Mr. McDermott joined Krieg DeVault LLP in 1986 after graduating from Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame Law School.  Mr. McDermott serves on the Firms' three-member Executive Committee and serves as a liaison to the Firm's Associate and Recruiting Committees.  Since the beginning of his legal career, his practice has been devoted almost exclusively to litigation in both federal and state courts.  He has represented major manufacturers in tobacco litigation, product liability cases, toxic tort litigation, and contract disputes.  Mr. McDermott has also devoted a substantial amount of his practice to representing financial institutions in a variety of litigation matters including lender liability actions, check forgery cases, RICO and securities fraud claims and trust litigation.  He has also advised corporate clients regarding various employment matters, trade secret act cases, shareholder derivative suits and preliminary injunctions, and has handled numerous real estate and construction litigation cases.  Mr. McDermott also has substantial experience representing individuals in cases involving claims of personal injury and wrongful death.