Service Areas
Education
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, J.D.
- University of Detroit Mercy, M.B.A.
- University of Michigan, A.B.
Bar Admissions
- Michigan
Robert J. Haddad is the leader of the Product Safety Group and a member of the firm's Automotive Industry team. His expertise includes coordinating national discovery efforts for automotive manufacturers, litigating product liability and warranty issues, and representing OEMs and suppliers in regulatory matters before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and other regulatory bodies. His commercial litigation experience includes contract, warranty and UCC litigation and product liability for automotive, industrial, watercraft, appliances, asbestos and chemical products. Prior to joining Miller Canfield, Rob was an attorney with Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Michigan, where he managed nationwide toxic tort and building product litigation.
“Our clients respect us for our reasoned approach to litigation. We keep a steady pace, strive to move forward and provide the strength necessary to fight the tough battles.”
Robert J. Haddad
Rob’s skill at coordinating national discovery for automotive manufacturers provides his clients with an efficient, economical and accurate system for furnishing consistent and timely responses to written discovery as well as document production, discovery of electronic documents and witness discovery.
His expertise in litigating automotive, product liability and warranty matters provides his clients with aggressive representation on matters that are at the core of their business, working to resolve their issues in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Rob’s 20 years of experience in the automotive and products industries have yielded keen insight into the complex scheme of government regulations that govern the design, production and sale of a variety of products. He can effectively guide manufacturers through this maze of regulations so that decision makers can focus on managing their companies.
Experience
Rob successfully assisted a major automotive manufacturer in its defense of a $40 million warranty reimbursement claim. He and his team managed significant written and document discovery, took over 25 depositions and participated in a three-week arbitration, which resulted in a finding in favor of his client.
“I helped my client prove that the purchaser of its component failed to comply with the clear and unambiguous specifications provided, and that any problems with the product were in fact due to the purchaser's failure to properly develop its own application.”
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of Michigan
- Federal Bar Association
- Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
- Arab-American Bar Association
- Michigan Association of Defense Trial Counsel
Honors + Awards
- Michigan Super Lawyers, Civil Litigation Defense 2006; 2010-present
- Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, Product Liability Litigation-Defendants, 2008-present
- DBusiness Magazine, Top Lawyers, Product Liability 2011
Civic, Cultural + Social Activities
- Detroit Economic Club, Member
Publications
"Are you a manufacturer of motor vehicles or automotive equipment? Here's what you should know about reporting defects and issuing recalls," Hot Points, Winter 2005
“Annual Survey of Michigan Law: Evidence,” (Co-author Erik Hintzen), 41 Wayne L. Rev. 907 (1995)
“Annual Survey of Michigan Law: Evidence,” (Co-author Erik Hintzen), 39 Wayne L. Rev. 697 (1993)
Speeches
“Product Liability Issues Associated with Automotive Embedded Software,” Farmington Hills, Michigan; February 2002
“The TREAD Act: Beyond Early Warning,” Troy, Michigan, December 2002
“The TREAD Act: Selected Legal Issues and Recommendations,” APMA Meeting Windsor, Ontario, February 2003
“Product Liability: What Every Manufacturer Should Know,” Troy, Michigan; June 2004
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