Mr Paul LaFata > Dechert LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile
Dechert LLP Offices

Three Bryant Park, 1095 Avenue of the Americas
NY 10036-6797
United States
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Mr Paul LaFata

Work Department
Product Liability and Mass Torts
Position
Partner
Career
Paul A. LaFata is an accomplished attorney who focuses his practice on complex product liability and mass tort litigation. Mr. LaFata has served as national counsel in high-profile MDL and class-action proceedings, requiring the development and implementation of national defense strategies and coordination of cross-firm and inter-disciplinary teams in the United States and in Canada, Australia, and other foreign jurisdictions. Mr. LaFata has litigated cases from inception through trial and appeals in state and federal courts nationwide, including on trial teams for bellwether pharmaceutical trials, arguing motions, taking and defending depositions, managing discovery and experts, and drafting extensive briefing. In addition to receiving client award recognition for outstanding service, Mr. LaFata has also advised clients and their legal departments in federal and state regulatory matters and negotiations, policy, compliance, litigation defense planning and commercial contract disputes. Representative industries include pharmaceuticals, healthcare, consumer products, chemicals, plastics, energy, heavy machinery, oil and gas, insurance, nonprofit, and municipal government.
Education
- University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 2004, highest honors
- William & Mary Law School, J.D., 2007, Top 10% of class, Order of the Barristers, Executive Articles Editor forĀ William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Investment fund formation and management > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices
- Real estate > Real estate finance
- Finance > Structured finance: securitization
Firm Rankings
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Dispute resolution > E-discovery
- Finance > Fintech
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Dispute resolution > International litigation
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: global offerings
- International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Tax > International tax
- Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Investment fund formation and management > Alternative/hedge funds