Skip Martin is a Senior Partner in the Product Liability & Tort Litigation Practice Group. His practice is national in scope and focuses on the litigation and trial of product liability actions. He serves as national trial counsel for APV North America, Inc. and its various divisions, having successfully defended the company's products in over 30 states, and has represented other clients on both a regional and national basis.
Products in which Mr. Martin has significant experience include, but not limited to: all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, conveyors, pneumatic conveyors, turbo expanders, nitrogen generators, film winders, wire winders, rotary cutters, rotary molders, packaging equipment, mixers, fabric-treating machines, printing presses, gear cutters, saws, locomotive bearings, sporting equipment, automotive parts, plate heat exchangers, valves, freezers, air compressors, construction equipment such as back hoes, front loaders and skid steer loaders, farm equipment, distillation systems, plastic blowmold machines, homogenizers, ovens, and plastic extrusion equipment.
Mr. Martin has also successfully represented clients in fire cases, serious motor vehicle accidents, including automobiles, motorcycles and semi-tractor trailers, construction accidents, railroad crossing collision cases, FELA and Safety Appliance Act cases, asbestos cases and some commercial litigation involving his clients’ products.
Mr. Martin has also been proactive in reducing or eliminating potential litigation for APV and other clients. He has provided numerous educational seminars to employees at facilities throughout the United States as well as England, Denmark and Germany in an effort to educate sales engineers, design engineers and field service technicians regarding the legal process, the differences between American standards such as OSHA and ANSI and European standards requiring a CE mark, design obligations created for manufacturers as a result of ISO 9001 certification, and preventing liability. As a result of his efforts, serious accidents resulting in litigation have been reduced approximately 50% for at least one client. Mr. Martin has also helped in designing an "early warning system" for investigation accidents. He oversees this program which allows the company to learn of a serious accident within 48 hours of the occurrence. Finally, he has helped develop risk/benefit analysis programs for manufacturers.
In order to help young associates improve courtroom skills, in 1991 Mr. Martin developed and implemented at HB&B an intensive six-week trial technique course. Taught by Mr. Martin every two years, the course covers voir dire, opening statement, evidence, direct examination, cross-examination and closing argument. Classes are two evenings per week, with the first session each week consisting of a lecture on the techniques to be used and the second session each week requiring the participants to demonstrate before a video camera and the other participants the techniques taught several days before.
Mr. Martin is a member of ALFA International (American Law Firm Association) and is the Chair Emeritus of the Product Liability Practice Group. In addition to ALFA, Mr. Martin is also an active member of the Product Liability Advisory Committee (PLAC).
Mr. Martin earned his B.A. from Monmouth College in 1970 and his J.D. from the University of Illinois in 1973. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California and was on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and a member of the Illinois State Bar Committee on Civil Practice and Procedure.
