Shannon M. Kos

Shannon focuses her practice on defending property owners, contractors, product manufacturers, and suppliers in fire and explosion litigation, mass tort, toxic tort, and product liability litigation.  She has tried cases in Michigan and other jurisdictions throughout the United States and is currently a member of the National Trial team for a defendant in mass tort litigation.

Shannon is a certified Fire and Explosion Investigator by the National Association of Fire Investigators and in Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) by OSHA, certifications held by only a handful of attorneys in the United States.  She is a voting member of the ASTM E58 Committee on Forensic Engineering which promotes knowledge and the development of appropriate standards intended to promote the awareness of the scientific, engineering, ethical, and legal considerations inherent in Forensic Engineering investigations, reporting, and testimony.  Shannon also provides personal representation and defense to expert witnesses throughout the country in challenges to expert fees, scope of work and retainer agreement disputes, discovery issues, and Daubert and Frye attacks.  She is skilled at preparing corporate and expert witnesses for testimony including combatting reptile questions.

Shannon has achieved the highest Martindale Hubbell rating (AV)(5.0 out of 5.0) and has been recognized for her expertise in Product Liability litigation including being awarded Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation - Defendant (2021) by Best Lawyers of America, DBusiness Top Lawyer – Product Liability, and Women in the Law Award, Michigan Lawyers Weekly (2015).  She has published articles and lectures on fire and explosion and product liability litigation and expert witness issues including:

• Faculty and presenter, Bulletproofing Your Retention Agreement, National Academy of Forensic Engineers, Summer Conference, 2023
• Keynote Speaker, Daubert 201 – Preparation of the Expert for the Challenge, National Academy of Forensic Engineers, Winter Conference, 2022 (recipient of best presentation award)
• Faculty and Presenter, Fire Investigation 101, 2016 Defense Research Institute (DRI) Fire Science and Litigation Seminar, Scottsdale, AZ
• Guest Lecturer, Legal Environment, Siena Heights University, Michigan
• Guest lecturer, Asbestos Litigation, Carleton College, Minnesota and Alma College, Michigan
• The Role of the Attorney in Fire & Explosion Investigations, 2008 Proceedings of International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology
• Product Testing for Use at Trial, DRI For the Defense, December 2006
• Retaining Control Over Inherently Dangerous & Safe Place to Work Claims, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Fall 1997
• Who’s Building the Architects’ Statute of Repose, MDTC/ADTC News Briefs, Spring 1994

Shannon received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Colorado College, where she played Division I soccer and was inducted with her teammates into the Colorado College Athletics Hall of Fame.  She received her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, graduating with magna cum laude honors.

Representative Cases