Practice Areas: Civil Litigation, Employment & Labor, Appellate; view more
Licensed in West Virginia since: 1995
Education: West Virginia University College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2025 Details
Attorney Teresa C. Toriseva is the founder and CEO of Toriseva Law in Wheeling, West Virginia. A nationally ranked trial attorney with more than 25 years of legal experience, Ms. Toriseva focuses her practice primarily on complex civil litigation, and she provides unmatched representation and support to clients throughout the state who have legal needs involving any of the following and more:
· Mass torts and class actions
· Workplace harassment and discrimination
· Personal injury and wrongful death claims arising from auto, truck and ATV accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, defective products, workplace accidents and other preventable tragedies
· Insurance bad faith
· Oil and gas land use issues and disputes
· Contract and business disputes
· Unfair debt collection
· Divorce, custody and adoption
A leader in her field, Ms. Toriseva has written extensively and conducted numerous lectures and continuing legal education seminars on a variety of topics related to dangerous pharmaceuticals and defective medical devices, insurance issues, civil litigation and trial advocacy, and other subjects. She has also served as president of the West Virginia Association for Justice, and she has chaired or co-chaired various committees with the American Association for Justice and other professional industry groups.
Moreover, Ms. Toriseva has accepted several appointments to serve on plaintiff steering committees as well as court appointments to serve as counsel in a number of highly complex, multidistrict litigation involving mesh implants, defibrillator implants and other defective and dangerous medical devices and personal care products.
Recognized for her outstanding professionalism and service, Ms. Toriseva has earned an AV-Preeminent peer review rating* from Martindale-Hubbell as well as designation as one of the Top 40 Under 40 attorneys and business leaders in West Virginia. She has also received many testimonials and referrals from her satisfied clients, and she finds great reward in being able to provide a voice to those who may have no other legal recourse for the damages and losses they suffered.
A 1992 graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University, Ms. Toriseva obtained her Juris Doctor from the West Virginia College of Law in 1995, and she holds the distinction as the only member of her graduating class to have earned both the Order of the Barristers and Order of the Coif honors.
She holds her license to practice in Pennsylvania as well as West Virginia, and she is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. She is an active member of the West Virginia and Pennsylvania State Bar associations, the Ohio County Bar Association, and the American Association for Justice, among her other professional affiliations.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Employment & Labor: Employee, Appellate, Personal Injury - General: PlaintiffFocus areas
Appeals, Labor Law, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Sexual Harassment, Unions, Wage & Hour Laws, Whistleblower, Wrongful Death
- 30% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 30% Employment & Labor: Employee
- 20% Appellate
- 20% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1995, West Virginia
Professional Webpage: http://www.lawyers.com/wheeling/west-virginia/teresa-c-toris...
- American Association for Justice
- Member, Ohio County Bar Association
- Past-President, West Virginia Association for Justice (formerly the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association)
- Member, Pennsylvania State Bar
- Member, West Virginia State Bar
- Appointed as Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia to serve as lead counsel in Risperdal and Duragesic prescription drug consumer protection litigation, 04-C-156, in 2004
- Appointed in the Preemption Law Litigation Group Governing Board for the American Association for Justice in charge of Education Outreach, September 2006
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in Relafen antitrust litigation, 04-C-254M, 2004
- Co-Chair, Heart Device Litigation Conference of Experts, Med-Expertise Inc. Seminar, Houston, Texas, January 18, 2006
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in Paxil antitrust litigation, 04-C-254M, 2004
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in Paxil consumer protection litigation, 04-C-254M, 2004
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in consumer protection litigation against ten Wall Street investment banking firms, 2003 to 2005
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in Plavix antitrust litigation, 2418, 2013-present
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in Augmentin antitrust litigation, 04-C-254M, 2004
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in Visa and MasterCard antitrust litigation, 03-C-551, 2003 to 2009
- Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in Comcast antitrust litigation, 2009-present
- Member, Campaign for Legal Aid Leadership Committee, West Virginia, 2006-2007
- Member, Drugs and Medical Device Preemption Task Force, Appointed July 2006
- Co-chair, AAJ Bausch and Lomb Contact Lens Solution Litigation Group, appointed July 2006 thru July 2008
- Co-chair, AAJ Heart Device Litigation Group, appointed July 2005
- Past President, West Virginia Association for Justice (formerly the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association), 2007-2008
- Chair, Guidant sub-group, American Association for Justice (“AAJ”) Heart Device Litigation Group, July 2005
- Litigation Group Leadership Council July 2006 to present
- Member, List Server Policy Enforcement Subcommittee of the Section and Litigation Group Coordination Committee (3 year term)
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
- West Virginia
- Federal Court of Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- Pennsylvania
- Appointed to a three-year term as a member of the West Virginia Lawyer Disciplinary Board, 2011
- Member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the In Re Cook Medical Inc., IVC Filters, Marketing Sales Practice, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL #2570, appointed by the United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana. 2014 to present
- Currently serves as the Public Relations Chair of the West Virginia Law Institute Governing Council, 2019
- Past President, West Virginia Association for Justice, 2007
- Attorney Toriseva and her co-counsel defended a mother at trial accused of fraud by the father by not advisng him he was the father of their child. After a xix-figure, the jury returned a $15,000.00 total verdict., 2019
- Succesfully resolved a medical device mass tort for approximatley 50 clients totalling in excess of $10 million dollars., 2019
- Succesfully resolved civil claims against a school board for a teacher's sexual abuse of a student., 2019
- Succesfully negotiated claims for failure to accurately pay Holiday Pay to the fire fighters of Local 948 in Weirton, West Virginia. This also included a successful contract re-neogotiation that fixed pay concerns in the future., 2018
- Succesfully negotiated a pre-litigation settlement of $1.7 Million for hours worked but not paid for the professional fire fighters of IAFF Local 317 in Charleston, West Virginia. As a companion to the overall settlement, Ms. Toriseva negotiated a correction to the pay strutcure going forward. This forward fix has no set dollar value but is financially immeasruable as it ensures all fire fighters are paid correctly into the future., 2020
- Weirton Professional Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 948. Ms. Toriseva continues to represent the members of Local 948 on all employment, wage and hour, and minimum staffing matters., 2020
- Charleston Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 317, 2019
- Board of Directors, Wheeling Country Day School, Wheeling, WV July 2008 – present
- Toriseva Law Hill Raiser Endurance Challenge, February 27, 2016, proceeds to benefit the “American Heart Association.”
- Member of Hoorah 2 Heroes Law Enforcement, a voluntary association of community leaders who focus on personal fitness development andphilanthropy through fitness, 2009 – present
- Order of the Barrister, WVU College of Law, 1995
- Ms. Toriseva has been A-Rated since 2005, Martindale Hubbell AV -A Rated, AV Rating, 2005
- West Virginia Law Review, WVU College of Law, 1995
- Order of the Coif, WVU College of Law, 1995
- Bachelor of Science in Biology (B.S.), Graduated Summa Cum Laude, 1992
- “From drug development to withdrawal,” Vioxx Litigation Strategy Seminar, January 11, 2005, Indianapolis, Indiana
- “Did interpretation of Title VII take a wrong turn?” W.Va. Law Review, St. Mary’s Honor Center v. Hicks, Vol. 96, Fall 1993; No. 1
- “More Pain For Hernia Patients” American Association for Justice, Teresa C. Toriseva, (Volute 44, Issue 1, January 2008)
- “The Sprint Fidelis Recall: More trouble for an Embattled Heart Device Manufacturer” American Association for Justice, Teresa C. Toriseva, (Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2008)
- “Kugel Mesh – Another Mess for American Health Care Consumers” American Association for Justice, Teresa C. Toriseva, (Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2008)
- “Small firms handling mass torts,” Tobacco Litigation Seminar, Spring 1998, Jacksonville, Florida
- “My Legal Career, My Jesuit Education,” Wheeling Jesuit University Wellness Forum, April 4, 2001, Wheeling, West Virginia
- “Anticipating Litigation Pitfalls,” Wheeling Academy of Law and Science, August 20, 2004, Wheeling, West Virginia
- “From drug development to withdrawal,” Vioxx Litigation Strategy Seminar, November 19, 2004, Charleston, West Virginia
- “From drug development to withdrawal,” Vioxx Litigation Strategy Seminar, December 2, 2004, Columbus, Ohio
- “Analysis of Complex Legal Issues in Heart Device Litigation,” AAJ Heart Device Litigation Group, Educational Seminar, September 15, 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada
- “From drug development to withdrawal,” Vioxx Litigation Strategy Seminar, January 12, 2005, Louisville, Kentucky
- “From drug development to withdrawal,” Vioxx Litigation Strategy Seminar, January 24, 2005, Washington, Pennsylvania
- “From drug development to withdrawal,” Vioxx Litigation Strategy Seminar, February 14, 2005, Nashville, Tennessee
- “From drug development to withdrawal,” Vioxx Litigation Strategy Seminar, February 15, 2005, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Interviewed for article, “Implanted Defibrillators Linked To Patient Deaths And Injuries,” Trial Magazine, October 2005
- Course advisor, AAJ Heart Device Litigation Group Seminar, September 15, 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada
- “Vioxx Timeline,” presented at Vioxx Litigation Seminars in 2004 and 2005 in Charleston West Virginia, Columbus Ohio, Nashville Tennessee, Indianapolis Indiana, Louisville Kentucky, Little Rock Arkansas and Washington Pennsylvania
- “Vioxx: An FDA Blunder?,” West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Mid Winter Seminar, February 18, 2005, Charleston, West Virginia
- “Bextra and Celebrex – Case Selection and Screening,” AAJ Teleseminar, April 26, 2005
- “Case Selection and Screening,” Bextra Litigation Conference, May 18, 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana
- “Update on Discovery,” Mealey’s Vioxx Litigation Conference, June 22, 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana
- “Overview of the Litigation Involving Guidant and Medtronic ICDs and CRT-Ds,” Mealey’s Heart Device Litigation Teleconference, July 21, 2005
- “Heart Device Litigation Overview, AAJ Annual Convention,” Vioxx Litigation Group Meeting, July 25, 2005, Toronto, Ontario
- “Theories of Causation and Mechanism for Cox-2 NSAIDS,” AAJ Annual Convention, July 24, 2005, Toronto, Ontario
- “Advisory Panel to Health Canada: Canadian Panel Decision Approving Vioxx Rejection Bextra,” AAJ Annual Convention, Bextra/Celebrex Litigation Sub-group Meeting, July 26, 2005 Toronto, Ontario
- “A Road map for Defeating the Preemption Argument Under the ‘Medical Devices Act’,” Med-Expertise Inc. Seminar, January 18, 2006, Houston, Texas
- Course advisor, AAJ Heart Device Litigation Seminar, September 15, 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada
- “Major Legal Issues in Heart Device Litigation,” AAJ Heart Device Litigation Seminar, September 15, 2005
- “Class III Medical Device MDA Preemption”, AAJ Heart Device Litigation Group Meeting, December 15, 2005, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- “Guidant Litigation Update,” Mass Torts Made Perfect Seminar, March 29-30, 2006, Miami, Florida
- “Case Selection and Screening for Heart Devices,” AAJ Heart Device Litigation Group Meeting, February 20, 2006, Honolulu, Hawaii
- “Vioxx Hot Documents,” AAJ Cox-II Litigation Group Convention, February 20, 2006, Honolulu, Hawaii.
- “Guidant and Medtronic Litigation Update,” American Association for Justice Annual Convention, February 21, 2006, Main Session
- “Price Fixing - Legal Nurses”, April 10, 2007, Wheeling, West Virginia
- “Is Preemption Going to Kill Us?” American Association for Justice (AAJ) Heart Device Litigation Group Meeting, May 12, 2006, Washington D.C.
- “Renu with MoistureLoc and Microbial Keratitis” AAJ Bausch and Lomb Litigation Group Meeting, July 18, 2006, Seattle, Washington
- “Ophthalmology 101”, Harris Martin Contact Lens Solution Litigation Conference, July 26, 2006, Chicago, Illinois
- “Defibrillator and Pacemaker Recalls: A Medical Audio Conference” MedExpertise, September 20, 2006
- ReNu Contact Lens Solution Litigation: “Seeing” Through the Issues, October 13, 2006, Mass Torts Made Perfect, Las Vegas, Nevada
- “Protecting the Public: Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation Seminar“, American Association for Justice, November 17, 2006, Las Vegas, Nevada
- “Preemption - Judicial Interpretation of the FDA's Final Rule”, Mealey's Teleconference, November 28, 2006
- “Litigation Status of Guidant Cases: Cases Set for Trial”, Heart Devices Teleseminar, December 12, 2006
- “Countdown to Trial: 100 Days of Preparation”, West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, February 2, 2007, Charleston, West Virginia
- Kugel Mesh Litigation, American Trial Lawyers Association Convention, February 11, 2007, Miami Beach, Florida
- Litigation at Sunrise, AAJ, February 13, 2007, Miami, Florida
- “Mass Torts Made Perfect Kugel Mesh”, March 30, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada
- “Issues Affecting the West Virginia Bar Association” 50th Annual Convention & Seminar, West Virginia Association for Justice, June 12, 2008
- Moderator and Program Planner, Kugel Mesh Teleseminar, American Association for Justice, April 12, 2007
- “Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Audio Conference”, Med-Expertise Teleseminar, May 8, 2007, presented on the following:Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch, Medtronic & Guidant Heart Devices and ReNu with MoistureLoc
- “Navigating a Filed MDL”, Mealey's Teleseminar, presented June 19, 2007, Chicago, Illinois
- “ReNu Contact Lens Solution: The Bausch & Lomb Litigation”, American Association for Justice, presented July 17, 2007, Chicago, Illinois
- “Preemption Update”, American Association for Justice, presented July 18, 2007, Chicago, Illinois
- “Preemption - Evaluating the Litigation Risk from Both Sides - A Comprehensive Survey” Louisiana State Bar Association, presented October 19, 2007, New Orleans, Louisiana
- “Medtronic Defibrillator Lead Wire Recall”, Mass Torts Made Perfect Teleseminar, presented October 25, 2007
- “The Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Leads Recall” Mass Torts Made Perfect, presented November 8-10, 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada
- “The Government Standards Defense” (AKA using preemption to accomplish tort reform), The Brookings Institute for Judicial Education, Northwestern Univ. School of Law, presented November 11 & 12, 2007, Chicago, Illinois
- “Navigating Complex Litigation, Class Action, and MDL's…An Overview From Case Inception To Exit Strategies (And The Chaos In Between)”, Louisiana State Bar Association, presented November 18-20, 2007, New York, New York
- “Mass Torts in a Modern World”, WVU/CLE Canaan Litigation Seminar, West Virginia State Bar, presented February 1 & 2, 2008
- Lectured on the state of the law of Uninsured and Underinsured coverage in West Virginia, Lecturer-CLE, "Advances in Uninsured/ Under-insured Motorists Law", National Business Institute, Wheeling, West Virginia, June 23, 2016, Legal, 2016
- Kugel Mesh Litigation Group Meeting, “The Science of the Case”, July 13, 2008, Philadelphia, PA
- “Client/Lender Relationship in This New Era” FJA Masters of Justice Seminar, Orlando, Florida, October 16, 2009
- “Advances Uninsured/Under-insured Motorist Law” National Business Institute, Wheeling, West Virginia, June 17, 2014
- “IVC Filter Litigation, Making the Case against Bard and Cook”, Mass Torts Made Perfect (www.mtmp.com), Las Vegas, Nevada, October 20, 2015
- “Civil Litigation … how it benefits our society”, Judicial Scholars Program, Independence Hall, Wheeling, West Virginia, December 4, 2015
- “IVC Filters: Making the Case Against Bard & Cook”, Mass Torts Made Perfect (www.mtmp.com), Las Vegas, Nevada, April 21, 2016
- Ms. Toriseva particptaed in the Class Action panel with judges and professors regarding resolution of complex litigation cases., Panel Member, University of Miami School of Law Class Action and Complex Litigation Forum, Legal, 2017
- I CLE lecture discussing the methods and procedures of litigation and litigation strategy and using them as as much art as science, and as much substance as procedure. , Lecturer-CLE, "Tips for the Advocate in Litigation Wars", Legal, 2019
- Guest lecturer on the status, progress, and updates of the IVC Filter Mass Tort Litigation against Bard and Cook, Lecturer, "Making the Case Against Bard and Cook", Mass Torts Made Perfect, Legal, 2016
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2025
