Steven D. Jansma
Head of Litigation and Disputes, United States
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Steve Jansma is Head of the Litigation and Disputes Practice for the United States. Our Litigation and Disputes Practice consists of 330 attorneys on nine teams, including International Arbitration, Appellate, Energy, Infrastructure & Environmental, Employment & Labor, Products, Pharma Medical & Mass Tort, Information Governance, Privacy and Cybersecurity, Financial Restructuring & Insolvency, Commercial Litigation/Antitrust, and Regulatory, Investigations, Securities and Compliance.
Steve has a national practice defending mass tort and complex product liability disputes. During his 30-year career, Steve has served as national and regional coordinating counsel and lead trial counsel for numerous Fortune 500 companies in multi-district litigation, class actions and product liability cases. Steve is recognized by Chambers, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers for mass tort/class actions, product liability, and personal injury.
Steve is admitted to practice law in state and federal courts in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah, as well as the United States Supreme Court. He has appeared before courts in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Professional experience
Collapse allJD, Baylor Law School, 1992
BBA, cum laude, Finance, St. Mary's University, 1989
- Arizona State Bar
- Oklahoma State Bar
- Texas State Bar
- Utah State Bar
Steve's most recent projects include:
- Lead Counsel for a German automobile manufacturer in the Takata airbag multi-district litigation
- Lead Counsel for a Japanese chemical manufacturer in a mass tort case involving 42 workers allegedly injured on a construction site
- Lead Trial Counsel for an Ohio-based tire manufacturer and Arizona-based tire retailer in a tread separation, rollover accident seeking $10 million in compensatory damages; after a month-long trial in Tucson, Arizona, the jury rendered a defense verdict, finding that the tire was not defective in design or manufacture, nor were the Defendants negligent (This verdict was named to the annual Top 5 defense verdicts of significance by Arizona Attorney)
- National Coordinating/Trial Counsel for a national rental company, defending truck and trailer lawsuits nationwide
- National Coordinating/Trial Counsel for a national retailer, defending automotive lawsuits nationwide
- Regional Trial Counsel and incident response coordinator for a national trucking company
- Regional Trial Counsel for an Ohio-based tire manufacturer, defending tread separation lawsuits in a sixteen-state region
- Regional Trial Counsel for a Texas-based transportation and construction equipment retailer in a thirteen-state region
- National Discovery Counsel for an Ohio-based tire manufacturer, handling discovery motion response, argument and evidentiary presentation regarding discovery scope, protective order, complex trade-secret and large-scale document production issues nationwide
- Trial Counsel for a North Carolina-based tire manufacturer, defending tread separation lawsuits in Texas
- Trial Counsel for a Class 8 diesel truck manufacturer, defending lawsuits involving alleged product defects and fleet warranty claims
- Lead Trial Counsel for a petroleum refiner in a PMPA lawsuit, resulting in a defense verdict
- Lead Trial Counsel for a national hotel chain in a premises liability/security case, resulting in a defense verdict
- Trial Counsel for a forklift manufacturer in a product liability lawsuit, resulting in a defense verdict
- Top Attorneys – Product Liability, San Antonio Magazine, 2022
- Who's Who in American Law, Marquis
- Chambers USA, Noted Practitioner, Nationwide: Product Liability & Mass Tort, Chambers & Partners, 2016 – 2017
- Outstanding Lawyer, San Antonio Business Journal, 2014
- Texas Super Lawyer, Product Liability, Thomson Reuters, 2008 - 2012, 2014 – 2019
- The Best Lawyers in America, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Best Lawyers, 2020 – 2021
- The Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions, Personal Injury Litigation, Product Liability Litigation, Best Lawyers, 2021 – 2022
- Lawyer of the Year, San Antonio: Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Best Lawyers, 2024
- Best Lawyers - Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Best Lawyers, 2022 - 2024
- Best Lawyers - Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Best Lawyers, 2022 - 2024
- Best Lawyers - Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Best Lawyers, 2022 - 2024
- Legal 500 US, Leading Lawyer, Dispute resolution - product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: automotive / transport, The Legal 500, 2020 – 2023
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Dispute resolution - Product Liability & Mass Tort Defense: Automotive / Transport, The Legal 500, 2014 – 2023
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Dispute resolution - Product Liability & Mass Tort Defense: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, The Legal 500, 2017 – 2020
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Dispute resolution - Product liability, mass tort and class action - toxic tort - defense, The Legal 500, 2016 – 2020
- Texas Top Rated Lawyer, LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, 2012 – 2014
- Texas Rising Stars, Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2004 – 2005, 2007
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon, 2024
- Lawdragon 3000 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon, 2006
- Top 50 Personal Injury Defense Lawyers, S.A. Scene, 2017
- San Antonio's Best Lawyers, S.A. Scene, 2011, 2016, 2019, 2021
- Rising Star in San Antonio, Thomson Reuters, 2005
- 40 Rising Stars of San Antonio's Business Community Under the Age of 40, San Antonio Business Journal, 2001
- AV Preeminent, rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- "Autonomous vehicles: The legal landscape of Dedicated Short Range Communication in the US, UK and Germany," Norton Rose Fulbright Whitepaper, 2017
- "Don't be the Weakest Link: Adequately Protecting Your Client's Trade Secret and Confidential Information During Litigation," Product Liability Advisory Council, 2016
- "Autonomous vehicles: The legal landscape in the US and Germany," Norton Rose Fulbright Whitepaper, 2016
- "Product Liability Defenses: A State-by-State Compendium," Texas Chapter, Defense Research Institute, 2013, 2017
- "Discovery of Trade Secrets: How Courts Analyze Disclosure Issues," LJN's Product Liability Law & Strategy, Volume 22, Number 8, February 2004
- "Discovery of Trade Secrets: What Constitutes Protected Information?" LJN's Product Liability Law & Strategy, Volume 22, Number 7, January 2004
- "Insurance Department Seeks to Shape Its Policy on Mold Remediation," San Antonio Business Journal, August 3, 2001
- "Protective Order and Trade Secret Litigation Strategy," Product Liability Advisory Council Spring Meeting, March 2016
- "Economic Effects of Product Liability Litigation," Trinity University, February 2003
- "Environmental Hazards in Healthcare Facilities," CLE Presentation, December 19, 2001
- "Ethical Considerations in Product Design," St. Mary's University Graduate School of Business, July 2001
- "Product Liability and Negligence," St. Mary's University School of Business and Administration, January 1999, August 1999 and February 2000
Steve provides client training seminars regarding accident prevention and investigation and preventative counseling to reduce the risk of product litigation.
- Product Liability Advisory Council, Sustaining Member
- Defense Research Institute
- Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- Defense Counsel of San Antonio
- President (2000)
- Board Member (1996 - 2001)
- San Antonio Bar Association
- Texas Bar Foundation; Life Fellow; District 10 Nominating Committee (2012)
- Catholic Charities Board of Directors (2014 - present)
- Nominations Committee, Chair (2018 - present)
- Clarity Child Guidance Center Board of Directors (2006 - 2014)
- Governing Board, Chair (2009 - 2010)
- Development Board, Chair (2007 - 2008)
- St. Mary's University
- President's Gateway Award for Advancement (2013)
- Trustee (2004 - 2006; 2014 - present)
- Law School Committee, Chair (2018 - present)
- University Bylaws Revision Committee, Chair (2006)
- St. Mary's University Alumni Association Board of Directors (1998 - 2006)
- President (2002 - 2004)
- Officer (1999 - 2006)
- Child Advocates San Antonio Board of Directors (1999 - 2005)
- President (2004 - 2005)
- Officer (2002 - 2005)
- Long Range Planning Committee, Chair (2003 - 2004)
- Fiesta Oyster Bake, Key Volunteer/Main Stage Manager (1995 - present)
News
28 US lawyers selected to the 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America guide
September 08, 2023
Legal 500 US 2023 guide touts 34 of firm's practices and 23 lawyers nationally
June 07, 2023
Norton Rose Fulbright’s 18th Annual Litigation Trends Survey shows 2022 increase in regulatory proceedings
January 18, 2023
Insights
2024 Annual Litigation Trends Summit
Webinar | January 31, 2024
2023 Annual Litigation Trends Survey
Publication | January 18, 2023
2023 Annual Litigation Trends Survey | Class actions
Publication | January 18, 2023