Media, technology and telecoms
The product liability & mass tort practice at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP represents global corporations in their most critical product-related disputes, often involving multi-front challenges with significant financial and reputational risks. The firm’s client roster includes leading global corporations such as Apple, Johnson & Johnson, ExxonMobil, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, and L’Oréal. Amongst the firm’s most significant recent matters are its defense of L’Oréal in a product liability and consumer protection lawsuit mass tort multi-district litigation involving over 8,000 cases. The firm has also been engaged in representing ExxonMobil in a highly-publicized public nuisance litigation concerning plastic pollution. The practice’s most prominent attorneys include New York based Diane Sullivan, a renowned trial lawyer with decades of experience, who has secured major defense verdicts for companies such as Merck, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson in bet-the-company mass tort cases. As the head of the firm’s California litigation practice, David Singh is a leading class action defense attorney representing high-profile clients like Apple and PepsiCo. Arianna Scavetti works out of the firm's Washington DC office, and focuses on false advertising class actions, achieving notable victories for global consumer brands.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
Co-Head of Weil’s national Complex Commercial Litigation practice
Career
David Singh is Co-Head of Weil’s national Complex Commercial Litigation practice, one of the leaders of the Firm’s national class action practice, and a recognized leader of the class action defense bar. He is also a member of the Firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity group. His principal areas of focus include consumer class actions (including product defect, labeling, false advertising, “greenwashing,” and privacy class actions), claims under state deceptive trade practice acts, product liability and mass tort claims, breach of contract and business torts, fraud, unfair competition, and trade secret misappropriation and employee mobility disputes. He has successfully represented some of the world’s most recognizable companies, including Alibaba, Burger King, ExxonMobil, Gannett, Panasonic, Paramount, PepsiCo., PG&E, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, Sanofi, Vanguard, Walgreens, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Education
University of Minnesota (B.A.); Cornell Law School (J.D.)
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Good knowledge of the issues and able to draw on other CPG experience to get results. ’
‘Arianna Scavetti is a newer partner but who has taken on a leadership role with defenses on our brands. She has done a nice job taking on some larger projects. ’
Key clients
- L’Oréal, S.A.
- ExxonMobil Corporation
- PepsiCo
- Apple
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Nike
- Johnson & Johnson
- Frito-Lay
- Paramount Global
- General Electric Co.
- The Procter & Gamble Company
- Sanofi, S.A.
- Alibaba Group
- Temu
- Lululemon
- Energy Transfer LP
- Tarkett Sports
Work highlights
Representing L’Oréal in one of the largest mass tort MDLs filed against the personal hair-care industry, which encompasses more than 8,000 cases in total.
Representing Lululemon to defend a class action in Florida federal court, alleging Lululemon's "Be Planet" marketing campaign misleads consumers into believing the company's products and practices positively contribute to the environment and restoration of a healthy planet, when in reality, Lululemon's actions and products cause significant environmental harm through greenhouse gas emissions, plastic pollution, and more.
Representing PepsiCo against claims brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which is one in a series of separate high-profile lawsuits that seek to hold PepsiCo and other major consumer products companies liable for plastic pollution in certain waterways.