Game Changers in Product Liability and Mass Tort Litigation

Clients turn to Dechert when facing their most complex product liability or toxic tort litigations

For more than four decades, our experienced litigators have helped clients successfully navigate the most complex, high-stakes and publicly-sensitive product liability, toxic tort, consumer class action and government plaintiff litigations. We consistently earn the highest accolades as outstanding mass tort defense specialists. Law360 has repeatedly named us “Practice Group of the Year” for Product Liability and for Life Sciences, the New York Law Journal named us “Litigation Department of the Year for Product Liability” and the American Lawyer named us a finalist for “Products Liability Department of the Year.” Chambers USA ranks us Band 1 for Nationwide Product Liability & Mass Torts: The Elite and Law360 has named our practice group leaders, Sheila Birnbaum and Mark Cheffo, as “MVPs of the Year in Product Liability.”

We combine deep industry experience with the resources of a cross-practice global team to provide strategic insight and full-service representation to multinational companies. We’ve secured wins in challenging cases in state and federal jurisdictions, often advising on issues of first impression and serving as lead and coordinating counsel. Our 70-member team includes acclaimed first-chair trial lawyers and leading science and appellate experts.

We have defended the largest federal MDLs and cross-jurisdictional product liability litigations in the country. Our trial teams handle the most important matters for our clients, including obtaining pretrial dismissals of entire MDLs involving hundreds and thousands of cases for Pfizer, Endo and Amgen and affirmances by the Third, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth Circuits of those dismissals. We are lead trial counsel in multiple MDL bellwether trials. Our diverse trial teams have earned top defense verdicts in trials relating to talc-based baby powder. We obtained complete dismissal with prejudice of a putative nationwide class action against Apple involving one of its products. We also serve as lead trial and settlement counsel for Purdue Pharma in the national opioid litigation, one of the largest and most complex civil litigations in U.S. history.

Deep Experience Across Diverse Sectors

We have successfully defended thousands of individual cases and consumer class actions in all 50 states and in federal courts.

We have extensive experience litigating personal injury, toxic exposure, consumer fraud, insurance, punitive damages and medical monitoring class claims as national trial counsel. We specialize in leading and coordinating complex cross-jurisdictional matters. Courts regularly appoint us to serve in leadership roles in federal MDLs and state coordinated actions.

We excel in developing strategic approaches to cases brought by State Attorneys General and local governments asserting public nuisance, RICO and state law conspiracy claims. In addition, we regularly provide strategic advice and leadership on investigations, federal and state regulatory matters, including warnings and recall issues and communications.

Clients also rely on our deep industry-specific knowledge and experience to help them anticipate and mitigate litigation risks and protect their products and reputations.

Our lawyers represent clients in mass tort cases involving:

  • Pharmaceuticals and biologics
  • Medical devices
  • Asbestos and talc
  • Cosmetics
  • Chemicals (such as DDT, PCBs, dioxin, PFOA, PFOS and lead)
  • Automobiles and automotive parts
  • Agriculture products (including genetically modified corn)
  • Foods
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Technology and consumer products (including computers and cell phones)
  • Tobacco and vaping products
  • Building materials