Susan M. Clare

• Co-lead counsel for General Motors and OnStar in MDL proceeding involving more than 30 consumer class actions related to alleged data privacy claims related to connected vehicle data.
• Defending Capital One in MDL proceeding involving more than 60 consumer class actions related to data security incident announced in July of 2019.
• Key member of King & Spalding team representing Equifax, Inc. in more than 250 consumer and financial institution class actions in an MDL proceeding arising from the data breach announced by Equifax in September of 2017.
• Representing leading domestic and foreign automotive manufacturers in class actions, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death cases, including claims alleging manufacturing, design, and failure to warn defects, breach of warranty, violations of consumer protection statutes, consumer fraud, and entitlement to punitive damages. Technical specialties include vehicle rollovers, alleged powertrain defects, advanced occupant restraint systems, infotainment systems, and vehicular fires.
• Representing leading automobile manufacturers as strategic counsel in connection with hundreds of consumer fraud and breach of warranty cases.
• Serving as co-national trial counsel for one of the world’s largest shipping and logistics companies in serious injury cases arising out of tractor trailer and package delivery motor vehicle accidents.
• Representing a global pharmaceutical company in medical device and biologic cases across the country involving allegations of personal injury, off-label promotion, and fraud.
• Representing a national flooring retailer in federal class action proceeding involving allegations of consumer fraud, false labeling, and breach of warranty.
• Representing Beazer Homes as national counsel in its Chinese drywall docket, including individual and putative class actions in state court and a federal MDL proceeding alleging product defects, breach of warranty, and violations of consumer protection statutes.
• Representing a top private university in putative class action in federal MDL proceeding brought by former student athletes alleging injuries resulting from concussions and head trauma.
• Representing a high-growth specialty retailer in burn injury cases resulting from the use of recalled gel fuel and firepot products.
• Summary judgment for GM Canada on lack of personal jurisdiction grounds in quadriplegia injury, automotive product liability case. Hinrichs v. GM of Canada, Ltd., 2016 Ala. LEXIS 81 (Ala., June 24, 2016), cert denied, 582 U.S. _ (U.S. June 26, 2017).
• Dismissal on preemption grounds of medical device case brought against Allergan USA, Inc. in South Carolina federal court. Wells v. Allergan USA, Inc., No. 6:12-3509-TMC, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3735 (D.S.C. Jan. 13, 2014).
• Summary judgment for Atlanta Gas Light Co. in multi-plaintiff burn injury case after excluding plaintiffs' standard of care expert on Daubert grounds. Anderson v. Atlanta Gas Light Co., 324 Ga. App. 801 (2013).
• Summary judgment for GM Canada in quadriplegia injury, automotive product liability case on a writ of mandamus to the Alabama Supreme Court. Ex Parte General Motors of Canada Limited, 144 So. 3d 236 (Ala. 2013).
• Summary judgment for GM Canada based on the expiration of the statute of limitations in a wrongful death, automotive product liability case filed in Alabama federal court. King v. GMC, No. 5:11-cv-2269-AKK, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54439 (N.D. Ala. April 18, 2012).
• Dismissal of product liability claims brought against former officers and directors of General Motors Corporation by plaintiffs attempting to circumvent bankruptcy law. Frye v. Smith, 67 So. 3d 882 (Ala. 2011).
• Representing Suzuki Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. in the Georgia Supreme Court to secure a decision deemed “a significant win to business” in local press reports, in which the court held strict liability claims are subject to apportionment for a plaintiff’s comparative fault under Georgia’s 2005 tort reform statute.

Susan Clare is a partner in our worldwide Trial and Global Disputes Practice and the former Chair of the Firm's Automotive and Transportation Litigation Team, twice named a Practice Group of the Year by Law 360.

Susan represents clients in the automotive/transportation, life sciences, consumer products, and financial services industries in high-exposure class action, mass tort, and other complex litigation. Susan has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in automotive and transportation litigation by The Legal 500 and was also named to Benchmark Litigation's 40 & Under Hot List. She has also been named a Georgia Rising Star by Super Lawyers and Atlanta Magazine every year since 2013. In 2018, Susan was recognized as a Rising Star for Transportation by Law360, one of only four lawyers selected in the category.

With experience in all phases of complex litigation, Susan represents companies in individual, class action and multi-district proceedings in federal and state courts across the country.

She is skilled at handling the types of issues that frequently accompany the highest-exposure matters, such as cases involving recalled products, data breaches, media attention, government investigations, allegations of consumer fraud, whistleblowers, jurisdictional challenges, insurance disputes, and extensive expert discovery.

In addition to litigation, Susan frequently advises clients on risk assessment and mitigation strategies, product labeling, consumer communications, and product recalls. Susan has also achieved numerous appellate victories for her clients and regularly counsels clients on e-discovery issues that include litigation preparedness, discovery strategy in mass litigation, and defending against allegations of evidence spoliation.

Susan is a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and has an active pro bono practice, including partnering with the Georgia Innocence Project to fight wrongful convictions.