James Ughetta is the Leader of the firm’s Product Liability Practice Team. His practice emphasizes litigation and preventive counseling in the field of product liability. He also handles governmental regulatory compliance including recalls, appeals, insurance-related matters, contract disputes, drafting of and guidance pertaining to business and vendor agreements, and corporate/M&A guidance and counsel.

Mr. Ughetta has extensive trial experience representing companies in high exposure cases on a local and national level. His clients have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to newly created and well established privately held companies. A representative sampling of products defended in litigation include motorcycles, helmets, ski equipment, motor vehicles, seat belts, trucks, trailers, agricultural equipment, outdoor power equipment, swimming pool products, consumer and commercial products, industrial equipment, medical devices and electrical cords/cables. He has tried cases throughout the United States and has appeared pro hac vice in litigation pending in many states including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

James Ughetta also works closely with many product manufacturers on product liability prevention matters, product recalls and regulatory compliance. Further, he has handled a variety of insurance coverage disputes.

Admissions

  • New York State Bar
  • New Jersey State Bar
  • U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of New York
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeal for the 11th Circuit

EDUCATION

  • Denison University, B.A., Economics
  • St. John's University School of Law, J.D.
  • Emory School of Public Health, Biomechanics of Impacts
  • Northwestern University Traffic Institute

  • Product Liability Advisory Council, Sustaining Member
  • Who's Who Legal - Product Liability Defence
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
  • AV Preeminent® Rating - Judicial Edition
  • AV Preeminent® Rating - Highest Possible Rating in Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards
  • New York Super Lawyer (2009 through 2024)
  • Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Society of Automotive Engineers
  • Who's Who in American Law (Marquis)
  • Association of the Bar of the City of New York - Committee on Product Liability, Chairman of Daubert, Scientific Evidence Subcommittee (1997-1999)
  • St. John's University School of Law Civil Trial Institute, Moot Court Judge
  • "2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Mass Torts Law" by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell
  • National Eagle Scout Association
  • Sports Litigation Group, LLC
  • ASTM International F27.30 - Skiing and Snowboarding Equipment Committee
  • ASTM International F27 - Snow and Water Sports Committee

  • "Responding to and Propounding Written Discovery" DRI (July 2015)
  • "Uniform Discovery Responses and Protective Orders," For The Defense, DRI (November 2013)
  • "Product Liability Prevention and Concerns," Center for International Legal Studies (October, 2008)
  • Chapter, "Motions in Limine to Preclude Expert Testimony" in book entitled Preparing For and Trying the Civil Lawsuit, New York State Bar Association (2004)
  • "Demonstrative Evidence in Product Liability Cases," The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (March 2001)
  • "Deposing Plaintiff's Expert," For The Defense, DRI (July 1999)
  • "Admissibility of Evidence of Other Accidents," For The Defense, DRI (October 1995)

  • "Tire Product Liability Prevention", Macon, GA (2016 and 2022)
  • "How to Avoid Traps During the Deposition of a Corporate Witness", Tokyo, Japan (October 2016)
  • "Speaker, Marsh Tire Product Liability Risk Management Seminar", Qingdao, China (May 2015)
  • "Discovery, Trials and Appeals in Product Liability Cases," Tokyo, Japan (September 2002)
  • "Defending Product Liability Trials in the United States," South Korea (September 2002)
  • "Demonstrative Evidence in Product Liability Cases," speaker, The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (March 2001)

PRACTICE AREA

INDUSTRIES

Rated by:

James Ughetta is rated AV® Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.

Super Lawyer

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