment in breast implant case).
  • Boyle v. Chrysler Corp., 501 N.W.2d 865 (Wis. App. 1993). (finding no air bag claim preempted).
  • Gatewood v. Washington Healthcare Corp., 933 F.2d 1037 (D.C. Cir. 1991). (affirming dismissal of case under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act).
  • Young v. Sherwin-Williams Co., Inc., 569 A.2d 1173 (D.C. 1990). (affirming summary judgment applying professional rescuer doctrine).
  • Consolidation of Product Liability Cases for Trial in MDLs: An Increasing Problem for Defendants
    July 18, 2017
  • Use and Abuse of Consolidated Trials in MDLs, Product Liability Advisory Council Conference
    April 20, 2017
  • Regulatory and Other Class Action Triggers
    May 17, 2016
  • The Proposed Amendments of Rule 23: Important Developments, Webinar, International Association of Defense Counsel
    April 13, 2016
  • Regulatory and Other Class Action Triggers, Product Liability Advisory Council, Fall Conference
    October 1, 2015
  • Recalls and Class Actions, ACI Automotive Product Liability Litigation Conference
    June 3, 2015
  • Advanced Strategies for Defending Product-Related Class Action Litigation, Chicago, Illinois
    October 15, 2014
  • Food Class Actions Update: U.S. and Canadian Perspectives (Moderator), Webinar, International Association of Defense Counsel
    September 24, 2014
  • After Comcast v. Behrend: What’s Next?, Webinar, International Association of Defense Counsel
    December 11, 2013
  • Class Action Developments: What Automotive Product Liability Defense Lawyers Need to Know, DRI Product Liability Conference
    April 4, 2013
  • Rule 68 Offers to "Pick Off" the Named Plaintiff: Legal Update, Tactics and Best Practice, Webinar, International Association of Defense Counsel
    December 2012
  • Blockbuster Developments in Class Action Litigation, Co-Panelist, 22nd ABA Conference on Automotive Product Liability Litigation, Phoenix, Arizona
    March 28-30, 2012
  • Program Organizer and delivered presentations addressing Litigation in Difficult Economic Times and Preemption, Product Liability Advisory Council, Spring Conference
    2009
  • “The Continuing Need for Class Action Reform”
    September 2014
    Interview, The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel
  • "Decision in Genesis Healthcare Leaves Key Question Unanswered"
    April 18, 2013
    IADC Class Action and Multi-Party Litigation Committee Listserv
  • "State of the Automotive Industry"
    2012 Automotive Institute Survey Results
    October 17, 2012
    Dykema Publication
  • Article on Mazza v. Honda Motor Co. Decision
    March 2012
    International Association of Defense Counsel, Class Action and Multi-Party Litigation Committee Newsletter

Memberships & Involvement

  • American Bar Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Products Liability Advisory Council
  • International Association of Defense Counsel

Named “Leading Lawyer” by The Legal 500 United States for Dispute Resolution - Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Automotive/Transport; 2018-2020

Recognized by The Legal 500 United States for Dispute Resolution - Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Automotive/Transport (2015-20); Transport: Rail and Road – Litigation (2018-2019)

Recognized by Who's Who Legal, 2010-2011, 2018. Copyright 1998-2012 Law Business Research Limited.

Recognized in International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers by Law Business Research Limited, multiple years

Recipient of an AV® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell