David T. Morris is a trial attorney who focuses his practice in a wide variety of litigation disputes. Mr. Morris has served as second-chair in trials involving multi-million dollar disputes and has successfully argued discovery motions and dispositive motions in both state and federal court. He has also conducted many depositions of plaintiffs and other witnesses in actions filed in state and federal courts throughout the country.

Experience

Product Liability

• Second chair in a product liability case in Milwaukee County (Wisconsin). Mr. Morris' client was a defendant manufacturer of the allegedly defective product. The case was tried to a jury. At the end of the plaintiff's case-in-chief, the court granted the defendant's motion to dismiss (directed verdict).


• Represented a client who was being sued as a premises owner of property where the plaintiff allegedly worked. The plaintiff claimed that her decedent was exposed to asbestos while working at a premises allegedly owned or controlled by the client. After conducting extensive research, Mr. Morris helped to construct an argument that insulated the client from any potential liability due to the fact that the premises where the plaintiff allegedly worked was owned by a subsidiary of the client. The trial court granted the client's motion for summary judgment.


• Assisted a client being sued for manufacturing an asbestos-containing product to which the plaintiff's decedent was allegedly exposed. Despite extensive testimony in which a witness repeatedly testified that the decedent worked with one of the client's products, Mr. Morris helped draft a motion for summary judgment. The basis for the motion was that the type of product identified by the witness could not possibly be a product that was manufactured by the client. The trial court granted the motion and dismissed the claim against the client.


• Mr. Morris has drafted numerous other motions for summary judgment that were ultimately not opposed by the plaintiffs.

Tax Controversies

• Mr. Morris currently represents several clients involved in complex tax matters before the U.S. Tax Court and U.S. Court of Federal Claims.


• Mr. Morris served as Second Chair in a trial before the U.S. Tax Court involving Section 2036 of the Internal Revenue Tax Code.  Mr. Morris participated in every phase of the trial, including post-trial briefing.

Previous Experience

Prior to joining Schiff Hardin, Mr. Morris worked in sales, training and education programs for three pharmaceutical companies.