Kevin Sutherland is a partner of Clyde & Co US LLP and heads the aviation and aerospace practice group in the San Francisco office.
Kevin has over 17 years of experience in defending domestic and foreign-based companies, including airlines and manufacturers of commercial, aviation, space and military products. His practice also includes assisting companies in marine, commercial, insurance and business related matters, including employment, contract negotiations and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations. The clients Kevin has represented include some of the largest airlines, products manufacturers and insurers in the world.
He has received an A/V rating, the highest rating given to attorneys by the Martindale-Hubble Law Directory. The Chambers Client's Guide, published by Chambers & Partners, has recognized Kevin as being "very able and highly regarded." He is also recognized as one of the best lawyers in California in his practice area in the 2007 and 2008 editions of Who's Who Legal: California. Kevin has published articles and lectured at conferences on a variety of issues relating to international business litigation and holds leadership positions in the Defense Research Institute.
Kevin received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Juris Doctor from the Syracuse University School of Law, where he served as the Executive Editor of the Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce. Kevin is admitted to practice before the courts of California, New York and the District of Columbia.
Kevin has multi-jurisdictional experience and has defended clients based in the United States as well as China, South America and Europe. His representative matters include:
Crash of US Navy Sikorsky MH-60S Helicopter off Coast of California on January 26, 2007 –
Representing component product manufacturer in a lawsuit arising from the crash of a US Navy helicopter engaged in a training mission.
Crash of US Army Chinook 427 Helicopter in Afghanistan on February 17, 2007 –
Represented and obtained dismissal of component product manufacturer arising from the crash of a US Army helicopter engaged in a combat mission with the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regimen.
In Re Deep Vein Thrombosis Multi District Litigation –
Represented air carriers dismissed on summary judgment in lawsuits filed throughout the country and consolidated before the United States District Court, Northern District of California. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal under Montreal Convention of 1999 of plaintiffs’ allegations that the air carrier defendants failed to warn them of the risk of developing DVT while passengers.
Kwon v. Singapore Airlines -
Represented air carrier in multimillion dollar action filed by an ophthalmologist for disabling injuries he allegedly sustained on board the aircraft. Trial resulted in defense verdict enforcing limitation of liability under Article 20 of the Warsaw Convention.
Bullock v. Aviat Aircraft, Inc. –
Secured dismissal of aircraft manufacturer in wrongful death actions filed by representatives of the estates of the pilot and passenger.
Tamorassi v. County of Los Angeles –
Counsel for the County of Los Angeles in wrongful death actions filed by representatives of the estates of the pilot and passenger alleging defective design of airport runway. Defense verdict in favor of County obtained at trial.