Gita F. Rothschild practices in the areas of complex litigation, including insurance coverage, class actions, defense of employers, product liability and toxic torts, commercial contracts, and business torts. She has litigated cases in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Connecticut, Florida, Virginia, and the Virgin Islands. She has more than 50 reported opinions, involving significant and novel insurance and product liability issues.
Gita has defended companies against a wide variety of claims involving product liability and commercial issues. She has defended research-based pharmaceutical companies in litigation involving employment matters and prescription and over-the-counter medicines. She was lead counsel in the first trials involving phenylpropanolamine (PPA), a widely used decongestant and appetite suppressant, both of which resulted in defense verdicts. The two major victories in PPA litigation were recognized among The National Law Journal’s Top 10 Defense Verdicts for the Year, both in 2004 and 2005.
Gita has represented corporate policyholders for 40 years, litigating and resolving coverage disputes involving product liability; environmental impairment; directors’ and officers’ liability; errors and omissions; and fidelity claims, principally for Fortune 500 companies. She has litigated and is currently litigating (and settling) coverage disputes involving billions of dollars including, among other things, personal injury and property damage asbestos-related claims, breast implant claims, and environmental liabilities.
Gita is a life member of the American Law Institute and was a Consultant on the ALI Enterprise Liability Project and Restatement of Torts (3rd), Product Liability.
Gita has lectured on insurance, civil practice and procedure, trial techniques, toxic torts, and product liability. She served on the Editorial Board of The New Jersey Lawyer from 1996-1999 and is the author of numerous articles. She was a faculty member of the Defense Trial Academy (1996) and served as Chairman of the District V Fee Arbitration Committee of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1984-1988.
