Susan E. Van Gelder

Susan E. Van Gelder, a partner of the firm, concentrates her practice in the areas of toxic tort litigation, product liability litigation, and general litigation.  With more than a decade of experience, she has represented clients in a wide variety of areas, including asbestos, silica, lead paint, professional liability, class actions, municipal law, negligence and premises liability. 

Ms. Van Gelder has extensive appellate experience, having successfully argued appeals before New York's intermediate Appellate Courts and the New York Court of Appeals.  She has also successfully tried cases to verdict.

She is admitted to practice law in New York, the Western District of New York and U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Ms. Van Gelder is a member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI) where she is an active member of the Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee where she serves as the current publications chair. 

Ms. Van Gelder is also a member of the New York State and Erie County Bar Associations. She is the editor of the firm's quarterly publication Legal Update and a contributing author to the firm's Toxic Tort CaseWatch.

Direct Dial
716.566.5463
Fax
716.566.5401
E-mail
svangelder@goldbergsegalla.com
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Practice Areas 

• State University of New York at Oswego, cum laude, B.S., 1994
• State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Law J.D., 1997

• New York - All Courts
• United States District Court, Western District of New York
• United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York

Professional Affiliations

• Defense Research Institute
• Professional Liability
• Expert Witness Chair
• Steering Committee 
• Member, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee
• Annual Meeting Co-Chair, 2007 -2008
• Seminar Planning Committee, 2007-2008
• Publications/Newsletter Chair, 2008-2010
• Member, Lawyers' Professionalism and Ethics Committee
• New York State Bar Association
• Environmental Law Section
• Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section
• Trial Lawyers Section
• Erie County Bar Association
• Defense Trial Lawyers Association of Western New York
• Past Board Member 

Publications and Presentations

• Co-Author, "Lung Disease from Microwave Popcorn Flavoring? Searching for Kernels of Truth in the Litigation "Maize"," For the Defense, Defense Research Institute, November, 2008
• Co-Author, "Causation in Mold Cases Pointers for Defending Exposure Claims, Defense Research Institute's Library Series Publication, Exploring Toxic Tort and Environmental Liability Claims, 2007 
• Co-Author, "The Impact of the Supreme Court's Decision in City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York on Sovereign Immunity," New York State Bar Association, Torts, Insurance & Compensation Law Section Journal, Summer, 2006