Gerard Cedrone

Jerry Cedrone is an automotive product liability trial lawyer with more than 35 years of experience. He is known for his focus, consistency, and unwavering loyalty to his family, clients, partners, and community. A Philadelphia native, Jerry has spent his entire career at the Lavin firm, working just two miles from where he grew up in South Philadelphia,

As a first-year lawyer, Jerry developed extensive experience handling the pleadings, discovery, expert, and trial preparation stages in complex product liability cases. He tried his first non-jury case in his third year, and by his fifth year, he tried his first jury trial. He tried both cases to Defense verdicts as General Motors’ lead counsel. Jerry coupled this litigation experience with extensive technical training. During his first and second years as an associate, he was “loaned” to the General Motors Engineering Technical Center, where he worked closely with other lawyers and engineers to understand motor vehicle design, testing, and manufacturing.

As lead counsel, Jerry leads a highly respected automotive product liability trial team with a formidable courtroom presence. Clients turn to his team of trial lawyers when they are serious about going to trial or appeal. As counsel for nearly every automotive company around the globe, their focus has been on high-stakes, catastrophic injury and death cases and appeals in very challenging jurisdictions. The allegations in these cases have included crashworthiness, rollovers, stability, handling, structural integrity, glazing, seats, seatbelts, airbags, artificial intelligence, and fuel system integrity.

Jerry has served his clients as National Managing Counsel, National Trial Counsel, and Specialty Products Counsel. Jerry was Co-National Counsel for one of the world’s largest automotive companies, overseeing automotive asbestos cases for over 12 years across 36 states. he also served as National Counsel for a diesel locomotive manufacturer, where he supervised over 12,000 defect cases until the U.S. Supreme Court preempted them. His expertise also extends to agricultural equipment, consumer goods, cranes, commuter trains, excavators, forklifts, industrial equipment, lawn care equipment, mine transporters, medical devices, paper mills, pharmaceuticals, power tools, recreational products, residential glass, skid steer loaders, and toxic torts.

As a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, Jerry has dedicated significant time to supporting the next generation of legal talent. For over 25 years, he has guided Philadelphia high school, university, and law school students toward becoming successful professionals. Jerry is married to Patricia, a French teacher, and they have two sons, both accomplished lawyers.

Jerry has frequently published and presented on several legal and ethical issues. He has worked with the ABOTA, American Bar Association, American Conference Institute, Defense Research Institute, Product Liability Advisory Council, and the Temple Inn of Court. He is a frequent contributor to various publications. His presentations and papers include trial and appellate advocacy, product liability law, automotive engineering, emerging automotive and autonomous technologies, toxic tort, discovery, ethics, diversity, and inclusion.

Admissions

Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st and 3rd Circuits
U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland