United States • Dispute resolution
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Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)

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Dechert LLP

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Praised by clients for going ‘above and beyond in terms of responsiveness’, Dechert LLP’s product liability and mass torts practice continues to represent and defend high-profile clients in complex multidistrict and state court litigation. across a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, manufacturing, and insurance. The team has secured key victories for clients such as such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Haleon, and Microsoft. The firm serves as lead national counsel for GSK in a nationally significant multidistrict litigation concerning allegations that GSK’s heartburn medication causes cancer, and also represents the plastics manufacturing firm Saint-Gobain in high-profile civil and regulatory matters involving PFOA contamination, defending actions across multiple states.Working out of New York, Mark S. Cheffo, co-chair of the global litigation practice, brings extensive experience as national trial counsel in product liability and mass tort cases. LA based Jay Bhimani, co-chair of the product liability practice, has served as trial counsel in high-stakes matters, focusing on causation and bellwether trials.
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Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Dechert has a very strong team.’

  • ‘Hope Freiwald is very smart and has great judgement and experience.’

  • ‘The team at Dechert is dependable and displays superior expertise in their defense practice. They go above and beyond in terms of responsiveness, and the work product exhibits keen consideration for the best strategies available at every turn. ’

  • ‘Newly minted partner Marina Schwartz is phenomenal. Being dependable may be an understatement, but with the demands of high-stakes litigation, it is one of the highest compliments to her and her practice. Doug Fleming is highly knowledgeable and experienced. He is patient when necessary and exudes quiet confidence among many experts in the room. Last but not least, Nathan Williams is also dependable and knowledgeable about case-specific facts at every stage of the litigation process. He is immediately available to answer most questions.’

Key clients

  • Essity AB
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Haleon
  • Microsoft
  • Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics
  • Sun-Maid Growers of California/Plum, PBC
  • W.L. Gore & Associates

Work highlights

Representing GSK as lead national counsel in multidistrict and state-court mass tort litigation concerning allegations that the heartburn medication Zantac causes cancer due to NDMA formation.
Representing Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation in high-profile civil litigation and regulatory matters related to its use of PFOA, a chemical under public and regulatory scrutiny.
Representing Sun-Maid Growers of California/Plum, PBC in significant litigation concerning allegations of heavy metals in baby food.

Lawyers

Practice head

Jay Bhimani; Mark Cheffo; Douglas Fleming