Beyond litigation, Anne Marie advises companies on product safety and regulatory compliance and leads recalls and reporting before the Consumer Product Safety Commission. She also represents companies in state Attorney General investigations, multistate enforcement matters, and other regulatory proceedings.
Anne Marie is nationally recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in Product Liability and Mass Torts (USA – Nationwide). Buchalter’s Products Liability and Mass Torts Practice Group is also recognized by Chambers USA as “Highly Regarded.”
Product Defect Litigation and Mass Torts
Known for a practical and efficient approach to high-exposure litigation, Anne Marie has represented clients in state and federal courts nationwide at all stages of litigation, including trial. She develops coordinated defense strategies for common defect, causation, and warning theories across multiple claimants and product generations while preserving the claimant-specific defenses that can ultimately drive case outcomes.
Her practice encompasses expert and technical issues, complex discovery and e-discovery, dispositive motions, mediation, trial preparation, and trial. She regularly works with clients to evaluate litigation risk early, develop defensible resolution strategies, and manage substantial inventories of related claims without losing sight of the facts and defenses unique to individual cases.
Her experience includes:
- Leading the defense of consolidated and coordinated product liability litigation
- Managing large claimant inventories through early case assessment and business-focused resolution strategies
- Defending putative consumer class actions and post-recall litigation arising from agency engagement and corrective action
- Defending companies facing significant uninsured exposure from catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims
State Attorney General Investigations and Settlements
Anne Marie represents companies in investigations and enforcement matters brought by state Attorneys General, including coordinated multistate matters involving multiple regulators. She advises clients from the initial investigation and response through negotiation and resolution in matters involving consumer products, product safety, advertising and consumer protection, chemical compliance, and related regulatory concerns.
Where state and federal regulatory regimes overlap, Anne Marie helps clients develop a unified strategy for responding to government inquiries, negotiating settlements and other resolutions, and managing the impact of regulatory proceedings on related product liability, consumer class action, Proposition 65, recall, and other civil litigation.
Her approach is particularly focused on avoiding disconnected regulatory and litigation strategies. Decisions made during an investigation, recall, or negotiated resolution can have consequences in follow-on civil litigation, and she works with clients to address those risks as part of a coordinated strategy.
Regulatory Compliance and Recalls
Anne Marie counsels companies on Consumer Product Safety Commission investigations, Section 15(b) reporting, Fast Track recalls, onsite inspections, negotiated settlements, and consent orders. She also represents clients in matters involving California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, state Attorneys General, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
She has guided recalls involving children’s products, consumer products, chemical compliance issues, and marketplace failures, with particular attention to coordinating the regulatory response with litigation strategy to reduce follow-on class action and personal injury exposure.
Her pre-litigation counseling includes product safety assessments, supply-chain and vendor management, warranties, releases and waivers, warnings and labeling, user manuals, and practical product-testing protocols. She works closely with business and technical teams to translate regulatory requirements and litigation experience into practical measures that can be implemented before a claim, recall, or enforcement action arises.
Anne Marie also has substantial experience defending Proposition 65 enforcement actions involving alleged exposures to regulated chemicals in consumer products. As Chair of Buchalter’s Chemical Law & Proposition 65 Group, she advises manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and other businesses on Proposition 65 compliance, warnings, testing, enforcement risk, and litigation strategy. She is a frequent author and presenter on PFAS, Proposition 65, and emerging chemical regulation.
Cross-Border Experience
Anne Marie regularly advises international manufacturers and importers on U.S. product liability and regulatory exposure. Her experience includes coordinating product recalls and regulatory reporting involving Health Canada alongside CPSC Section 15(b) obligations.
She also advises clients on Hague Convention issues involving foreign defendants, including service of process, and on defending U.S. litigation involving overseas manufacturers and other foreign entities. She works closely with Buchalter’s Japan and Greater China Practices to help international companies navigate the procedural, regulatory, and practical issues that arise when products manufactured abroad enter the U.S. market.
Recent Client Commentary
Recent client feedback includes:
- “Anne Marie is always prompt, professional and on task.”
- “Anne Marie Ellis’ client service, sophistication and commercial vision are very strong. She is sharp and attentive, with keen attention to detail.”
- “She is responsive, diligent, and delivers excellent work product.”
- “She provides excellent service — extremely organized and clear in her recommendations.”
- “Anne Marie knows the strategies for handling complex cases and is highly cost-effective.”
- “Anne Marie stands out in terms of the level of client service she provides.”
- “Anne Marie possesses an in-depth knowledge of legal procedures and exhibits strong ethics and exceptional communication.”
Industries Served
Anne Marie’s experience spans a broad range of products and industries, including:
- Automotive and emerging technologies
- Micromobility, e-bikes, scooters, and motorcycles
- Lithium-ion batteries and other battery-powered products
- Consumer electronics
- Children’s products and toys
- Apparel, footwear, jewelry, and luxury goods
- Chemicals, PFAS, and toxic torts
- Cosmetics, wellness products, and dietary supplements
- Sporting goods and fitness equipment
- Food, beverage, and hospitality
- Amusement and entertainment venues
- Waste and recycling
