Paul Stinson

Paul brings more than 20 years of experience representing aviation companies from North America and Europe in complex litigation. He serves as lead national product liability defense counsel for several of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers and their U.S. affiliates. Paul defends against wrongful death, personal injury, and commercial claims in state and federal courts across the U.S. He guides foreign and domestic corporations through all stages of dispute resolution, including mediation, trial, and appeal.

Paul’s practice focuses on intricate issues related to aircraft and component design, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance. He defends many high-stakes cases, including obtaining a defense verdict following a trial in New York that set the state’s record for the highest damages awarded (against co-defendants) for a single wrongful death.

Paul has a thorough understanding of multistate, national, and international laws, which is crucial for resolving disputes involving aviation accidents.

• National defense counsel for several of the largest aircraft manufacturers and distributors in the world located in France, Germany, and the U.S.
• Second chair of a trial team that obtained a full defense verdict in state court in New York in which plaintiffs were awarded damages of more than $113 million for a single wrongful death, a state record, as well as punitive damages.
• Part of a defense team that obtained multiple dismissals for lack of personal jurisdiction over foreign clients.
• Provided defense, including state court trial, of significant personal injury claims involving a helicopter accident in Seattle, Washington, which resulted in a $40 million settlement by co-defendants, while Paul’s clients paid nothing.
• Second chair of a trial team that obtained a full defense verdict in federal court after a jury trial of an insurance company’s hull loss claim stemming from a helicopter accident in Arizona.
• Provided defense, including pre-trial resolution, of high-damage potential claims against a German helicopter manufacturer in connection with a widely publicized helicopter accident in Arizona involving a wealthy high-profile businessman and his family.
• Part of a team that obtained a unanimous decision from the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals resulting in a published opinion that affirmed the summary judgment dismissal by the U.S. Northern District of Texas of a multimillion-dollar contribution claim brought against U.S. and European aircraft companies stemming from a helicopter accident in Hawaii —Nat’l Union Fire Ins. Co. v. Am. Eurocopter Corp., 692 F. 3d 405 (5th Cir. 2012).