Contributors

September 9, 2026 – Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP today announced that a 29-person consumer warranty and product liability litigation group has joined the firm's Mass Torts practice. The group includes 15 attorneys who defend leading automotive manufacturers in high-volume consumer litigation in state and federal courts, managing a portfolio of more than 2,500 active matters, as well as catastrophic injury litigation in state and federal courts in the northeast. 

Partners Thomas Regan, Paul Efstratis, and Brian Vanderhoof are joined by eight senior counsel, four counsel, and 14 litigation professionals. The group has developed a nationally coordinated model for portfolio litigation, combining trial experience with program design to reduce costs and administrative burden for clients facing large-scale litigation. 

"Manufacturers today face consumer claims in volumes where outcomes are shaped less by any single case than by how well the entire portfolio is managed," said Mass Torts Practice Group Leader Greg Horton. "Tom, Paul, and Brian have organized their entire approach around that reality, and their arrival meaningfully expands what we can offer clients with large, active dockets." 

Merrick Benn, US Chair and CEO, added: "The measure of a lateral group is not just what they bring, but what they make possible alongside the strengths a firm already has. This team multiplies what our litigation bench across the country can do together, and that is exactly the kind of growth we are pursuing." 

Members of the group will be based in the firm's Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Raleigh, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Delaware offices. The group arrives from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP. 

"Our team was looking for a platform designed for the way high-volume litigation actually works today," said Regan. "The firm's technology-enabled approach to portfolio litigation and the depth of its national footprint give our clients broader capabilities without any disruption to the work we do for them." 

About the new partners: 

Thomas Regan has defended product liability and general liability litigation for three decades, with a practice centered on consumer warranty defense for automotive manufacturers. He concentrates on the structure and management of large-scale litigation portfolios for national clients, both inside and outside the automotive industry, and he also oversees asset investigations and litigation arising from commercial trucking accidents. Regan has personally litigated cases in more than 15 states and has managed litigation in all 50 states as coordinating counsel. 

Paul Efstratis represents automotive manufacturers in state and federal courts throughout California, focusing on warranty, consumer protection, and complex commercial litigation. He regularly defends claims under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and related consumer fraud statutes, many involving punitive damages exposure and other high-stakes claims. He manages cases through every stage of litigation and has tried cases to verdict. He also represents real estate investment trusts, hotel operators, resorts, and property owners in commercial disputes. 

Brian Vanderhoof focuses his practice on breach of warranty defense for automotive manufacturers and consumer fraud litigation in state and federal courts. His multifaceted practice covers consumer and commercial litigation as well as intellectual property matters involving trademark, copyright, trade secrets, unfair competition, and related business torts.