Experience 

Herb Zarov is a litigator who works principally in the areas of mass tort, appellate and commercial litigation. Herb has served as national counsel for The Dow Chemical Company in multi-district breast-implant litigation, as co-national counsel for Union Carbide Corporation and Amchem in asbestos litigation and is currently assisting in coordinating national defense of Medtronic in its Fidelis lead medical device MDL litigation.  In all of these litigations, Herb has worked in a virtual law firm model to coordinate national defense of thousands of federal and state court cases with scores of other firms. Herb’s clients include The Dow Chemical Company, Nicor, Baxter International, Medtronic and Chemtura.

The 2007 edition of Chambers USA observes that “[t]oxic tort specialist and gifted firefighter called in when the going gets tough, Herbert Zarov sets the tone for a team of accomplished [Mayer Brown] lawyers. The centerpiece of his practice is the representation of Union Carbide, but this highly revered player has also worked closely with the US Chamber of Commerce on cutting-edge issues where the business community wishes to see an alteration of the law.” Chambers also notes that “’[e]xcellent legal strategist’ Herbert Zarov is often parachuted in when litigation of a toxic [tort] nature needs his expert attention.” Chambers rated Herb among the top 20 US product liability lawyers in 2006 and among the nation’s top seven toxic tort lawyers in 2007. He has also been listed in Lawdragon’s “Top 500 Lawyers in the United States” in both 2006 and 2007.

Herb graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1979 where he won the Beale Prize for legal writing.  He joined Mayer Brown in 1986, and was named partner one year later. He has served on the firm’s Management Committee since 1997 and co-chaired its national and international Litigation Practice from 2000 to 2007. From 1973 to 1976, Herb was Instructor of English and American Studies at Smith College, and is the author of several scholarly articles on literary subjects.

Education 

University of Chicago Law School, JD, 1979 • Washington University of St. Louis, English Literature (doctoral studies; all but dissertation completed), 1969-1973 • University of Chicago, MA, 1968 • Columbia University, BA, 1967

Admitted

• US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2008
• US Supreme Court, 1996
• US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1995
• US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1992
• US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1991
• US Court of Claims, 1985
• US Tax Court, 1984
• US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1981
• US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1979
• Illinois, 1979