Casey G. Watkins

Of Counsel He / Him / His
New Jersey

Casey G. Watkins helps emerging and established clients in the automotive, autonomous vehicle, mobility, and consumer products sectors manage all issues related to regulatory compliance and litigation. He represents those clients in class actions, commercial litigation, and product liability claims. He provides significant value to clients through his counseling work designed to help businesses bring products to market. Leveraging his considerable experience in the automotive industry, he provides in-depth counsel to manufacturers regarding motor vehicle safety, regulations, road rules, and vehicle behaviors. Casey can also add value by conducting comprehensive evaluations of written warranty materials and product labeling, by drafting waiver agreements, and by conducting careful communications and litigation awareness training.

Casey is a pragmatic, detail-oriented advocate who delivers for his clients. In addition to his litigation experience, he previously served as senior attorney for vehicle and product safety at an autonomous vehicle technology developer. In that role, Casey supported product development and market entry efforts in the ever-changing global and domestic regulatory environment. His expertise also extends to a wide range of vehicle component systems as a former certified automotive parts professional. That technical experience was enhanced by his experience drafting specifications and drawings in the engineering industry before attending law school.

Experience 

Representative Matters

  • Advised a major research university on regulatory compliance, risk management, and warning labels for the emergent production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the national COVID-19 emergency.
  • Obtained complete dismissal on the pleadings of nationwide class action brought against domestic automotive distributor alleging engine design defects, breach of express and implied warranties, and violation of consumer fraud statutes.
  • Defending rallycross constructor in high profile action against contract and business tort claims asserted by the series promoter following dissolution of series.

Professional Highlights

Judicial Clerkships

Judicial clerk, Hon. Jaynee LaVecchia, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2013-2014

Judicial Internships

Judicial intern, Hon. Patty Shwartz, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 2012

Professional Activities

American Bar Association

New Jersey State Bar Association, Product Liability and Mass Tort Section

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Legal 500 US, Product liability, mass tort and class action – automotive/transport - defense, 2019-2021; "Rising Star," 2023, 2024

Ballard Spahr Pro Bono Award, 2016

Board Memberships & Community Service

Casey has served several times as a mock trial judge for first-year law student oral arguments at Rutgers School of Law-Newark. In addition, Casey is an automotive enthusiast, a member of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and regularly participates in regional autocross.

Credentials 

Education

Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey School of Law-Newark (J.D. 2013, cum laude)
Commentaries Editor, Rutgers Law Review
Legal Research and Writing Teaching Associate
Recipient, Aaron Lasser and Honorable Lawrence L. Lasser Scholarship and Gayton A. Rotunda Scholarship
Participant, Eric R. Neisser Pro Bono Service Program
Winner of the 2012 Albert S. Pergam International Law Writing Competition Award

University of Idaho (B.S. 2008)
Recipient, Robert R. Lee Promise Scholarship and Idaho Academic Scholarship

Admissions

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit