Rasch Brown III
Senior Counsel
Francis “Rasch” H. Brown III is an accomplished trial lawyer who has brought nearly 40 jury trials to verdict in seven states. He represents clients in commercial disputes, products liability matters and tort litigation. Rasch is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized as one of the 500 leading litigators in America by Lawdragon.
Over four decades, Rasch has defended a wide variety of manufacturers throughout the southeastern United States in matters involving catastrophic personal injury, explosions, fires and property damage. His products defense has included:
- Chemicals
- Climbing equipment, including ladders and scaffolds
- Construction and building products
- Consumer products
- Electric and gas appliances, including water heaters, dryers, washers and ranges
- Electric motors
- Gas regulators, control valves and process automation instruments
- Industrial and heavy equipment
- Motor vehicles and component parts
- Woodworking power tools
Rasch also counsels business owners and individuals in a wide range of suits involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, indemnification, negligent misrepresentation and unfair trade practices.
He is an aficionado of U.S. and world history and has traveled to every continent except Antarctica.
Experience
Commercial Litigation
- Represented employees and their current employer in a suit brought by a former employer for misappropriation of trade secrets.
- Represented a surgical center in a suit by a doctor alleging securities fraud and personal injury. The securities fraud claim was dismissed prior to trial. A bench trial resulted in a judgment favorable to the client on the doctor’s personal injury claim.
- Represented a commercial insurance premium finance company in a breach-of-contract action against a waste management company.
- Represented a major insurance company in a large number of suits for breach-of-contract and statutory bad faith damages arising out of the adjustment of property claims made following Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida.
Products Liability
- Obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial on behalf of the manufacturer of a desuperheater which allegedly malfunctioned, causing an explosion at a chemical plant.
- Secured a defense verdict in a jury trial on behalf of a ladder manufacturer in which the plaintiff (a dentist) had an $8 million wage loss claim.
- Obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial on behalf of the manufacturer of a radial arm saw which arose from an amputation of four fingers from the plaintiff’s right hand.
- Won summary judgment on behalf of the manufacturer of an actuator which exploded due to over pressurization and severely injured three employees of a gas pipeline company.
- Tried a case on behalf of a crane manufacturer arising from the removal of a boom extension from a 90-ton crane. The jury assigned 75% of the fault for the accident to the plaintiff and his employer and 25% of the fault to the manufacturer of the crane.
- Represented a food product manufacturer in a matter arising out of the death of a special needs child allegedly due to Salmonella poisoning.
- Obtained a summary judgment for a distributor in a case in Florida alleging that the distributor acted negligently with respect to the recall of a defective solenoid valve which caused an explosion at an ice-making facility, resulting in $2 million in damages.