History 
Joseph N. Stella
| PH: | 312.766.0660 |
| FAX: | 312.322.9977 |
| EMAIL: | jstella@nzalaw.com |
Current Employment Position(s):
Partner
Areas of Practice:
Product Liability
Commercial Transactions and Contracts
Commercial Litigation
Premises Liability
General Liability and Casualty
Bar Admissions:
State Bar of Illinois
United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Including Trial Bar)
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio
United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana
United States District Court, District of Colorado
Education:
IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D. With Distinction)
St. John’s University (B.A. Winner of Gold Key Award in Economics)
Memberships:
Illinois State Bar Association
American Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
Legal Council of the American Equipment Manufacturers Association
Joseph N. Stella has represented clients in the defense of hundreds of cases over the course of decades of practice. Over the years he has developed an area of specialty in the defense of product liability matters involving a broad scope of products including industrial machinery, food processing machinery, conveyor equipment, machines integrally involved in the steel making process, motor vehicle brake, acceleration, cruise control and wheel retention systems, ski-lift installations, aerial tramway systems, monorail systems, power hoists and scaffolding, and a wide variety of consumer products from derailler and quick release mechanisms on bicycles to various hand tools.
Of particular note is his intimate involvement in the defense of the design of heavy equipment including hydraulic excavators, front end loaders, bulldozers, mining equipment, soil and aggregate screening equipment, rock crushing equipment, mobile cranes, offshore cranes, ship cranes, port cranes, tower cranes, asphalt milling machines, asphalt paving machines, concrete slipform pavers and compactors/rollers. He has over the years been involved with assisting many foreign manufacturers with the successful defense of the design and manufacture of their products in US litigation.
He has also assisted clients with product recalls, non-conforming goods, product retrofit programs, unfair competition, trade name and trade secret litigation. He has also assisted clients with numerous transactional matters including distribution, dealer, licensing, research and development, leasing, construction, sales parts, and service agreements. Moreover, he has assisted clients with administrative procedural matters, regulatory proceedings, negotiations and insurance coverage matters.
His clients in the area of product liability defense and related issues include global organizations, many of which are recognized as industry leaders in the involved product lines. He has been involved in numerous successful trials (both jury and bench) as well as appeals in behalf of his clients. He has also presented numerous seminars on a variety of topics relating to the defense of product liability matters.
