Craig J. Litherland Partner

Craig Litherland’s practice focuses on complex claims resolution and bankruptcy reorganizations that involve mass tort problems and bankruptcy-related insurance disputes. His clients include corporate debtors, committees, future claimant representatives, and plan trustees.

Craig has handled matters involving numerous tort claims that arise from asbestos and medical devices, including silica, breast implants, and other medical devices. He also has represented clients in claims related to noise induced hearing loss, exposure to other carcinogenic materials, and medical service provider policies that have produced numerous tort claims.

Over the course of his career, Craig has represented debtor corporations, trustees, committees, and other parties in connection with bankruptcy cases in the auto parts, insulation contracting, flooring and other building material manufacturing, convenience store, aircraft manufacture, oil and gas production, off-shore drilling, farming, heavy equipment manufacturing, real estate development, telecommunications, mortgage servicing, truck and container shipping, and pipe manufacturing industries.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Represented the creditors’ committee in formulating a plan of reorganizations and subsequently represented the plan trust in connection with resolution of insurance coverage disputes for numerous claimants who alleged tort claims related to treatment at pediatric dental clinics across much of the United States.
  • Represented Federal-Mogul Corporation and its affiliates in their bankruptcy reorganization cases as insurance counsel to address disputes related to insurance coverage for thousands of asbestos claims and environmental claims.
  • Represented Kaiser Aluminum, Shook & Fletcher, and JT Thorpe in connection with the structuring of their bankruptcy plans of reorganization to resolve asbestos, silica, and other types of tort claims, including, in the cases of Shook & Fletcher and JT Thorpe, pre-packaged plans of reorganization.
  • Represented Dow Corning Corporation in its bankruptcy reorganization that resolved hundreds of thousands of claims worldwide related to breast implants and other medical devices sold by the company. Craig also assisted Dow Corning with the resolution of disputes with insurers over responsibility for the costs associated with these tort claims.
  • Represented the committees of asbestos claimants in the Babcock & Wilcox, Plibrico, and Burns & Roe bankruptcy reorganizations as special insurance counsel dealing with insurance disputes related to the coverage available to pay asbestos and silica claims.

EDUCATION

  • 1983 — J.D., University of Texas School of Law
  • 1980 — B.A., Rice University

BAR MEMBERSHIPS

  • Texas
  • District of Columbia
  • Montana
  • Cherokee Nation
  • U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas

AFFILIATIONS AND HONORS

  • Washington, DC Super Lawyers, 2020