Professional Activities
Rutgers School of Law-Camden, former Adjunct Professor, Pretrial Advocacy and Electronic Discovery
Defense Research Institute
Recognition & Accomplishments
Chambers USA, litigation: product liability (New Jersey ranking, 2012-2020; national ranking, 2009-2013)
The Legal 500 US, Product liability and mass tort defense – automotive/transport, 2015-2020
Recipient, New Jersey Law Journal "40 Under 40" award, 2007
Recipient, 2003 Conservation Award, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, for his team's pro bono efforts in successfully pursuing an injunction to preserve a site of archaeological significance on behalf of the Lenni-Lenape Indians
Publications
Co-author, "American ‘Pipe Dream’ – CA Court of Appeal Scrutinizes Limitations Period Tolling Arguments," Ballard Spahr alert, March 25, 2020
Co-author, "PA Federal Court Nixes Out-of-State Business Entities' Supposed 'Consent' to General Personal Jurisdiction as Unconstitutional," Ballard Spahr alert, June 11, 2019
Co-author, "DOT's AV Guidance "3.0" Advances Infrastructure Communications and Commercial Vehicle Criteria," Ballard Spahr alert, October 8, 2018
Co-author, "Ignition MDL Flips Switch on Longstanding Manifestation Requirement," Ballard Spahr alert, September 14, 2018
Co-author, "Class Counsel Say 'Rats!' to California Court's Rejection of Design-Based Warranty Claims," Ballard Spahr alert, June 15, 2018
Co-author, "FTC Submits Comment To Aid NTIA In Developing Internet of Things Guidance," Ballard Spahr alert, June 21, 2017
Co-author, "Daimler Here to Stay: SCOTUS Overturns California Court’s Exercise of Jurisdiction Over Out-of-State Plaintiffs," Ballard Spahr alert, June 20, 2017
Co-author, "Autonomous Cars One Step Closer to Reality in Colorado," Ballard Spahr alert, June 19, 2017
Co-author, "DOT Issues Proposed Cybersecurity Guidance to Automotive Industry," Ballard Spahr alert, October 27, 2016
Co-author, "NHTSA Issues Guidance for Manufacturers of Highly Automated Vehicles," Ballard Spahr alert, September 21, 2016
Co-author, "Colorado Supreme Court Limits Jurisdiction Over Manufacturers," Ballard Spahr alert, September 20, 2016
Co-author, "Shedding Light on Shady Grove: Rule 23 Trumps State Law," Law360, July 21, 2015
Co-author, "Process, Discipline and Patience: The Keys to Effective Mediation," New Jersey Law Journal, April 2, 2015
Co-author, "NJ Data Encryption Law: Will It Become National Standard?" New Jersey Law Journal, March 24, 2015
Co-author, "The Continuing Scrutiny of Automotive Class Actions," The Legal Intelligencer, June 17, 2014
Co-author, "Federal Court Rejects Controversial Attempt To Expand Class Action Liability," Ballard Spahr alert, April 21, 2014
Co-author, "Third Circuit Requires Affidavit of Merit in Products Liability Case Against Residential Homebuilder," Ballard Spahr alert, December 18, 2013
Co-author, "Third Circuit Vacates Class Certification, Reaffirms Plaintiff's Burden To Prove Readily Ascertainable Class," Ballard Spahr alert, August 7, 2013
Co-author, "Federal Court Precludes Defendant’s Class Certification Expert," Ballard Spahr alert, March 6, 2013
Co-author, "Cy Pres Permitted in Class Action Settlements, but Makes Approval More Difficult, Third Circuit Holds," Ballard Spahr alert, February 21, 2013
Co-author, "No Expert Needed for Breach of Express Warranty Claim—Burden Shifts to Defense," Ballard Spahr alert, July 27, 2012
Co-author, "Prevailing Trends in Automotive Class Action Litigation," The Legal Intelligencer, June 5, 2012
Co-author, "New Jersey Federal Court Denies Class Certification in Long-Running Ford MDL," Ballard Spahr alert, February 9, 2012
Co-author, "A Red Light for Federal Class Certification in California," Law360, February 2, 2012
Co-author, "New Jersey Supreme Court Confirms but Clarifies Availability of Contingency Enhancements under New Jersey Fee-Shifting Statutes," Ballard Spahr alert, January 30, 2012
Co-author, "Putting The Brakes On Class Certification Under Dukes," Law360, January 20, 2012
Co-author, "Ninth Circuit Reins in Certification of Consumer Product Class Actions," Ballard Spahr alert, January 17, 2012
"MDL Court Applies Dukes to Consumer Product Sales Transactions and Rejects Class Certification," Ballard Spahr alert, December 22, 2011
Co-author, "United States Supreme Court to Tackle Stream of Commerce Theory for Personal Jurisdiction," New Jersey State Bar Association's Product Liability and Toxic Tort Law Section newsletter, Volume 12, No. 2, January 2011
Co-author, "Plaintiffs Pick Your Poison: Curtailing CFA Claims Premised on Traditional Product Liability Risks," New Jersey State Bar Association's Product Liability and Toxic Tort Law Section newsletter, Volume 12, No. 2, January 2011; and DRI's The Voice, Volume 9 Issue 44, November 3, 2010
Co-author, "Supreme Court To Tackle 'Stream-of-Commerce' Theory of Personal Jurisdiction," Ballard Spahr alert, September 29, 2010
Co-author, "N.J. Federal Court Continues Trend of Consumer Fraud Dismissals in Product Liability Cases," Ballard Spahr alert, July 14, 2010
Co-author, "Recent Court Decisions Reinforce Importance of Issuing a Written Litigation Hold Notice," Ballard Spahr alert, March 8, 2010
Co-author, "N.J. Court Expands Personal Jurisdiction over Defendants in Product Liability Litigation," Ballard Spahr alert, February 4, 2010
Co-author, "Sorry, Party's Over: Defeating the Class After Certification," DRI's The Voice, December 9, 2009
"Defending the Consumer Fraud Case Through Trial," Pennsylvania Bar Quarterly, January 2007
"Consumers Have Changed, So Why Not The Law? Defending Claims Under The New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act," New Jersey Law Journal, December 2005
Editor and author, "The Complete Preemption Doctrine and Federal Question Removal" chapter from "Getting Out of Dodge, Effective Methods of Achieving Removal," Product Liability Advisory Council, 2003
Speaking Engagements
"The Risk Profile of An Evolving Transportation Model," ACI's Automotive Product Liability Conference, Chicago, July 17, 2019
"How IoT Regulation and Litigation are Transforming the Manufacturing Industry," Ballard Spahr webinar, January 16, 2019
"Defeating Class Actions Post-Certification: Procedural and Substantive Strategies," Strafford Publishers webinar, December 18, 2018
"Connected We Fall," Class Action Issues Arising from Autonomous Vehicles, Safety and Regulation World Congress, Novi, MI, October 23, 2018
Co-host and Moderator, "Proceed with Caution: Examining Legal Scrutiny of Autonomous Vehicles," Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute Concordant Crossroads: Regulation and Innovation in the Automotive Industry, New York City, October 2018
Speaker, "Re-assessing Automotive Product Liability Class Actions," American Conference Institute, Chicago, July 2018
"The Legal Impact of Autonomous Vehicle Connectivity," Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute podcast, December 2017
"Keeping Up with the Jetsons: Autonomous Vehicles and Real Estate Development," Ballard Spahr CLE, Washington, D.C., November 2017
"Warnings Challenges in An Evolving Semi-Autonomous Driving Environment," Autonomous Vehicle Safety Regulation World Congress, Novi, Michigan, October 2017
"Driving Change: A Survey of Prevailing Issues with Autonomous Driving Systems," ISACA Philadelphia Chapter, Horsham, Pennsylvania, September 2017
"Automated Driving: Current Issues, Liabilities & Opportunities," ACI Automotive Product Liability Conference, Chicago, June 2017
"Game of Drones, Autonomous Vehicles, and Other Connected Devices," Delaware State Bar Association, Wilmington, April 12, 2017
Presenter, "Baby, You Won't Drive My Car: Intellectual Property Opportunities and Regulatory Issues Surrounding Autonomous Vehicles," A Ballard Spahr PATENTSCAPE® webinar, January 18, 2017
"Recent Developments in Class Action Litigation Including Arbitration Clauses on Class Action Waivers and Using MDL as a Strategic Measure to Defeat Class Action Litigation," Automotive Product Liability Litigation Conference, Chicago, June 3, 2015
"Challenges to Claims Under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act," New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, April 2015
"The Battleground of Automotive Class Action Litigation," ACI's Defending and Managing Automotive Product Liability Litigation, Chicago, June 4-5, 2014
Panelist, "Preserving the Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Protection in Class Action Litigation," Strafford Publications webinar, April 17, 2014
"Issues Arising in the Trial of a Class Action," DRI Class Action Seminar, Washington, D.C., July 2013
"The Current Battleground of Automotive Class Action Litigation," ACI Automotive Product Liability Seminar, Chicago, June 2013
"Managing Experts in Product Class Actions," Strafford Publishers webinar, February 2013
Moderator, "Navigating New Roads: Prevailing Trends in Consumer Product Litigation," Ballard Spahr webinar, May 2012
Panelist, "Prevailing Trends in Consumer Product Liability: Allegations of Fraud," Strafford Publications, Inc., webinar, February 21, 2012
Panelist, "Advancing Technologies and Evolving Risks: What's Next for Product Liability," Ballard Spahr CLE, October 6, 2011
"Class Dismissed: Best Practices for Defeating Consumer Product Class Actions," DRI Product Liability Conference, New Orleans, April 2011
Panelist, "Electronic Discovery – Taking Stock and Moving Forward," Ballard Spahr CLE, December 17, 2009
"Insights from the Trenches: Determining Early On What Your Client's True Pressure Points Are While Outlining a Defensive Strategy That is Both Cost- and Reputation-Conscious," American Conference Institute, Phoenix, September 23, 2009
"Challenging Experts in Class Action Litigation," a pre-Peroxide discussion of strategies for effectively mitigating class experts impact upon certification issues, DRI Commercial Litigation Annual Meeting, New Orleans, November 2008
Moderator and speaker, "Practical Tips for Litigating Cases Under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act," New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, December 2007
Community Activities
Neal is a Trustee of the Board of Directors, and the Chair of the Governance Committee, of the South Jersey Food Bank. Neal was a collegiate baseball player and is an athletics enthusiast. He is an avid golfer and is actively involved in coaching a variety of youth sports for the Marlton (New Jersey) Recreation Council.