Attorney Barry B. Sutton Joins Clark Hill PLC, Detroit

Feb 3, 2011
DETROIT, MI – Clark Hill PLC is proud to announce that Barry B. Sutton has joined the firm’s Detroit office, practicing in the Litigation practice group. Sutton specializes in product liability, and serves as national trial counsel for numerous companies, in product liability and other disputes throughout the country. Sutton has been repeatedly successful in obtaining both appellate and trial judgments on behalf of those clients. As principle drafter of the successful appellate briefs in Gregory v. Cincinnati, Peck v. Bridgeport Machines and Hollister v. Dayton Hudson Corporation, Sutton has helped to define and structure Michigan’s law of product liability. Sutton's involvement in the defense of hunting product manufacturers and large, automotive component part suppliers on a national basis has allowed him to help shape the trends in product liability throughout the United States. In this capacity, Sutton is one of the pioneers in defending component part suppliers in product liability suits.

Sutton also specializes in commercial litigation, and currently serves several clients in commercial disputes arising within the automotive field. Sutton has successfully defended companies in commercial disputes alleging breach of contract, intentional interference with business relations, breach of warranty, misrepresentation, failure to compensate for sales commissions and breach of exclusive sales contracts. In addition, Sutton has obtained numerous restraining orders in cases preventing sub-component manufacturers from refusing to ship on “just in time” requirements contracts due to the alleged rise in raw material costs.

Sutton also handles complex litigation and insurance coverage. Sutton was one of the lead trial counsel in the Dow Corning Breast Implant Coverage Litigation, an over $2 Billion dispute that still stands as one of the largest and most complex insurance coverage dispute in American History.

As a solo and lead trial attorney, Sutton has won each of the cases he tried. He has litigated cases involving product liability, breach of contract, misrepresentation, fraud, false imprisonment, false arrest, automobile liability, conversion, bad faith, violation of the consumer protection act and negligence.

Sutton has argued cases before the federal district and appellate courts and the Michigan Court of Appeals. He has filed numerous briefs with the Supreme Court of Michigan. He has briefed two cases before the United States Supreme Court. As a specialist in complex, national, product liability cases, Sutton has been admitted to practice pro hac vice in other states throughout the country including Florida, New York, Louisiana, California, Ohio, South Dakota, New Mexico, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Maine, Wisconsin, Montana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Illinois.

Sutton was named a Rising Star in SuperLawyers in 2008. He is active in his community; he volunteers as a coach for the Birmingham Patriots Youth Football Organization. In addition, Sutton enjoys hunting and fishing.