Tina Van Dam is a partner in MG+M’s Irvine, California office. Tina has established herself as an accomplished and effective counselor litigating multiparty matters involving claims related to asbestos, chemical, and other environmental toxins, including silica and talc in addition to her everyday general liability practice.
As a top practitioner in her field, Tina brings impressive expertise in case management and litigation strategy for both trial and resolution. Through the solid relationships she has cultivated with opposing counsel during the course of her career and a broad understanding of litigation trends across the United States, she is able to navigate negotiations quickly and effectively to reach settlements when appropriate.
Tina is recognized in the industry for representing a variety of clients with differing needs. This extensive range of clients includes consumer products and equipment manufacturers, premises owners, and supply houses, among other defendants, as part of her toxic tort practice. She serves as national coordinating counsel for both national and international companies in toxic tort and products liability litigation. Over her more than 20 years of practice, Tina's products liability defense work was first focused on asbestos litigation and, in the past 10 years, talc litigation. She has extensive day-to-day management responsibility for asbestos and talc litigation in California and across the United States, overseeing litigation in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois and Texas, as well as many other states. Her responsibilities include developing expert witnesses and working with corporate representatives, as well as cross-docket discovery and bringing claims to a successful conclusion either by trial or settlement.
Tina was born and raised in South Africa. Tina graduated cum laude from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California. During law school, Tina was a member of the Moot Court Honors Board and competed nationally. She gained practical legal experience early on by interning for former Presiding Justice Sills at the Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three, and working as a Certified Law Student for two Southern California law firms. Tina is also a graduate of the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law & Society. Most recently Tina received her Certificate in Women’s Leadership from the The Paul Merage School of Business at UCI.
Despite not growing up in Southern California, Tina is well rooted in Orange County and lives in Laguna Hills with her husband, Dave, and their son, J.P.