Carl D. Smallwood
Mr. Smallwood is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the litigation group. He represents clients in litigation, arbitration and mediation of employment-related injury, wrongful termination and toxic exposure disputes. He appears throughout Ohio on behalf of self-insured and state-funded employers in the defense of intentional tort and retaliatory discharge litigation arising under the Ohio Workers' Compensation Act and serves as trial counsel to several companies defending asbestos products liability litigation.
Career highlights include:
- Substantial jury trial experience in accounting negligence actions, medical malpractice actions and claims for workplace injury/toxic exposure
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Defending and obtaining a summary judgment, upheld on appeal, in a product liability action arising from an alleged in utero chemical/solvent workplace exposure resulting in complex chromosomal rearrangement/birth defects in a pregnant employee's offspring. See Kerns v. Hobart Brothers Company, (2nd Dist. 2008) No. 2007 CA-32, 2008-Ohio-2242, app. den. 2008-Ohio-5273.
- Defending and obtaining summary judgment in a claim of chemical exposure to N-hexane and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) allegedly causing polyneuropathy and organic brain disease
- Substantial litigation experience in toxic tort matters, with particular skill in explaining complex scientific issues to judges and juries and in challenging dubious methodologies under Daubert (see Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993) and Valentine v. Conrad, 110 Ohio St. 3d 42 (2006))
- Familiarity with many of the statistical and modeling approaches used by litigation experts and experienced in identifying flawed assumptions that may underlie such analyses
- Taking and defending numerous expert depositions and managing expert teams evaluating complex issues of medical causation, ventilation engineering, industrial hygiene, exposure assessment, hazard communication, and computer modeling
Mr. Smallwood is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Columbus Bar Association, and the John Mercer Langston Bar Association.
Mr. Smallwood is a frequent speaker to clients and trade associations on matters involving employment-related injury litigation and diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Mr. Smallwood received his J.D. from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law and his B.S. from The Ohio State University where he was Beta Gamma Sigma.
Professional and Community Activities
- Law & Leadership Institute LLC, President, 2009-2012
- Gladden Community House, Board of Directors, 2009-present
- National Conference of Bar Presidents, Executive Council, 2006-2009, 2010-present; Treasurer, 2011-present
- Managing Partners' Diversity Initiative Advisory Committee, Chair, 2007-2009; Member, 2001-2010
- American Bar Association, House of Delegates, 2002-2006
- Metropolitan Bar Caucus, President, 2004-2005; Executive Committee, 2001-2006
- American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services, 2004-2006
- American Bar Association Bar Leadership Institute, past faculty member and moderator
- Columbus Bar Association, President, 2000-2001; Board of Governors, 1994-2002
- The Ohio State University Alumni Advisory Council, 2010-present
- The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law Black Law Alumni Society, President, 1996
- The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law Alumni Association, President, 1997-98
- The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law National Council, 1998–2008
- Ohio State Bar Association, Council of Delegates, 1993–present, Litigation Section Board of Governors, 2000-2003
- The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, Adjunct Professor in Trial Advocacy, 1998-1999
- Columbus Bar Foundation, Fellow since 1990
- Central Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys, President, 1986-1987
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants, 2012
- The Best Lawyers in America, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, 2012
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2012
- Distinguished Service Award, The Ohio State University, 2010
- Columbus Bar Association Award for Promoting Diversity within the Legal Profession, 2010
- Ohio Super Lawyers, Civil Litigation Defense, 2004-2012
- Ohio Lawyer’s Weekly Lawyer of the Year, 2001
- The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. Josephine Failer Award, 1994; Heinlen Award, 2003
- Columbus Urban League, Award of Excellence, 2001
- Capital University Law School Black Alumni Association, David D. White Award, 2001
News
- Smallwood Receives Excellence in Public Service Award
- 75 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2012 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- More than 100 Vorys Attorneys named on 2012 The Best Lawyers in America® List
- 72 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2011 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Richards and Smallwood Receive Moritz College of Law Alumni Awards
- Smallwood Honored at The Ohio State University Winter Commencement
- Smallwood Honored by Columbus Bar Association for Leadership in Diversity Efforts
- "Columbus Attorney Named President of Law & Leadership Institute Board"
- 70 Vorys Attorneys Recognized as 2009 Ohio Super Lawyers
- Vorys attorneys featured in Columbus CEO article "A New Rainbow Coalition"