Heidi Levine, in New York, and Jennifer Saulino, in Washington DC, lead the Sidley Austin LLP complex pharmaceutical litigation. Saulino serves as lead trial counsel in cases alleging fraud, including claims that a hemophilia drug manufacturer engaged in kickback schemes and promoted the medication for off-label uses. Levine sits on the trial team in an MDL concerning a heartburn medication, defending false advertising, failure-to-warn, and related claims tied to the alleged presence of a carcinogenic chemical. In Chicago, Michelle Ramirez handles common-law fraud claims arising from a discontinued program that repackaged oncology products into pre-filled syringes. The team was further strengthened by Paul Boehm‘s arrival in Washington DC, in December 2025.
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Key clients
- Novo Nordisk
- Cencora
- Bayer AG
- Monsanto Company
Work highlights
Achieved a full defense verdict for Novo Nordisk against claims of defrauding Washington Medicaid and Medicare by submitting false claims for its hemophilia drug NovoSeven, involving alleged kickbacks to patients and physicians and off-label promotion.
Secured a dismissal with prejudice for Cencora in a novel fraud suit brought by United Healthcare Services (UHS) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Served as lead trial counsel for Bayer subsidiary Monsanto in the final trial of the high-profile Sky Valley Education Center litigation in Washington state.
Lawyers
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Practice head
Heidi Levine; Jennifer Saulino
Other key lawyers
Michelle Ramirez; Paul Boehm