05.11.07 17:29 Age: 16 yrs
Edward Lehman Makes China Product Liability Speech at Columbia Law School
Manhattan, New York - November, 2 2007 – Edward Lehman, managing director of the firm LEHMAN, LEE & XU was invited by Professor Benjamin L. Liebman, Chairman of Columbia University School of Law's China Law Studies Program, to address the Global Justice Forum, Columbia Law School’s Board of Visitors, and Columbia University law students and faculty regarding "Current Developments in Cross Border Litigation". The event comes on the heels of the controversial speech by the President of Iran at Columbia University last month.
Mr. Lehman was a co-presenter with Professor Liebman and Professor Donald C. Clarke, director of China Law Studies at George Washington School of Law, with the trio discussing efforts to bring products liability and other plaintiff's actions on behalf of Chinese citizens and/or victims of Chinese corporate misconduct both inside and outside of China, including the U.S. action on behalf of Chinese aviation accident victims (Baotou, Inner Mongolia air crash), the Mattel case, the cough syrup case brought in Spain on behalf of Panamanian victims, and the efforts to use plaintiff's litigation mechanisms in China's own courts.
The event was covered by local and international media, including Newsweek, Time, New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, and many questions were asked of panellists regarding the recent apology by Mattel for the company's design and quality assurance failures, and whether Edward Lehman will lead an action on behalf of Chinese OEM's against Mattel in the United States. Independent of this event, Mr. Lehman has stated that, "The time is right to bring these actions against companies like Bombardier, GE and Mattel in Chinese courts to hold them accountable to the Chinese legal system,” indicating the firm’s intention to launch the Baotou air crash matter in Chinese rather than US courts.
Other notable speakers at the Global Justice Forum were David M. Schizer, Dean and the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law, Columbia Law School and Robert L. Lieff, founder of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, a graduate of Columbia Law School and a recent donor of USD 4 million for funding of a Global Justice chair at Columbia Law School. (Robert Lieff, one of America's most successful plaintiff's lawyers and Edward Lehman have been long time friends and collaborators over the years.)
LEHMAN, LEE & XU is a founding member of the Global Justice Forum, a world-wide network of lawyers, academics and law firms who work together to promote justice and transparency in legal systems and matters through out the world. Edward Lehman is a member of the Global Justice Forum's Board of Governors and has been a speaker on China issues at meetings in London, Paris and Rome.
To learn more about the firm, please visit the firm’s website at www.lehmanlaw.com or to learn more about Edward Lehman, please visit www.elehman.com.
