Eugene A. Giotto

Vice-Chair, Commercial Litigation Department
Chair, Long-Term Care Litigation

Pittsburgh

(412) 620-6560

(412) 275-2390

Gene Giotto is a trial attorney with three decades of experience representing corporations and employers in business, commercial, health care, and products liability disputes. He has tried cases to verdict in dozens of jurisdictions across the country and has represented clients in consequential disputes having the potential for devastating reputational harm. In addition to his extensive trial experience, Gene serves as the outside general counsel for a for-profit health care corporation that operates senior living communities throughout the country.

Gene’s trial practice encompasses several substantive legal areas:

Health Law. Gene devotes much of his practice to representing health care providers, primarily in negligence lawsuits. He has represented all facets of the health care industry, from acute care hospitals and their affiliate physician and nursing staff to senior living and long-term and assisted living facilities across the country. The cases he has litigated to verdict range from spinal injury claims resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia injuries, brain injury, acute cardiac events, and custodial abuse and neglect claims. He has defended various health care providers in governmental agency investigations related to the COVID-19 crisis.

Personal Injury Law. Gene defends corporate clients in catastrophic personal injury, toxic tort, and product liability lawsuits. He has successfully defeated claims against engineering, heavy metals, construction, medical device, and commercial real estate entities.

Complex Commercial Litigation. Gene represents clients in business disputes that involve breach of contract claims, covenants, director and officer liability, and other commercial matters.

In each of these domains, Gene has a national reputation for being trial tested and trial ready, but his first priority is to resolve disputes as efficiently and economically as possible. He is often able to leverage his unassailable trial preparation into early and advantageous settlements. He has resolved hundreds of case in early alternative dispute resolution venues.

Gene also provides high-level pre- and post-litigation counseling. Specifically, he helps clients manage agency interactions, contract review, compliance training, and risk assessment in an effort to prevent litigation from proceeding or to cope with its aftermath.

Gene received his bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and his master’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned his law degree from Duquesne University School of Law.

Experience

News

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys to its Best Lawyers in America 2024 Edition

August 17, 2023

Best Lawyers selected 232 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

42 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers & Rising Stars

May 24, 2023

Super Lawyers has selected 42 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to the 2023 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Cozen O'Connor Names Four Shareholders to Board of Directors

September 12, 2022

Cozen O’Connor has elected shareholders Susan Eisenberg, Gene Giotto, Ira Gubernick, and Gina Smith to the firm’s board of directors.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

49 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

June 01, 2022

Super Lawyers has selected 49 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to the 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

47 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

May 28, 2021

Super Lawyers has selected 47 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to the 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 20, 2020

Best Lawyers selected 200 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Publications

Nursing Homes Still Face Arbitration Agreement Uncertainty

May 26, 2017

Eugene Giotto and Gabrielle Lee, of the firm's Commercial Litigation Department, discuss a recent U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in their Law360 article, " Nursing Homes Still Face Arbitration Agreement Uncertainty."

Education

  • Duquesne University School of Law, J.D., 1989
  • Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania, M.A., 1985
  • Pennsylvania State University, B.A., 1983

Awards & Honors

Best Lawyers in America 2001-2025

Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2021-2023

  • Pennsylvania
  • Ohio

Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel