Abbie leads the Harris Beach Murtha nationally ranked Tier 1 Mass Torts and Industry-Wide Litigation Practice Group, the Product Liability and Comprehensive General Liability Practice Group and the Insurance Coverage Practice Group. She was named to the BTI Consulting Client Service All-Stars, a prestigious honor based on in-depth interviews with more than 350 legal decision-makers at organizations with more than $700 million in revenue.
Abbie concentrates in the areas of toxic and mass tort litigation, complex products liability litigation, complex commercial disputes and catastrophic injury cases where immediate responses are required. She has extensive experience representing premises owners in matters involving allegations that construction workers have been injured due to violations of sections 200, 240 and 241 of the Labor Law of New York. She also has extensive experience working with long-term care facilities on liability defense and regularly counsels these clients on COVID-19 cases.
Abbie also represents clients in complex breach of contract, interference, letter of credit, insurance/reinsurance and subrogation/reimbursement actions. She also litigates high-profile and high-exposure personal injury and property damage construction site accidents. Over the past two decades, Abbie has successfully mediated hundreds of serious injury and/or wrongful death cases. She also regularly defends cases of alleged catastrophic injuries, including burns.
Abbie also advises and defends social media platforms and technology companies on cutting edge issues, including online privacy and the scope of publisher immunity pursuant to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and products liability claims alleging the platform algorithm is a defective product.
Abbie is national coordinating counsel to Fortune 100 manufacturers and distributors in litigation involving benzene and other mixed-chemical and chemical exposures, asbestos, silica, talc, pesticides, DES and other pharmaceuticals, as well as for inspection, construction, elevator and maintenance service and audit companies. She also represents clients in chemical manufacturing, consumer products, energy production and transmission industries. Abbie counsels numerous major pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers and distributors as a member of national defense counsel committees and national expert steering committees.
Abbie defends claims involving chemical and toxic exposures including PFAS, AFFF, indoor air pollution, sick building syndrome, Legionella, personal insect repellents, liquid drain cleaner and other commercial consumer goods. She also defends claims of personal injury, property damage, remediation costs and stigmatization, due to spills and leaks of oil and other contaminants. Abbie handles all aspects of environmental litigation before federal, state, and local courts, including CERCLA cost recovery actions. She defended a federal CERCLA claim against a facility by a municipal water supplier seeking damages for remediation of alleged PFAS contamination. Abbie also is at the forefront of emerging COVID-19 litigation.
She represents insurers/reinsurers in disputes related to premium allocations and insurers in coverage disputes, including the rescission of insurance policies. Abbie has prepared experts in acturial science and underwriting for deposition and trial testimony, and has deposed and cross-examined opposing experts in these areas at trial and arbitration. In addition to direct representation, Abbie is retained by insurers and reinsurers to serve as oversight counsel to monitor high-stakes claims involving complex coverage issues. Her vast experience defending a broad array of underlying actions uniquely position her to offer independent strategy, analyses and advice to protect insurer interests.
Abbie litigates high-profile class action, New York labor law, trucking litigation and property damage construction site accident matters in state and federal courts. She has extensive experience representing premises owners in matters involving allegations that construction workers have been injured due to violations of sections 200, 240 and 241 of the Labor Law of New York. Additionally, she represents owners, management companies and contractors against claims of negligence, contribution and indemnity in multi-million dollar property damage matters that also allege lost revenue, repair and remediation. Abbie has litigated numerous matters in which workers and the general public claimed injury and/or property damage from cracked ceilings, walls and other structural defects, defective building materials, and construction debris and exposure. She defends elevator companies in catastrophic construction site accidents and personal injury matters involving electrocution. She also represents clients in fire and explosion matters.
In the course of her career as a litigator, Abbie has developed extensive experience managing pre-litigation risk assessment, negotiating settlements on appeal and post-verdict settlements.
Abbie is the Settlement Coordinator for the In Re: World Trade Center (WTC) Lower Manhattan Disaster Site Litigation, in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, managing the distribution of settlement funds to over 1,200 plaintiffs involving 400 defendants. She was responsible for negotiating and finalizing 6,000 settlement documents, resolving Medicare and Medicaid issues, addressing the Qualified Settlement Trusts and indemnification. She developed methodology for assessment and approval of individual settlements now employed by Judge Hellerstein in granting motions to approve settlements. Further, she was recognized in Law 360 and other legal journals for her role in the coordination and approval of settlements in the In Re: World Trade Center (WTC) Lower Manhattan Disaster Site Litigation. Abbie also represented environmental consultants and construction companies in actions filed by thousands of rescue and recovery workers who allegedly developed respiratory illnesses as a result of exposure to nanoparticles, heavy metals, asbestos, dusts, fuel oil and other toxins at and around Ground Zero. She served as a defense counsel representative on several select committees in the WTC litigation.
Abbie litigates pharmaceutical cases involving pregnancy preservation drugs, diet drugs, and nutritional supplements. She defends complex, high-value bodily injury cases involving breast cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, mesothelioma, respiratory illnesses, multiple chemical sensitivities, and infertility and reproductive health problems. Abbie represents physician group practices, individual physicians, physical therapists and other affiliated health care professionals in matters related to their operations.
Abbie developed innovative methodologies and processes for communication to clients and other stakeholders which convey information in a consistent and reliable manner, facilitating and solidifying relationships between clients, insureds and other stakeholders. This approach benefits clients in formulating and carrying out their litigation philosophy, whether it is based upon early dispositive motions, nominal settlement, mediation, trial-readiness or trial. Of particular note, Abbie authored the New York State Claims Handling Guide for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance.
Abbie is also the managing partner for the Harris Beach Murtha New York City office, where she supervises day-to-day operations and the work of more than 70 attorneys and professional staff.