NON-IP LITIGATION AND ENFORCEMENT FIRM ANALYSIS
Firm Briefings
“Our reputation is very important to us and by having the best defense team in the product liability space, we are able to avoid any drastic issues,” explains one client about why they use WTO’s products team. “Nobody has given us the level of legal representation that the firm gave us in our product litigation affairs.” White & Case Robert Milne and the antitrust practice at White & Case represent some of the industry’s most prominent companies, counting the likes of Pfizer and Sandoz among its clients. “They have a very active litigation team as we see them in these types of cases frequently,” notes one competitor. Many attorneys in their antitrust and government investigations practices have prior government experience. Prior to joining the firm, Milne served as a trial attorney with the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice, participating in civil and criminal investigations. A colleague of his thinks very highly of Milne saying, “He offers his clients a unique set of skills and he has the ability to handle things most attorneys are not able to.” Milne represented Pfizer in class-action litigation accusing Pfizer of delaying entry of generic competition to cholesterol drug Lipitor. Williams & Connolly As one of the most renowned litigation firms in the entire country, William & Connolly possesses a strong team with that can provide top-tier product liability representation for complex issues. “There is no shortage of first-chair attorneys over there and clients appreciate their ability to use attorneys as lead counsel on several fronts simultaneously,” admires one of the firm’s rivals. Additionally, the firm wins strong praise from clients who appreciate the firm’s detail-oriented approach. “They are meticulous in examining documents and anything else related to the case, and then once they step into the courtroom, their litigating skills are evident to everyone in the room,” explains one client. Merck used the firm as co-national coordinating counsel in its infamous Vioxx litigation. The firm also represented Bayer, Pfizer, and Genentech in high-stakes product liability matters. Partners Douglas Marvin, Heidi Hubbard, and F. Lane Heard are three highly-regarded attorneys in the products litigation space and each attorney has a tremendous amount of trial experience in the industry. One practitioner has high praise for Marvin’s courtroom skills stating, “I think he is the best in the business.” Marvin was lead counsel for Merck in the Vioxx litigation and is also taking a lead role for Bayer in various MDLs throughout the country. WilmerHale WilmerHale’s government investigation and fraud practices have received vast amounts of praise from industry practitioners. “Wilmer is among the best when it comes to defending both companies and individuals in criminal proceedings,” believes one practitioner, while another adds, “They have litigated in some of the most important matters in the industry and clients go to them when they are in trouble and need the best help they can find.” WilmerHale represented Wright Medical Technology in response to a notice by US Attorney’s Office for the Federal District of New Jersey, which accused the company of breaching the terms of its Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA). The firm successfully negotiated Addendum and Amendment to the DPA they had breached. Recently, the court moved to dismiss the original criminal complaint against Wright Medical Technology because it had fully complied with its new DPA that WilmerHale helped negotiate. WilmerHale is also recognized for its work on behalf of the former regional manager of Stryker Biotech. Partner Brent Gurney, who one colleague views as “a top defense attorney who is excellent at dealing with the government,” represented the accused individual, who faced federal felony charges for his alleged participation in an off-label marketing scheme. Gurney was able to get the charges against his client dismissed by federal prosecutors. “We have loved working with the firm and our relationship with them is has been extremely beneficial for us,” enthuses one of WilmerHale’s clients. “They are without a doubt a leading defense firm and will be called immediately in case we ever need their help again.”
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LMG LIFE SCIENCES 2013