Robert E. Tonn

Robert Tonn is a litigation attorney based in Holland & Knight's Chicago office. Mr. Tonn focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, including defense of mass and toxic torts, product liability, class actions, aviation defense and prosecution, and defense of government contract claims. He has served as national, regional and trial counsel and in other strategic roles on behalf of leading companies. Mr. Tonn brings customized and creative approaches to resolve litigation in a client's favor as early as possible, and he is well situated to protect a client's interests through the appellate process. He is licensed to practice in Illinois and California, and has litigated cases in more than 20 states across the nation during his career.

Product Liability Practice. Mr. Tonn's product liability practice has spanned a variety of industries for more than 25 years, including automotive and transportation, consumer electronics, aviation, drug and medical device, food flavorings, clothing and other consumer products, solvents and herbicides. He has in-depth experience in federal multidistrict litigation (MDL), statewide consolidations, class action defense and other high-profile matters.

Consumer Product Safety Practice. One significant portion of Mr. Tonn's practice is to assist companies with developing best practices for their products. From advising on regulatory compliance programs to developing compliant labeling strategies, he works with companies looking to enter the market with new products, or those companies seeking to improve existing practices for products that have been on the market for years. Mr. Tonn frequently works with regulators – including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Canada's regulatory body, Health Canada – to demonstrate regulatory compliance. In this capacity, Mr. Tonn has helped a number of companies navigate defect investigations and, when necessary, execute voluntary product recalls and remediation plans when recall is not necessary. Mr. Tonn is the author of the Practising Law Institute's (PLI) Corporate Compliance Answer Book chapter covering the Consumer Product Safety Act.

Mr. Tonn's aviation-related litigation primarily involves the defense of foreign and domestic air carriers in civil litigation matters, including claims related to commercial disputes, personal injury and wrongful death, passenger delay, and COVID-19-related claims. He has also counseled clients in the business jet industry with respect to product-related claims.

Mr. Tonn is actively involved in a number of civic activities and charitable organizations, particularly those focused on pediatric cancer. He is the founder and president of Brooks Strong Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides scholarships to children undergoing cancer treatment in order to help defray the cost of sports and other extracurricular activities so that kids can continue to enjoy the activities they love without the burden of cost.