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  1. Product liability: defendant
  2. Leading individuals: Product liability

Leading individuals: Product liability

The ‘excellent’ practice at Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP is perhaps more specialist than some competitors, but its depth of knowledge in the life sciences sector, including medicines and medical devices, makes it the firm of choice for pharmaceutical giants. Clients include Pfizer, Bayer/Schering and Sanofi, which the firm defended in the seven-year foetal anti-convulsant group litigation, which collapsed in 2011. The ‘expert’, four-partner team is led by Ian Dodds-Smith and includes Adela Williams, who has a ‘flair for making complicated things simple and keeping a sense of proportion’.

DAC Beachcroft LLP has an outstanding pharmaceutical and healthcare practice. Simon Pearl has an international reputation in the field, and is leading advice to AstraZeneca Insurance Company regarding antipsychotic drug Seroquel. GlaxoSmithKline, Zurich Insurance and the National Blood Authority are also clients of the ‘leading team’, which includes ‘brilliant strategic and tactical thinker’ Alison McAdams. The firm also has a role in the headline case relating to PIP breast implants.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP handles risk-critical, cross-border advisory and defence litigation for multinationals in a variety of industries, but is best known for its tobacco expertise; it continues to advise JTI and affiliates, as international co-ordinator of multibillion-dollar smoking-related claims. The expanding practice, led by the well-respected John Blain, won a number of key mandates in the past year, as well as handling ongoing work for AB InBev, Tesco, and Smith & Nephew.

Hogan Lovells International LLP is a ‘giant in the field’, able to draw on its international network to co-ordinate safety issues across borders and with a depth of practice that is ‘second to none’. Its diverse and extensive client list includes Merck, British American Tobacco and Apple. Department head John Meltzer is leading advice to Vodafone in respect of claims and risk management relating to radiofrequency radiation from mobile phones and base stations. Rod Freeman is also well regarded, of equal profile and is advising US-based asbestos trusts on emerging issues.

Baker & McKenzie LLP’s broad practice is headed by leading individual John Leadley, who is noted for his expertise in TMT, pharmaceuticals/healthcare, and toys. The firm handles product recall and operational risk matters on an international scale as well as defence litigation for well-known brands; clients include Sony, Mattel, Hewlett-Packard and Invensys.

Benefiting from enhanced resources post merger, the team at Clyde & Co LLP has ‘some outstanding lawyers’, such as Neil Beresford and ‘first-rate strategist’ Mark Wing. The firm acts for a range of leading insurers, NHS trusts and international corporations, including advising Chartis on claims to recover damages following the class-action ‘toxic sofa’ litigation.

Herbert Smith LLP handles high-profile matters for clients in a range of industries, and is trusted on ‘the most complex matters’. It recently settled the £100m claims against Rolls-Royce concerning its Mermaid Pods propulsion systems, acting for the primary insurers. The ‘first-class’ Tony Dempster and Howard Watson ‘always preserve a commercial outlook’.

The practice at insurance firm Kennedys is flourishing under Shane Sayers and Anne Ware, who deliver a ‘truly excellent’ service. The national team includes Chris Langford, who has ‘superb judgement and knowledge of the field’. Its diverse caseload includes the defence of a £100m claim involving allegedly defective moulded polymers, potentially a leading case for product claims.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP advises on cross-border matters for major companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline. Recent instructions include representing an international tyre manufacturer on recall and liability issues. John Kelleher heads the practice.

Commercial litigator Mark Clarke at Ashurst has a product liability focus, and continues to act for Imperial Tobacco in co-ordinating international defence claims. Other clients include Aventis Animal Nutrition. Arundel McDougall left the firm to become CEO of the European Justice Forum.

‘An excellent firm for English reinsurance matters’, Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP handles insurance issues related to product liability, with particular expertise in asbestos cases. David Kendall, Richard Hopley and Mark Everiss ‘all have excellent technical knowledge, both industry and legal’.

Stuart White at RPC is highlighted for his ‘excellent attention to detail, client care and strategic sense’, and the team as a whole is ‘one of the best for commercial product liability with insurance issues’. Clients include leading insurers and reinsurers, such as Munich Re, and Clover Leaf Products, the UK distributor of PIP breast implants.

Reed Smith boasts an impressive list of clients in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, including pharmaceuticals companies, medical device manufacturers and a leading retailer. Litigator Paul Llewellyn acts in international and high-profile multi-party claims.

Noted for its product safety expertise, Simmons & Simmons LLP advises on the entire supply chain of consumer products via its international network. Mark Dewar and his team are ‘truly experts in the field’ and ‘take the time to get to know the client’s products and processes’.

Berrymans Lace Mawer LLP is in growth mode, promoting four partners nationally to handle an increase in healthcare and food law work. It is acting for Transform Medical Group in the PIP claims, and for key defendant Walmsleys in the ‘toxic sofa’ litigation. Jim Sherwood heads the London practice.

Covington & Burling LLP has an ‘extensive knowledge resource flowing from the London, Washington and Brussels offices to provide joined-up advice’. It has notable expertise in food law regulation, led by ‘excellent analyst’ Brian Kelly.

Richard Matthews heads a large national team at Eversheds LLP, whose recent high-profile work includes acting for Rolls-Royce in the Mermaid Pods litigation, and for Tyco and ADT in a £100m claim concerning failed fire suppressant systems.

The ‘fantastic’ John Doherty at Manches LLP has considerable tobacco experience, and acts for British American Tobacco. The firm also provides regulatory, compliance and dispute advice to clients in the manufacturing sector, including Wolseley UK and Fiat Industrial.

Mayer Brown International LLP fields a cohesive international practice group, acting for prominent insurers and manufacturers on cross-border regulatory issues and litigation. Miles Robinson is ‘fantastic on the detail’.

At Pinsent Masons LLP, recommended individuals include Simon Joyston-Bechal and associate Louise Nahon, who have medical and engineering backgrounds respectively; and the ‘very bright and extremely tenacious’ Andrew Masterson, who heads the practice.

Shook, Hardy & Bacon International LLP advises leading international companies such as Philip Morris, Daimler and Bosch. The ‘excellent’ team is led by Simon Castley, and includes Sarah Croft and Alison Newstead.

Chadbourne & Parke (London) LLP has a strong reputation in the US, as well as London capability under Philip Pfeffer. The tobacco sector is a core strength.

Carys Oatham at DWF LLP advises insurers such as Chubb and a range of companies on product liability, as part of the firm’s commercial insurance practice.

Litigation boutique Fox Hartley acts for insurers and manufacturers, including a leading Japanese insurer. Trevor Fox and Matthew Hartley advise in this area.

Jones Day has a European product liability and recalls practice, with commercial litigator Ian Lupson the main contact in London.

Osborne Clarke’s product regulation team, led by Catherine Wolfenden, acts for a number of leading brands on product liability and compliance issues, among them Nintendo UK, Energizer, Imperial Tobacco and BOSE.

Weightmans LLP’s recent mergers have boosted its product liability offering. Practice head Fiona East has notable expertise in the automotive industry.

Recent work at Wragge & Co LLP includes High Court litigation in the automotive sector, which is a key area for the practice alongside IT and pharmaceuticals. Andrew Smith and Andrew Litchfield lead the team.

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