Neal Walters > Ballard Spahr LLP > New Jersey, United States > Lawyer Profile

Ballard Spahr LLP
700 EAST GATE DRIVE
SUITE 330 MOUNT LAUREL
NJ 08054-0015
NEW JERSEY
United States

Work Department

Litigation

Position

Partner and Leader of Ballard Spahr’s Product Liability/Mass Tort Group

Career

Neal Walters is the Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr’s Product Liability and Mass Tort Group, and a member of the firm’s Manufacturing and Retail Industry Groups. Neal has a diverse trial and litigation practice focused on protecting product companies, as well as clients involved in technical matters, against a broad range of risks. As counsel for several consumer product manufacturers, he has defended and coordinated product liability and consumer claims, including class actions, through trial in jurisdictions across the country.

He also counsels companies on contractual, regulatory, and liability issues arising in the development, sale, and servicing of products. Most recently, this has included responding to emergent requests from clients to address COVID-19 related product risks, including the evaluation and support of emergency PPE.

Admissions

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Memberships

Rutgers School of Law-Camden, former Adjunct Professor, Pretrial Advocacy and Electronic Discovery

Defense Research Institute

Neal is a Trustee of the Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Governance Committee, of the South Jersey Food Bank. Neal was a collegiate baseball player and is an athletics enthusiast. He is an avid golfer and is actively involved in coaching a variety of youth sports for the Marlton (New Jersey) Recreation Council.

Education

Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey School of Law-Newark (J.D. 1993)

Rutgers College (B.A. 1990)

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: automotive/transport

At Ballard Spahr LLP, the product liability and mass tort team frequently work on high-value and complex product cases pending in both the federal and the state courts. Operating primarily out of New Jersey, the team specializes in handling complex product liability cases nationwide, from catastrophic injury claims to national class actions and appeals. The firm serves a diverse client base, including leading automotive companies and emerging technology firms, offering strategic counsel on product risks, warranties, and compliance to prevent litigation. Notable recent achievements include defending Subaru in six national class actions, securing rare post-trial class decertification in a major case, and successfully limiting class actions at early stages. Head of team Neal Walters directs the group, with extensive experience counseling automotive companies on regulatory, product development, and service issues, as well as defending them in product liability litigation. Steven Burkhart, a former general counsel, works out of Maryland to bring additional expertise in commercial litigation, internal investigations, product liability, and risk management matters, while Casey Watkins specializes in hands-on autonomous vehicle regulatory experience, further bolstering the team’s technical expertise. All lawyers mentioned are based in New Jersey unless otherwise stated.