Gregory John Pals
Senior Trial Attorney

Mr. Pals and others represent 93 Vermont school districts in federal litigation against Monsanto, the manufacturer of PCBs alleged to have contaminated the school districts’ property. Mr. Pals defeated a bid by the State of Vermont to effectively terminate the case in favor of a state court action which the school districts did not control. He subsequently defeated the State’s bid to take an interlocutory appeal on the issue as well.

Despite the presence of an Arbitration Agreement purportedly signed by an auto buyer, defeated a finance company’s demand to dismiss the case and enforce arbitration. This was the second time Mr. Pals won an appeal by the same finance company on nearly identical grounds—demonstrating his mastery of consumer protection law.

3 F.4th 996 (8th Cir. 2021)

Created wide-ranging Circuit precedent (and arguably overturned past precedent) regarding who may submit claims to the federal government as part of the Federal Tort Claims Act.

No. 20 C 6509, 2021 WL 4498652 (N.D.Ill. Jan. 19, 2021)

Obtained what was believed to be the first remand order in the Zantac litigation by defeating defendant’s pretensive joinder arguments.

240 F.Supp.2d 840 (C.D.Ill. 2002)

A complex case involving breach of fiduciary duties under ERISA. Successfully defeated an attempt by the members of an ESOP Administrative Committee to obtain dismissal. The Committee members were represented by some of the country’s preeminent ERISA law firms. A heavily-contested, cutting-edge issue in ERISA litigation at that time.

No. 4:17-CV-974, 2017 WL 2021087 (E.D.Mo. May 12, 2017)

Defeated removal to federal court as being time-barred, establishing that the addition of new plaintiffs did not constitute “commencement” of new action for removal purposes—an unsettled area of law.

160 S.W.3d 379 (Mo. banc 2005)

A seminal case in Missouri discovery law. For nearly two decades, the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri—a court with a prodigious asbestos docket—enforced a sweeping Uniform Asbestos Discovery Order. With little further analysis, the Uniform Order required each and every defendant before the court to divulge virtually all information in the party’s possession regarding its use of asbestos.

Mr. Pals authored the trial court brief resisting the discovery and was part of the team which brought the case before the Supreme Court of Missouri, successfully overturning this decades-old practice of the circuit court.

Mr. Pals’ award-winning law review publication was cited as authority by the District Court. The United States Court of Appeals also appeared to rely on his work—a rare honor recognizing his scholarly contributions to legal precedent.

Pharmaceutical litigation demands meticulous analysis of clinical trial data, regulatory filings, and corporate communications. Mr. Pals applies his analytical background to uncover evidence of negligence and help victims of dangerous medications seek justice against pharmaceutical giants.

Defective products cause injuries that manufacturers could have prevented through proper design, testing, and warnings. Mr. Pals pursues claims against manufacturers who prioritize profits over consumer safety, working to secure compensation for victims while driving industry-wide safety improvements.

Mr. Pals brings his analytical background to complex commercial disputes, including construction defect claims and ERISA matters. His work in this area has produced significant results, including defeating dismissal motions against some of the country’s preeminent law firms.

When medical devices fail—from hip implants to surgical mesh—the consequences can be devastating. Mr. Pals helps victims of defective medical devices hold manufacturers accountable for injuries caused by products that were inadequately tested or improperly marketed.

Insurance companies sometimes fail to honor their obligations to policyholders. Mr. Pals has excelled in insurance coverage and bad faith claims, as well as complex reinsurance matters, holding insurers accountable when they deny legitimate claims or act in bad faith.

Environmental contamination cases require understanding both scientific evidence and corporate liability. Mr. Pals’ current leadership in PCB school contamination litigation exemplifies his commitment to holding polluters accountable while securing resources for affected communities to remediate dangerous conditions.