 Practices
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With more than 20 years of trial experience, Elbert S. Dorn devotes his practice to products liability, pharmaceutical and class action litigation.
As a member of the firm's business litigation group, he also has broad experience in handling complex commercial litigation. His experience includes state representation for several pharmaceutical companies, petroleum companies and as coordinating counsel for one of the big three automotive companies.
In connection with automotive products litigation, Dorn has personally handled and tried to verdict cases for several automotive manufacturers involving alleged defects of handling and stability (rollover), sudden or unintended acceleration (electrical and/or mechanical throttle and speed control systems), seatbelts, airbags, seat backs, roof structure, door latches, glass (glazing), tires, fuel system, and crashworthiness matters. He also currently serves as statewide counsel for one of the world’s largest manufacturers of safety restraint systems in seatbelt and airbag product litigation. He is intimately familiar with the substantive and procedural issues faced by automotive and component part manufacturers in product liability litigation.
In the product liability and pharmaceutical fields, Dorn has been at the forefront of advancing legal arguments which have recently culminated in reported appellate decisions which tighten the reliability standards for expert witnesses in state court proceedings, reinforce the requirement that an alternative feasible design be proven in design defect cases, and support the exclusion of post-manufacture evidence. He has worked extensively with the advancement and application of pre-emption defenses. Dorn also has firsthand experience in developing practice strategies for defending corporations against punitive damage claims.
In the class action field, Dorn has defended putative and certified class actions for major corporations in South Carolina state and federal courts. He is thoroughly familiar with the complex notice and approval processes required for settlement or other resolution of class actions, as well as application of the Class Action Fairness Act.
Mr. Dorn is immediate past president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association. He also recently served as spokesperson for national defense groups and corporate interests in the effort to strengthen the state rules on the admission of expert testimony. As part of that effort, he testified before the South Carolina House, Senate and Supreme Court. Mr. Dorn is an active member of IADC, DRI and the S.C. Judicial Invitational Conference.
He is a native of Greenwood and has lived here all of his life. He is married and the father of 4 children.
 Career Highlights
- Best Lawyers in America® - Product Liability Litigation since 2007
- South Carolina Super Lawyers® - Personal Injury: Products (2009-2010)
 News
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 Education
- University of South Carolina, magna cum laude, B.A., 1983
- University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D., 1986
 Bar & Court Admissions
- South Carolina Bar
- U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
 Civic & Professional Memberships
- International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- South Carolina Judicial Invitational Conference
- South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association, President (2007)
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