John F. Olinde Direct Dial Number: (504) 585-7241 email: Mr. Olinde graduated with highest honors from Emory University in 1979, receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting. Before graduation, he passed the C.P.A. examination in the State of Georgia. In 1982, Mr. Olinde received a Juris Doctorate degree from Louisiana State University Law School. He is a member of the Order of the Coif and the Louisiana State University Law School Hall of Fame.  Following law school, he worked for the Louisiana Supreme Court as a law clerk to Justice Fred A. Blanche, Jr. After this one-year clerkship, he joined Chaffe, McCall, where he has practiced primarily in the area of civil litigation, including products liability, pharmaceutical and medical device products defense, insurance matters, construction litigation, personal injury defense, and environmental law. Mr. Olinde defends pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers statewide and on a regional basis. He also acts as national counsel for a major products manufacturer.  Mr. Olinde represents clients in the defense of a variety of individual, class action and multi-plaintiff lawsuits.  Over the past ten years, he has been involved in more than fifteen different MDL's.   Mr. Olinde devotes much of his time litigating in state and federal district courts, but has substantial arbitration experience as well.   In addition, he has argued many matters in appellate courts, including the landmark case of State v. Sprint Communications Company, L.P. 96-3094 (La. 9/9/97) 699 So.2d 1058 where the Louisiana supreme court mandated a random allotment procedure in the district courts.     Mr. Olinde is an active member of the Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, International Association of Defense Counsel, and National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He has served on the Client Assistance Fund Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association since 1988, and various other State Bar Association committees. Mr. Olinde is a frequent speaker on product liability and tort claims.

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