Shook, Hardy & Bacon International LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Shook, Hardy & Bacon International LLP > Firm Profile

The firm: Shook, Hardy & Bacon has long been recognized as one of the premier litigation defense firms in the country. Shook has represented companies in the health, science and technology sectors in their most substantial national and international product liability, mass tort and complex litigation matters for more than 130 years. Shook’s success in these areas has captured the attention of many in the industry. In 2020, BTI Consulting named Shook a “Product Liability Powerhouse”; it is one of only two firms in the US to receive this ranking. For 17 years, Shook has also been named the ‘Product Liability Defense Law Firm of the Year’ by Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers; and The American Lawyer has twice recognised the firm for its Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year Award. The Global Legal Post recognized Shook as “the most active defendants’ firm for product liability cases between 2015 and 2019,” based on a report from Lex Machina. In 2021, Shook was ranked in the top 30 law firms in the US for client service, based on a client survey by BTI Consulting Group, a ranking that was achieved, in part, by Shook’s rapid shift to meeting new client demands with the sudden lockdown caused by the pandemic. Shook expanded services, rallied teams, communicated with clients and then seamlessly implemented new services and resources needed for clients to navigate the novel legal issues COVID-19 presented. Diversity and Inclusion are essential components of the firm’s identity, and women, minorities, LGBTQ+, veterans and differently abled attorneys are valued employees.

Main areas of practice: Shook is known for its abilities in litigation — more than 90 percent of its attorneys are litigators, and many have advanced degrees in health and sciences fields. The firm has represented leading international companies in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical and medical device, technology, chemical, energy, food and beverage, and automotive. In the past three years alone, Shook lawyers have tried more than 30 cases to verdict in state and federal courts, successfully defending clients against claims involving product liability, environmental and toxic tort, patent infringement, labor and employment and other claims. Shook has represented the industry’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers for more than 40 years. The firm has also represented US cigarette manufacturers in product liability litigation continuously since 1957, and currently represents the largest US tobacco company as lead trial counsel in its pending litigation. In recent years, the firm has leveraged its complex litigation expertise to build substantial national practices in intellectual property, environmental and toxic tort litigation, data security and privacy, employment litigation, commercial litigation, and public policy. While product liability remains a core strength and a growth area for the firm, practice diversification has allowed Shook to offer a variety of innovative solutions to regulatory and compliance challenges as well.

Value Innovations Champions: Some 35 to 40 percent of the firm’s work is covered by alternative fee arrangements. Shook was named a Value Champion by the Association of Corporate Counsel—the only firm to be so recognized by ACC four times—in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2020 for working with clients on innovative, collaborative and savings-driven approaches. The firm has achieved this recognition by continually focusing on creating close partnerships and tailoring its service offerings to align with the client’s definition of value for a particular engagement.

Clients: Shook has represented nearly three-quarters of the Fortune 100. The firm’s clients include global industry leaders who demand proven legal strategies. As a result, the firm has developed long-standing relationships with many of its clients. ‘There is no short list for national counsel of a major pharmaceutical company that doesn’t include Shook’, said the former general counsel of one of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical companies in an article on Shook. Another client added that Shook attorneys litigate like they’re going to trial, but not unnecessarily. ‘If a matter does end up going to trial, they’ll be in the best possible position to defend it’, the Shook client told the ABA Journal.

Lawyer Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Simon Castley	Managing Partner	View Profile
	Alison Newstead	Partner/Solicitor	View Profile
	Samuel Sebree, II	Partner	View Profile

Shook, Hardy & Bacon International LLP > Firm Profile

Firm Overview:

Shook, Hardy & Bacon has long been recognized as one of the premier litigation defense firms in the country. Shook has represented companies in the health, science and technology sectors in their most substantial national and international product liability, mass tort and complex litigation matters for more than 130 years. Shook’s success in these areas has captured the attention of many in the industry. In 2020, BTI Consulting named Shook a “Product Liability Powerhouse”; it is one of only two firms in the US to receive this ranking. For 16 consecutive years, Shook has also been named the ‘Product Liability Defense Law Firm of the Year’ by Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers; and The American Lawyer has twice recognised the firm for its Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year Award. The Global Legal Post recognized Shook as “the most active defendants’ firm for product liability cases between 2015 and 2019,” based on a report from Lex Machina. In 2021, Shook was ranked in the top 30 law firms in the US for client service, based on a client survey by BTI Consulting Group, a ranking that was achieved, in part, by Shook’s rapid shift to meeting new client demands with the sudden lockdown caused by the pandemic. Shook expanded services, rallied teams, communicated with clients and then seamlessly implemented new services and resources needed for clients to navigate the novel legal issues COVID-19 presented. Diversity and Inclusion are essential components of the firm’s identity, and women, minorities, LGBTQ+, veterans and differently abled attorneys are valued employees.

Main Areas of Practice:

Shook is known for its abilities in litigation — more than 90 percent of its attorneys are litigators, and many have advanced degrees in health and sciences fields. The firm has represented leading international companies in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical and medical device, technology, chemical, energy, food and beverage, and automotive. In the past three years alone, Shook lawyers have tried more than 30 cases to verdict in state and federal courts, successfully defending clients against claims involving product liability, environmental and toxic tort, patent infringement, labor and employment and other claims. Shook has represented the industry’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers for more than 40 years. The firm has also represented US cigarette manufacturers in product liability litigation continuously since 1957, and currently represents the largest US tobacco company as lead trial counsel in its pending litigation. In recent years, the firm has leveraged its complex litigation expertise to build substantial national practices in intellectual property, environmental and toxic tort litigation, data security and privacy, employment litigation, commercial litigation, and public policy. While product liability remains a core strength and a growth area for the firm, practice diversification has allowed Shook to offer a variety of innovative solutions to regulatory and compliance challenges as well.

Innovation in Value Champions:

Some 35 to 40 percent of the firm’s work is covered by alternative fee arrangements. Shook was named a Value Champion by the Association of Corporate Counsel—the only firm to be so recognized by ACC five times—in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2020 and 2021 for working with clients on innovative, collaborative and savings-driven approaches. The firm has achieved this recognition by continually focusing on creating close partnerships and tailoring its service offerings to align with the client’s definition of value for a particular engagement.

Clients:

Shook has represented nearly three-quarters of the Fortune 100. The firm’s clients include global industry leaders who demand proven legal strategies. As a result, the firm has developed long-standing relationships with many of its clients. ‘There is no short list for national counsel of a major pharmaceutical company that doesn’t include Shook’, said the former general counsel of one of the nation’s leading pharmaceutical companies in an article on Shook. Another client added that Shook attorneys litigate like they’re going to trial, but not unnecessarily. ‘If a matter does end up going to trial, they’ll be in the best possible position to defend it’, the Shook client told the ABA Journal.