Biography

Mr. Connolly is a partner in the San Francisco office of Seyfarth Shaw and is the chair of the Firm’s Product Liability & Complex Tort Practice Group.

Mr. Connolly's practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation, defense of consumer fraud/unfair competition claims, and product liability/complex tort litigation. He handles individual and multi-plaintiff lawsuits—including numerous class actions—on the local, statewide and national levels. He has managed litigation occurring throughout the country and has been appointed to national trial teams, called upon to try cases and support trial teams in various jurisdictions. He has handled hundreds of cases involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, business torts, unfair competition and unfair business practices, false advertising, breach of fiduciary duties, trade secret appropriation, negligence, numerous product liability and tort theories, and violations of various federal and state statues and regulations. Mr. Connolly was identified as one of the Top Attorneys in Business Litigation in the 2008 Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers, published by Law & Politics, and was selected a Northern California Super Lawyer three previous years by that publication.

Mr. Connolly’s representative matters include representation of national web-hosting company in commercial disputes involving contract and unfair business practice claims; representation of high-end national food market in unfair business practice, unfair competition and false advertising claims concerning sales and marketing in California and nationally; representation of major computer manufacturer in unfair business practice, unfair competition and false advertising claims concerning sales and marketing practices; representation of international bio-pharmaceutical company in intellectual property dispute concerning proprietary gene therapy; representation of national company in commercial and fraud litigation regarding high-tech color imaging software and equipment; representation of major broker-dealer against California municipality alleging improper securities transactions; representation of major financial institution in lender liability litigation arising out of failed developments; national product liability counsel for high-end natural food market, including its private label dietary supplements and nutriceuticals; representation of target defendant in silicone breast implant litigation in all cases venued in Northern California, and in state coordinated and federal multi-district proceedings; national representation of leading manufacturer of latex products in litigation concerning latex allergies; representation of target defendant in multi-party market share litigation regarding diethylstilbestrol (“DES”) exposure; defense of claims arising from exposure to various chemicals and substances, including silicone, silica, latex, qlutaraldehyde, hydroquinone, silver nitrate, film processing substances, asbestos and other materials.

Education

J.D., Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley (1984)

Associate Editor, Industrial Relations Law Journal

B.S., University of San Francisco (1981)

National Business Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma

Admissions

• California

Courts

• U.S. District Courts for all Districts of California
• U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado