TLMT

Daniel Thornburgh

Partner with Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC

Daniel Thornburgh has been a partner at Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz (AWKO) since 2010 and practices almost exclusively in the areas of complex pharmaceutical and medical device products liability litigation. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of West Florida, where he studied Legal Administration. In 2004, Mr. Thornburgh attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he received his Juris Doctorate degree and graduated with honors (cum laude). Mr. Thornburgh is currently licensed to practice law in Florida and Minnesota state courts, the United States District Court for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida, and the United States District Court of Minnesota.

Mr. Thornburgh was recently appointed by Judge John Padova to the Plaintiffs Steering Committee and Plaintiffs’ Discovery Co-Chair in the Essure products liability matter pending before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Thornburgh is frequently invited to participate in legal seminars and symposiums and has traveled the country speaking about his experience litigating complex medical device and pharmaceutical products liability matters.

Prior to his involvement in the Abilify MDL, Mr. Thornburgh was heavily involved in the Transvaginal Mesh (TVM) MDLs and, in that role, participated in reviewing thousands of documents, deposed many corporate witnesses, 30(b)(6) corporate designees and other fact witnesses. Mr. Thornburgh was involved in several trials which resulted in multimillion-dollar jury verdicts or mid-trial settlements, including Engleman v. Ethicon, et al. where Mr. Thornburgh obtained a $20 Million verdict on behalf of an AWKO client. Because of his experience, skill, and dedication, Mr. Thornburgh is often asked by PSC and Executive Committee members to become involved in MDLs throughout the country, and he consistently plays a pivotal role in numerous MDLs against various Fortune 500 companies, including Wyeth, Pfizer, GSK, Johnson & Johnson and many others.

In the Abilify MDL, Mr. Thornburgh again played a critical role, and his work substantially contributed to the overall common benefit and global settlement reached earlier this year. In the Abilify MDL, Mr. Thornburgh took the depositions of numerous corporate witnesses, 30(b)(6) corporate designees, and bellwether fact witnesses, and developed trial themes. Mr. Thornburgh became an important member of the Abilify litigation team and, along with others, spent considerable time with their trial consultant focusing the key Abilify trial strategy and creating a trial package, including visual demonstratives, that could be used in any trial throughout the country.

Kimberly Branscome

Partner with Paul | Weiss

Co-chair of the Product Liability practice group, Kim Branscome is a nationally renowned trial lawyer and litigation strategist who focuses on complex litigation and trials involving product liability, professional liability, environmental and toxic torts, and securities matters. She has secured several high-profile product liability trial victories on behalf of leading multinational corporations across a broad range of sectors, including the pharmaceutical, consumer products, energy and automotive industries. Kim is widely regarded as one of the most talented and respected lawyers in the product liability and mass tort litigation area, with clients describing her as “one of the leading lawyers in this space” and as “someone clients trust to try their cases.”

Experience

Kim has deep experience litigating in federal and state courtrooms across the country, with a particular emphasis on the most high-profile mass torts and product liability matters, as well as high-stakes securities class actions and other complex civil litigation. Kim’s representations include:

Johnson & Johnson in securing multiple complete defense verdicts as lead trial counsel in product liability litigation where the plaintiffs alleged that J&J’s talcum-based baby powder products contained asbestos that caused the plaintiff to develop mesothelioma. The trial wins were recognized by the Daily Journal as “Top Defense Verdicts” in 2018 and 2019, as well as by Law360 as one of the “Top Product Liability Cases of 2018.”
3M as lead defense counsel and lead trial counsel, notably securing multiple favorable trial verdicts, in a multibillion-dollar product liability litigation involving allegations that a product sold to the military is related to hearing loss suffered by servicemen and women. The case is recognized as the largest federal multidistrict litigation in U.S. history.
GlaxoSmithKline as liaison and lead trial counsel in consolidated proceedings in California involving thousands of claimants who allege that an antacid medication has carcinogenic properties.
GM in multidistrict federal and state civil litigation relating to ignition switches in its vehicles, securing victories in the second federal bellwether trial and the first state bellwether trial.
Omega Flex in product liability litigation involving allegations that its product, CSST flexible steel gas piping, was defective.
BP in multidistrict and related civil litigation arising out of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
BP in multidistrict securities fraud litigation alleging it and other defendants materially misrepresented the client’s stock prior to and immediately following the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion.
Aon in a professional liability action arising from damage to the Opry Mills Mall after the historic flooding of the Cumberland River in Nashville.
Multiple pharmaceutical industry clients, including Merck, Pfizer, Hoffmann-La Roche and AstraZeneca, among others, in mass tort and multidistrict litigation involving product liability claims related to their prescription medicines.

Awards & Recognitions

Kim is widely recognized by leading publications and legal directories for her trial accomplishments and expertise. The American Lawyer named Kim to its 2022 list of “West Trailblazers,” which recognizes lawyers in the western states who have moved the needle in the legal industry. Chambers USA has recognized Kim in the Product Liability & Mass Torts (USA) category for the past four years, describing her as a “well-regarded trial lawyer who has amassed a broad range of experience in mass torts and class actions.” The Legal 500 US also recognizes Kim in its Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action-Defense categories across consumer products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices and toxic torts, describing her as a “strong practitioner with excellent strategic smarts.” The Daily Journal recognized her as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in California in 2019 and one of the “Top Women Lawyers” in California in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Forbes recognized Kim on its inaugural 2024 “America’s Top 200 Lawyers” list. The Los Angeles Business Journal named Kim to its “Top Litigators & Trial Lawyers” and “Most Influential Women Lawyers” lists in 2019 and Law360 named her a “Rising Star” in 2017.

Michael Mallow

Managing Partner with Shook Hardy & Bacon

Michael is a highly experienced trial lawyer who has represented clients in class action and complex litigation matters, including cases related to economic product defects, unfair competition, false and deceptive advertising, business torts, privacy, entertainment and intellectual property. He has defended consumer protection actions and investigation initiated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. Department of Justice, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, as well as numerous state enforcement agencies. A client states that Michael is “a very smart lawyer and a very good strategist; he’s really excellent.”

For more than 20 years, Michael has been at the forefront of representing clients in significant consumer protection matters, including:

Defending the first enforcement action prosecuted by FTC related to the National Do Not Call Registry;
Securing a major automotive industry victory before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit mooting injunctive claims for relief brought by private plaintiffs following a product recall; and
Defeating a federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action by persuading the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals that internet classified ads constitute an express invitation.

He regularly counsels clients on marketing and advertising issues, and has substantial experience in the automotive, fashion retail, dietary supplement, telemarketing, electronic mail marketing, consumer products and payment processing industries.

He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including recognition by Chambers USA in the categories of California Litigation: General Commercial, and Product Liability: Consumer Class Action, and The Legal 500 United States in Dispute Resolution – Product Liability, mass torts and class actions: automotive/transport and consumer products. Law360 named him one of the “Transportation MVPs of the Year” in 2018, and a “Privacy & Consumer Protection MVP” in 2012. BTI Consulting Group recognized him as a “BTI Client Service All-Star” in 2012. Southern California Super Lawyers has honored him for Class Action/Mass Torts, Business Litigation and Civil Litigation Defense. Michael also has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Michael also has served as outside counsel to the State Bar of California on issues related to its member programs. Before joining Shook, he was a partner with Sidley Austin, where he was the co-leader of the firm’s Consumer Class Action Defense practice. He also is an avid marathoner, triathlete and four-time Ironman, completing competitions in Maryland (2018), Vineman (Sonoma County, California, 2016), Cozumel (2015) and Boulder (2014).

Virginia M. Buchanan

Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brien, Barr & Mougey, P.A.

Virginia M. Buchanan

Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor,

Buchanan, O’Brien, Barr & Mougey, P.A.

316 South Baylen St., Suite 600

Pensacola, FL 32501

(850) 435-7023

vbuchanan@levinlaw.com(link sends e-mail)

Brief Biography

Virginia M. Buchanan is a senior partner and shareholder at Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brian, Barr & Mougey, P.A. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida at the top of her class in Telecommunication. She also received her Juris Doctorate Degree, with honors, from the University of Florida (now Levin College of Law).

She has served as lead/co-lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials. She has a national practice and works extensively in her local Pensacola and surrounding community. She currently has appointments in three national litigations, serving as co-lead counsel, discovery chair and as a member of the plaintiffs’ steering committee. She is a 2024 Florida Trend Notable Women Leaders in the Law, a member of Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Legal Elite, and listed by Martindale-Hubbell as a Top Rated Lawyer in Personal Injury. She has been repeatedly designated as a Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Top Consumer Lawyer. She has lectured extensively to bar associations, medical groups, mass tort and class action lawyers.

Ms. Buchanan is a member of the American Association for Justice and is a CPAP Litigation Group Leader. She has served on the Board of Florida Justice Association and Women’s Caucus, and Florida Bar Foundation. She is the Treasurer of the NW Florida Chapter of ABOTA. She also received Florida Bar President’s Award for Pro Bono Service for 1^st Judicial Circuit, 2014. She serves on two Florida Bar committees, including the Professional Ethics Committee Member and the Standing Committee on the Unlicensed Practice of Law. She has been active in numerous organizations and has held a number of positions at the local, state and national level. She is also currently on the Board of Special Olympics of Florida.

She has been admitted to practice in Florida, Alabama, the United States Supreme Court, and numerous federal courts and limits her practice to serious cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. She is the head of the firm’s medical negligence department and is co-chair of the firm’s class action department.

Her publications include:

Co-author, book chapter, Anatomy of a Personal Injury Lawsuit, 4th Ed. John Romano, Editor, 2015.
“Getting it Off Your Chest: Why Allergan Breast Implants Are a Big Problem,” V. Buchanan and M. McBride, Journal of The Florida Justice Assoc., May/June 2020
George Washington University Law School, James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center, Drafting Team Member, Class Action Best Practices, 2021
Chapter 4, Co-Author, “Medicine and Law: When Two Worlds Collide,” Loboto, Emilio B, et al. Complications in Anesthesiology. Philadelphia, Pa.; London, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008. (Reviewed by the Journal of the American Medical Association and chapter excerpt quoted by reviewer).

Andrew Bradt

Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Jurisprudence Faculty Director, Civil Justice Research Initiative

Andrew Bradt writes and teaches primarily in the areas of civil procedure, conflict of laws, and civil remedies. His current research focuses on the adaptation of procedural and choice-of-law systems to large-scale multijurisdictional litigation, with a particular interest in federal multidistrict litigation. In 2022, he was one of five recipients of the campuswide Distinguished Teaching Award. In 2019, he received Berkeley Law’s Rutter Award for Teaching Distinction. At Berkeley, Bradt is the faculty director of the Civil Justice Research Initiative, a think tank whose mission is to systematically identify and produce highly credible, unbiased research on critical issues concerning the civil justice system, including expanding access to justice

Bradt’s scholarship has been published in numerous law journals and has been cited by both courts and prominent legal treatises. He is a co-author, with Geoffrey C. Hazard, William A. Fletcher, and Stephen McG. Bundy, of Pleading and Procedure—Cases and Materials (12th ed., Foundation Press, 2020), and, with Edward Sherman, Richard Marcus, and Howard Erichson, of Complex Litigation—Cases and Materials on Advanced Civil Procedure (7th ed., West Academic, 2021). In 2019, he was elected to the membership of the American Law Institute, and he serves on the Members Consultative Groups for the Restatement (Third), Conflict of Laws, and the Restatement (Third), Torts: Remedies.

In January 2023, Bradt was appointed by the Chief Justice to a five-year term as Associate Reporter to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules of the Judicial Conference of the United States. In that position, he analyzes suggested changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, develops proposed drafts of rules for committee consideration, reviews and summarizes public comments on proposed amendments, and generates the committee notes and other materials documenting the committee’s work.

Immediately prior to joining the Berkeley Law faculty, Bradt was a Climenko Fellow and Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. Before entering academia, Bradt was a litigator in the Issues & Appeals Group at Jones Day in New York City, and at Ropes & Gray in Boston. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert A. Katzmann of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Honorable Patti B. Saris of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Bradt graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he received the Joseph H. Beale Prize for Conflict of Laws, and summa cum laude from Harvard College, where he concentrated in Social Studies. He is a member of the state bar of Massachusetts.

Education

B.A., Harvard College (2002)
J.D., Harvard Law School (2005)

Hon. Brian R. Martinotti

US District Court Judge, District of New Jersey

The Honorable Brian R. Martinotti, U.S.D.J., was appointed to serve as a United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey on July 11, 2016, by former President Barack Obama.

Judge Martinotti graduated cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law and from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. Prior to becoming a federal judge, Judge Martinotti served as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge from 2002 to 2016. He sat in both the Family Division and the Civil Division in Bergen County. While assigned to the Civil Division, he was one of the state’s three Multi-County Litigation judges handling mass torts and complex litigation. Over the course of his judicial tenure in state and federal court, Judge Martinotti has presided over 13 Multi-District and Multi-County Litigations.

Judge Martinotti is the recipient of the 2020 Hon. Peter Ciolino Professionalism Award from the Bergen County Bar Association, the recipient of the Congressman Peter Rodino Medal of Excellence from Seton Hall School of Law, a 2018 Tri-County Scholarship Fund Honoree, a Fellow of the American Bar Association, and an elected member of the American Law Institute. In September 2023, Judge Martinotti was the recipient of the 2023 St. Thomas More Medal at the Seton Hall School of Law Annual Red Mass.

Judge Martinotti is a frequent lecturer for the American Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association Institute for Continuing Legal Education, New Jersey Association for Justice, and the Bergen County Bar Association. He has published in the Manual for Complex Litigation and the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal on the topic of Multi-District and Multi-County Litigation and has been recognized by the Fordham Law Review and JAMs for developing and implementing innovative methods of resolving complex litigation. He is also a member of the Judicial Advisory Board for the Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims at the Emory University School of Law, and as well as a co-chair of the Federal/State subcommittee, which continues to promote state and federal cooperation, particularly in the complex litigation arena. He is a member of the RAND Kenneth R. Feinberg Center for Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation Advisory Board and was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to be on the Editorial Board for Federal Judicial Center’s Manual for Complex Litigation.

Prior to being appointed to the State bench, Judge Martinotti was in private practice with the law firm of Beattie Padovano, LLC, from 1987 until 2002, beginning as an associate and eventually being elevated to partner in 1994. While in private practice, Judge Martinotti was a distinguished and well-regarded litigator and Certified Civil Trial Attorney. He was a council member for the Borough of Cliffside Park and also served other towns in various roles as municipal public defender, prosecutor, and tax attorney. Judge Martinotti began his legal career by serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Roger M. Kahn of the New Jersey Tax Court.

David S. Stellings

Partner with Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, Attorneys at Law

David Stellings represents consumers and small businesses from around the world in complex litigation in federal and state courts.

For the last 25+ years, Mr. Stellings has focused on product liability, consumer fraud, financial fraud, and breach of contract cases. His clients and class members have received more than

$17.5 billion as a result of his advocacy. Several of Mr. Stellings’ recent cases are described below.

Mr. Stellings is Court-appointed co-lead counsel in a large multidistrict class action litigation pending in federal court in Los Angeles. Plaintiffs allege certain auto part makers and automobile manufacturers – including ZF-TRW, Hyundai-Kia, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda, and Fiat Chrysler – caused consumers to buy and overpay for millions of cars that have defective airbag and seat belt systems. These defective safety systems have led to a number of deaths and serious injuries. In 2023 Plaintiffs and Toyota entered into a settlement valued at more than

$148 million, pending final approval of the Court. The litigation against the other defendants continues.

Mr. Stellings is Court-appointed co-lead counsel in another defective-airbag-related multidistrict class action litigation pending in federal court in Atlanta. Plaintiffs allege airbag manufacturer ARC, along with several other part suppliers and automakers, manufactured and sold more than 50 million vehicles with defective airbags that sometimes explode in a crash, and

send razor-sharp pieces of steel shrapnel into the faces, necks and bodies of drivers and passengers.

Mr. Stellings is co-lead counsel in a class action in federal court in Miami against truck manufacturer Hino. Plaintiffs allege Hino engaged in various types of emission cheating, and that as a result Hino purchasers paid too much for their trucks. The parties agreed to settle the case for $237.5 million plus valuable extended and additional warranties. The settlement is subject to Court approval.

Mr. Stellings is co-lead counsel in a case in federal court in Northern California against General Motors, in which plaintiffs allege the airbags in millions of GM trucks are calibrated improperly to fail to deploy in certain types of moderate and severe crashes, which can lead to serious injuries and/or death.

Mr. Stellings is a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in a multidistrict litigation pending in federal court in Pittsburgh against Philips Respironics and its parent companies. Plaintiffs allege defendants manufactured and sold more than 10 million defective CPAP machines, which caused economic damage and physical injuries to the people who bought and used the machines.

Mr. Stellings is part of the leadership team in the historic Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” multidistrict litigation, in which plaintiffs alleged that Volkswagen intentionally and systematically cheated

its customers, lied to the government, and misled the public about the emissions of its diesel engine vehicles sold under the Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche brands. The Court approved a settlement relating to 2.0-Liter engines worth approximately $10 billion in cash, as well as a

3.0-Liter engine settlement with an estimated value between $1.2 and $4 billion. The Court also approved a separate $327.5 million settlement with Bosch for designing the “defeat device” software in the affected VW vehicle engines. Class members in these cases recovered 100% of their alleged economic damages.

Mr. Stellings is a member of the leadership team in the Takata exploding airbag multidistrict litigation. Plaintiffs in that case allege that more than 40 million class members were damaged when airbag manufacturer Takata and several major automobile manufacturers knowingly exposed them to the risk of being killed or injured by shrapnel from exploding airbags. Certain automaker defendants in the case have settled for a total of more than $1.5 billion, and the litigation continues against the remaining defendants.

Mr. Stellings was on the leadership team in a case against various automakers who allegedly cheated fuel economy tests for certain gasoline-powered vehicles, and as a result, represented to regulators and consumers that the vehicles obtained better fuel economy than they actually did. The litigation and intensive settlement negotiations resulted in a non-reversionary $96.5 million settlement that provides class members “full compensation”—i.e., 100¢ on the dollar— for their alleged losses.

Mr. Stellings led a similar class action against Porsche for fuel economy cheating. The case settled for more than $80 million, close to 100% of the economic damages class members experienced.

Mr. Stellings was part of the leadership team in the Fiat Chrysler “EcoDiesel” multidistrict litigation, in which plaintiffs alleged that Fiat Chrysler and Bosch designed and installed cheating emissions software in more than 100,000 vehicles. The Court approved a settlement that required Fiat Chrysler to fix the vehicles, and provided class members $307.5 million in cash plus a valuable extended warranty.

Areas of Practice

Product Liability, Consumer Protection, Financial Fraud, Breach of Contract

Education

New York University School of Law, New York, New York

J.D. - 1993

Law Journal: Journal of International Law and Politics, Editor

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

B.A. (cum laude) - 1990

Bar Admissions

New York, Appellate Division, 1st Department, 1994

U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit, 2004

U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, 2010

U.S. Court Of Appeals, 4th Circuit, 2013

U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 2009

U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2017

U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 2007 Michigan Eastern District Court, 2015

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2012

U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1996

U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 2022

Publications & Presentations

Speaker, ABA National Class Action Institute, 2023

Speaker, Miami Law Class Action & Complex Litigation Forum, 2023

Speaker, “Trends in Class Action Litigation,” Trial Lawyers of Mass Torts Inaugural Conference, December 2022

Speaker, “MDL—Who Wants One? Plaintiff, Defense and Judicial Perspectives on MDL Pros and Cons,” University of Miami School of Law 2020 Class Action & Complex Litigation Forum, January, 2020

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Bar Association

Bar Association of the City of New York New Jersey State Bar Association

New York State Bar Association

Honors and Awards

“Super Lawyer for New York Metro,” Super Lawyers, 2012 - 2023

“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2023 “Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2021-2023 “Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist,” Consumer Attorneys of California, 2017

“Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist,” Public Justice, 2012 “Lawdragon Finalist,” Lawdragon, 2009

Hon. Zahid N. Quraishi

United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey

The Honorable Zahid N. Quraishi was appointed as a United States District Judge on June 23, 2021. Zahid, who is of Pakistani ancestry, is the first Muslim American to serve as an Article III judge in the United States. Judge Quraishi previously served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey in the Trenton Vicinage since 2019 where he was the first Asian-American to serve on the federal court in New Jersey.

Prior to his appointments to the federal bench, he was Chair of Riker Danzig’s White Collar Criminal Defense and Investigations Group. His practice focused on white collar criminal defense, internal corporate investigations, and complex civil litigation.

In private practice, Judge Quraishi had extensive experience representing clients with government enforcement and compliance issues involving potential criminal charges. He regularly managed complex federal and state court litigation on behalf of corporations, and their officers, directors, and employees. Judge Quraishi has represented both companies and individuals in connection with criminal investigations involving violations of securities law, healthcare fraud, money laundering, computer crimes, environmental statutes, public corruption, and tax laws among other white collar areas of law. His practice also extended to representing both corporations and individuals in complex federal and state civil litigation.

Before joining Riker, Judge Quraishi served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for over five years. He tried numerous federal criminal cases involving public corruption, financial fraud, perjury, firearms and narcotics offenses within the Special Prosecutions Division and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Government Fraud Units of the Criminal Division.

Judge Quraishi’s government service and prosecutorial experience extends well beyond his years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He previously represented the United States as an Assistant Chief Counsel and trial attorney with the Department of Homeland Security. He also served as a military prosecutor and achieved the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In the Army, Judge Quraishi was assigned to the First Infantry Division stationed in Germany and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 and 2006 before he was honorably discharged.

Earlier in his career, Judge Quraishi worked as a litigation associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, LLP and clerked for the Honorable Edwin H. Stern, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of New Jersey - Appellate Division (retired).

Prior to his elevation to the federal bench, Judge Quraishi served as a trustee of several prominent organizations to include the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, and the United States Attorney’s Office Alumni Association (DNJ).

Judge Quraishi has been recognized by the legal community, Asian-American community, and Muslim community for years. Most recently, he served as the commencement speaker for this year’s upcoming 2024 Rutgers Law School Graduation. In 2023, he served as the keynote speaker at the annual conferences for the National Muslim Law Students Association. In 2022, Judge Quraishi received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Rutgers Law School. He was selected as the commencement speaker for the 2022 Seton Hall Law School Graduation where he also received an honorary degree from the university. Judge Quraishi also was honored as the keynote speaker at the Rutgers University Law Review Alumni Gala and was jointly recognized for his community contributions by Rutgers Law School’s APALSA, MLSA, and SALSA student organizations. Additionally, he was awarded the 2022 Trailblazer Award from APALA-NJ. Judge Quraishi served as the Grand Marshal at the 2022 Muslim Day Parade in New York City and was the 2022 Keynote Speaker at the National Association of Muslim Lawyer’s annual conference. In 2021, Judge Quraishi received SABA-NJ’s Legal Excellence Award, the Excellence in Leadership Award from the Muslim American Leadership Alliance, and was honored by the Consul General of Pakistan for his historic appointment as a district judge. In 2019, Judge Quraishi received APALA-NJ’s Professional Achievement Award, SABA-NJ’s Standing Ovation Award, NJMLA’s Trailblazer of the Year Award, and was honored as a community trailblazer by Rutgers Law School’s Muslim Law Students Association.

Additionally, as a practitioner, Judge Quraishi has been recognized in his legal field by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as one of the country’s leading white collar lawyers, Best Lawyers in America®, a peer review of U.S. lawyers, and “Super Lawyers” by Thomson Reuters. He previously received Rutgers APALSA’s alumni award for leadership and service in the profession in 2017. In 2014, shortly after entering private practice at Riker Danzig, Judge Quraishi was named a “New Leader of the Bar” by New Jersey Law Journal.

Judge Quraishi received his law degree from Rutgers Law School - Newark where he was the Managing Business Editor of the Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal and a member of the Rutgers Moot Court Board.

Thomas P. Cartmell

Founding Partner of Wagstaff & Cartmell

Tom Cartmell is a founding partner of the firm, and a leading trial attorney for individuals, businesses and public entities in cases pending across the United States. Tom has been appointed by federal judges throughout the United States to leadership in over a dozen MDL matters, and is widely recognized for his trial skills. Tom has been selected for membership in many prestigious, invitation-only trial lawyer organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. In 2024, Tom was recognized by Lawdragon in their prestigious lists of 500 Leading Lawyers in America and 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America. Tom is a multiple time recipient of Best Lawyers of America’s “Lawyer of the Year” Award and is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. He holds the Martindale-Hubble peer review rating of AV Preeminent.

Tom has also been recognized locally for his achievements as a trial lawyer. He is the Past President of the Kansas City Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). In 2001, Tom received the Thomas J. Conway Award from the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, recognizing a lawyer with courage and zeal for the client and a collegial attitude toward fellow lawyers. In 2003, based upon the recommendation of State Court Judges, Tom received the Lon O. Hocker award as one of three outstanding trial lawyers in Missouri. He also received honors as a Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyer from 2006 to present. The Kansas City Business Journal has recognized Tom as “Best of the Bar” more than 15 times. Tom served as the Municipal Judge for the City of Mission Hills, Kansas for 16 years, and served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the University of Kansas Law School for eight years.

Tom’s cases span the spectrum from high-profile MDL matters involving dangerous medications, defective products or other complex issues to representing businesses in commercial disputes or high exposure injury cases. He has recovered more than a billion dollars for clients in jury verdicts and settlements. He is regularly chosen to act as lead counsel in major trials. For example, in the recent Transvaginal Mesh MDLs– one of the largest MDLs in history – he was lead or co-lead trial counsel in five bellwether trials. Settlements in these MDLs are reported to total more than $8 billion.

Described by Chambers as “a top-notch lawyer” for his representation of plaintiffs in contentious matters, Tom has a long history of achieving top-notch results in high stakes matters. He currently represents two dozen counties – including Buchanan County, Missouri, with one of the highest rates of opioid prescriptions in the country over the past five years – and he has taken nearly a dozen depositions of opioid company corporate witnesses in the MDL, In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804. He was recently appointed by Judge Orrick in the Northern District of California to serve as Government Entity Liaison Counsel for plaintiffs in In re: JUUL Labs, Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices & Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2913, and represents over 75 school districts across American in this litigation against the vaping company, Juul Labs, Inc. Tom also represents the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the State of Oregon in consumer protection litigation against Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon involving transvaginal mesh sales within the state. He was also named by the Honorable M. Casey Rogers to a five-attorney Executive Committee providing leadership in the 3M Combat Arms™ Earplugs Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2885, pending in the Northern District of Florida.

Norman E. Siegel

Partner with Stueve Siegel Hanson

Norman E. Siegel litigates high-stakes cases for companies and individuals. He has earned a reputation locally and nationally for his ability to strategize, negotiate and deliver results. He was recently named by Best Lawyers as a 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” and by Law360 as a “Titan of the Plaintiff’s Bar” for his work in class action litigation following big wins against some of the largest corporations in America.

Norm has successfully tried to verdict a wide range of cases, obtaining several multimillion-dollar jury verdicts, and has obtained billions in settlements for his clients.

Norm concentrates his practice in three principal areas:

Business Litigation. Norm successfully deploys the firm’s contingency fee business litigation model in bet-the-company and “David vs. Goliath” matters involving intellectual property, breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation and more. In one such matter, he prosecuted a groundbreaking antitrust case on behalf of Heartland Surgical Specialty Hospital, which claimed the region’s dominant hospital systems conspired to prevent it from obtaining in-network provider contracts. After Norm secured a key admission from a defense witness, Heartland settled with all defendants.

Data Breach and Privacy. Named one of Law360's “MVPs of the Year” for Cybersecurity and Privacy, Norm has served as lead counsel in several of the largest data breach cases litigated to date, including the sprawling multidistrict litigation alleging Equifax compromised the personal information of more than 148 million Americans in a 2017 data breach. More than 250 cases were filed against Equifax, and Norm was selected lead counsel over scores of other applicants. A leader in this burgeoning field of law, Norm has prosecuted data breach claims against Capital One, Quest Diagnostics, Target Corp., The Home Depot Inc., Marriott, the Office of Personnel Management, and the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, and he is the co-founder of the American Association for Justice’s data breach and privacy group.

Class Actions. Norm’s recent work includes multimillion-dollar jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of consumers who were overcharged for life insurance policies. In Vogt v. State Farm Insurance Co., Norm delivered the closing argument to the jury that returned a $34 million verdict for Missouri owners of State Farm life insurance. Norm also served as lead counsel in Larson v. John Hancock Life Insurance Co., a nationwide class action that ultimately settled for $59.75 million just before trial. For his work in the field, Best Lawyers recently named Norm “Lawyer of the Year” for class action litigation.

Norm began his career as an Assistant Attorney General at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, where he gained a broad range of experience in complex litigation. He was later named partner at the firm now known as Dentons before starting Stueve Siegel Hanson in 2001.

Norm was recognized as a 2020 Missouri Lawyers Awards Influential Lawyer by Missouri Lawyers Weekly; has been named among the “500 Leading Plaintiffs’ Lawyers in America” by Lawdragon; and is listed among Best Lawyers in America and Kansas City Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar.” He has been honored several times as a Top 100 Missouri/Kansas “Super Lawyer” and a Benchmark Plaintiffs “Local Litigation Star.”

Norm has served on the boards of the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Bar Foundation and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Outside the office, he enjoys tennis, collecting art, and spending time with his family and his dog, a Whoodle named Lucky.

Bryan Aylstock

Founding Partner of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz PLLC

Bryan F. Aylstock earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of North Florida in 1992 (magna cum laude), and graduated number one in his law school section from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida in May, 1995.

Mr. Aylstock founded his firm in 2001, which is now comprised of 21 attorneys and 150 staff members who have directly handled the claims of more than 10,000 clients over the past 21 years. The vast majority of Mr. Aylstock’s legal career has been focused on the representation of individuals injured as a result of defective pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. Most recently, Mr. Aylstock served as the court-appointed Lead Counsel in the 3M Combat Arms Product Liability Litigation, MDL 2885, the largest MDL in United States history. In that capacity, he was recognized for receiving one of the Top 50 verdicts in the United States in 2021 and 2022. The Honorable M. Casey Rodgers even bestowed upon him the Court’s “MDL MVP” award for his litigation efforts and bringing that massive litigation to a successful resolution. Prior to that, Mr. Aylstock served as Coordinating Co-Lead Counsel helping to oversee and eventually bringing to resolution the five separate transvaginal mesh MDLs (MDLs 2187, 2325, 2326, 2327 & 2387), that were all consolidated in the Southern District of West Virginia. Taken together, those MDLs represented approximately one-third of the civil docket of the federal court system at the time. Mr. Aylstock was also appointed as Co-Lead Counsel in the In re Avandia Marketing, Sales and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1871, and as court-appointed Liaison Counsel in In re Abilify Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2734. He was also appointed Co-Lead Class Counsel in the recently settled class action case of In re Johnson & Johnson Sunscreen Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3015, and serves as class counsel the In re Proctor & Gamble Aerosol Products Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation pending in the S.D. of Ohio. The Independent News selected him as “Best Attorney” in the 2013 “Best of the Coast” awards.

Mr. Aylstock is regularly invited to speak at attorney education conferences on issues related to the handling of pharmaceutical and medical device cases, electronic discovery in complex cases, and other mass tort issues. Mr. Aylstock has developed substantial experience in handling complex class litigation consolidated within the multi-district mechanism.

Mr. Aylstock is presently licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in Florida, having passed the Florida Bar with the highest score in Florida’s First Appellate District. He is also licensed to practice before all Alabama and Mississippi state and federal courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Aylstock is a member of the American Inns of Court, the American Association for Justice, the Florida Justice Association and the Florida First Judicial Bench and Bar Professionalism Committee Panel. Mr. Aylstock was appointed to serve on The Florida Bar’s Committee on Professionalism beginning July 1, 2013.

Diandra “Fu” Debrosse

Partner with Dicello Levitt

Diandra “Fu” Debrosse is Managing Partner of DiCello Levitt’s Birmingham office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Mass Tort division. Fu is also a member of the firm’s Public Client, Environmental, Personal Injury, Civil Rights, and Trial practice groups. Widely known for her relentless client advocacy, Fu represents individuals and public entities injured by wrongful conduct, whether from defective medical devices or drugs, environmental contamination, corporate misconduct, or civil rights abuse. Nationally recognized as a powerhouse in mass torts, class actions, products liability, discrimination, and sexual assault claims, Fu has secured almost a billion dollars in client damages.

Fu holds prominent leadership positions for several multidistrict litigations, including Co-Lead Counsel for In re: Abbott Laboratories, et al., Preterm Infant Nutrition Products Liability Litigation; Co-Lead Counsel for In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation; Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for In re: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation; Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/ Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation; and Plaintiffs’ Committee for In re Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAS) Products Liability Litigation. She also represents municipalities in both In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation and In re: McKinsey & Company Inc., National Prescription Opiate Consultant Litigation, and is counsel in In re: Proton Pump Inhibitor Litigation. Fu formerly held a seat on the In re: Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Hip Implant Liability Litigation Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In re: Higher One Account Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, and has represented plaintiffs in many other MDLs. Fu also leads many systematic civil rights and sexual assault cases and represents states and municipalities in litigation.

In addition to other significant representations, she currently represents the City of Baltimore in relation to the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

In 2022, 2023 and 2024, Lawdragon recognized Fu as one of the 500 Leading Consumer Lawyers. In 2024 Lawdragon recognized Fu as one of the 500 Leading Global Plaintiff Lawyers. Chambers USA 2022 and 2023e ranked the firm’s Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs team among Chambers USA 2022 and 2023 ranked the firm’s Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs team among the top five in Alabama. The Birmingham Business Journal honored Fu with a Best of the Bar Award and Who’s Who in the Law recognitions in 2021 and 2022. In 2024, Forbes recognized Fu as one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers in their inaugural list.

Fu is a founding member of Shades of Mass, an organization dedicated to encouraging the appointment of black and brown attorneys in national mass tort actions. She is a board member of Public Justice and the Southern Trial Lawyers Association. Fu previously served as a hearing officer for the Alabama State Bar, held leadership roles in the American Association for Justice and the Alabama Access to Justice Commission, and acted as Alabama State Bar vice president and commissioner.

Fu is fluent in French and Haitian Creole and functional in Spanish. Her steadfast pursuit of justice is motivated in large part by her experience as a mother of two young girls.

Thomas E. Loeser

Partner with Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy LLP

Tom Loeser is a Partner in the Seattle office of Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, where he represents consumers in nationwide class action cases and individuals in qui tam whistleblower cases. Tom is a Martindale-Hubbel AV Preeminent Rated Superlawyer and member of Law Dragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Mr. Loeser adds a hard science and high-technology career to his 25 years of litigation, including 18 years in class actions and five years as a federal prosecutor.

Mr. Loeser’s technology career included an MBA, writing code for the Treasury at Microsoft, a financial analyst position at the Hewlett-Packard Company, and two years of technology licensing in Silicon Valley.

In 2002, Mr. Loeser was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles, where after two years of prosecuting various federal crimes, he joined the elite Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section. This role required months of training in the investigation and prosecution of hacking, computer intrusion, malware, and data breach cases. The training was cutting-edge, required Top Secret clearances, and continued throughout Mr. Loeser’s government service. Mr. Loeser resolved hundreds of criminal cases—including federal hacking and data theft cases—and brought over a dozen federal cases to trial and through appeal.

Mr. Loeser’s practice has included the prosecution and resolution of dozens of complex actions against the titans of industry, including national banks, insurers, builders, title companies, carmakers, mortgage lenders, trucking companies, and nationwide retailers. Mr. Loeser specializes in the prosecution of cases that are complex not only because of the legal and procedural issues involved but also due to the technological sophistication of the products, services, or misconduct underlying the legal claims.

Mr. Loeser has worked extensively on many of the largest consumer class cases in U.S. history. These include significant auto defect cases such as the $10 billion Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” MDL and the related $1.3 billion Volkswagen Franchise Dealer litigation. Mr. Loeser has worked on numerous data breach and privacy cases, including the antitrust case against Meta for its abusive data collection practices, and played leadership roles in the massive 2022 T-Mobile data breach case and the recent AT&T data breach affecting 75 million past and present customers. Mr. Loeser’s role in these cases encompassed all aspects of litigation, including leadership, strategy, discovery, depositions, legal briefing, and settlement.

Mr. Loeser’s work has garnered praise from the plaintiffs class action bar, who regularly invite him to speak at class action conferences, and from judges, including Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, who remarked on the record:

“It’s not simple, you make it look easy, and that's the art of what you do, Mr. Loeser, and the Court certainly appreciates the good work in this case, and in recognition of the many cases that your firm has handled over the years.”
Dean Sheikh et al v. Tesla, Inc. Final Approval of Settlement Hearing, The Honorable Beth Labson Freeman, United States District Judge for the Northern District of California San Jose Division.

Outside of work, Tom enjoys spending time with his family cycling, skiing, snowboarding, surf-foiling, and engaging in various ocean activities.

Chad R. Hutchinson

Attorney with Butler Snow

Chad Hutchinson is an experienced trial attorney who has defended clients in the products, pharmaceutical and medical device industries the majority of his career. He has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict in first chair trial roles and assisted teams in multi-district litigation and various state courts all over the country. Chad has previously been selected as a winner of the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award by The Burton Foundation for his published work. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America^® and Super Lawyers^® and is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

About Chad

Chad serves as national/regional counsel in the defense of various manufacturers and distributors in both commercial and product liability litigation. He also handles catastrophic loss/high exposure tort matters around the country for several insurers. As part of his medical device practice, Chad routinely prepares and defends company witnesses and 30(b)(6) representatives. His work with expert witnesses focuses on the fields of biomaterials, polymer science, chemistry, toxicology and epidemiology. He has deposed numerous Plaintiffs’ experts in these fields, several of which concluded with successful Daubert/Frey challenges that limited or excluded the admissibility of their opinions. He has also presented to judges presiding at court- ordered Science Days, as well as led all work-up phases for experts, including selection, preparation, defending their depositions, and directing their testimony at trial.

In 2018, a client selected Chad as its “Attorney of the Year.” He graduated from the prestigious International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy. In 2019, Chad served as a faculty member of the trial academy. Chad is active in several industry organizations, including IADC, where he serves as Vice Chair of Programs and Projects within the Drug, Device & Biotechnology Committee. Chad is also a member of the Trial Attorneys of America.

Chad obtained a J.D., cum laude, from Mississippi College. He obtained both an M.A., cum laude, in Taxation and a B.A., cum laude, in Accountancy from the University of Mississippi. He is admitted to practice in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Practice Areas and Industry Teams

Drug & Device Litigation - Trials
Drug & Device Litigation
Professional Liability
Premises Liability
Insurance
Products, Catastrophic & Industrial Litigation
Trucking Litigation
Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare

Experience

Jarrett v. Ethicon, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, Case No. 4:20-CV-01517-BRW, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas; October 12, 2022; Trial Counsel; defense verdict. See “J&J Ethicon Unit Prevails In 2 Pelvic Mesh Trials,” Law360, October 13, 2022.
Knoth v. Apollo Endoscopy US, Inc. et al., Case No. 5:18-CV-00049-DCB-MTP, United States District Court of the Southern District of Mississippi; June 30, 2022; Lead Trial Counsel; defense verdict.
Cheryl Lankston v. Ethicon Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas; Houston Division; No. 4:17-CV- 00323; November 9, 2017; Trial Counsel; defense
Kimberly Adkins Ethicon Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; No. 130700919; June 9, 2017; Trial Counsel; defense verdict.
Keckley v. Estes Equipment Corp. et al., Circuit Court of Rankin County, Mississippi; Cause No. 2014- 46; May 15, 2017; summary judgment.
Pilot Travel Centers, LLC v. Mid-Continent Cas. Comp., 2016 WL 1633060, USDC of S. Miss; April 21, 2016; summary judgment.
Whitener Baxter Healthcare Corp., USDC of E.D. LA; Apr. 22, 2014; summary judgment.
James Orams v. Pilot Travel Centers, LLC, Circuit Court of Hinds County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 251-09-6909; August 15, 2013; summary judgment.
Suzanna Davis v. The Young Men’s Christian Association, Circuit Court of Rankin County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 2012-653; April 23, 2013; summary judgment.
Lyles Maselle & Associates et al.; Mississippi Arbitration Association; April 2, 2013; Lead Trial Counsel; defense verdict.
Savage Pilot Travel Centers, LLC, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Civil Action No. 11-60406; March 9, 2012; summary judgment affirmed.
Magee Covington County School Dist., 96 So.3d 742 (Miss. App. Ct. 2012); summary judgment affirmed.
Mayers Burke Handling Systems, Inc.; Circuit Court of Scott County, Mississippi; May 31, 2011; Lead Trial Counsel; directed verdict.
Marie Ellison et v. CareGivers, LLC d/b/a Clarksdale Nursing Home, Circuit Court of Coahoma County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 14-CI-02-0141; August 30, 2010; summary judgment.
Derse, Inc. v. Haas Outdoors, Inc. dba Mossy Oak; August 17, 2010; American Arbitration Association; No. 69 152 00513; Lead Trial Counsel; judgment for client for full amount requested.
State Farm Auto Co. v. Tiffin Motor Homes, Inc., Caddo Parish, LA; June 1, 2009; summary judgment.
Thelma Mitchell, et v. Nutrition & Management Services, Inc., et al., Circuit Court of Coahoma County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 14-CI-03-0063; February 17, 2009; summary judgment.
McIntosh v. Dillards Department Stores; D. Miss.; February 12, 2008; Lead Trial Counsel; defense verdict.
Veal J.P. Morgan Trust Co., N.A., 955 So.2d 843 (Miss. 2007).
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust Conegie, 2007 WL 1484539 (N.D. Miss. 2007).
McKenzie v. Highland Home Nursing Center, et al.; Rankin County Circuit Court; Cause No. 2002-393; September 17, 2003; obtained first order from a Mississippi trial court compelling arbitration in a nursing home case.
Smith Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 286 F.Supp.2d 777 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
Backwell Tiffin Motor Homes, Inc.; Circuit Court of Smith County, Miss.; Trial Counsel; 2002; defense verdict.

Bar Admissions

Tennessee, 2024
Alabama, 2023
Mississippi, 2001
Texas – Admission Pending
S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit
Admitted pro hac vice in numerous states

Distinctions

The Legal 500 US
- Recognized in the editorial for nationwide Dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense, 2023
Client Designated MVP Presenter, Medical Device Seminar, 2022
Client Designated Attorney of the Year, 2018
2018 Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award, The Burton Awards
Best Lawyers in America^®
- Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, 2013-2025
Super Lawyers^®
- Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice, 2008-2016, 2018-2020, 2023
Martindale-Hubbell^®
- AV^®-Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Member, Trial Attorneys of America
Faculty Member, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy, 2019
Graduate, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy, 2006
Leadership Mississippi, Class of 2005
Adjunct Professor – Meditation Advocacy, Mississippi College School of Law, 2022
Certified Public Accountant

Associations

American Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Medical and Health Care Law Committee
Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
Mississippi Bar Association
International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- Vice Chair, Programs and Projects
- Drug, Device & Biotechnology Committee
  - Vice Chair, Publications

Education & Honors

Mississippi College, D., cum laude, 2001
- Managing Editor, Mississippi College Law Review
University of Mississippi, A., Taxation, cum laude, 1996
University of Mississippi, A., Accountancy, cum laude, 1995

Papers, Presentations and Publications

Speaker, "Wearable Data: The New “Black Box” in Personal Injury Litigation,” Industry Litigation Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 26, 2024.
Co-Author, "SPEAK UP: Practical Recommendations for Rule 34 Product Inspections," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 16, No. 4, January 2024.
Speaker, "The Wearable Revolution: How to Use Personal Health Device Data in Litigation;” Industry Litigation Conference, Austin, Texas, September 29, 2023.
Speaker, “Human Body Meets Medical Device: Regulatory and Litigation Risk in Biocompatibility Analysis,” Product Liability Advisory Counsel (PLAC) Webinar Presentation, September 12, 2023.
Speaker, "Examining the Challenges for a Wearables Revolution in Healthcare," International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Seminar Presentation, Austin, Texas, February 19, 2023.
Speaker, “From the Trenches: Litigation Tips & Tricks” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar, Cooperstown, New York, June 9, 2022.
Podcast Guest, "Defense Counsel Journal Highlight: Turning the Tables: Non-Retained Experts for Defendants," IADC Speaks Podcast, February 7, 2022.
Co-Author, "Turning the Tables: Non-Retained Experts for Defendants," IADC Defense Counsel Journal, Vol. 88, No. 4, October 20, 2021.
Speaker, “Battle of the Experts: Cross-Examination Strategies and Techniques,” Client-Industry Sponsored Seminar, Miami, Florida, October 6, 2021.
Speaker, “Best Practices of Working with Experts (If You Need One),” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, June 10, 2021.
Co-Author, “The Case for Non-Retained Expert Witnesses,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 14, No. 1, February
Co-Author, “The Mongoose Strikes Back: How to Thwart a Reptilian Attack,” Pro Te: Solutio, 12 No. 3, September 2019.
Speaker, “Digital Communication Etiquette: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly,” Medical Device Presentation, Denver, Colorado, August 28, 2019.
Speaker, “The Mongoose Strikes Back: How to Kill a Reptilian Attack,” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, Austin, Texas, June 6, 2019.
Speaker, “Strategies for Trial Success,” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 15, 2018.
Speaker, “Strategies for Minimizing the Likelihood of a Punitive Damages Verdict,” International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Drug, Medical Device and Biotec Committee Presentation, Palm Springs, California, February 12, 2018.
Author, “Epidemiology for Lawyers,” Trial Attorneys of America, June
Author, “Epidemiology and the NFL Collide,” Pro Te: Solutio, 10 No. 1 (2017).
Speaker, “Epidemiology – What Trial Lawyers and Jurors Really Need to Know;” International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Seminar Presentation, Scottsdale, Arizona, February 19,
Speaker, “Epidemiology by Lawyers for Lawyers;” Defense Research Institute (DRI) Drug and Medical Device Committee Webinar, December 15, 2016.
Co-Author, “Voir Dire,” International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Defense Counsel Training Manual, Third Edition, 2016.
Speaker, "Effective Use of Epidemiology in the Courtroom,” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, La Jolla, California, June 2016.
Speaker, "Drug and Medical Device Litigation: Recent Trends in Products Liability Litigation," Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, Sea Island, Georgia, June 2015.
Speaker, "Recent Developments in the Pharmaceutical/Product Liability Industry," In-house Client Presentation, New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 2013.
Speaker, "Epidemiology Concepts and Applications," In-house Client-Industry Seminar Presentation, August 2012.
Speaker, "Drug and Medical Device Litigation: Navigating the Social Media Maze," Panel Counsel Seminar Presentation, Lake George, New York, June 2012.
Author, "The Path to Aggregate Settlements," American Bar Association Mass Torts Litigation, 10 No. 3, Spring 2012.
Author, “The Final Rule: FDA's Security Reporting Requirements for Investigational New Drug Applications," Pro Te: Solutio, 5 No. 1, 8-11, February 2012.
Speaker, "Tips for Impeaching and Discrediting Plaintiffs’ Expert Witnesses," ACI Long Term Care Conference, Miami, Fla., April 2011.
Speaker, "Sanctions for Failure to Properly Preserve Electronic Evidence," In-house Client- Industry Presentation, Whitehouse Station, Pa., June 2010.
Speaker, "ABA’s Ethics Opinion on Aggregate Settlements," Professional Liability Seminar, New York, New York, May 2010.
Author, “Understanding the Inherent Risks of Dual Representation in Internal Investigations and Civil Litigation,” Pro Te: Solutio, 2 No. 4, Fall 2009.
Author "Caves: Clarity or Confusion?" Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association Quarterly, April
Author, “Oops! The Dog Ate My Pacemaker, A Lower Standard of Spoliation Claims,” Pro Te: Solutio, Fall 2008.
Speaker, "Advanced Expert Witness Deposition Tactics," National Business Institute Seminar, October
Speaker, "Advanced Deposition and Trial Techniques for Cross-Examining the Combative Plaintiff’s Expert Witness," DRI’s Nursing Home/ALF Litigation Seminar, Miami, Florida, September 2008.
Author, "Cross-Examinations of Lay Witness," In-house Defense Quarterly, Winter

John Hooper

Partner with King & Spalding LLP

John Hooper defends multinational companies in complex litigations, including a variety of commercial, product liability, financial services, false and misleading advertising and other consumer class actions where he has served as national, regional and/or strategic counsel. He provides clients with all-inclusive strategic litigation management and counseling services to mitigate the reputational and financial risk associated with high exposure, viral and bet-the-company litigations.

John advises companies to create and execute litigation and strategic resolution options in some of the largest, most complex class actions, commercial litigations and mass torts in federal and state courts. Hooper's experience ranges from trials and arbitrations to mediations and settlements, and all stages of a case, from prelitigation to appeal. John's clients include some of the world's largest manufacturers of automobiles, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, building materials, tires, sporting goods and apparel as well as retailers, railroads, hedge funds, life insurance companies, private equity firms, banks and other financial services institutions.

Chambers noted that John Hooper is “24/7 responsive and very strategic” and “he thinks of end-game solutions in a way that other attorneys do not.” The Legal 500 United States has noted that, "John Hooper in New York is 'strongly recommended to anyone seeking a practical approach to managing complex litigation matters, particularly those with national scope.” John has just been recognized by the National Law Journal as one of its “50 Litigation Trailblazers” for his practice of advising multi-national clients on creating and implementing end game strategies in "Viral Litigations". The American Lawyer has recognized his skills in the management and resolution of "bet the company" litigation and as a "great master strategist." He has been nominated to the BTI "Client Service All-Star Team" for multiple years. He is also recognized in the Association of Corporate Counsel's 2014 Value Champion award. The New York Law Journal stated that John Hooper “has worked on some of the most high-profile litigation matters in the last decade.”

He has also been appointed by the federal and state courts as a Special Master, Special Settlement Master and Special Arbitration Master. He has also been appointed as the Lead Defense Settlement Liaison Counsel in MDL and other federal and state class and mass actions. He is a member of the Academy of Court Appointed Special Masters. John is a frequent speaker in the United States and Canada on topics related to class and mass actions.

Hon. Vince Chhabria

United States District Court Judge, Northern District of California

Vince Chhabria is a federal district judge in the Northern District of California, based in San Francisco. He was nominated by Barack Obama in July 2013 and confirmed by the Senate in March 2014.

Before taking the bench, Judge Chhabria was Chief of Appellate Litigation for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, as well as a deputy on the Government Litigation Team for that office. He successfully defended a challenge to San Francisco’s universal health care program, and was part of the legal team that successfully challenged California’s ban on same-sex marriage. He also defended the City in: a First Amendment challenge to an ordinance requiring cell phone retailers to warn customers about possible health risks from rf energy exposure from cell phones; an Establishment Clause challenge to a resolution passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors criticizing Vatican statements and policies regarding adoption by same-sex couples; separate First Amendment and Equal Protection challenges to an ordinance banning tobacco sales in drug stores; a state law preemption challenge to an ordinance requiring landlords to pay relocation assistance to evicted tenants; and a Due Process challenge to the City's red light camera program. Chhabria was also a member of the City Attorney’s Affirmative Litigation Task Force. In that capacity he served as lead counsel in several matters involving the failure of businesses to pay employees the minimum wages and benefits required by San Francisco law. Prior to joining the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, Chhabria worked in the San Francisco office of Covington & Burling, where he focused primarily on criminal defense litigation.

Chhabria served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer during the 2001-2002 term. Before that, he clerked for James R. Browning on the Ninth Circuit and Charles Breyer on the Northern District of California.

Chhabria attended law school at Berkeley from 1995-1998. Before that, he spent three years working as a Legislative Assistant to Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey in Washington, D.C. He received his undergraduate degree in Politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1991.

On the bench, Judge Chhabria’s cases have included a challenge to the Trump Administration’s decision to cut Affordable Care Act subsidies, a challenge to the federal government’s detention of unaccompanied minors accused of gang affiliation, a challenge to the conditions of confinement at ICE detention facilities during the COVID pandemic, a case about whether Lyft Drivers are employees or independent contractors, an MDL involving allegations that Monsanto’s Roundup causes cancer, and an MDL arising from Cambridge Analytica’s acquisition of Facebook user data.

Paul Geller

Managing Partner with Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

Paul Geller, managing partner of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP’s Boca Raton, Florida office, is a founding partner of the Firm, a member of its Executive Committee, and head of the Firm’s Consumer Practice Group. Paul’s 30 years of litigation experience is broad, and he has handled cases in each of the Firm’s practice areas. Notably, before devoting his practice to the representation of consumers and investors, he defended companies in high-stakes class action and multi-district litigation, providing him with an invaluable perspective. Paul has tried bench and jury trials on both the plaintiffs’ and defendants’ sides and has argued before numerous state, federal, and appellate courts throughout the country.

Paul was recently selected to serve in a leadership position on behalf of governmental entities and other plaintiffs in the sprawling litigation concerning the nationwide prescription opioid epidemic. In reporting on the selection of the lawyers to lead the case, The National Law Journal reported that “[t]he team reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ in mass torts.” Paul was also a critical member of the team that negotiated over $50 billion in settlements against certain opioid distributors, manufacturers and dispensers. Prior to the opioid litigation, Paul was a member of the leadership team representing consumers in the massive Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” emissions case. The San Francisco legal newspaper The Recorder labeled the group that was appointed in that case, which settled for more than $17 billion, a “class action dream team.” Paul was recently one of the Lead Counsel in In re EpiPen (Epinephrine Injection, USP) Mktg., Sales Pracs. & Antitrust Litig., a nationwide class action that alleged that pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Mylan N.V. engaged in anti-competitive and unfair business conduct in its sale and marketing of the EpiPen auto-injector device. The case recently settled for $609 million.

Some of Paul’s other recent noteworthy successes include the then largest privacy class action settlement in history – a $650 million all cash recovery in In re Facebook Biometric Info. Privacy Litig., concerning the use of biometric identifiers through Facebook’s “tag” feature. In addition to the monetary recovery, Facebook disabled the tag feature altogether, deleting user facial profiles and discontinuing the use of facial recognition software.

Paul serves on the Trial Lawyers of Mass Torts Advisory Board and was formerly on the Advisory Board of Emory University School of Law and the separate Board of The Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims at Emory. He is a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute of the Litigation Counsel of America. Paul is also a member of the Supreme Court Historical Society. Additionally, he served for many years as a member of the Board of Advisors for The Center on Civil Justice at New York University School of Law. In these roles and others, Paul frequently lectures on class action and MDL issues at judicial seminars, bar conferences, and academic programs. Paul is also a recurring member of the faculty of the Mass Torts MDL Certificate Program at the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke University School of Law, as well as the Baylor MDL Judicial Summit.

Paul is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell (the highest rating available), twice named one of the nation’s top “40 Under 40” by The National Law Journal, and named one of “Florida’s Top Lawyers” by Law & Politics and South Florida Business Journal. He has also been named a Legend, a Leading Lawyer in America, a Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer, and a 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer by Lawdragon; a Leading Lawyer by Chambers USA; a Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer by The National Law Journal; one of Florida’s “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend magazine; and one of “Florida’s Most Effective Lawyers” by American Law Media’s Daily Business Review. Additionally, Best Lawyers® named Paul a Best Lawyer in America and a Florida Best Lawyer in the area of “Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs,” and he was additionally chosen as Lawyer of the Year in that same category. Super Lawyers Magazine has also named Paul a Florida Super Lawyer for 16 consecutive years.

Paul earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, where he was a member of the University Honors Program. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Emory University School of Law, with Highest Distinction, where he was an editor of the Emory Law Journal, a member of the Order of the Coif Legal Honor Society, and awarded multiple American Jurisprudence Book Awards for earning the highest grade in class.

Mikal C. Watts

Founder of Watts Law Firm, LLP

Mikal C. Watts is more than just an attorney – he’s a driver of change and a powerful force in the battle for justice. His commitment is about more than just winning cases, it’s about empowering people who have been harmed in their struggles against large corporations after their lives have been upended by catastrophe.

As an advocate, Mikal strives to make the legal world less intimidating, more accessible, and ultimately, a platform where anyone can stand up and voice their grievances, no matter how powerful the opponent.

As a founder of Watts Law Firm LLP, Mikal has powered change, enabling over 200,000 clients to realize their right to have their voices heard against the largest corporations worldwide. This determination has led to the recovery of billions of dollars for clients who have fallen victim to catastrophic personal injury, toxic torts, product liability, and other unfortunate circumstances caused by corporate negligence and greed.

His goals have always been clear: to secure the maximum compensation for his individual clients, to hold the mighty accountable, to establish precedents that inspire societal change for the greater good, and to empower the voiceless.

Mass Tort Attorney Committed to Personal Communication with Clients

Mikal C. Watts deeply understands that the key to a successful client-lawyer relationship lies in personalized, regular communication. Despite the inherently complex and large-scale nature of mass tort litigation, Mikal is dedicated to ensuring that every client feels individually acknowledged and truly understood. In an industry where clients can often feel lost in the crowd, Mikal has developed a thoughtful and effective strategy to guarantee each person feels genuinely recognized and represented.

The first facet of this strategy involves a significant investment in resources and staffing at Watts Law Firm LLP. Mikal has meticulously assembled a robust team of skilled attorneys, paralegals, and legal professionals who embody his commitment to client-focused service. This team is charged with the task of responding promptly to all client inquiries, and they are steadfast in their mission to make each client feel valued and heard. A vital part of this mission includes providing regular updates on case statuses, ensuring clients are never left in the dark about their legal journey.

Moreover, Mikal’s dedication to personalized communication extends well beyond the boundaries of conventional legal practices. Recognizing the importance of face-to-face interactions in fostering trust and mutual understanding, Mikal makes it a point to personally meet with his clients. Despite the challenging logistics of representing thousands of clients spread across the country, Mikal has prioritized maintaining a direct, physical presence in his clients’ lives.

To realize this ambitious approach, Mikal travels to each city affected by catastrophe at least once every 90 days. These visits aren’t just formal courtesy calls; they involve Mikal hosting town-hall meetings, where he personally answers questions, addresses concerns, and discusses the ongoing litigations. These in-person sessions underscore his commitment to individualized service and serve as a testament to his dedication to empowering his clients.

This two-pronged approach reflects Mikal C. Watts’ unwavering commitment to not just represent his clients legally, but to ensure they feel heard, valued, and empowered throughout their legal journey. It underscores his philosophy that in mass tort litigation, the power lies in each individual’s story and each client’s voice.

“One of the most effective plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States.”

Harnessing the Power of Law for Systemic Change

Mikal C. Watts understands the real power of the law lies in its commitment to systemic change. Every case taken on is seen not just as a battle to be won, but as an opportunity to shift paradigms, to raise standards, to effect lasting change. Mikal’s relentless pursuit of justice in the face of powerful adversaries has resulted in unprecedented settlements in product liability cases, environmental mass torts, and more.

Corporations frequently prioritize profit over safety, sometimes resorting to reducing safety standards and cutting corners to protect their bottom line. Mass tort law firms play a pivotal role in interrupting this cycle of corporate negligence. By compelling corporations to pay damages to all affected parties, these firms hit corporations where it hurts the most – their finances.

This financial impact is twofold; not only does it provide much-needed compensation to the victims of negligence, but it also serves as a powerful deterrent to corporations. Faced with hefty financial penalties, corporations are often compelled to reassess and revamp their safety standards and policies. After experiencing such a substantial financial blow, the threat of another such penalty can act as a potent motivator for corporations to prioritize safety over profit in the future.

One example of this type of corporate change can be demonstrated by Mikal’s litigation against Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and Ford Motor Company, which resulted in resolving the most significant product liability case in the country. Watts Law Firm LLP was nationally recognized as one of two firms leading in the pursuit of hundreds of claims brought nationwide against Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and Ford Motor Company. Mikal was instrumental in bringing to light Ford’s quiet efforts to recall these defective tires in foreign countries while consumers in the United States continued to be injured or killed riding on the same tires. The terms of the settlement were unprecedented in American history for a case of this type; not only monetarily, but by virtue of what the companies agreed to do with respect to the disclosure of information relating to their own investigations into the alleged defects with their products and their corporate safety policies. As a result, these automotive giants changed their practices to produce better and safer products.

In this way, mass tort law firms aren’t just advocates for victims; they are instrumental in driving systemic change. By forcing corporations to face the financial consequences of their negligence, Mikal fosters an environment where safety takes precedence over profit, making industries safer for everyone.

Tireless Champion for the Everyman

In a society often dominated by corporate interests, Mikal stands out as a tireless champion for the everyman. The Texas Lawyer aptly noted, “In the driver’s seat, trial lawyer Mikal Watts doesn’t even know where the brake pedal is.” He consistently pushes the boundaries of what is possible in a courtroom, wielding the power of the law to drive change and empower his clients.

Mikal’s reputation as a powerful advocate for his clients is echoed by the San Antonio Express News, which describes him as a “hardworking, smart and formidable courtroom adversary who also drives a hard bargain in settlement talks.” The National Law Journal affirms that “Watts has established a record as one of the most effective plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States.”

Mikal’s unyielding dedication to his clients and the pursuit of justice resonates in every case he handles. His work has garnered national attention, with major news outlets including ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and The Wall Street Journal featuring his victories. Yet, for Mikal, his true success lies not in recognition, but in the knowledge that his work has empowered individuals and communities, altering lives and society for the better.

Join Our Mission to Empower the Voiceless and Power Change

Mikal is proud of his background and his journey from the University of Texas, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with high honors and then earned his law degree, to his position today as the leader of a law firm dedicated to systemic change for the greater good. As a Board-Certified Attorney in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated Lawyer, Mikal embodies the power of the law. His commitment to clients not only assists them as individuals, but forces necessary changes that make our collective society a better and safer place to live.

With Mikal C. Watts, you are not just a client; you are part of a powerful mission. You are part of a change, a movement that holds corporations accountable and empowers individuals. Mikal C. Watts doesn’t just practice law; he empowers voices, powers change, and exemplifies the true potential of the legal system.

Steven Zalesin

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Steve Zalesin is a nationally renowned trial lawyer with extensive experience in false advertising, intellectual property and complex commercial matters. He has successfully tried cases and argued appeals in numerous courts throughout the United States.

For more than 30 years, Mr. Zalesin has represented the nation’s leading consumer products companies in a series of landmark cases that have shaped the laws of false advertising, while helping to preserve and grow the markets for our clients’ products. In the past year he has won dismissal of several high-profile “greenwashing” cases, in which our clients were accused of misrepresenting the environmental impact of their operations. In addition, he has successfully defended multiple clients in putative class actions that alleged that their products contained dangerous contaminants. Mr. Zalesin is currently defending major beverage, consumer healthcare, household goods, and confectionary companies in litigation over their product labeling and advertising.

In 2016, Mr. Zalesin secured a federal jury verdict for the world’s leading beverage company in a closely-watched dispute over juice labeling. He initially obtained summary judgment dismissing the claims against our client, and successfully defended that ruling before the Ninth Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court then vacated the Ninth Circuit’s decision and remanded the case for trial. The Los Angeles jury rejected the competitor’s claims in full, returning a verdict in our client’s favor after a six-day trial and less than a day of deliberation. As a result, Mr. Zalesin was named “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer (March 24, 2016). In 2020, he obtained a noteworthy dismissal of a class action complaint that targeted a leading online petitioning platform and its efforts to promote racial justice following the murder of George Floyd.

The National Law Journal recently named Mr. Zalesin to its 2023 list of “Media & Entertainment Law Trailblazers.” He is also listed in Chambers USA as a leading practitioner in the area of Advertising: Litigation, where he is described as “absolutely terrific.” Clients note, he “is one of the top advertising litigators in the country. He is a very good writer and a very effective oral advocate who is excellent in court. He’s an all-round top lawyer.” Clients praised his “good, calm demeanor as an advocate in the courtroom.”

Mr. Zalesin is listed as “Litigation Star” in Benchmark: America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys. He has been named as a “Client Service All-Star” by The BTI Consulting Group for the past several years. This award recognizes attorneys who “stand above all the others in delivering the absolute best in client service."

Rosemary Pinto

Attorney Owner, Feldman & Pinto Law Offices

With more than two decades of practicing personal injury law, Rosemary Pinto has earned an impressive record of courtroom victories, most of which were in cases that other lawyers had rejected as unwinnable. Even in law school, Ms. Pinto stood out among her peers as one of the preeminent litigators. She won the Villanova Law School Theodore F. Riemel Moot Court Competition, in which law students presented a series of arguments before trial and appellate judges.

As a trial lawyer representing injured victims, she has achieved some of the largest verdicts in Philadelphia against corporations and medical treaters in cases that were against seemingly insurmountable odds. Ms. Pinto has an extensive background litigating mass tort actions. In the past, she represented asbestos manufacturers and insurance companies in complex matters. Currently, she confines her practice to the representation of victims, including victims of defective drugs and products that have been irresponsibly marketed to the public. Ms. Pinto also has the added advantage in the courtroom of having practiced insurance defense law early in her career. With this background, Ms. Pinto is able to predict what the defense will do in nearly every case.

Ms. Pinto has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a “Top Rated Products Liability Attorney in Philadelphia, PA” since 2005, and has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America© since 2006. She is frequently asked to lecture to other lawyers in the areas of medical malpractice, product liability and improvement of trial skills by the Philadelphia Bar Institute, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Ms. Pinto has taught at the Beasley School of Law in the Trial Advocacy Program. She also participated in the Philadelphia Bar Association’s program, teaching civics to high school students. She has appeared on television and radio in relation to cases litigated, her pro bono work and her work in the legal community.

Ms. Pinto credits her success in the courtroom to her background. Her father was one of the preeminent trial lawyers in the country and thus she developed a love of the law at an early age. In addition, as a former high school history teacher, Ms. Pinto believes that courtroom trials are very similar to teaching, because in both situations you are exposing a captive audience (that might prefer to be somewhere else) to a new set of facts or evidence, and you need to present the information in a way that is interesting so that the audience becomes involved in the process. Ms. Pinto is a firm believer in our justice system and the ability of a jury of one’s peers to weigh the evidence and come up with a fair decision. She says that it is the collective wisdom of a jury that gives it the ability to see through false statements and red herrings to achieve a just result. Ms. Pinto takes an active role in politics by supporting both political candidates and judicial candidates that support the Constitution of the United States and our justice system in the hopes of ensuring access to justice for all, not just the wealthy corporations and insurance companies. Giving back to the community is important to Ms. Pinto as an attorney, so she continually represents indigent clients, donates to and helps raise money for charitable causes and holds receptions for candidates seeking public office who support the rights of all of our citizens. Ms. Pinto has been on the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, and the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers. She has also served on the Board of Delegates to the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Norman E. Siegel

Partner with Stueve Siegel Hanson

Norman E. Siegel litigates high-stakes cases for companies and individuals. He has earned a reputation locally and nationally for his ability to strategize, negotiate and deliver results. He was recently named by Best Lawyers as a 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” and by Law360 as a “Titan of the Plaintiff’s Bar” for his work in class action litigation following big wins against some of the largest corporations in America.

Norm has successfully tried to verdict a wide range of cases, obtaining several multimillion- dollar jury verdicts, and has obtained billions in settlements for his clients.

Norm concentrates his practice in three principal areas:

Business Litigation. Norm successfully deploys the firm’s contingency fee business litigation model in bet-the-company and “David vs. Goliath” matters involving intellectual property, breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation and more. In one such matter, he prosecuted a groundbreaking antitrust case on behalf of Heartland Surgical Specialty Hospital, which claimed the region’s dominant hospital systems conspired to prevent it from obtaining in-network provider contracts. After Norm secured a key admission from a defense witness, Heartland settled with all defendants.

Data Breach and Privacy. Named one of Law360's “MVPs of the Year” for Cybersecurity and Privacy, Norm has served as lead counsel in several of the largest data breach cases litigated to date, including the sprawling multidistrict litigation alleging Equifax compromised the personal information of more than 148 million Americans in a 2017 data breach. More than 250 cases were filed against Equifax, and Norm was selected lead counsel over scores of other applicants. A leader in this burgeoning field of law, Norm has prosecuted data breach claims against Capital One, Quest Diagnostics, Target Corp., The Home Depot Inc., Marriott, the Office of Personnel Management, and the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, and he is the co-founder of the American Association for Justice’s data breach and privacy group.

Class Actions. Norm’s recent work includes multimillion-dollar jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of consumers who were overcharged for life insurance policies. In Vogt v. State Farm Insurance Co., Norm delivered the closing argument to the jury that returned a $34 million verdict for Missouri owners of State Farm life insurance. Norm also served as lead counsel in Larson v. John Hancock Life Insurance Co., a nationwide class action that ultimately settled for $59.75 million just before trial. For his work in the field, Best Lawyers recently named Norm “Lawyer of the Year” for class action litigation.

Norm began his career as an Assistant Attorney General at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, where he gained a broad range of experience in complex litigation. He was later named partner at the firm now known as Dentons before starting Stueve Siegel Hanson in 2001. Norm was recognized as a 2020 Missouri Lawyers Awards Influential Lawyer by Missouri Lawyers Weekly; has been named among the “500 Leading Plaintiffs’ Lawyers in America” by Lawdragon; and is listed among Best Lawyers in America and Kansas City Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar.” He has been honored several times as a Top 100 Missouri/Kansas “Super Lawyer” and a Benchmark Plaintiffs “Local Litigation Star.”

Norm has served on the boards of the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Bar Foundation and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Outside the office, he enjoys tennis, collecting art, and spending time with his family and his dog, a Whoodle named Lucky.

Eric Gibbs

Partner with Gibbs Law Group

Eric Gibbs prosecutes consumer protection, antitrust, whistleblower, financial fraud and mass tort matters. He has been appointed to leadership positions in dozens of contested, high profile class actions and coordinated proceedings, and currently serves in leadership positions in In re Equifax, Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, In re: Wells Fargo Auto Insurance Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, In re Risperdal and Invega Product Liability Cases, In re Banner Health Data Breach Litigation. Eric has recovered nearly a billion dollars for the clients and classes he represents, and has negotiated groundbreaking settlements that resulted in meaningful reforms to business practices, and have favorably impacted plaintiffs’ legal rights.

Reputation and Recognition by the Courts

In over twenty years of practice, Eric has developed a distinguished reputation with his peers and the judiciary for his ability to work efficiently and cooperatively with co-counsel, and professionally with opposing counsel in class action litigation.

[Mr. Gibbs] efficiently managed the requests from well over 20 different law firms and effectively represented the interests of Non-Settling Plaintiffs throughout this litigation. Judge Wu, In re Hyundai & Kia Fuel Economy Litigation (C.D. Cal)

The attorneys who handled the case were particularly skilled by virtue of their ability and experience.

Judge Debevoise, In re: Mercedes-Benz Teleaid Contract Litigation (D.N.J.)

They are experienced and knowledgeable counsel and have significant breadth of experience in terms of consumer class actions.

Judge Sabraw, Mitchell v. American Fair Credit Association (Alameda County Superior Court)

Representation was professional and competent; in the Court’s opinion, counsel obtained an excellent result for the class.

Judge Fogel, Sugarman v. Ducati North America (N.D. Cal)

Achievements and Leadership

Eric has been widely recognized for his professional excellence and achievements, and has been selected by numerous publications as a leading lawyer in the field of Class and Mass Actions.

In 2019, Law360 recognized Eric among its “Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar,” one of only 10 attorneys nationwide to receive the award, honoring “influential plaintiffs lawyers who had significant wins in 2018.” He also received the 2019 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award for his work in the Anthem Data Breach Litigation. The Daily Journal named Eric to its prestigious list of “Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California” for 2019 and 2016, and Law360 recognized Eric as a “2016 Consumer Protection MVP,” the only plaintiff-side lawyer in the country selected in that category. In 2018, Law360 named Eric a “Cybersecurity & Privacy MVP,” one of only five attorneys who received the honor nationwide. Consumer Attorneys of California selected Eric and co-counsel as finalists for the Consumer Attorney of the Year award for their work in achieving $100 million settlement in the Chase “Check Loan” Litigation.

His cases have been chronicled in major legal and news publications including NBC News, CNN, the National Law Journal, The New York Times, Auto Week, Market Watch, and Bloomberg News.

Eric holds a variety of leadership positions in professional associations dedicated to consumer advocacy, and he is frequently called upon to present on developing trends in the law at conferences throughout the country. Eric heads our California whistleblower attorney practice group.

Litigation Highlights

In re Anthem, Inc. Data Breach Privacy Litigation

Served as a court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee representing the interests of plaintiffs and putative class members following a massive data breach of approximately 80 million personal records. The lawsuit settled in August 2018 for $115 million, the largest data breach settlement in history.

In re Chase Bank U.S.A., N.A. “Check Loan” Contract Litigation

Multidistrict litigation that alleged Chase Bank wronged consumers by offering long-term fixed-rate loans, only to later more-than-double the required loan payments. Eric led negotiations in the case, which resulted in a $100 million settlement with Chase eight weeks prior to trial.

In re Adobe Systems Inc. Privacy Litigation

As court-appointed lead counsel, Eric and his team reversed a long line of decisions adverse to consumers whose personal information was stolen in data breaches. Judge Koh issued a 41 page decision in plaintiffs’ favor and Eric negotiated a comprehensive reform of Adobe’s data security practices. The court’s landmark decision on Article III standing in this case marked a sea change and has been cited favorably in over twenty cases in the year since it was issued.

Skold v. Intel Corp.

After more than a decade of litigation, Eric as lead counsel achieved a nationwide class action settlement on behalf of approximately 5 million consumers of Intel Pentium 4 processors. The lawsuit changed Intel’s benchmarking practices and Intel agreed to a cash settlement for the class, along with $4 million in charitable donations.

Parkinson v. Hyundai Motor America

Eric served as class counsel in this lawsuit alleging that the flywheel and clutch system in certain Hyundai vehicles was defective. After achieving nationwide class certification, Hyundai agreed to a settlement that provided for 50-100% reimbursements to class members for their repairs and full reimbursement for rental vehicle expenses.

De La Cruz v. Masco Retail Cabinet Group

Eric served as lead attorney litigating the collective claims of dozens of misclassified account representatives for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Successfully certified a class of current and former Masco account representatives and personally arbitrated the case to judgment obtaining full recovery for the class.

In re Providian Credit Card Cases

Eric played a prominent role in this nationwide class action suit brought on behalf of Providian credit card holders alleging that Providian engaged in unlawful and fraudulent business practices in connection with the marketing and fee assessments for its credit cards. The Honorable Stuart Pollack approved a $105 million settlement, plus injunctive relief—one of the largest class action recoveries in the United States arising out of consumer credit card litigation.

Megan E. Jones

Partner with Hausfeld

Megan Jones (@MeganJonesEsq) is Co-Chair of the firm's Antitrust practice group and a California Bay Area-based lawyer focused on recovering damages for companies that are victims of antitrust cartels, including those involving price-fixing, tying, restraints of trade, and other competition violations. With 19 years of experience in antitrust class actions, Megan is trusted by courts to lead large and complex antitrust cases:

In re Local TV Advertising Litigation (Sole Lead counsel)
In re Diisocyanates Antitrust Litigation (Co-Lead counsel)
In re Beef Antitrust Litigation (Co-Lead Counsel)
In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (Plaintiff Steering Committee)
In re Marriott International Customer Data Security Breach Litigation (Plaintiff Steering Committee)

Megan is known for her creativity in settlement issues. For instance, in the In re Municipal Derivatives Antitrust Litigation (S.D.N.Y.), where she was co-lead counsel, she recovered over $220 million for a class of cities and municipalities. She co-negotiated several settlements in collaboration with Select State Attorneys General, who entrusted class counsel to handle notice and claims processes. In 2016, the American Antitrust Institute awarded Megan and her team the “Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice” for this innovative public/private partnership.

Notable Settlements Negotiated by Megan Jones

In re Municipal Derivatives Antitrust Litigation – Over $200 million recovered on behalf of the class
In re Polyester Staple Antitrust Litigation – $63.5 million recovered
In re Compact Disc Antitrust Litigation – Over $50 million recovered
In re Rubber Chemicals Antitrust Litigation – Over $100 million recovered
In re MMA Antitrust Litigation – Over $20 million recovered
In re EPDM Antitrust Litigation – $81 million recovered

Megan also played a key role in the negotiation of a $300 million global settlement with Bayer, covering three cases (EPDM, Rubber Chemicals, and NBR), and she was responsible for drafting the innovative settlement agreement.

One of the few women in the plaintiffs’ bar inducted into the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for consistent excellence in litigation, Megan has a national reputation for her work. She is known for creating effective multi-firm teams, her strategic precision, and her expertise in electronic discovery, often speaking and training others through the prestigious Sedona Conference®.

Megan Jones is highly regarded for her ability to manage cases of any scale, coordinating with experts to develop economic models that aid in recovery, class certification, settlement, and discovery. She has led teams of over 80 law firms in one case and has consistently promoted diverse and inclusive litigation teams, even creating a conference for women antitrust lawyers to share best practices.

Respected for her relentless pursuit of the facts, Megan is both strategic and efficient. She prioritizes judicial resources by focusing on essential legal issues, and her extensive negotiation experience allows her to craft settlement strategies even in the most challenging cases. Megan has collaborated with Select State Attorneys General to jointly settle cases on behalf of both states and civil litigation classes.

Clients

Megan represents companies that procure cartelized products for manufacturing purposes. By analyzing a corporation’s purchases globally, she provides various recovery options across multiple jurisdictions. Emphasizing non-litigation options where appropriate, Megan is as skilled in securing resolutions in a conference room as she is in the courtroom.

To learn more about Megan's work and insights, listen to her featured appearance on the ABA’s Antitrust Section podcast, “How Do You Get to the Final Yes?” (May 2020).

Jay Edelson

Founder and CEO of Edelson PC

Jay Edelson is the founder and CEO of Edelson PC. He is considered one of the nation’s leading plaintiff’s lawyers, with his firm having helped secure over $45 billion in settlements and verdicts on behalf of classes, individuals, and governmental entities. Law360 recognized Jay as a “Titan of the Plaintiff’s Bar” in 2014, 2021, and 2023.

Jay has been recognized as one of “America’s top trial lawyers” in the mass action arena, with his firm serving as lead trial counsel in the Portland Wildfire Litigation, securing class-wide liability and punitive damage findings and, according to the defendant, paving the way for as much as $25 billion dollars to the class.

He has been called “probably the best known, and most innovative, consumer privacy lawyer on the planet,” with he and his firm holding records for the largest trial verdict in a consumer privacy case ($925m), the largest single-state consumer privacy settlement ($650m) and the largest TCPA class settlement ($76m).

Jay has been appointed to represent state and local regulators on some of the largest issues of the day, ranging from opioids suits against pharmaceutical companies, to environmental actions against polluters, to breaches of trust against energy companies and for-profit hospitals, to privacy suits against Google, Facebook, and others.

Other commentators have similarly singled out Jay’s willingness to tackle problems other lawyers shy away from and his creativity in finding winning strategies that were not readily apparent. He successfully litigated cases of first impression against the national banks in the wake of the housing collapse, leading to the reinstatement of over $3 billion in home credit lines. Through his privacy cases, he has “fostered a reputation for his uncanny ability to come up with creative standing and damages arguments” leading to “momentum-shifting rulings in challenges to the data security and information-gathering practices of companies.”

The American Bar Association recognized Jay as one of the “most creative minds in the legal industry.” Law360 noted that he has “taken on some of the biggest companies and law firms in the world and has had success where others have not.” Yet another put it even more simply, explaining “when it comes to legal strategy and execution, Jay is simply one of the best in the country.”

Jay has received special recognition for his success in taking on Silicon Valley. The national press has dubbed Jay and his firm the “most feared” litigators in Silicon Valley and, according to the New York Times, tech’s “babyfaced … boogeyman.” Chicago Lawyer Magazine dubbed Jay “Public Enemy No. 1 in Silicon Valley.” Fortune Magazine has also singled out Jay’s work in the privacy space. In the emerging area of privacy law, the international press has called Jay one of the world’s “profiliertesten (most prominent)” privacy class action attorneys. The National Law Journal has similarly recognized Jay as a “Cybersecurity Trailblazer” — one of only two plaintiff’s attorneys to win this recognition. LawDragon named him one of the top Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in the country for his work against Silicon Valley companies.

Jay is a frequent speaker and writer on class, mass, and governmental action issues, the practice of law more generally, and training and law firm management. In recognition of the fact that his firm runs like a start-up that “just happens to be a law firm,” Jay was recently named to “Chicago’s Top Ten Startup Founders over 40” by Tech.co and was recognized by The Unicorn in the Room’s “The 45 Over 45: Entrepreneurs Over Age 45 Who Are Disrupting the Way We Do Business.” In 2022, Jay was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business.”

Jay has taught privacy litigation at UC Berkeley School of Law and class actions and negotiations at Chicago-Kent College of Law and has guest lectured at law schools throughout the country, including Harvard Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, Northwestern Law, Georgetown Law, and many others. He has written a blog for Thomson Reuters, called Pardon the Disruption, where he focused on ideas necessary to reform and reinvent the legal industry and has contributed opinion pieces to TechCrunch, Quartz, the Chicago Tribune, Law360, and others.

Jay is also the leading voice of the “reform wing” of the Plaintiff’s Bar, bringing suits, pushing for legislation, and speaking out about critical issues needed to reform plaintiff’s litigation.

Jay is also the host of the Non-Compliant podcast and is the head of Edelson Creative, which recently put out the music video “We don’t talk about claims rates (A “Bruno” parody).

Alyson Bustamante Jones

Attorney with Butler Snow

OVERVIEW

Alyson serves as Practice Group Leader for our Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Group. Frequently called upon to assemble teams and manage both coordinated proceedings and individual plaintiff cases, Alyson represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in product liability litigation across the country. She has “considerable MDL experience,” “continues to impress as the result of her aptitude at handling coordinated proceedings and individual plaintiff cases,” and is “attuned to understanding the underlying business implications.” The Legal 500 US Editorial (2021, 2022 and 2023). She is well-versed in MDL procedures, having represented major companies in high-profile MDL proceedings. Her recent experience includes serving as lead counsel successfully obtaining summary judgment in favor of a medical device manufacturer in the Middle District of Florida and serving as co-lead MDL counsel for a major pharmaceutical company in litigation consolidated in the Eastern District of New York. She has also served as MDL defense liaison counsel for another major pharmaceutical company in litigation consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and lead counsel for national litigation in multiple jurisdictions across the country for a medical device company.

PRACTICE AREAS

INDUSTRY

Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare

ABOUT

Adept at coordinating national and local teams of attorneys and non-attorney partners in order to successfully defend against mass torts, Alyson understands the big picture and business implications for her clients, in part due to a three year secundment with a major pharmaceutical company. Her experience involves overseeing and managing all aspects of mass tort litigation including MDL representation, management of bellwether selection, oversight of local counsel, oversight of all pleadings, defensive discovery, and expert development. In addition to her mass tort management capabilities, she has served on numerous trial teams, including Jackson v. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Case No. ATL-L-880-13, Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic County, named one of CVN’s Top 2015 Defense Verdicts. Alyson also serves as discovery counsel in major pieces of pharmaceutical litigation.

In addition to being recognized by The Legal 500 US as Next Generation Partner, Alyson has been selected by Law360 as a Rising Star (2019), Lawdragon 500 (Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Litigation and Class Action Litigation), Mid-South Super Lawyers, Mid-South Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 (2014). In 2017, she was selected to PORTICO 10, a group of promising attorneys who have made significant accomplishments in their career. She is a member of the Mississippi Bar Leadership Class (2014) and a graduate of the prestigious International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy.

Alyson obtained her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Tennessee and her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Mississippi. She is admitted to practice in Mississippi and Tennessee.

EXPERIENCE

MDL and Mass Tort Management

Coolsculpting® Litigation, (National Counsel), including Cates v. Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc., Case No. 6:19-cv-1670-PGB-LRH, U.S.D.C. (M.D. Fla.) in which we obtained summary judgment, affirmed by the 11th Circuit, based on adequate labeling. “11th Circ. Freezes CoolSculpting User’s Product Liability Suit,” Law360, July 24, 2023
In re: Propecia® (Finasteride) Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2331, E.D.N.Y. (Co-Lead Counsel).
In re: Propecia® Litigation, Case No. 623, Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division: Middlesex County (Co-Lead Counsel).
In re: Tylenol® (Acetaminophen) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2436, E.D. P.a. (Defense Liaison Counsel).

Trial Team Support

Jackson v. McNeil-PPC, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson, Inc., No. ATL-L-880-13, Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic County: Tried in September 2015 - defense verdict; obtained summary judgment dismissing punitive damages.
Sessner v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division, Atlantic County: Second New Jersey bellwether product liability case involving prescription drug Fosamax®; defense verdict, 2012.
Maley v. Merck Sharpe & Dohme Corp., No. 1:06-cv-04110-JFK, S.D.N.Y., 2010: Second bellwether MDL trial in the Fosamax® litigation.
Boles v. Merck & Co., Inc., No. 1:06-cv-09455-JFK, USDC SDNY, 2009: First bellwether MDL trial in the Fosamax® litigation.
Brierton Johnson v. Johnson & Johnson, et al., No. TC 018540 - Los Angeles Superior Court in Malibu, 2008: California trial involving first product liability case in connection with Children’s Motrin® and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
Kozic v. Merck & Co., Inc., No. 03-9248, Hillsborough County Circuit Court, Florida, 2007 (Vioxx® Litigation).
Cona v. Merck & Co., Inc., No. ATL-L-3553-05-MT -- Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division: Atlantic County, New Jersey, 2006 (Vioxx® Litigation).
McDarby v. Merck & Co., Inc., No. ATL-L-1296- 05-MT-- Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division: Atlantic County, New Jersey, 2006 (Vioxx® Litigation).
Albright v. Merck & Co., Inc., No. CV-05-02316 -- Jefferson County Circuit Court, Alabama, 2006 (Vioxx® Litigation).
Humeston v. Merck & Co., Inc., No. ATL-L-2272-03-MT -- Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division: Atlantic County, New Jersey, 2005 (Vioxx® Litigation).

Additional Experience

Client Secundment, January 2010 – 2013
Hunter v. Covin, et al., Forrest County – Second chair in three-day jury trial.

DISTINCTIONS

The Legal 500 U.S.
- Next Generation Partner, 2018-2023
Lawdragon, 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Pharmaceutical & Medical Device, Class Action
- 2022, 2024

BAR ADMISSIONS

Mississippi, 2004
Tennessee, 2004
U.S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
- Tennessee: Eastern, Middle, Western

EDUCATION

University of Tennessee, J.D., cum laude, 2004
University of Mississippi, B.A., English and Spanish, cum laude, 2001

ASSOCIATIONS

Emory University Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims
American Bar Association
Defense Research Institute (DRI)
International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
Capital Area Bar Association
Hispanic National Bar Association
Mississippi Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association

PAPERS, PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS

Speaker, "Steering Committee Appointment Process," Advanced Strategy Mass-Tort MDL Certificate Course, GW Certificate Course, February 24, 2022.
Speaker, Emory University Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims Rising Stars Conference, Atlanta, GA, January 2018.
Co-Author, “Physician Depositions: Who Goes First?," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 10 No. 3 (2017).
Author, “Off-Label Promotion: Is It Free Speech?” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 7, No. 4, December 2014.
Author, "Document Preservation Notices and the Lists of Who Receive Them: Are They Discoverable?," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 5, No 4 (November 2012).
Author, "Update on Tort Reform Caps: Are They Constitutional?" Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 3 No. 3, 6-7 (August 2010).
Author, "Mississippi Tort Reform Faces Judicial Nullification Effort," Legal Opinion Letter, Washington Legal Foundation, February 12, 2010.
Co-Author, "To Catch A Thief," Defense Research Institute, Drug and Device Seminar.
Author, "Case Law: Sales Representatives, Diversity Jurisdiction and Fraudulent Joinder: Where do the Courts Stand," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 2 No. 3, 13 (July 2009).
Author, "Limiting Adverse Verdicts: Tort Reform in Mississippi," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 1 No. 4, 2-5 (October 2008).
Author, "Navigating Through the Serious Implications of an FDA Warning Letter," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 1 No. 2, 12-17 (April 2008).
Speaker, Mississippi Dental Society Annual Meeting.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Friends of Children's Hospital, Board of Directors
Century Club Charities, Board of Directors

Brian Glasser

Partner with Bailey Glasser

Brian Glasser, a Rhodes scholar and Harvard law graduate has tried cases in 16 different states, including two mass actions and four class actions. He served as counsel to creditors in seeking dismissal of both the first LTL/J&J bankruptcy and the 3M/Aero earplug bankruptcy. He is currently counsel to a class of claimants suing J&J for abuse of process in bringing two bad faith bankruptcies.

You can find the decision on several of the cases mentioned below on the firm website at: baileyglasser.com/lawyers-brian-a-glasser

2024

Brian recently won a $5 million arbitral judgment by “proving to 100% certainty” that the data Mike Lindell claimed to possess showing votes were moved from Mr. Trump to Mr. Biden was not 2020 election data, at all.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the “Top 200 Lawyers in America” in its first-ever top lawyers list: “[t]hey all share reputations for integrity, records of excellence—and Forbes’ recognition as the best in the business.”

2023

Obtained, as part of the national trial team, a dismissal of the attempted bankruptcy of 3M subsidiary Aearo Technologies. The fake bankruptcy was intended to dictate resolution to more than 260,000 veterans. 3M was offering $1 billion to settle the cases going in; they have now resolved for approximately $6 billion.
Obtained, as co-lead trial counsel, final dismissal of Johnson & Johnson’s first attempt to create a special purpose entity to bankrupt and manage its talc liabilities. We lost at the bankruptcy court, but were vindicated on appeal. Mr. Glasser's opening argument slides at the trial court level can be viewed as referenced above.
Obtained, as lead counsel, judgment for $19.96 million in a lease dispute over mining royalties.

2022

Served as co-trial counsel in a Roundup case that settled for a confidential sum on the fourth day of trial.

2021

Obtained, as co-trial counsel, a verdict on behalf of Ramaco Resources Inc. of approximately $32.7 million against Chubb-related insurance companies for breach of contract in a denial of insurance coverage case.

2020

Tried two cases in Delaware concerning the interpretation of a shareholder rights agreement and a Limited Liability Company Agreement’s restrictions on transfer of units.
Obtained a confidential settlement on behalf of more than 120 residents, including many who were killed and injured, of an apartment building complex in Maryland that was destroyed by a natural gas explosion.

2019

In the DISH Network case discussed below, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the $61.34 million trial verdict.
Obtained, as co-trial counsel, an arbitration award of over $10 million for client S&N Communications, Inc. against Bechtel Infrastructure Corporation for breach of contract in the engineering and construction of a high-speed fiber optic network.

2018

Resolved damage suits for more than $800 million arising out of events of force majeure, alleged lease defaults, and for lost coal, against Hillsboro Energy LLC and Macoupin Energy LLC for approximately $190 million, paid over 15 years.

2017

Obtained, as co-trial counsel, a verdict on behalf of ERISA plan participants of approximately $29.7 million against Wilmington Trust for breach of fiduciary duty in the valuation and purchase of a defense contractor on behalf of an ESOP plan.
Obtained, as lead trial counsel, a verdict on behalf of a class of consumers of approximately $20.5 million against DISH Network, Inc., for over 51,000 violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act for calling numbers protected by the National Do Not Call registry. Verdict Sheet The Court then increased the jury award up to $61.34 million because we proved willfulness.

2016

In the Yellowstone Mountain Club case discussed below, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected all defendant Tim Blixseth’s challenges to the verdict and reversed the trial court’s reduction to $40 million, reinstating the original fraud judgment for more than $286 million.
In the Yellowstone Mountain Club BLX case discussed below, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the trial court’s breach of contract judgment for over $219 million against Tim Blixseth.
In the Sallyport case discussed below, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the trial court verdict for more than $21 million.

2015

Lead counsel to Foresight Reserves, L.P., in the sale of a non-controlling 50% interest in its subsidiary Foresight Energy L.P. (NYSE: FELP) to Murray Energy Corporation for $1.375 billion.

2014

Obtained, as Trustee of the Yellowstone Club Liquidating Trust, judgment against Tim Blixseth for $219.8 million for breach of a promissory note contract.
Served as counsel to Foresight Reserves, L.P., in the $2.4 billion initial public offering of common units of its subsidiary Foresight Energy Partners, L.P.
Obtained, as lead trial counsel, a $21.1 million dollar verdict against Sallyport Global Holdings, Inc., in a breach of contract valuation case in federal court in New York City. Published Decision

2013

Counsel to Foresight Energy LLC in connection with its $1.55 billion refinancing, involving a bond, term loan and revolver combination.

2012

Served on the Board of Directors of Tory Burch, LLC as the Chris Burch designee during the period of a contentious dispute over investor rights. The case was resolved by agreement.

2011

Lead counsel defending International Industries Inc. from a $127 million breach of contract claim. After five years of litigation, the Court limited the plaintiff's maximum recovery to $2 million and the case was quickly resolved.

2010

Co-lead trial counsel in the Yellowstone Mountain Club fraud case in Montana, obtaining a $286 million verdict against property developer and former owner Tim Blixseth for fraud. The trial court reduced the judgment to $40 million and upon defendant's appeal, we cross-appealed.

Earlier Matters

Co-lead trial counsel for plaintiffs in a mass action under the Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act obtaining compensation for damage to water wells and homes.
Lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs in a mass action of first impression under the Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act, establishing rights for off-permit damages from dust fall.
Served as co-counsel in the Petition and Briefing stage at the United States Supreme Court in Buckhannon Board and Care Home, Inc. v. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, 532 US 598 (2001).
Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of West Virginia in the Mountaintop Removal, Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Analysis, and Bonding Litigations from 1999-2003. This series of cases involved several injunction hearings and numerous complex federal and state issues resulting in fundamental changes in the mining and environmental laws of West Virginia and the region.
Tried numerous civil and criminal cases to verdict in state and federal court, in arbitration, and before state and federal agencies.

Awards & Accolades

2024 Forbes: Top 200 Lawyers in America.
2024 LawDragon: 500 Leading Litigators in America.
Chambers USA, West Virginia: General Commercial (2015 - 2024) and Corporate/Commercial (2018 - 2024)
Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation (2023) Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Energy Law (2010 - 2024)
Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year, Energy Law (2023)
Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year, Criminal Defense: White Collar (2019)
Super Lawyers, West Virginia, General Litigation and Business Litigation (2007 - 2024)

CHAD R. HUTCHINSON

Partner, Butler Snow

Chad Hutchinson is an experienced trial attorney who has defended clients in the products, pharmaceutical and medical device industries the majority of his career. He has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict in first chair trial roles and assisted teams in multi-district litigation and various state courts all over the country. Chad has previously been selected as a winner of the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award by The Burton Foundation for his published work. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America^® and Super Lawyers^® and is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

ABOUT CHAD

Chad serves as national/regional counsel in the defense of various manufacturers and distributors in both commercial and product liability litigation. He also handles catastrophic loss/high exposure tort matters around the country for several insurers. As part of his medical device practice, Chad routinely prepares and defends company witnesses and 30(b)(6) representatives. His work with expert witnesses focuses on the fields of biomaterials, polymer science, chemistry, toxicology and epidemiology. He has deposed numerous Plaintiffs’ experts in these fields, several of which concluded with successful Daubert/Frey challenges that limited or excluded the admissibility of their opinions. He has also presented to judges presiding at court- ordered Science Days, as well as led all work-up phases for experts, including selection, preparation, defending their depositions, and directing their testimony at trial.

In 2018, a client selected Chad as its “Attorney of the Year.” He graduated from the prestigious International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy. In 2019, Chad served as a faculty member of the trial academy. Chad is active in several industry organizations, including IADC, where he serves as Vice Chair of Programs and Projects within the Drug, Device & Biotechnology Committee. Chad is also a member of the Trial Attorneys of America.

Chad obtained a J.D., cum laude, from Mississippi College. He obtained both an M.A., cum laude, in Taxation and a B.A., cum laude, in Accountancy from the University of Mississippi. He is admitted to practice in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi.

PRACTICE AREAS AND INDUSTRY TEAMS

Drug & Device Litigation - Trials
Drug & Device Litigation
Professional Liability
Premises Liability
Insurance
Products, Catastrophic & Industrial Litigation
Trucking Litigation
Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare

EXPERIENCE

Jarrett v. Ethicon, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, Case No. 4:20-CV-01517-BRW, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas; October 12, 2022; Trial Counsel; defense verdict. See “J&J Ethicon Unit Prevails In 2 Pelvic Mesh Trials,” Law360, October 13,
Knoth v. Apollo Endoscopy US, Inc. et al., Case No. 5:18-CV-00049-DCB-MTP, United States District Court of the Southern District of Mississippi; June 30, 2022; Lead Trial Counsel; defense
Cheryl Lankston v. Ethicon Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas; Houston Division; No. 4:17-CV- 00323; November 9, 2017; Trial Counsel; defense
Kimberly Adkins Ethicon Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; No. 130700919; June 9, 2017; Trial Counsel; defense verdict.
Keckley v. Estes Equipment Corp. et al., Circuit Court of Rankin County, Mississippi; Cause No. 2014- 46; May 15, 2017; summary
Pilot Travel Centers, LLC v. Mid-Continent Cas. Comp., 2016 WL 1633060, USDC of S. Miss; April 21, 2016; summary
Whitener Baxter Healthcare Corp., USDC of E.D. LA; Apr. 22, 2014; summary judgment.
James Orams Pilot Travel Centers, LLC, Circuit Court of Hinds County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 251-09-6909; August 15, 2013; summary judgment.
Suzanna Davis The Young Men’s Christian Association, Circuit Court of Rankin County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 2012-653; April 23, 2013; summary judgment.
Lyles Maselle & Associates et al.; Mississippi Arbitration Association; April 2, 2013; Lead Trial Counsel; defense verdict.
Savage Pilot Travel Centers, LLC, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Civil Action No. 11-60406; March 9, 2012; summary judgment affirmed.
Magee Covington County School Dist., 96 So.3d 742 (Miss. App. Ct. 2012); summary judgment affirmed.
Mayers Burke Handling Systems, Inc.; Circuit Court of Scott County, Mississippi; May 31, 2011; Lead Trial Counsel; directed verdict.
Marie Ellison et v. CareGivers, LLC d/b/a Clarksdale Nursing Home, Circuit Court of Coahoma County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 14-CI-02-0141; August 30, 2010; summary judgment.
Derse, v. Haas Outdoors, Inc. dba Mossy Oak; August 17, 2010; American Arbitration Association; No. 69 152 00513; Lead Trial Counsel; judgment for client for full amount requested.
State Farm Auto Co. v. Tiffin Motor Homes, Inc., Caddo Parish, LA; June 1, 2009; summary judgment.
Thelma Mitchell, et v. Nutrition & Management Services, Inc., et al., Circuit Court of Coahoma County, Mississippi; Civil Action No. 14-CI-03-0063; February 17, 2009; summary judgment.
McIntosh Dillards Department Stores; S.D. Miss.; February 12, 2008; Lead Trial Counsel; defense verdict.
Veal J.P. Morgan Trust Co., N.A., 955 So.2d 843 (Miss. 2007).
Eaton Vance Municipals Trust Conegie, 2007 WL 1484539 (N.D. Miss. 2007).
McKenzie v. Highland Home Nursing Center, et al.; Rankin County Circuit Court; Cause No. 2002-393; September 17, 2003; obtained first order from a Mississippi trial court compelling arbitration in a nursing home
Smith Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 286 F.Supp.2d 777 (S.D. Miss. 2003).
Backwell v. Tiffin Motor Homes, Inc.; Circuit Court of Smith County, Miss.; Trial Counsel; 2002; defense

BAR ADMISSIONS

Tennessee, 2024
Alabama, 2023
Mississippi, 2001
Texas – Admission Pending
S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit
Admitted pro hac vice in numerous states

DISTINCTIONS

The Legal 500 US
- Recognized in the editorial for nationwide Dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense, 2023
Client Designated MVP Presenter, Medical Device Seminar, 2022
Client Designated Attorney of the Year, 2018
2018 Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award, The Burton Awards
Best Lawyers in America^®
- Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, 2013-2025
Super Lawyers^®
- Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice, 2008-2016, 2018-2020, 2023
Martindale-Hubbell^®
- AV^®-Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Member, Trial Attorneys of America
Faculty Member, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy, 2019
Graduate, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy, 2006
Leadership Mississippi, Class of 2005
Adjunct Professor – Meditation Advocacy, Mississippi College School of Law, 2022
Certified Public Accountant

ASSOCIATIONS

American Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Medical and Health Care Law Committee
Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
Mississippi Bar Association
International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- Vice Chair, Programs and Projects
- Drug, Device & Biotechnology Committee
  - Vice Chair, Publications

EDUCATION & HONORS

Mississippi College, D., cum laude, 2001
- Managing Editor, Mississippi College Law Review
University of Mississippi, A., Taxation, cum laude, 1996
University of Mississippi, A., Accountancy, cum laude, 1995

PAPERS, PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

Speaker, "Wearable Data: The New “Black Box” in Personal Injury Litigation,” Industry Litigation Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, January 26,
Co-Author, "SPEAK UP: Practical Recommendations for Rule 34 Product Inspections," Pro Te: Solutio, 16, No. 4, January 2024.
Speaker, "The Wearable Revolution: How to Use Personal Health Device Data in Litigation;” Industry Litigation Conference, Austin, Texas, September 29,
Speaker, “Human Body Meets Medical Device: Regulatory and Litigation Risk in Biocompatibility Analysis,” Product Liability Advisory Counsel (PLAC) Webinar Presentation, September 12,
Speaker, "Examining the Challenges for a Wearables Revolution in Healthcare," International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Seminar Presentation, Austin, Texas, February 19,
Speaker, “From the Trenches: Litigation Tips & Tricks” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar, Cooperstown, New York, June 9,
Podcast Guest, "Defense Counsel Journal Highlight: Turning the Tables: Non-Retained Experts for Defendants," IADC Speaks Podcast, February 7,
Co-Author, "Turning the Tables: Non-Retained Experts for Defendants," IADC Defense Counsel Journal, 88, No. 4, October 20, 2021.
Speaker, “Battle of the Experts: Cross-Examination Strategies and Techniques,” Client-Industry Sponsored Seminar, Miami, Florida, October 6,
Speaker, “Best Practices of Working with Experts (If You Need One),” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, June 10,
Co-Author, “The Case for Non-Retained Expert Witnesses,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 14, No. 1, February
Co-Author, “The Mongoose Strikes Back: How to Thwart a Reptilian Attack,” Pro Te: Solutio, 12 No. 3, September 2019.
Speaker, “Digital Communication Etiquette: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly,” Medical Device Presentation, Denver, Colorado, August 28,
Speaker, “The Mongoose Strikes Back: How to Kill a Reptilian Attack,” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, Austin, Texas, June 6,
Speaker, “Strategies for Trial Success,” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 15,
Speaker, “Strategies for Minimizing the Likelihood of a Punitive Damages Verdict,” International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Drug, Medical Device and Biotec Committee Presentation, Palm Springs, California, February 12,
Author, “Epidemiology for Lawyers,” Trial Attorneys of America, June
Author, “Epidemiology and the NFL Collide,” Pro Te: Solutio, 10 No. 1 (2017).
Speaker, “Epidemiology – What Trial Lawyers and Jurors Really Need to Know;” International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Seminar Presentation, Scottsdale, Arizona, February 19,
Speaker, “Epidemiology by Lawyers for Lawyers;” Defense Research Institute (DRI) Drug and Medical Device Committee Webinar, December 15,
Co-Author, “Voir Dire,” International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Defense Counsel Training Manual, Third Edition,
Speaker, "Effective Use of Epidemiology in the Courtroom,” Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, La Jolla, California, June

Speaker, "Drug and Medical Device Litigation: Recent Trends in Products Liability Litigation," Pharmaceutical/Medical Device Seminar Presentation, Sea Island, Georgia, June
Speaker, "Recent Developments in the Pharmaceutical/Product Liability Industry," In-house Client Presentation, New Brunswick, New Jersey, May
Speaker, "Epidemiology Concepts and Applications," In-house Client-Industry Seminar Presentation, August
Speaker, "Drug and Medical Device Litigation: Navigating the Social Media Maze," Panel Counsel Seminar Presentation, Lake George, New York, June
Author, "The Path to Aggregate Settlements," American Bar Association Mass Torts Litigation, 10 No. 3, Spring 2012.
Author, “The Final Rule: FDA's Security Reporting Requirements for Investigational New Drug Applications," Pro Te: Solutio, 5 No. 1, 8-11, February 2012.
Speaker, "Tips for Impeaching and Discrediting Plaintiffs’ Expert Witnesses," ACI Long Term Care Conference, Miami, , April 2011.
Speaker, "Sanctions for Failure to Properly Preserve Electronic Evidence," In-house Client- Industry Presentation, Whitehouse Station, , June 2010.
Speaker, "ABA’s Ethics Opinion on Aggregate Settlements," Professional Liability Seminar, New York, New York, May 2010.
Author, “Understanding the Inherent Risks of Dual Representation in Internal Investigations and Civil Litigation,” Pro Te: Solutio, 2 No. 4, Fall 2009.
Author "Caves: Clarity or Confusion?" Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association Quarterly, April
Author, “Oops! The Dog Ate My Pacemaker, A Lower Standard of Spoliation Claims,” Pro Te: Solutio,

Fall 2008.

Speaker, "Advanced Expert Witness Deposition Tactics," National Business Institute Seminar, October
Speaker, "Advanced Deposition and Trial Techniques for Cross-Examining the Combative Plaintiff’s Expert Witness," DRI’s Nursing Home/ALF Litigation Seminar, Miami, Florida, September
Author, "Cross-Examinations of Lay Witness," In-house Defense Quarterly, Winter

Sarah Ruane

Partner with Wagstaff & Cartmell

Sarah Ruane is a partner and Chair of the Litigation Management Committee at the Kansas City- based Wagstaff & Cartmell LLP. Sarah has served as trial counsel, including lead counsel, in 10 jury trials in federal and state court, nearly all of which were cases involving drugs, medical devices, and health care services. As Chair of her firm’s Litigation Management Committee, she assigns and manages teams of lawyers and staff for all of the firm’s national mass tort and class action cases to ensure optimal, efficient performance for the firm’s clients.

Sarah has gained broad experience in pharmaceutical and medical device cases under the supervision and leadership of Tom Cartmell, who has served as plaintiffs’ co-lead counsel and co-lead trial counsel in several large MDLs that resolved successfully. Sarah worked extensively on trials and in discovery over the past decade in the national Pelvic Mesh Repair System Products Liability Litigation, which included In Re: C.R. Bard, Inc., MDL No. 2187; In Re: American Medical Systems, Inc., MDL No. 2325; In Re: Boston Scientific Corp., MDL No. 2326; and In Re: Ethicon, Inc., MDL No. 2327. In these cases, Sarah assisted in general causation expert reports, briefed and argued Daubert motions, defended case-specific depositions and deposed case-specific physician, sales representative and expert witnesses. Sarah also second-chaired the first (and only) pelvic mesh jury trial against the defendant Coloplast, which resulted in a $2.5 million verdict for the plaintiff.

In the National Opioid MDL No. 2084, Sarah helped build the liability case against the Teva defendants. She performed all aspects of discovery in the MDL, from ESI negotiation and document review to taking depositions of corporate witnesses. She also represented Buchanan County, Missouri, which had one of the highest rates of opioid prescriptions in the country.

Sarah’s entire career has been with Wagstaff & Cartmell, which has grown during her tenure to 34 attorneys and 52 other employees. The firm handles complex litigation nationwide in the areas of product liability, consumer fraud, class actions, antitrust, corporate malfeasance, professional liability, and representation of public entities.

Sarah is a current member of the District of Kansas Bench-Bar Committee. In this role, she works with six sitting judges from the District of Kansas to study and consider the Rules of the Court and serves as a liaison among the court, its bar and the public. Sarah has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Lawyers Association of Kansas City – Young Lawyers Section and Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance. Sarah received her undergraduate degree in Spanish and Sociology from Wake Forest University in 2003. She graduated from The University of Kansas School of Law in 2006. She speaks frequently at seminars which focus on trial advocacy.

Jim Murdica

Partner with Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Jim's practice focuses on the defense of pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer product litigation in state and federal courts nationwide, particularly consolidated mass torts and multi-district litigations.

In Chambers, clients describe Jim as having "[a]n incredible ability to synthesize complex scientific issues into very persuasive arguments that can be used both in court and in negotiations with the other side."

He serves as national coordinating counsel and MDL counsel for consolidated litigations across the U.S. involving thousands of plaintiffs as well as in numerous single-plaintiff cases involving pharmaceuticals, consumer products and medical devices. In conjunction with those roles, Jim emphasizes efficient discovery and manages significant mass tort e-discovery undertakings for his clients.

Jim has also coordinated the resolution of some of the largest, mass torts of the last decade.

Jim also counsels clients on product liability due diligence related to potential acquisitions and divestitures.

Regarding pharmaceutical and biologic manufacturers, Jim's experience includes:

Coordinating the national defense of a prescription diabetes drug alleged to have caused a multitude of injuries
Coordinating the national defense and acting as MDL counsel for the defense of several thousand litigations and claims alleging serious nervous system and vascular injuries from the use of a prescription antibiotic
Coordinating the national defense of hundreds of consolidated litigations alleging birth defects from exposure to an anticonvulsant medication in the Philadelphia Mass Torts Division
Coordinating the defense of consolidated state litigations in California alleging a life-threatening skin condition and tendon injuries from the use of a prescription antibiotic
Defending or assisting in the defense of consolidated and single plaintiff litigations regarding: anticoagulant medication, antidiabetic mediation, antipsychotic medications, antiepileptic medication, antibiotic medications, and various biologics that inhibit factors and bind proteins

Regarding medical device and consumer products manufacturers, Jim's experience includes:

Coordinating the national defense and serving as MDL counsel in the defense of a laparoscopic gynecologic surgical instrument for a medical device manufacturer
Coordinating the national defense of more than a thousand litigants and serving as lead counsel in a consolidated state proceeding regarding vena cava filters for a medical device manufacturer
Coordinating the national defense of contact lenses and vision devices for multiple medical device manufacturers
Coordinating the national defense of personal injury litigations for a cardiac catheter manufacturer
Defending the manufacturer of cardiac stents in a nationwide litigation alleging personal injuries from use of the device
Acting as national counsel for a manufacturer of skincare products

Michael Mallow

Managing Partner with Shook Hardy & Bacon

Michael is a highly experienced trial lawyer who has represented clients in class action and complex litigation matters, including cases related to economic product defects, unfair competition, false and deceptive advertising, business torts, privacy, entertainment and intellectual property. He has defended consumer protection actions and investigation initiated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. Department of Justice, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, as well as numerous state enforcement agencies. A client states that Michael is “a very smart lawyer and a very good strategist; he’s really excellent.”

For more than 20 years, Michael has been at the forefront of representing clients in significant consumer protection matters, including:

Defending the first enforcement action prosecuted by FTC related to the National Do Not Call Registry;
Securing a major automotive industry victory before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit mooting injunctive claims for relief brought by private plaintiffs following a product recall; and
Defeating a federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action by persuading the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals that internet classified ads constitute an express invitation.

He regularly counsels clients on marketing and advertising issues, and has substantial experience in the automotive, fashion retail, dietary supplement, telemarketing, electronic mail marketing, consumer products and payment processing industries.

He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including recognition by Chambers USA in the categories of California Litigation: General Commercial, and Product Liability: Consumer Class Action, and The Legal 500 United States in Dispute Resolution – Product Liability, mass torts and class actions: automotive/transport and consumer products. Law360 named him one of the “Transportation MVPs of the Year” in 2018, and a “Privacy & Consumer Protection MVP” in 2012. BTI Consulting Group recognized him as a “BTI Client Service All-Star” in 2012. Southern California Super Lawyers has honored him for Class Action/Mass Torts, Business Litigation and Civil Litigation Defense. Michael also has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Michael also has served as outside counsel to the State Bar of California on issues related to its member programs. Before joining Shook, he was a partner with Sidley Austin, where he was the co-leader of the firm’s Consumer Class Action Defense practice. He also is an avid marathoner, triathlete and four-time Ironman, completing competitions in Maryland (2018), Vineman (Sonoma County, California, 2016), Cozumel (2015) and Boulder (2014).

Virginia E. Anello

Partner with Douglas & London

Partner Virginia E. Anello was born and raised in Covington, Louisiana, and currently heads up the firm’s New Orleans office. She attended Louisiana State University on an honors scholarship. Ms. Anello graduated from LSU magna cum laude and received a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in Italian. She went on to attend the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU where she received her Juris Doctor Degree and her Bachelor of Civil Law Degree, graduating in the top 30% of her class. Ms. Anello is admitted to practice law in the States of New York, Massachusetts, and Louisiana. She is also admitted to practice law in the Eastern, Southern and Northern Districts of New York, the Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana, the District of Massachusetts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Since obtaining her law degree, Ms. Anello has devoted her entire career to always representing injury victims and consumers, primarily in mass tort and class actions. Her practice areas in the law have always focused on, and continue to focus on, products liability litigation and complex litigation, with an emphasis on consumer fraud and mass tort litigation. Consistent with the firm’s philosophy, she is dedicated to ensuring that an underdog can be heard.

Ms. Anello joined Douglas & London in 2007 and she focuses her work primarily on representing individuals nationwide who have been injured as a result of defective pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices and vaccines. Currently, Ms. Anello is actively involved in representing individuals who have been injured as a result of the prescription drugs Elmiron and Belviq. Regarding Elmiron, Ms. Anello was appointed in January 2021 by U.S. District Court Judge Brian Martinotti as co-lead counsel in the action styled as In Re: Elmiron (Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2973), pending in the District Court of New Jersey. This consolidated action involves hundreds of individual plaintiffs claiming severe eye injuries as a result of ingesting Elmiron to treat interstitial cystitis. In her role as co-lead counsel, Ms. Anello is involved in all aspects of pre-trial discovery and management, retention of experts and motion practice, as well as oversight of a Plaintiff Steering Committee of 24 other lawyers.

With respect to Belviq, a weight loss drug, Ms. Anello is actively pursuing individual lawsuits across the country on behalf of individuals who have suffered cancer as a result of their ingestion of the drug.

Before commencing her work with Elmiron and Belviq, Ms. Anello was actively involved in multidistrict litigation involving the diabetic drug Invokana pending in the District Court of New Jersey, where she served on the science, law and briefing and discovery committees. In July 2017, Ms. Anello was just one of two lawyers asked to present at Science Day before Judge Martinotti, defense counsel, and other plaintiffs’ counsel from across the country about the then-current state of medical and scientific knowledge regarding Invokana, including how it works and how it causes the injuries alleged (diabetic ketoacidosis, acute kidney injury and amputations). This litigation ultimately resolved through individual confidential settlements.

In addition to her work identified above, Ms. Anello is actively involved in the firm’s vaccine litigation department, which she currently manages. Since 2007, she has represented children and adults who have been injured by vaccinations and has handled numerous cases in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Many of these cases have settled or been successfully adjudicated on the merits within the Vaccine Program.

In 2018, Ms. Anello began litigating cases specific to a Shingles vaccine, Zostavax, which is not covered by the Vaccine Program. Because of the multitude of cases that have been filed relating to this particular vaccine, a multidistrict litigation was created in the District Court of Pennsylvania before the Honorable Judge Harvey Bartle, and, in September 2018, Ms. Anello was formally appointed by Judge Bartle as a member of the Plaintiff Executive Committee charged with the responsibility of overseeing and assisting with the national ligation. Ms. Anello represents hundreds of injured individuals in this endeavor.

Other nationwide pharmaceutical and medical device litigations in which Ms. Anello has been involved and worked on through settlement include those relating to hip replacement systems (DePuy ASR, DePuy Pinnacle, Biomet M2A, Wright Conserve, and Stryker Rejuvenate), proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, Protonix,) the acid concentrate Granuflo, the prescription pain drug Vioxx, the Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Lead Wire, and the Contaminated Heparin litigation.

In addition, Ms. Anello works alongside firm partner, Michael A. London, in representing women who have been diagnosed with cancer as a result of their in utero exposure to the drug Diethylstilbestrol (‘DES’).

While proud to represent individuals from across the country in the products liability arena, Ms. Anello is equally as proud of her legal efforts focused on issues of importance to New York City and the surrounding areas, where she spend her early career. She is actively involved in representing individuals who have been injured as a result of their exposure to toxins at the World Trade Center site following September 11, 2001. She originally represented these victims in the World Trade Center Disaster Site Litigation pending before the Honorable Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and she oversaw the firm’s settlement of that matter. Since Congress reopened the September 11, 2001 Victims’ Compensation Fund in 2010 and continued it in 2015, Ms. Anello has been directing her efforts at ensuring that these injured individuals, as well as those injured as a result of their working, living and going to school in the Lower Manhattan area, are compensated under the Act.

Additionally, in her role in the Firm’s class action litigation department, Ms. Anello represents New York residents who lost power due to the grossly negligent conduct of the Long Island Power Authority and its managing contractor, National Grid, prior to and following Superstorm Sandy. A proposed class action is currently pending in Nassau County Supreme Court.

As a class action attorney, Ms. Anello represents consumers and union health funds and other insurers who have been deceived and misled by product manufacturers. She is particularly involved in all of the firm’s class action work, including the firm’s class action against Bayer in which it was alleged that Bayer falsely represented to consumers that its over-the-counter combination aspirin drugs, Bayer Women’s Low Dose Aspirin + Calcium and Bayer with Heart Advantage delivered certain health benefits, which they, in fact, did not. Thanks to her hard work and dedication, as well as that of the firm, the Bayer combination aspirin class action settled for $15 million. Ms. Anello and Douglas & London are always investigating new class actions.

Ms. Anello is an active member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) and American Association of Justice (AAJ). Since 2014, Super Lawyers has selected Ms. Anello as a Rising Star in New York, and, in 2018, she was selected by Peer Recognition as one of Best Lawyers in New York City as published in the Wall Street Journal, and this status continues today. Most recently, in 2021, Ms. Anello was selected as one of the Top Women Attorneys in New York.

Ms. Anello attributes her success to her parents, who raised her with a strong work ethic, did whatever they could to promote her thirst for knowledge, and instilled in her a sense of integrity to stand up for and protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Christopher Seeger

Founding Partner of Seeger Weiss LLP

A founding partner of Seeger Weiss, Christopher A. Seeger is widely recognized as a highly innovative and accomplished plaintiff attorney. Chiefly known for multidistrict mass torts and class actions involving drug injury, toxic injury, and personal injury, Chris’ versatile practice also includes product liability, property damage, antitrust, and third-party payer litigation, as well as consumer, insurance, and securities fraud. Chris has led some of the most complex, groundbreaking, and high-profile litigations in the U.S. at the state and federal levels. He has received more multidistrict litigation (MDL) appointments than any other lawyer between 2016 and 2019, according to a 2020 ALM study.

Chris served as co-lead counsel in the 3M Combat Arms Earplug Litigation, having been chosen by Judge M. Casey Rodgers from a pool of nearly 200 other applicants to represent more than 250,000 service members and veterans who suffered hearing injuries while using 3M earplugs. After more than four years of litigation, Chris secured a landmark settlement worth over $6 billion in August 2023, successfully resolving the largest mass tort in American history.

Appointed by Judge Joy Flowers Conti to lead the Philips Recalled CPAP, Bi-Level Pap, and Mechanical Ventilator Litigation, Chris represented patients impacted by the company’s recall of more than 10.8 million devices. He was the lead negotiator for an uncapped class action settlement worth a minimum of $479 million that was announced in September 2023, resolving economic loss claims of users and payers impacted by the recall. After receiving final approval for the economic loss settlement, Chris negotiated additional agreements in April 2024 to resolve plaintiffs' personal injury claims for $1.075 billion and medical monitoring claims for $25 million, providing compensation to patients who suffered significant physical injuries caused by the recalled machines.

In the National Prescription Opiate litigation, Chris was appointed to the Executive and Settlement Committees by Judge Dan A. Polster. In 2022, he played an instrumental role in securing settlements worth more than $15 billion with Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, and Kroger. Also, in 2022, a $6.6 billion settlement was reached with pharmaceutical manufacturers Teva and Allergan (AbbVie). Previously, in July 2021, the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the federal opioid litigation formally announced the terms for a $26 billion global settlement agreement with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and the “Big Three” drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. To date, Chris has been involved in over $50 billion in settlements through the National Prescription Opioid Litigation.

Chris serves as co-lead counsel in the Proton-Pump Inhibitor Litigation on behalf of patients who suffered kidney injuries while using proton-pump inhibitor drugs. On October 3, 2023, he announced a $425 million settlement with AstraZeneca and additional agreements with GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, and Takeda, bringing the total value of the resolution to $590.4 million.

Chris’s unprecedented run of recent settlements adds to his impressive legacy of resolving major cases and obtaining billions in compensation for injured plaintiffs. This includes a $4.85 billion landmark global settlement with Merck on behalf of patients who suffered heart attacks and strokes while taking Vioxx, a $21 billion-plus settlement with Volkswagen and Audi over the “clean diesel” scandal—the largest consumer auto industry class action settlement in U.S. history, a $1.5 billion settlement for farmers impacted by Syngenta GMO seed contamination—the largest agricultural settlement in U.S. history, and a $1 billion-plus uncapped settlement for retired NFL players and their families in the historic NFL concussion case.

After starting his career as a corporate defense lawyer representing the interests of big business, Chris was struck by the imbalance of power between corporations and the individuals harmed by them. As a result, he left to become a plaintiff attorney. The son of a union carpenter who worked his way through school, Chris is a former amateur boxer and a current Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Now, whether working on a class action involving thousands of people against a multinational conglomerate or an individual case protecting one client’s rights, he fights with the same passion and conviction.

Chris has been recognized for his outstanding work and unmatched success in leading complex federal cases. He has received the National Law Journal Elite Trial Lawyers Lifetime Achievement Award, been named a Lawdragon Legend, a Law360 Titan of the Plaintiff Bar, and been inducted into both the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame and the Legal 500 Hall of Fame. He is consistently named to annual award lists, including Chambers USA Tier 1 for Product Liability, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, and Best Lawyers in America. Regularly quoted by the press regarding his work on nationally and internationally prominent cases, Chris has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, and ESPN.

Jayne Conroy

Partner with Simmons Hanly Conroy

Jayne Conroy is a named partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy and oversees practice areas in the Complex Litigation Department. Under her leadership, the firm has become one of the country’s largest plaintiff law firms dedicated to helping those injured by corporate wrongdoing.

With a legal career spanning more than three decades, Jayne has earned a superb national reputation as an elite trial lawyer, skilled strategist and decisive negotiator. She has consistently helped secure billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for thousands of individuals, families and communities in numerous courtrooms nationwide.

“We are a threat to defendants because we are everywhere,” Jayne said while talking about the depth of experience in her department. “They know they have to deal with us, and we are prepared to try cases.”

Jayne focuses her practice on helping plaintiffs exclusively in mass torts, class actions, product liability, pharmaceutical and sexual abuse litigation. She serves or has served on dozens of court-appointed leadership committees in complex legal actions of national scope. These complex mass tort cases, called multidistrict litigations or MDLs, involve thousands of cases originating from state courts around the country and consolidated before a single federal judge.

Jayne’s most recent MDL appointment includes the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee in the In re: Camp Lejeune Water Litigation in the North Carolina Southern Division which alleges drinking may have been contaminated with toxic chemicals that can cause multiple types of cancer, birth defects, Parkinson’s disease and more. She has also been appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee Leadership in the In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, which alleges social media platforms encourage addictive behavior in adolescents and the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for the multidistrict litigation against McKinsey & Company in the In re McKinsey & Co Inc National Prescription Opiate Consultant Litigation, Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, which alleges McKinsey knowingly engineered marketing tactics that caused an avalanche of opioid addiction.

Other high-profile appointments include serving:

As co-lead and interim class counsel to represent plaintiffs in the case against Norfolk Southern, the company responsible for the East Palestine train derailment
As a co-lead of the sprawling National Prescription Opiate Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) before Judge Polster in the Northern District of Ohio
As lead counsel in the NY state bellwether trial alongside Nassau County and the Attorney General of NY, against the entire opioid industry and resulting in over $1.7B in settlements and a plaintiff’s verdict against a manufacturer and a distributor
On the lead trial team that secured over $325 million in settlements for two Ohio counties related to the first bellwether trial in the ongoing opioid MDL
On the lead trial team that secured three consecutive bellwether 9-figure verdicts on behalf of patients injured by Johnson & Johnson/DePuy’s Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip replacement
On leadership in the Volkswagen emission scandal MDL
As legal representative of several thousand victims and families impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks
As the co-chair of the Environmental Testing Committee for the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster MDL
In individual cases against a variety of religious, educational and civic organizations for hundreds of sex abuse victims

“Terrible things have happened to my clients that I can’t change, but what I can do is try to get them the justice they deserve,” Jayne said. “We are the best at doing that.”

The results Jayne has helped secure for her clients underscore the quality of her legal work. Her vast experience orchestrating large and multifaceted multidistrict litigations has resulted in multiple, significant settlements for her clients and thousands of others nationwide.

A sampling of her results includes:

Over $1.7 billion in settlements with multiple opioid manufacturers and distributors as part of the consolidated New York State opioid trial;
$26 billion global settlement with McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. and Johnson & Johnson as part of the National Prescription Opiate MDL;
Over $1.7 billion in verdicts for those affected by J&J/DePuy Pinnacle hip replacement devices after four bellwether trials;
$650.5 million in abatement fees against CVS, Walgreens and Walmart in Lake and Trumbull counties in Ohio for contributing to the opioid epidemic;
$60 million to a class of 170+ Haitian boys abused by a convicted pedophile at a school sponsored by a Connecticut-based university;
$16 billion global settlement for owners of VW vehicles involved in the 2016 emissions scandal;
Multiple billions of dollars in claims for businesses and individuals harmed by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill;
$1.69 billion global settlement for women injured by Yaz birth control; and
Hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements for the families and victims of the 9/11 tragedy.

Jayne’s legal track record demonstrates her stature as one of the preeminent litigators of the nation’s plaintiffs’ bar. National legal publications and well-respected legal organizations recognize this fact. In 2022, Law360 named her a Titan of the Plaintiffs’ Bar. Previous honors include induction into the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, election as a member of the exclusive American Law Institute, recognition as an Elite Women of the Plaintiffs Bar Winner by The National Law Journal, and the American Association for Justice’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

Jayne and the firm are at the forefront of unprecedented litigation that seeks to resolve the ongoing opioid epidemic. The litigation seeks to secure meaningful funds for communities that incurred millions in costs related to dealing with the estimated 400,000 opioid-related deaths since 1996.

“Every one of those communities has a story about how the opioid epidemic has devastated the families who live there,” Jayne said. “The opioid litigation allows us to get some relief to these communities faster, which could actually help someone who has not been hurt yet.”

National Prescription Opiate MDL

Jayne has a long track record of holding opioid manufacturers accountable for misleading marketing. In 2003, she and Partner Paul Hanly, who served as co-lead of the ongoing opioid MDL, represented more than 5,000 individuals against Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.

By implementing a successful discovery plan, Jayne and her legal team uncovered evidence proving the full extent of Purdue’s criminality and its fraudulent marketing campaign designed to persuade physicians that OxyContin was not addictive. Following a 3-year battle, which included Jayne, Paul and the firm filing more than 1,200 cases in various courts across the country, Purdue Pharma settled the litigation for a significant confidential settlement in 2007.

The litigation also led to a Department of Justice investigation that resulted in Purdue Pharma paying more than $600 million in fines. Three of its executives also pled guilty to criminal charges that they misled regulators, doctors and patients about the drug’s risk of addiction and personally paid millions of dollars in fines.

After Paul Hanly’s untimely passing in early 2021, Jayne took over as co-lead counsel of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee (PEC) that leads the ongoing National Prescription Opiate MDL. After years of advocating for their over 3,000 community clients, Jayne and the PEC endorsed a $26 billion global settlement with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and the “Big 3” drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.

As part of the MDL, in November 2021, Jayne and her legal team secured the first nationwide jury verdict in an opioid case, holding pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens and Wal-Mart responsible for their role in the opioid epidemic in Lake and Trumbull County in Ohio. In August 2022, U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster ordered them to pay $650.5 million in abatement fees over a 15-year span.

San Francisco Opioid Trial

The opioid team also won a key verdict in San Francisco in 2022; in the first bench trial to decide in the plaintiff’s favor in the national opioid litigation, a federal judge found Walgreens liable for contributing to the epidemic in the city. In May 2023, Walgreens reached a $230 million settlement with San Francisco over the company’s role in the opioid epidemic, which may be the largest award to a local jurisdiction against an opioid defendant nationwide.

New York State Opioid Trial

In addition to her work on the national opioid MDL, Jayne served as lead counsel for Suffolk County in the New York State opioid trial, whose defendants encompass the entire opioid supply chain.

As part of the New York State trial, Jayne and her team secured over $1.7 billion in settlements from multiple major opioid manufacturers and distributors for Suffolk and Nassau County as well as the state of New York, its counties and New York City. The NY trial plaintiffs were the first to finalize the Big 3 and J&J settlement, serving as a catalyst for the remainder of the country.

Building upon that success, Jayne and her team secured a landmark verdict in December 2021 that found the remaining defendants, opioid manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals and distributor Anda, liable for their role in the opioid epidemic.

This was the first opioid case to be heard before a jury and is considered to be one of the largest and longest jury trial proceedings in New York history.

Helping Victims of Child Sexual Abuse

Jayne has helped hundreds of victims of sexual abuse secure justice from the institutions responsible for their abuse. In 2019, she helped achieve a landmark $60 million class action settlement on behalf of 170-plus Haitian boys harmed by a convicted pedophile and former school administrator associated with a Jesuit school in Connecticut. In 2013, the same defendants paid $12 million to settle similar claims brought by 24 other young men victimized when they were children.

Protecting Rights of Patients Injured by Hip Implants

Jayne previously served on the Plaintiff Executive Committee in the DePuy Pinnacle federal litigation involving more than 9,000 patients injured by Johnson & Johnson’s metal-on-metal hip replacement device. As a member of the trial team, she secured three consecutive 9-figure bellwether trial verdicts, including a $1 billion result for six families. In early 2019, amidst a retrial led by Jayne and her legal team, Johnson & Johnson agreed to a significant global settlement to resolve all pending litigation.

Litigating on Behalf of Volkswagen Owners and Dealers

A member of the Volkswagen MDL Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, Jayne has been on the front lines of helping thousands of VW and Audi diesel owners impacted by the emission scandal. The litigation recently resolved with VW agreeing to pay more than $16 billion in fines and buybacks to thousands of car owners impacted by the company’s deceitful actions. Jayne also leads the firm’s efforts in representing dealers who were in competition with Volkswagen and lost sales as a direct result of the company’s misleading advertising efforts and falsified emissions reports.

Beyond the Courtroom

Whether in or out of the courtroom, Jayne is instantly recognizable by her vintage couture style and can often be seen wearing beautifully constructed suits from the 1940s in the courtroom and around the New York office where she is based. She credits her innate sense of style to her mother, as well as her grandmother, a master seamstress who made most of her clothes growing up. Jayne currently resides in New York City and Cape Cod.

Representative Cases Include

$650.5 million in abatement | County of Lake v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 1:18-op-45032, County of Trumbull v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 1:18-op-45079, and In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, case number 1:17-md-02804, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
City and County of San Francisco, et al., v. Purdue Pharma L.P., et al., Case No. 3:18-cv-07591-CRB (Co-Lead of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL 2804 (N.D.Ohio 2018) (Co-Lead of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
$1.7 billion in settlements | In re: Opioid Litigation, case number 400000/2017; County of Suffolk v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 400001/2017; County of Nassau v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 400008/2017; and State of New York v. Purdue Pharma LP et al., case number 400016/2018, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Suffolk. (Lead counsel for Suffolk County);
In re McKinsey & Co Inc National Prescription Opiate Consultant Litigation, Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, No. 2996. (Court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3047 (Court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee Leadership);
$60 million settlement | St. Louis v. Perlitz et al., case number 3:13-cv-01132, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. (Class action settlement on behalf of 170+ Haitian nationals alleging negligent supervision on part of Connecticut-based defendants of convicted pedophile, resulting in sexual abuse);
$247 million DePuy Hip Verdict | In re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL Docket No. 2244, Alicea et al. v. DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. et al., case number 3:15-cv-03489; Barzel v. DePuy et al., case number 3:16-cv-01245; Kirschner v. DePuy et al., case number 3:16-cv-01526; Miura v. DePuy et al., case number 3:13-cv-04119; Stevens v. DePuy et al., case number 3:14-cv-01776; and Stevens v. DePuy et al., case number 3:14-cv-02341, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. (Six cases consolidated for trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Dallas Division alleging injuries from J&J DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants.) (Co-counsel and member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
$1 billion DePuy Hip Verdict | In re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL Docket No. 2244, No. 13-3631, Rosa Metzler, et al. v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., et al., No. 12-2066, Michael Weiser v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., et al., No. 13-3631, Judith Rodriguez v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., et al., No. 13-3938, Linda Standerfer v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., et al., No. 14-1730, Kathleen Davis, et al. v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., et al., No. 15-1767, Marvin Andrews, et al. v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., et al., No. 15-3484. (Six cases consolidated for trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Dallas Division alleging injuries from J&J DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants.) (Co-counsel and member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
$502 million DePuy Hip Verdict | Aoki v. DePuy Orthopedics, et al., No. 3:13-cv-01071-K; Christopher v. DePuy Orthopaedics, et al., No. 3:14-cv-01994-K; Greer v. DePuy Orthopaedics, et al., No. 3:12-cv-01672-K; Klusmann v. DePuy Orthopaedics, et al., No. 3:11-cv-02800-K; and Peterson v. DePuy Orthopaedics, et al., No. 3:11-cv-01941-K. (Five cases consolidated for trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Dallas Division alleging injuries from J&J DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants; verdict of $502 million including $142 million compensatory and $360 million punitive damages.);
In re: Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Marketing, Sales Practices, And Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2672 (Court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
$12 million settlement | Jean-Charles v. Perlitz, 3:11-CV-00614-RNC (D. Conn. 2013) (consolidated actions on behalf of 24 Haitian nationals alleging negligent supervision on part of Connecticut-based defendants of convicted pedophile, resulting in sexual abuse);
In re: Toyota Motor Corp. Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices, and Product Liability Litigation, MDL 2151 (C.D. Cal.) (court-appointed member of Lead Counsel Committee for Economic Loss Claims);
In re: Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, No. 21 MC 97 (S.D.N.Y.) (Consolidated 9/11 negligence actions against airlines and airport security companies);
In re: Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, MDL 1570 (S.D.N.Y.) (Anti-terrorism Act actions against financial sponsors of terrorism);
In re: DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2244 (N.D. Tex. Jan. 9, 2012) (Court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
In re: DePuy ASR Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2197 (N.D. Ohio) (Court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010 litigation, MDL 2179 (E.D. La.) (Co-chair of Environmental Testing Committee);
In re: Syngenta AG MIR162 Corn Litigation, MDL 2591 (D. Kan. Jan. 21, 2015) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
In re: Lipitor Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2502 (D.S.C. April 9, 2014) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
In re: Zoloft Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2342 (E.D. Pa. 2012) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
In re: Propecia (Finasteride) Product Liability Litigation, MDL 2331 (E.D.N.Y. 2012) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
In re: Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2325, 2326 & 2327 (S.D. W. Va. 2012) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
In re: Actos Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2299 (W.D. La. 2012) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
In re: Yazmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2100 (S.D. Ill.) (court-appointed co-chair of Plaintiffs’ Law and Briefing Committee);
In re: Chantix (Varenicline) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2092 (N.D. Ala.) (court-appointed Plaintiff State and Federal Court Co-Liaison);
In re: Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1909 (N.D. Oh.) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee);
In re: Zyprexa Litigation, MDL 1596 (E.D.N.Y.) (court-appointed member of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee);
In re: Bextra and Celebrex Products Liability Litigation, MDL 1699 (N.D. Cal.) and New York State Coordinated Proceedings (court-appointed member of Discovery and Science Committees, Trial Team and Common Benefit Allocation Committee);
Owens-Illinois, Inc. v. T&N Ltd. , 191 F.R.D. 522 (E.D. Tex. 2000) (successful vacation of $1.66 billion default judgment);
Chase Manhattan Bank v. T&N plc, 1997 WL 221203 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 28, 1997), aff’d, 162 F.3d 1147 (2d Cir. 1998) (successful defense of largest asbestos property damage case ever tried in U.S.) (trial profiled in “Chase’s Case Turns to Dust,” The American Lawyer (May 1996); and
Prudential Ins. Co. v. T&N plc (D. Mass. 1992) (successful defense of $200 million asbestos property damage action).

Fidelma L. Fitzpatrick

Member, Motley Rice LLC

Fidelma Fitzpatrick represents people and communities in toxic tort and environmental matters, including property damage and personal injury claims. Her experience with complex civil litigation has led her to represent other victims of corporate malfeasance, including thousands of women who suffered health problems after receiving medical devices such as Essure®, pelvic mesh/sling products and IUDs, as well as people harmed by consumer products such as chemical hair straighteners.

In addition to her toxic tort and medical casework, Fidelma also represents states, cities, counties and townships in litigation against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies in their claims the companies engaged in deceptive marketing and over-distribution of highly addictive opioids, creating and fueling the deadly opioid crisis.

In 2023, Honorable Mary Rowland appointed Fidelma as co-lead counsel for MDL 3060 In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing Sales Practices And Products Liability Litigation in the Northern District of Illinois. Plaintiffs in the MDL developed uterine cancer and other illnesses after using certain chemical hair relaxers. They assert defendant manufacturers failed to adequately test the products and warn customers about potential harms. Fidelma is also lead counsel of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the coordinated Essure® litigation in California against Bayer Corp., and she serves on the PEC for Paragard® IUD multidistrict litigation filed in the Northern District of Georgia for women who suffered severe effects linked to the birth control devices. She also serves as co-lead counsel of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for a Philadelphia mass tort filed for farmers, railroad workers and others who developed Parkinson’s Disease after using Paraquat weed killer.

In 2012, Fidelma was appointed co-lead counsel of the pelvic mesh MDL In re American Medical Systems, Inc., Pelvic Repair Systems Products Liability Litigation in the Southern District of West Virginia. She also holds leadership roles in pelvic mesh state court litigations, including serving as liaison counsel in the American Medical Systems cases consolidated in Delaware and the Boston Scientific cases consolidated in Massachusetts. She continues to represent women who experienced complications after receiving pelvic mesh/sling products. Filed cases are against defendants including Boston Scientific, C.R. Bard, Inc., and Ethicon.

In addition to her leadership appointments in various mass tort actions, Fidelma regularly serves as trial counsel in varied product liability and medical device cases on behalf of Plaintiffs. She was co-lead trial counsel in the lead paint pigment case, The People of California v. Atlantic Richfield Company et al., in which Motley Rice represented 10 California cities and counties against national lead paint pigment manufacturers. In January 2014, the court ruled Sherwin-Williams Company, NL Industries, Inc., and ConAgra Grocery Products Company created a public nuisance by actively promoting lead for use in homes despite knowing that it was highly toxic. The parties subsequently reached a $305 million settlement that established an abatement fund to remove toxic lead paint from homes and protect the health and safety of thousands of California children.

Fidelma also held a central role in the state of Rhode Island's trial against former corporate manufacturers of lead paint pigment. She continues to litigate cases seeking to hold the lead paint pigment industry accountable for the childhood lead poisoning crisis and provide restitution and compensation to affected children and families. As a result of her work for lead poisoning victims, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court became the first to recognize the legal rights of poisoned children to sue lead paint pigment manufacturers.

Fidelma began working with Motley Rice attorneys in 1997 on the Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island lawsuits against the tobacco industry. She serves on the Board of Regents at Canisius College and frequently speaks on environmental and mass tort topics at conferences for federal and state court judges, attorneys, academic professionals and law students.

Published Works

“Painting Over Long-Standing Precedent: How the Rhode island Supreme Court Misapplied Public Nuisance Law in State v. Lead Industries Association” Roger Williams University Law Review (Summer 2010)
“Access to Justice: The Use of Contingent Fee Arrangements by Public Officials to Vindicate Public Rights” Cardozo J.L. & Gender (Spring 2008)
“Negligence in the Paint: The Case for Applying the Risk Contribution Doctrine to Lead Litigation” in Pace Environmental Law Review (Fall 2008)

Please remember that every case is different. Although it endorses this lawyer, The Legal 500 United States is not a Motley Rice client. Any result we achieve for one client in one matter does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.

Litigation Areas

Medical Devices
Toxic Exposure

Joseph F. Rice

Co-Founding Member of Motley Rice LLC

Motley Rice co-founder Joe Rice is recognized as a skillful and innovative negotiator of complex litigation settlements, having served as the lead negotiator in some of the largest civil actions our courts have seen in the last 20 years.

Corporate Legal Times reported that national defense counsel and legal scholars described Joe as one of the nation's “five most feared and respected plaintiffs’ lawyers in corporate America.” As the article notes, "For all his talents as a shrewd negotiator ... Rice has earned most of his respect from playing fair and remaining humble.”

Joe was recognized by some of the nation’s best-regarded defense lawyers as being “the smartest dealmaker they ever sat across the table from,” Thomson Reuters has reported. Professor Samuel Issacharoff of the New York University School of Law, a well-known professor and expert in class actions and complex litigation, has commented that he is “the best strategic thinker on the end stages of litigation that I’ve ever seen.”

Since beginning to practice law in 1979, Joe has continued to reinforce his reputation as a skillful negotiator, including through his involvement structuring some of the most significant resolutions of asbestos liabilities on behalf of those injured by asbestos‐related products. He negotiates for the firm's clients at all levels, including securities and consumer fraud, anti-terrorism, human rights, environmental, medical drugs and devices, as well as catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.

NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION OPIATE MDL:

Joe is co-lead counsel in the National Prescription Opiate MDL aimed at combatting the alleged over-distribution and deceptive marketing of prescription opioids. Joe, as Chair of the opioid Negotiating Committee, worked with the committee and the Attorney General Committee to reach over $50 billion in settlements for communities nationwide with defendants in the opioid supply chain. Motley Rice continues to represent dozens of governmental entities, including the first jurisdictions to file cases in the current wave of litigation.

VEHICLE RECALLS:

Joe served as one of the lead negotiators in the $15 billion Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Fraud class action settlement for 2.0-liter vehicles, the largest auto-related consumer class action settlement in U.S. history, as well as the 3.0-liter settlement. Under his leadership, Motley Rice also helped negotiate a pair of Takata bankruptcy resolutions that secured funds for victims who were harmed by the company’s deadly, explosive airbags. Joe also serves as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for In re General Motors LLC Ignition Switch Litigation, and was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In re Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep Ecodiesel Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation.

MEDICAL DRUGS AND DEVICES:

Joe led negotiations on behalf of thousands of women who allege complications and severe health effects caused by transvaginal mesh and sling products, including litigation that has five MDLs pending in the state of West Virginia. He is also a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the Lipitor® MDL, filed for patients who allege the cholesterol drug caused their Type 2 diabetes.

BP OIL SPILL:

Joe served as a co-lead negotiator for the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in reaching the two settlements with BP, one of which is the largest civil class action settlement in U.S. history. The Economic and Property Damages Rule 23 Class Action Settlement is estimated to make payments totaling between $7.8 billion and $18 billion to class members. Joe was also one of the lead negotiators of the $1.028 billion settlement reached between the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., for Halliburton’s role in the disaster.

9/11:

Joe held a crucial role in executing strategic mediations and/or resolutions on behalf of 56 families of 9/11 victims who opted out of the government-created September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. In addition to providing answers, accountability and recourse to victims’ families, the resulting settlements with multiple defendants shattered a settlement matrix developed and utilized for decades. The litigation also helped provide public access to evidence uncovered for the trial.

TOBACCO:

As lead private counsel for 26 jurisdictions, including numerous State Attorneys General, Joe was integral to the crafting and negotiating of the landmark Master Settlement Agreement, in which the tobacco industry agreed to reimburse states for smoking-related health costs. This remains the largest civil settlement in U.S. history.

ASBESTOS:

Joe held leadership and negotiating roles involving the bankruptcies of several large organizations, including AWI, Federal Mogul, Johns Manville, Celotex, Garlock, W.R. Grace, Babcock & Wilcox, U.S. Gypsum, Owens Corning and Pittsburgh Corning. He has also worked on numerous Trust Advisory Committees. Today, he maintains a critical role in settlements involving asbestos manufacturers emerging from bankruptcy and has been recognized for his work in structuring significant resolutions in complex personal injury litigation for asbestos liabilities on behalf of victims injured by asbestos-related products. Joe has served as co-chair of Perrin Conferences’ Asbestos Litigation Conference, the largest national asbestos-focused conference.

SECURITIES AND CONSUMER FRAUD:

Joe is often sought by investment funds for guidance on litigation strategies to increase shareholder value, enhance corporate governance reforms and recover assets. He was an integral part of the shareholder derivative action against Omnicare, Inc., Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust v. Gemunder, which resulted in a significant settlement for shareholders as well as new corporate governance policies for the corporation.

Joe serves on the Board of Advisors for Emory University's Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims, which facilitates bipartisan discussion of ways to improve the civil justice system through the hosting of judicial seminars, bar conferences, academic programs, and research. In 1999 and 2000, he served on the faculty at Duke University School of Law as a Senior Lecturing Fellow, and taught classes on the art of negotiating at the University of South Carolina School of Law, Duke University School of Law and Charleston School of Law.

In 2013, he and the firm created the Ronald L. Motley Scholarship Fund at The University of South Carolina School of Law in memory and honor of co-founding member and friend, Ron Motley.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center, Co-chair for inaugural Campaign for the Next Child
First Tee of Greater Charleston, Board of Advisors
American Heart Association of the Lowcountry, 2018 Heart Walk Chair

Manuel F. Cachán

Partner with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, Litigation; Mass Torts, Insurance and Consumer Litigation

Mr. Cachán is a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, which is granted by invitation only and limited to 500 active trial lawyers from the United States. In recognition of his work, Mr. Cachán has been honored by several leading industry outlets and organizations, including:

Benchmark Litigation as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in the United States, the 2024 Product Liability Litigator of the Year, a National Practice Area Star, a California Litigation Star and a Local Litigation Star
The American Lawyer as Litigator of the Week and Litigator of the Week Runner-Up (multiple times)
Chambers USA in its Product Liability & Mass Torts category
the Los Angeles Daily Journal, which listed one of his jury wins as a Top Defense Verdict of the year
Forbes as one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers
the Los Angeles Business Journal as a Leader of Influence: Top Litigator and Trial Lawyer
the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, which has named him to its annual list of Rainmakers
Lawdragon, which named him to its list of 500 Leading Litigators in America

Mr. Cachán has represented Fortune 500 companies before federal and state courts in jury trials across the nation in breach-of-contract litigations, banking actions, product liability lawsuits and professional malpractice cases. His representations have included:

Monsanto Company in securing a unanimous defense verdict (reached after three hours of deliberations) following a seven-week jury trial in Cook County, Illinois, against claims brought by four plaintiffs who alleged that they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after being exposed to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer and fire-retardant additives known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) made by the company. The American Lawyer recognized Mr. Cachán for his victory as a Litigator of the Week Runner-Up
Monsanto in a jury trial in Sonoma County, California, that was anticipated to be a lengthy trial in which the plaintiffs alleged that Monsanto’s product Roundup had caused cancer. After opening statements and testimony from two witnesses, the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their case with prejudice. Mr. Cachán again was recognized by The American Lawyer as a Litigator of the Week Runner-Up
Monsanto in state courts in Riverside, California, and St. Louis, Missouri, (verdict reached after three hours of deliberations) on claims that the company’s herbicide Roundup caused the plaintiffs to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Similar claims had previously resulted in verdicts from $80 million to over $2 billion. The jury rejected the claims in their entirety in both trials. The Missouri verdict was ranked second on the list of the Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts of 2022 by the online trial-viewing network Courtroom View Network (CVN). Mr. Cachán was recognized by The American Lawyer as a Litigator of the Week Runner-Up for both verdicts
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in multiple trials regarding its talc-based products, including:

in St. Louis, where the jury returned a complete defense verdict on all claims and awarded no damages. The verdict was ranked second on CVN’s list of the Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts of 2017, and The American Lawyer recognized Mr. Cachán as a Litigator of the Week
the first-ever California trial relating to J&J’s talc-based Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower products and their alleged link to ovarian cancer. After trial, the court entered judgment notwithstanding the verdict for the J&J defendants and, in the alternative, granted J&J’s motion for a new trial

NBCUniversal:

and KNBC-TV in a one-month jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court involving claims of age discrimination brought by a journalist formerly employed by the station
in connection with claims by actor Gabrielle Union over workplace issues on the competition talent show “America’s Got Talent”
in an arbitration involving profits from a series of popular made-for-television movies

Dick Clark Productions in a bench trial in federal court alleging breach of a production agreement, brought by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association over rights to the Golden Globes awards show
Rysher Entertainment in a two-week jury trial in a suit brought by the actor Don Johnson, involving his alleged share of profits from a popular television show
Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company in a jury trial against the city of Los Angeles for damages sustained as a result of the unplanned shut-off of a refining tank

Mr. Cachán is active in the legal community. He is a board member of Public Counsel, the largest provider of pro bono legal services in the United States. He also is an honorary trustee of the Mexican-American Bar Foundation, which provides scholarship assistance to Latino law students. Mr. Cachán previously served as a member of the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation of the State Bar of California, which evaluates all candidates under consideration for a judicial appointment by the governor. He is past president of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles. Mr. Cachán is the son of Cuban exiles and is fluent in Spanish.

Donald A. Migliori

Member of Motley Rice LLC

Building upon his experience in complex asbestos cases, the historic tobacco lawsuits and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks litigation, Don Migliori is a multifaceted litigator who can navigate both the courtroom and the negotiating table. He represents victims of defective medical devices and drugs, occupational diseases, terrorism, aviation disasters, antitrust, and securities and consumer fraud in mass torts and other cutting-edge litigation that spans the country.

Don serves in leadership roles for a number of multidistrict litigations, including being a key member of Motley Rice’s team that represents dozens of cities, towns, counties and townships in the National Prescription Opiate MDL against opioid manufacturers and distributors. He also represents states in similarly filed litigation. He played a significant role in negotiations on behalf of tens of thousands of women allegedly harmed by pelvic mesh/sling products and served as co-liaison counsel in the N.J. Bard pelvic mesh litigation in Atlantic County. Hundreds of cases have been filed in federal and state courts against multiple defendants.

He is also co-lead counsel for In re Ethicon Physiomesh Flexible Composite Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation, a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In re Bard IVC Filters Products Liability Litigation, as well as the Depuy® Orthopaedics, Inc. ASR™ and Pinnacle® Hip Implant MDLs. Don has litigated against both Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, and C.R. Bard previously in pelvic mesh litigation and also against C.R. Bard in the Composix® Kugel® hernia mesh multidistrict litigation, In re Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch Products Liability Litigation, the first MDL before the federal court of Rhode Island. Don also serves as co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel and liaison counsel in the federal MDL, and as liaison counsel for the Composix® Kugel® Mesh lawsuits consolidated in Rhode Island state court on behalf of thousands of individuals alleging injury by the hernia repair patch.

As liaison counsel for all wrongful death and personal injury cases in the September 11th aviation security litigation, Don played a central role in the extensive discovery, mediations and settlements of more than 50 cases of aviation liability and damages against numerous defendants. He also represented families of the victims who opted out of the Victim Compensation Fund to seek greater answers, accountability and recourse. Additionally, he manages associated litigation as a lead attorney for In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, MDL #1570, a groundbreaking case designed to bankrupt the financiers of al Qaeda.

Don contributed his experience in connection with the commencement of and strategy for shareholder derivative litigation brought on behalf Chiquita Brands International, Inc., alleging the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by paying bribes to terrorist organizations in violation of U.S. and Columbian law. He also served as trial counsel for PACE Industry Union-Management Pension Fund in a securities case against Forest Laboratories, Inc., and was involved in the initial liability discovery and trial strategy in an ongoing securities fraud class action involving Household International, Inc.

Don began working with Motley Rice attorneys in 1997 on behalf of the State Attorneys General in the historic lawsuit against Big Tobacco, resulting in the largest civil settlement in U.S. history. He tried several noteworthy asbestos cases on behalf of mesothelioma victims, including the state of Indiana’s first contractor liability verdict and first premises liability verdict for wrongful exposure to asbestos. He continues to manage asbestos cases and actively litigates mesothelioma lawsuits and individual tobacco cases in the courtroom.

Don is a frequent speaker at legal seminars across the country and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, as well as in print media to address legal issues related to terrorist financing, aviation security, class action litigation, premises liability and defective medical devices. A "Distinguished Practitioner in Residence" at Roger Williams University School of Law for the 2010-2011 academic year, Don taught mass torts as an adjunct professor for more than 10 years. Don is an AV® rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell®.

LICENSED IN:

MA, MN, NY, RI, SC

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE BEFORE:

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First, Fourth, and Eleventh Circuits; U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, District of Massachusetts, and Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

EDUCATION:

M.A./J.D., Syracuse University, 1993
A.B., Brown University, 1988

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES:

Chambers USA
- 2021 Product Liability: Plaintiffs – Nationwide, Band 3
Best Lawyers® Charleston, SC
- 2020 "Lawyer of the Year" Mass tort litigation/class actions – plaintiffs
- 2011–2024 Mass tort litigation/class actions – plaintiffs
Super Lawyers® lists
- 2018–2021 South Carolina Super Lawyers: Class action/mass torts; Personal Injury – products: plaintiff; Aviation and aerospace
- 2009–2017 Rhode Island Super Lawyers
- 2012–2013 Top 10 Rhode Island Super Lawyers lists
The National Trial Lawyers
- 2010–present Top 100 Trial Lawyers™: Rhode Island
Lawdragon
- 2018–2024 Lawdragon 500
- 2019–2023 Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers
- 2019–2023 Lawdragon 500 Plaintiff Financial Lawyers
- 2010 Lawdragon 3,000
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly
- 2020 Leader in the Law
- 2011 Lawyer of the Year
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
- 2011 Lawyers of the Year
Benchmark Plaintiff
- 2012–2014 Rhode Island “Litigation Star”: human rights and product liability
Providence Business News
- 2005 Forty Under 40

ASSOCIATIONS:

Law360 Product Liability Editorial Advisory Board, 2019, 2021
American Association for Justice, Board of Governors; former Executive Committee member
American Bar Association
Rhode Island Association for Justice, former President
The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation

Los Cabos Speakers 2025

Los Cabos Speakers

Hon. Nitza Quiñones Alejandro

United States District Court Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Hon. Carl J. Barbier

United States District Court Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana

Hon. Andre Birotte, Jr.

United States District Court Judge, Central District of California

Hon. Charles Breyer

United States District Court Judge, Northern District of California

Hon. Edmond E. Chang

United States District Judge of the Northern District of Illinois

Hon. Gonzalo P. Curiel

United States District Judge for the Southern District of California

Hon. James Donato

United States District Court Judge, Northern District of California

Hon. Michael W. Fitzerald

US District Court Judge, Central District of California

Hon. Beth Labson Freeman

United States District Court Judge, Northern District of California

Hon. Wesley L. Hsu

United States District Court Judge Central District of California

Hon. Samantha Phillips Jessner

United States Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Hon. Kenly Kiya Kato

United States District Court Judge, Central District of California

Hon. Eumi K. Lee

United States District Court Judge, Northern District of California

Hon. Rita F. Lin

United States District Court Judge, Northern District of California

Hon. Brian R. Martinotti

US District Court Judge, District of New Jersey

Hon. Araceli Martínez-Olguín

United States District Judge San Francisco Courthouse

Hon. Jane Milazzo

United States District Court Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana

Hon. Fernando M. Olguin

United States District Court Judge, Central District of California

Hon. William H. Orrick

United States Senior District Court Judge Northern District of California

Hon. Mia Perez

US District Court Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Hon. R. David Proctor

United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama

Hon. Zahid N. Quraishi

United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey

Hon. Stuart M. Rice

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

Hon. Rodolfo A. Ruiz II

United States District Judge Southern District of Florida

Hon. Kai Scott

US District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Hon. Richard Seeborg

Chief US District Court Judge, Northern District of California

Hon. Laura Seigle

Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

Hon. Robert Shelby

Chief Judge in the District of Utah

Hon. Amul Roger Thapar

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Anand Agneshwar

Partner with Arnold & Porter

Michael C. Andolina

Partner, White & Case

Bryan Aylstock

Founding Partner of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis, & Overholtz PLLC

Andrew Bradt

Shannon Cecil Turner Professor of Jurisprudence Faculty Director, Civil Justice Research Initiative

Kimberly Branscome

Partner with Paul | Weiss

Virginia M. Buchanan

Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O’Brien, Barr & Mougey, P.A.

Kim Bueno

Partner with King & Spalding

Manuel F. Cachán

Partner with Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, Litigation; Mass Torts, Insurance and Consumer Litigation

Thomas P. Cartmell

Founding Partner of Wagstaff & Cartmell

Christopher Chorba

Partner with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher