Susan W. Romaine, Managing Partner | Thomas Combs & Spann PLLC

Attorneys Susan W. Romaine | Managing Partner

Whether as a litigator or the client, Susan has spent the last 17 years defending complex civil litigation, including product liability, healthcare, and insurance coverage cases.

Prior to joining Thomas Combs & Spann PLLC, Susan was the General Counsel at West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company, West Virginia's largest medical professional liability insurer (2016 to 2021). During her time at West Virginia Mutual, Susan assisted with corporate governance and corporate contracts and agreements, managed the company's corporate litigation, analyzed insurance coverage determinations, and provided legal guidance to the company's various departments. While at the West Virginia Mutual, she managed and coordinated its response to two high-profile, multi-plaintiff sets of litigation involving claims of professional misconduct and malpractice.

Susan has broad experience in defending product liability litigation. She spent over a decade defending domestic and foreign automotive manufacturers in their product liability litigation in West Virginia. Susan has also represented many clients in product and general litigation including automotive, agricultural and recreational vehicle manufacturers, a non-coal surface mining and trucking operation, and insurance companies. Susan also has experience litigating personal estate and trust disputes and commercial litigation.

Both in her work as General Counsel at the West Virginia Mutual and in private practice, Susan has coordinated and managed litigation, including multi-district litigation. Additionally, she defends a major pharmacy chain that has been sued by state and local municipalities.

Susan was previously a member of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC, where she worked from 2005 to 2016.

Representative Experience:

• Coordinating defense discovery efforts in multi-district hearing loss litigation
• Defending retail pharmacy in opioid litigation filed by state and local municipalities
• Defending a flagship university's healthcare system in commercial litigation
• General Counsel at West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company
• Coordinated the defense of two high-profile, multi-plaintiff sets of litigation alleging physician misconduct and malpractice
• Represented automotive manufacturers in personal injury and wrongful death cases alleging various defects including vehicles' acceleration and braking systems, restraint systems, stability and handling, roof, and glazing
• Represented automotive manufacturers allegedly in violation of the West Virginia Consumer Protection Act
• Represented automotive manufacturers in subrogation lawsuits filed by automotive insurers
• Represented regional non-coal surface mining and trucking operation
• Coordinated and assisted with large scale document collection and review for industrial manufacturer in a class action lawsuit
• Represented estate executors in matters involving contested wills
• Assisted in three-week arbitration of commercial contract dispute that resolved with the client receiving an eight-figure payment

Representative Cases:

• In re Toyota Motor Corp. Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, 978 F.Supp.2d 1053 (C.D.Cal. 2013)
• Jones v. Home Loan Investment, F.S.B. et al, 718 F.Supp.2d 728 (S.D.W.Va. 2010)
• In re Ford Motor Co. Speed Control Deactivation Switch Products Liability Litigation, 664 F.Supp.2d 752 (E.D.Mich. 2009)
• Estep v. Mike Ferrell Ford Lincoln-Mercury, Inc., et al, 223 W. Va. 209, 672 S.E.2d 345 (W. Va. 2008)
• Bailey v. Ford Motor Co., Slip Copy, 2006 WL 3456698 (S.D.W.Va. 2006)
• Gil v. Ford Motor Co., Slip Copy, 2007 WL 2580792 (N.D.W.Va. 2007)

Writings and Publications:

• Before You Sign on the Dotted Line, West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company Quarterly Newsletter (Summer 2016)
• Medicare, Settlements and Judgments: What You Should Know, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Newsletter (Summer 2009)
• Update on Attorney-Client Privilege, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Newsletter (Winter 2007)
• Preparing the Corporate Representative for Deposition, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel's 2007 Corporate Counsel Symposium (September 2007)

Awards and Honors:

• Super Lawyers, Rising Star in Product Liability (2009-2015)

Professional Organizations:

• Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
• Board of Governors (2019 - Present)
• Founder and Co-Chair of In-House Counsel Section (2019-2021)
• MPL Association (2015-2021)
• Corporate Counsel Section Planning Committee (2019-2021)
• Defense Research Institute (2005-2015)

Bar Admissions:

• Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
• United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia

Contact:

P O Box 3824
Charleston, WV 25338
Direct Dial: 304-414-1818
Download Susan's VCard

Education & Honors:

University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D. (2005)
• Pittsburgh Tax Review: Marketing Manager and Associate Editor

University of Notre Dame, B.A., Economics and Sociology, cum laude, (2002)