Dispute resolution
Jones Day’s product liability group is recognized for its trial experience, often serving as national coordinating counsel or lead trial counsel in mass tort and multidistrict litigations in high-profile and complex class action lawsuits for leading corporate clients. The team has tried over 225 product liability cases, often in challenging so called ‘hell-hole’ jurisdictions, and specialize in crisis management, regulatory compliance, and appellate success, with a focus on emerging areas such as consumer fraud and pharmaceutical litigation. The firm recently achieved numerous significant victories in the Walmart opioid litigation, including dismissals of numerous claims and narrowing DOJ allegations. Atlanta based Stephanie Parker leads the product liability team, and is particularly know for handling high-profile, bet-the-company litigation, most often defending major pharmaceutical and tobacco clients. Working out of New York, Theodore Grossman specializes in commercial litigation, class actions, and mass torts, leading the firm’s defense of Daikin America and achieving dismissal of a historic PFAS class action involving nearly 12 million Ohioans. Also based in Atlanta, Jason Keehfus is a first-chair trial lawyer, often defending liability and punitive damages claims, representing R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the nationwide “Engle progeny” product liability suits.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Litigation: Product Liability (Georgia), Product Liability: Tobacco (USA- Nationwide), Product Liability & Mass Torts (USA-Nationwide)
Position
Partner
Career
Stephanie Parker has extensive experience trying and leading “bet-the-company” litigation, especially product liability, mass tort, and patent cases. For over a decade, Stephanie has led R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s defense in nationwide tobacco litigation, and personally tried every bellwether state and federal trial in the “Engle Progeny” litigation in Florida. Her additional pharmaceutical work includes serving as lead trial counsel for Merck & Co. in a case yielding the largest patent infringement verdict in U.S. history and overseeing an appellate strategy that secured a unanimous win for Merck in the U.S. Supreme Court on an issue of federal pre-emption in product liability cases. She recently lead the team that won summary judgment in another Merck case involving allegations relating to its drug Propecia. Finally, she also serves as lead for GE in a confidential litigation matter. Stephanie is committed to giving diverse lawyers significant first- and second-chair trial roles, and deepening the bench of experienced litigators by providing younger lawyers with stand-up roles trying cases. Stephanie also serves on the Council of the American Law Institute.
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Key clients
- Chevron USA, Inc. Daikin America/Daikin Industries LTL Management LLC Motorola Solutions, Inc. Pennsylvania State University, The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Sherwin-Williams Company, The Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. Steris Corporation Walmart Stores, Inc.