David M. Harding is an Associate in Freeman Mathis & Gary’s Boston office and serves as a Vice Chair on the firm’s Associate Committee. David’s practice primarily focuses on the defense of claims in complex and mass tort litigation, practicing in Federal and State courts across multiple states. He works on the firm’s PFAS Litigation Team and is heavily involved in the MDL alleging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) caused injuries arising from fire-fighting equipment and fire-suppressing foam that is consolidated and pending in Charleston, South Carolina federal court, known as the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) MDL. Critical to the firm’s work in the AFFF MDL, David manages a team of roughly 40 attorneys, paralegals, and support staff in discovery and other strategic planning activities. Additionally, David serves as a strategic liaison on multiple joint defense groups to develop strategies and mechanisms with other nationally-recognized defense counsel to further his clients’ interests and defenses. Beyond his work in the AFFF MDL, David has led other discovery teams in complex litigation matters and litigated more than 100 cases through various stages of litigation, from pre-suit through appeals. His experiences taking and defending depositions, managing discovery, identifying critical experts, writing substantive briefs, negotiating settlement and discovery disputes, and trying cases provide a substantive benefit to his clients.
Prior to joining Freeman Mathis & Gary, David was a legal intern with the Georgia Office of the Attorney General’s Environmental Section, handling a myriad of matters involving Coastal Marshlands Protection Act, Shore Protection Act, Clean Water Act, and NPDES permitting issues. He focused a significant portion of his legal studies on environmental and natural resources law and served as Vice President for GSU Law’s Environmental Law Society. David worked for major international energy company and taught environmental science for nearly a decade.