Biography

Dwight Stone leads the firm’s Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Regulatory Compliance team, which helps companies navigate corrective action plans (recalls), civil penalties and reports and investigations under the Consumer Product Safety Act.

Dwight has earned a national, top tier ranking (Band 1) from Chambers USA, which reflects the complex and high-profile matters he and his team are handling before the CPSC representing many leading consumer product brands.

He counsels manufacturers, distributors and retailers on compliance with CPSC requirements and related federal and state laws, including the Federal Hazardous Substance Act and the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. He helps companies manage product safety risks throughout the product lifecycle by evaluating CPSC reporting obligations, preparing and filing reports, coordinating worldwide recalls, developing corporate compliance programs and responding to civil penalty investigations.

Dwight’s clients span a diverse range of industries, including power tools and hardware, children’s products, portable heating products, household cleaning products, household and personal care products, water heaters and boilers, heating and cooling systems, blending appliances, technology and wearable devices and sporting goods and equipment.

A distinguishing feature of Dwight’s practice is his dual role as both a leading regulatory counsel and a seasoned product liability litigator. He serves as national coordinating counsel for a major global manufacturer in the defense of product liability claims, giving him unique perspective on the intersection of regulatory compliance and litigation risk. This combination enables him to advise clients on the effective coordination of regulatory strategy and litigation defense, a critical capability few lawyers offer.

Dwight is one of a handful of attorneys nationally with experience litigating matters against the CPSC, both in federal court and before administrative law judges. His extensive litigation experience, including trials and appeals of products liability and class action matters, coupled with his deep understanding of CPSC investigations, enforcement proceedings and regulatory filings, allows him to guide clients through complex regulatory proceedings while simultaneously managing litigation exposure.

His practice also extends to product labeling and warning requirements, including compliance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines regarding safety alert symbols, signal wording and hazard descriptions, as well as oversight of CPSC FOIA requests and collection of company data.

Dwight regularly collaborates with leading international product safety counsel, including on numerous global recall matters where he handles the North American components. He also is a recognized thought leader in consumer product safety law, a member of the DRI Law Institute and a frequent speaker and author on CPSC-related topics.

Education

  • University of Maryland School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1993)
  • Princeton University (A.B., with honors, 1990)

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland

Professional Affiliations

  • DRI Law Institute: Member (2023-present)
  • DRI Commercial Litigation Committee: Chair (2021-2023); Vice-Chair (2019-2021)
  • International Association of Defense Counsel: Member (2018-present)
  • International Consumer Product Health & Safety Organization: Member (2016-present)
  • Maryland Defense Counsel: President (2019-2020); President-Elect (2018-2019); Treasurer (2016-2018) 
  • MDC Deposition Bootcamp: Instructor (2018-2019)
  • MDC Trial Academy: Instructor (2016-2017)
  • Maryland Judicial Commission on Professionalism: Member (2004-2009)
  • Law Clerk to the Honorable Lawrence F. Rodowsky, Maryland Court of Appeals (now the Supreme Court of Maryland) (1993-1994)
  • Maryland Law Review: Executive Editorial Board (1993)

Special Honors

  • Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business: Listed in the area of Product Liability: Regulatory (2026) (achieving the highest “first band” ranking for USA - Nationwide)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Named "Lawyer of the Year" in the area of Litigation - Insurance, Baltimore (2020, 2026); Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants, Baltimore (2021); Insurance Law, Baltimore (2022); Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Baltimore (2024)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Selected for inclusion in the areas of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Insurance, Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, and Insurance Law (2012-2026)
  • Baltimore Magazine "Top Lawyer" for Product Liability (2026)
  • Maryland Super Lawyers®: Selected for inclusion in the area of Class Action/Mass Torts (2010-2021); Named among the Top 100 Maryland Super Lawyers (2012-2015); Named among the Top 50 Maryland Super Lawyers (2011)
  • Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent® Rated
  • Maryland Bar Foundation: Fellow (2019-present)

Community Activities

  • Lawyers’ Campaign Against Hunger: Executive Committee (2000-present); Chair (2004-2006)

Court Admissions

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the District of Columbia
  • United States District Court for the District of Maryland

Recent Blog Posts

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Reopening Business: Mitigating Potential Liabilities

As shutdown orders expire and businesses reopen, questions arise on the possible liabilities created and the ability to mitigate them. Standards are emerging; some will be second-guessed. Previous modes of...

Recent Matters

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Represented Power Tools Manufacturer

Provided comprehensive product safety and regulatory compliance services to a global manufacturer of power tools and hardware, including representation during CPSC and Health Canada investigations, recalls and related proceedings across a vast...

Represented Consumer Products Importers

Responded to Notices of Violation (NOVs) for importers of consumer products found to be in violation of standards at U.S. ports.  ...