Robert L. Willmore
Overview
Robert L. Willmore is a retired partner in the Litigation and Trial Department, and was a member of the Tax Group and the Mass Tort, Product, and Consumer Litigation Group. His practice consisted primarily of the litigation of tax disputes, as well as litigation and counseling in products liability and toxic torts.
Mr. Willmore tried in the U.S. Tax Court one of the most complex and significant cases litigated to date regarding the scope of the research and experimentation tax credit available under section 41 of the Internal Revenue Code – the central issue in that case being the availability of that tax credit for manufacturing process research conducted at several operating chemical plants. He represented corporate taxpayers before many other judicial tribunals, including the U.S. Supreme Court, several U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, the D.C. Court of Appeals, various U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
With respect to his products liability and toxic torts practice, Mr. Willmore assisted companies faced with repetitive or mass tort litigation in multiple jurisdictions, and his practice focused primarily on developing liability defenses that can significantly reduce the proliferation and scope of such litigation. He also prepared and assisted in preparing dozens of appellate briefs regarding various liability defenses in products liability and toxic tort cases. He worked with numerous law firms throughout the county coordinating liability defenses in such cases both at the trial court and appellate levels.
From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Willmore was the Deputy Assistant Attorney General responsible for the Torts Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice. As head of the Torts Branch, Mr. Willmore supervised the defense of claims against the government involving such areas as asbestos, Agent Orange, radiation exposure, environmental and toxic torts, and aviation disasters. His prior government experience included service as Assistant General Counsel in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as well as service as a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate.
Mr. Willmore received a B.S. in economics in 1977 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1980, he earned a law degree from Yale University, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Mr. Willmore tried in the U.S. Tax Court one of the most complex and significant cases litigated to date regarding the scope of the research and experimentation tax credit available under section 41 of the Internal Revenue Code – the central issue in that case being the availability of that tax credit for manufacturing process research conducted at several operating chemical plants. He represented corporate taxpayers before many other judicial tribunals, including the U.S. Supreme Court, several U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, the D.C. Court of Appeals, various U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
With respect to his products liability and toxic torts practice, Mr. Willmore assisted companies faced with repetitive or mass tort litigation in multiple jurisdictions, and his practice focused primarily on developing liability defenses that can significantly reduce the proliferation and scope of such litigation. He also prepared and assisted in preparing dozens of appellate briefs regarding various liability defenses in products liability and toxic tort cases. He worked with numerous law firms throughout the county coordinating liability defenses in such cases both at the trial court and appellate levels.
From 1985 to 1988, Mr. Willmore was the Deputy Assistant Attorney General responsible for the Torts Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice. As head of the Torts Branch, Mr. Willmore supervised the defense of claims against the government involving such areas as asbestos, Agent Orange, radiation exposure, environmental and toxic torts, and aviation disasters. His prior government experience included service as Assistant General Counsel in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as well as service as a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate.
Mr. Willmore received a B.S. in economics in 1977 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1980, he earned a law degree from Yale University, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Career & Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S., Phi Beta Kappa, economics, 1977
- Yale Law School, J.D., 1980
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S., Phi Beta Kappa, economics, 1977
- Yale Law School, J.D., 1980
