C. James Zeszutek is the Managing Partner of the firm's Pittsburgh office and a Partner in the Litigation Department. He is Co-Chair of the Class Action Litigation and Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Practice Groups. Jim is involved in the defense of pharmaceutical and medical device products on behalf of the products' manufacturers. He has defended the Bjork-Shiley heart valve, breast implants, artificial hips and knees, endoscopic linear cutters, surgical staplers and tools, stents, fracture fixation devices, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and the OrthoEvra patch, among others. Jim is also involved in the defense of chemical and fiber products including products that contain asbestos, talc, benzene and acrylamide. He presently serves on National Trial Teams for the defense of a client's respiratory protection products and is National Coordinating Counsel for a manufacturer in the silica litigation which is active in numerous jurisdictions. Jim represents banks and financial institutions in commercial litigation in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He has an active NCAA practice in which he represents coaches in hearings before the Committee on Infractions defending against allegations of NCAA Bylaw violations and has been involved in the Committee on Infractions hearings involving Syracuse University, Tulane University, Purdue University and The Ohio State University. Jim also negotiates employment contracts for athletic coaches and physicians.
