Mr. Barth focuses his practice on the areas of aviation and insurance law. Mr. Barth defends aviation manufacturers, air carriers, MROs and aircraft leasing companies against allegations covering a wide spectrum of issues including wrongful death, product defects, breach of warranty, negligence, breach of bailment, and negligent entrustment. Mr. Barth has also handled bodily injury and cargo lawsuits arising under the Warsaw Convention. He has represented U.S. and European insurers in complex aviation insurance coverage disputes involving airport, manufacturing, crop dusting and ferry flight operations.
His clients include aviation product manufacturers and MROs such as Avioserv San Diego, British Aerospace Systems Ltd., Dowty Aerospace Corporation, Messier Services of America, Inc., Saab Aircraft AB, Smiths Aerospace, Inc. and Scott Technologies, Inc. Mr. Barth also represents many carriers, operators and aircraft leasing companies including AAR Corporation, Air Canada, Air Philippines, Allegro Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., China Airlines Ltd., China Eastern Airlines, Fleet Capital Credit, LLC, Helicopter Transport Services, Inc., International Lease Finance Corp., LAPA Airways and Morrison Express Corp.
Mr. Barth gained a unique insight into the aviation underwriting and claims process during separate one-month externships with the Trenwick Aviation Syndicate in Lloyd’s, London and at Swiss Reinsurance Company in Zurich , Switzerland . During both programs, Mr. Barth observed all aspects of the underwriting and claims process. He also made presentations to underwriters on the nature of insurance defense and coverage litigation in the United States .
In addition to his legal work, Mr. Barth is a member of the Aviation Insurance Association and the National Transportation Board Bar Association. He is a member of a Select Committee with the NTSBBA that is drafting a law review article focusing on the increased criminalization of foreign air disaster investigations. Mr. Barth has also published the following articles: Increasing Aircraft Maintenance Intervals: When Cost Cutting and Safety Collide, Professional Aircraft Maintenance Association – MX Magazine, October 2003; and Insuring Superjumbo Aircraft: Is the Risk Too Great?, Global Reinsurance, July – August 1997.
Mr. Barth has also handled environmental coverage claims and lawsuits for U.S. and European-based insurers, from initial notice of claim through trial and appeal, as well as providing sophisticated risk analysis and calculating reserve exposure for his clients. He has experience with complex pollution coverage disputes in the agricultural chemical, newspaper, pharmaceutical, public utility and steelmaking industries. Mr. Barth has also handled complex coverage disputes involving claims against public utilities by Native American tribes for interference with treaty-based rights granted to the tribes by the U.S. government.
Education
- J.D., DePaul University College of Law, 1991
- B.B.A., University of Iowa, 1988
Bar Admissions
Admitted To Practice
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1991
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1995
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, 2001