There’s a difference between an attorney who litigates and one who tries matters. Camille Reifers does both — but it’s the latter that defines her.
Her civil defense litigation practice spans some of the most consequential categories of civil law. She has tried matters to verdict in state and federal courts across the country, secured defense verdicts in matters where opposing counsel sought millions, and obtained dismissals and summary judgments that never made it to a jury at all. When settlement is the right outcome, she negotiates from a position of credibility — because the other side knows she will try the matter if it doesn’t settle.
She is regularly sought out to step into high-stakes matters as first-chair, often in jurisdictions far from where a matter originated. Her involvement with the NARTC — as a faculty member, Past Regional Vice President, Executive Committee Member, and current President-Elect — has cemented her standing as a recognized authority in civil defense litigation, particularly in the railroad space.
Railroad litigation is a specialty within a specialty, and Camille Reifers has spent the better part of her career inside it. She handles Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) claims, grade crossing accident matters , and matters involving on-track equipment — the full range of civil exposure that railroad companies face when something goes wrong.
Major railroad companies across the country have turned to her when the litigation is serious and the venue is unfamiliar. She has tried grade crossing matters to verdict in multiple jurisdictions, including recent trials in Chicago and Houston, where juries returned results favorable to her railroad clients. Her depth in this area isn’t incidental. It’s the product of decades of focused practice and a leadership role within the NARTC that keeps her at the center of how this area of law develops.
Trucking and transportation liability matters carry real exposure — and they often turn on facts that have to be reconstructed, contested and tried. Camille defends trucking companies and commercial carriers in accident and liability matters across state and federal courts, bringing the same trial-first approach to this practice area that she applies across the board.
Her insurance defense work runs parallel. She represents insurers and their insureds in complex civil matters, often in situations where the claimed damages are substantial. Whether the matter is tried or resolved short of trial, her clients benefit from counsel who has been in front of juries enough times to know how a situation will actually play.
Third-party wrongful death claims represent some of the highest-exposure civil litigation a defense attorney will encounter. Camille has defended these matters in matters where plaintiffs sought significant damages — and she has done so with the kind of thorough, trial-ready preparation that changes outcomes.
Her practice also extends to toxic exposure and construction law disputes, both of which involve the layered factual and expert-driven complexity that characterizes high-stakes civil defense work. These aren’t areas she touches occasionally. They are part of a practice built for exactly this kind of litigation.
Camille’s civil defense practice includes defense-side representation in whistleblower actions, Fair Labor Standards Act matters, Title VII claims, and Equal Pay Act disputes. These matters arise in both state and federal court and often intersect with the broader employment law exposure that corporate and employer clients manage.
While this is a secondary focus relative to her railroad and general civil defense work, she brings the same standard of preparation and advocacy to employment-related litigation that her clients have come to expect across the board.