Life Sciences

The firm’s extensive medical malpractice expertise combined with its products liability expertise has uniquely positioned the firm to appreciate the complexities and issues involved in the defense of life science claims. Our litigation teams have experience with a wide range of drugs and medical devices. Our teams make use of our nurse paralegals and partners to effectively focus on medical records and medical issues together with our experienced litigation counsel. The firm has equally been involved in class actions in both the US and Canada and our lawyers have been effective in the coordination of lawsuits, defense of multi district litigation and management of mass torts – either directly or by providing our clients with audits of both litigation structure and legal billings. Most importantly, our attorneys appreciate the primary goal of resolution of a problem. Our attorneys have participated in the settlement of over $2 billion in life science claims over the past 10 years.

Representative experience highlights include:

• Acting on behalf foreign insurance market liaison with National Counsel for US and International Pharmaceutical company defense of high profile statin litigation. Our team audited defense bills, structured a defense strategy and protocol for law firm responsibilities, and coordinated a settlement program involving over $850 million in settlements.
• Have provided counsel to clients involved in mass tort actions involving such pharma products as gadolinium contrast agents, aprotinins, oral and intrauterine contraceptives and bisphosphonates. Our services have included auditing of defense counsel fees, review of litigation management and defense strategies and involvement in settlement programs of in excess of $2 billion (including medical reviews and establishing values for authority).
• Acted as primary settlement counsel in MDL and Canadian class actions involving dopamine agonist litigation, resolving over 600 claims.
• Defended such diverse medical devices as ophthalmological microscopes, pain pumps, lasers, skin treatment devices, Kugel mesh, throughout the United States.
• Defended various Clinical Research Organizations in E&O litigation regarding work performed for FDA approval in the New Drug Approval process.
• Direct defense of lawsuits and claims against various generic pharmaceutical companies in California, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New York.
• Example of products we have recently focused upon include Baycol, Trasylol, Magnevist, Omniscan, Pradaxa, Xarelto, Amiodarone, Levaquin, Opioids, Nuva Ring, Fosamax, Zomax, Darvocet, Mirena.
• Defense of personal injury action by trial participant against Pharmaceutical Company as sponsor of new product in Phase I clinical trial in Arizona.

We have represented leading Life Science insurers in the London market as well as in the German market and domestically.