Stacey L. Drentlaw

Stacey Drentlaw is a partner in Taft’s Commercial Litigation and Employee Benefits practices. Her practice focuses on representing clients involved in complex commercial litigation, railroad litigation, and construction litigation. She also serves as fund counsel to a family of multiemployer benefit funds that provide pension and welfare benefits to members. Stacey has represented multiemployer benefit funds, railroads, rail equipment manufacturers and owners, pharmaceutical companies, and correspondent lenders and banks in numerous state and federal courts throughout the United States. She also provides regulatory compliance counseling to her rail industry and multiemployer benefit fund clients.

• Actively involved in emerging issues related to the transportation of petroleum crude oil by rail and recent derailments, including litigation and regulatory developments.
• Performs risk assessments related to new products and product modifications.
• Represented framing subcontractor in lawsuit by general contractor alleging that subcontractor installed defective lumber in several multi-family apartment projects. Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of subcontractor following a two-week jury trial related to two projects, which was affirmed on appeal, and obtained favorable settlement in litigation related to a third project.
• Defended correspondent lenders in lawsuits brought by liquidating trust of bankrupt securitizer alleging breach of contract and indemnification based on purported defects in mortgage loans.
• Represented numerous railroads and rail equipment owners and manufacturers in contract disputes, crossing and FELA cases, FRA matters, and litigation involving derailments.
• Represented tank car owner in litigation involving a train derailment and chlorine release. Established that all claims against tank car owner were preempted because tank car at issue fully complied with all applicable regulations, and obtained voluntary dismissal of all claims against tank car owner.
• Represented rail car owner in litigation involving a third party’s fall from the top of the rail car. Obtained dismissal of all claims against the rail car owner based on federal preemption, which was affirmed on appeal.
• Represented railroad in litigation involving a train derailment that occurred at a railroad grade crossing, resulting in an ethanol release and fire. Obtained favorable settlements to most lawsuits with minimal or no litigation. One of two remaining lawsuits was favorably settled one week prior to trial, and the final lawsuit was favorably settled just prior to receiving the jury’s verdict following a five-week jury trial.
• Represented locomotive manufacturer in multiple lawsuits involving alleged locomotive seat failures.
• Represented locomotive manufacturer in litigation involving a train derailment and diesel fuel fire. Drafted brief that resulted in preemption-based dismissal of locomotive manufacturer.