With over four decades of experience, Lewis “Mike” Eidson has played leadership roles in many important product liability cases across the United States. He is President of the firm.

He got his Juris Doctor from Emory University Law School, where he was awarded the Woodruff Law Scholarship. Prior to his legal studies, Mr. Eidson pursued his undergraduate education at the University of South Carolina, Warwick University in Coventry, England, and Georgia State University. 

Mr. Eidson was an outstanding athlete during his undergraduate years, serving as captain of the Track Team from 1964 to 1968 and the Cross Country Team in 1967. In 1968, he was named Atlantic Coast Conference Student-Athlete of the Year and received the Most Valuable Player award for his outstanding performance on the University of South Carolina Track Team.

In addition, Mr. Eidson also has a commendable military background, having served as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army from 1968 to 1971. He served in the Army Reserves from 1972 to 1981.

His practice focuses on complex litigation in areas such as personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, medical malpractice, motor vehicle crashworthiness cases, insurance disputes, professional liability, mass tort aviation cases, commercial law, and class actions. Mr. Eidson has successfully handled trials in both federal and state courts, as well as mediations and arbitrations and has represented hundreds of clients in product liability & aviation cases.

In the case of Havlick vs. Ford Motor Company, Mr. Eidson won the first Pinto gas tank explosion case in the country in 1975, with the court ruling that the Ford Pinto fuel system was unreasonably dangerous and accepting crashworthiness as an acceptable legal theory in Florida. The case created new safety standards for fuel system safety, and the case was affirmed by the Florida Supreme Court. This case was the first of many which Mr. Eidson handled which resulted in automotive safety improvements.

He was the lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the Firestone/Ford MDL, Case No. 1373, from November 2000 to 2008. The case concerned accidents involving Ford Explorers and Firestone tires that happened in different parts of the world. He represented more than 125 people who were hurt or killed in these accidents. The case involved coordinating with similar cases pending in state and federal courts, as well as over 1,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases and more than 100 class-action economic loss cases consolidated for core discovery, the development of expert witnesses, and other related matters. Many of the cases in this matter resulted from accidents in other countries. As a result of his work and the work among other outstanding attorneys across the country, 40 million tires were recalled. Tire designs were repaired and all of the cases were resolved for plaintiffs.

Mr. Eidson was also the lead attorney in a case brought by victims from nine different nations who lost their lives in the 1996 crash of AeroPeru Flight 603 against Boeing Corporation. 

Lewis “Mike” Eidson has received many awards and accolades throughout his career. In addition to his accomplishments in the legal field, he is an active volunteer in the community and supports philanthropic endeavors. He held positions of leadership in organizations such as the Miami City Ballet, United Way, the Miami-Dade County Arts Council, and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. His commitment to the arts and charitable causes has been acknowledged with numerous awards and honors.

Mr. Eidson’s contributions go beyond his legal and community involvement. He has authored textbooks and chapters on personal injury law and product liability. The Lawyer’s Cooperative published the Florida Personal Injury Practice Guide in two volumes in 1996. Another publication titled “Product Defect – Evidence to Verdict”, was released by The Michie Co. in 1995. The ATLA Trial Practice Chapter on Products Liability Practice was also published in 2003. Mr. Eidson has lectured on this practice throughout the country.

In 2008, Mr. Eidson was elected president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now AAJ), the largest trial attorney organization in the world, and served in that role from 2006–2007 and was deeply involved in national political activity. During this time, he traveled and met with attorney members in more than 40 states.