Susan E. Van Gelder

Susan E. Van Gelder

Partner

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Susan 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. 

Susan 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 the editor of the firm's quarterly publication Legal Update and a contributing author to the firm's CaseWatch: Asbestos newsletter.

Professional Affiliations
  • Defense Research Institute, Professional Liability (Expert Witness Chair, Steering Committee); Member, Lawyers' Professionalism and Ethics Committee; Member, Planning and Marketing Committees, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Seminar; Past Member, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee (Annual Meeting Co-Chair, 2007 -2008, Seminar Planning Committee, 2007-2008; Publications/Newsletter Chair, 2008-2010)
  • New York State Bar Association: Environmental Law Section; Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section; and Trial Lawyers Section
  • Defense Trial Lawyers Association of Western New York: Past Board Member 
Admitted to Practice
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York
Education
  • State University of New York at Oswego, B.S., cum laude, 1994
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Law, J.D., 1997
Publications/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
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