Edward B. Ruff, III, is the managing partner and a shareholder of Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered, in Chicago. He has tried over seventy cases to verdict, in the areas of product liability, mass tort, fire loss, bad faith, intellectual property and professional negligence. Ed is also a Mechanical Engineer with a background in Heat Transfer Engineering. He has served as lead counsel in number of product liability, mass tort and multi-district litigation (MDL) matters including Vioxx, Stand ‘N Seal, Menu Foods, Pedicle Screw, RTI and L-Tryptophan. He has developed a reputation for handling matters on a national basis. Ed has successfully defended large commercial matters that included the electronic basis for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and was lead trial counsel in a $35 million dollar recovery in Milwaukee, WI, arising out of the Miller Park Stadium litigation.Ed has authored numerous publications and has lectured for the ISBA, DRI, FDCC and IADC. He is frequently asked to speak at DRI seminars, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Seminars and at the FDCC annual and winter meetings. Ed speaks on a variety topics related to product liability safety, fire and casualty, multidistrict litigation and jury trials. He has been an instructor for the FDCC Litigation Management College numerous times.