Gilbert Keteltas

Gil Keteltas is a trial lawyer with more than 25 years of experience litigating complex commercial, tort and government enforcement disputes on behalf of national and international corporations. Recognized by the National Law Journal as a 2016 Litigation Trailblazer for innovative trial advocacy, Gil’s experience spans practice areas and industries. He has advocated in courtrooms across the country on behalf of manufacturers, engineers, hospitality companies, agricultural cooperatives and farmers, and has served as trial counsel in jury and bench trials. Gil is the former leader of BakerHostetler’s Commercial Litigation and Electronic Discovery Advocacy and Management practice teams.

• Co-lead trial counsel to a global engineering company in an indemnity case arising out of the 2009 explosion of a food manufacturing plant in Garner, North Carolina. After a four-week jury trial, the jury returned a verdict of $108.9 million in favor of the client, two times the amount of the largest verdict in Nebraska at that time. This verdict, recently affirmed by the Nebraska Supreme Court, was recognized by the National Law Journal as a “Top 50 Verdict” of 2016 in its Elite Trial Lawyers report.*

• Counsel to multiple hospitality companies in litigation and enforcement actions arising out of data breaches. Secured voluntary dismissal of a class action brought by issuing banks against one client, negotiated a favorable mediated resolution of a consumer class action brought against another and is actively involved in a regulatory enforcement investigation involving a third.

• Lead counsel to the growers and processors of more than half of the nation’s domestically grown sugar in multiple lawsuits, defending his client’s ability to plant, harvest and process biotech sugarbeets. Directly sued opposing food advocacy groups through use of the Declaratory Judgment Act. Developed and implemented a trial strategy that challenged the credibility of opposing claims and exposed the absence of injury to plaintiffs, ultimately voiding injunctive remedies. Center for Food Safety, et al. v. Vilsack, et al.

• Led client and joint defense in six consolidated multiplaintiff tort actions brought by New York City transit workers alleging injuries from diesel exhaust exposure in enclosed transit terminals. Won dismissal of all claims on federal pre-emption grounds. In re Jackson, et al. v. General Motors Corp., et al.

• Won an unprecedented trial verdict as lead trial counsel in a case of first impression defended by the California Attorney General. The court invalidated a California regulation, finding it unconstitutionally impaired contracts with the world’s leading diesel engine manufacturers and amounted to an illegal recall. Caterpillar Inc., et al. v. California Air Resources Board

• Assisted a client in defense and resolution of an industry-wide investigation and government enforcement dispute concerning the regulation of engines, which remains one of the largest government enforcement efforts in history. Led client and industry joint defense of multiple follow-on lawsuits alleging claims of unfair business practices, breach of contract and warranty, and violations of the RICO statute. United States v. Caterpillar Inc., et al.

• Served on the defense, trial and appellate teams of the second-largest environmental enforcement action ever tried before a jury, involving allegations of unpermitted operations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A settlement was eventually approved between the parties. U.S. v. Marine Shale Processors