Michael W. Stark

Food & Agribusiness Litigation

Michael's experience in food and agribusiness litigation includes managing complex, high-stakes disputes that directly impact the industry's operations and regulatory landscape. Representative experience includes:

• Defended hog production subsidiary of a pork producer in high-profile environmental nuisance litigation, including serving as trial counsel in five multiweek federal bellwether trials.
• Defended hog production subsidiary of a pork producer in an environmental nuisance case challenging portions of North Carolina’s Right to Farm Act.
• Secured judgment as a matter of law on a plaintiff’s punitive damages claim in a federal environmental nuisance action.
• Managed outside counsel in defending against complaints brought by activist groups under the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act.
• Managed outside counsel in defending a pork producer in a large commercial dispute with a former hog supplier.

Toxic Torts & Product Liability

Michael has extensive experience in toxic tort and product liability litigation, including:

• Served as appellate counsel in wrongful death product liability action in federal court. In a published opinion, the Fourth Circuit ruled that the district court should have excluded the other side’s experts and set aside a multimillion-dollar plaintiff’s verdict.
• Served as appellate counsel for a leading automaker in asbestos litigation in New York City. The trial court set aside a multimillion-dollar plaintiff’s verdict, which the Appellate Division and New York Court of Appeals affirmed in published opinions.
• Served as appellate counsel for a leading automaker in a multiweek trial in a wrongful death product liability action. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals set aside a multimillion-dollar plaintiff’s verdict.
• Managed nationwide network of outside counsel in product liability and other tort cases.

Prior Experience

Before joining Faegre Drinker, Michael served as the deputy general counsel for a large pork producer, where he managed a nationwide litigation portfolio.

Before his in-house role, Michael was a trial and appellate lawyer at an international law firm.

Michael began his career as a law clerk for Judge Stephanie Thacker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Personal Interests

Michael loves to travel and spend time with his wife, two young children and large extended family.