Kathleen M. Guilfoyle

Member

Biography

Kathleen M. Guilfoyle focuses her practice on aviation defense, products liability and drug and medical device defense.

Kathy represents several airlines, airport authorities, manufacturers, ground handling companies and airport and airline contractors in cases pending throughout the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont. This litigation includes the defense of claims involving personal injury, premises liability, the Air Carrier Access Act, discrimination, kidnapping and general commercial litigation. Kathy successfully argued motions for summary judgment under the Montreal Convention and other treaties. Kathy and her firm represent one of the non-carrier airlines in the litigation pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York arising out of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. In this litigation, she also worked on responding to requests for information from the Kean Commission, and participated in non-public witness interviews of various airline personnel by Kean Commission staffers.  Kathy was a presenter at multiple ACI Aviation Conferences in Boston.

In addition to those in the automotive and commercial trucking industries, Kathy has handled a variety of cases involving such diverse products as printing presses, heaters, toys, food and medication. She has also handled the defense of various environmental claims for fuel suppliers involving 21E claims, releases, propane tank explosions and faulty regulators.

Kathy was selected as a Top Woman of Law for 2011 by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Kathy has served on the Board of Directors of the International Aviation Womens Association since 2007. Kathy is listed in Who's Who Legal International Who's Who of Aviation Lawyers. Kathy has served as a Director of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence since January 2014.

Representative Experience:

• Plaintiffs v. Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon in a binding arbitration
• Laura Arbeitman, as Administratrix of the Estate of Margaret Alene Sanders v. AT Systems New England, Inc., et.al.
• Featured Case: In re September 11 Litigation
• Featured Case: Ground Contamination by Heating Oil Prompts Claims
• Milward v. Acuity Specialty Products Group, Inc.

Representative Experience:

• Plaintiffs v. Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon in a binding arbitration
• Laura Arbeitman, as Administratrix of the Estate of Margaret Alene Sanders v. AT Systems New England, Inc., et.al.
• Featured Case: In re September 11 Litigation
• Featured Case: Ground Contamination by Heating Oil Prompts Claims
• Milward v. Acuity Specialty Products Group, Inc.
• Edward Judge v. Pyramid Gun Mall
• Walsh v. PACCAR, Inc.
• Goodwin v. British Airways PLC
• Clifford Gorfinkle v. U.S. Airways
• Combe v. Continental Airlines, Inc.

Publications & Presentations

• In-House Counsel and Claims Officer Think Tank: Manufacturers, Carriers and Insurers Speak Out on Case Evaluation and Managing Costs of Litigation and Insurance, June 2012
• Evidentiary Requirements for the Admission of Enhanced Digital Photographs, published in the IADC Newsletter, October, 2002
• 2015 DRI Leadership Conference on The Economics of Justice, Presenter, 2015
• 2015 DRI Atlantic/Northeast Regional Meeting on the work of The Judicial Task Force, Presenter, 2015
• SLDO Conclave, 2014 DRI Annual Meeting, Presenter, 2014
• Proving Medical Causation in Product Liability Cases, AALNC 2010 National Educational Conference, American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, Pittsburgh, PA, 2010
• Aviation Insurance for the General Practitioner: Demystifying the Types of Coverage, presented at the ACI Aviation Conference in Boston, June 23 - 23, 2009
• Legal Issues for Fixed Base Operators, Independent Fixed Base Operators Association Regional Aviation Trade Show, Hyannis, Massachusetts, 2008
• Tips for Effective Mediation, Women Drive Results in Transportation, National Program, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association, Dearborn, Michigan, 2008
• The September 11th Litigation after the Closure of the VCF and the Issuance of the Kean Commission Report: What's Left and What's Next?, 16th Annual IAWA Conference, San Francisco, California, 2004
• Compensating the Victims and Preventing the Collapse of the Aviation Industry: The Aftermath of September 11th, 15th Annual IAWA Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 2003
• Alleged Improper Handling of In-Flight Medical Emergencies: A Cognizable Claim Under the Warsaw Convention?, Co-Author, International Association of Defense Counsel, Aviation and Space Law Committee Newsletter, No.1., 2002
• Asserting Claims for Sexual Assault Under the Warsaw Convention, Co-Author, International Association of Defense Counsel, Aviation and Space Law Committee Newsletter, No. 10., 2000
• Proving the Details of the 9/11 Attacks: The Admissibility of the Kean Commission Findings , Defense Counsel Journal, July 2012
• Practicing in the District Court, Massachusetts Bar Association - ongoing
• A penny for the courts, The Boston Globe , September 2014 With just a penny more of each tax dollar allocated to the judicial branch we can solve the underfunding and understaffing crisis in our state courts.
• Evidentiary Requirements for the Admission of Enhanced Digital Photographs, IADC Newsletter, October, 2002
• Be a Parent, Not a Pal Social host liability presentation that our firm makes at high schools around the state in an effort to educate both parents and teenagers on the dangers and criminal and civil liability for underage drinking and/or procuring alcohol for underage individuals

Memberships & Leadership Positions

• International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA)
  • Board of Directors, 2007-Present
  • Vice President, Next Generation
  • Executive Vice President and Secretary, 2014-2016
  • Vice President, Membership, 2012-2014
  • Vice President, Annual Conference, 2010-2012
  • Treasurer, 2007-2010
• DRI
  • DRI Board of Directors, National Director, 2012-2016
  • Women in the Law Committee 
  • Drug and Medical Device Committee, Board Liaison, 2015-Present
  • DRI Membership Committee, 2007-2012
  • Judicial Task Force, Chair, 2014-Present
  • Committee Engagement Committee, Chair, 2015-Present
  • Jury Service Task Force, Vice Chair, 2010
  • Lawyers Professionalism and Ethics Committee, Vice Chair, 2003-2005, Chair, 2005 - 2007
  • External Policy Group, 2015
  • Diversity Scholarship Committee, 2013
  • Issues and Advocacy Committee, 2012-Present
  • Non-Dues Revenue Task Force, 2013
  • Committee Memberships, Women in the Law, Drug and Medical Device, Aviation Products, Commercial Litigation, Lawyers Professionalism and Ethics 
• National Foundation for Judicial Excellence
  • Board of Directors, 2014-Present
  • Development Committee
  • NFJE Judicial Liaison, Massachusetts, 2015
• The Harmonie Group
  • Vice Chair, Aviation Practice Committee, 2009 - 2012
• International Association of Defense Counsel
• Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association
• Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Speaker at CLE Programs
• American Bar Association
• Boston Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Rhode Island Bar Association

Honors & Awards

• Voted a Top Woman in Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
• Named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer, 2006, 2013 - 2017
• Who's Who Legal Transport: Aviation Contentious