Matthew Holian > DLA Piper LLP (US) > Boston, United States > Lawyer Profile

Drawing upon lawyers with ‘first-hand medical practice experience and highly technical expertise’, DLA Piper LLP (US) combines strong procedural nous with deep subject matter knowledge, in turn being well positioned to represent life sciences clients on work throughout the litigation life cycle. As well as regularly acting as national co-ordinating counsel on large-scale domestic MDLs, the team regularly works alongside practitioners throughout its global network of offices on cross-border work, and is recognized for its ‘excellent‘ work in co-ordinating multinational law suits. In this context, ‘outstanding’ Atlanta-based Christopher Campbell continues to take the lead for Bayer on global mass tort litigation involving Essure, leveraging the knowledge and skills gleaned from the firm’s success in the initial US action to good effect on the ensuing international cases. Praised for her ‘ability to see the big picture’, as well as her ‘highly impressive knowledge of the medical facts’, Mary Gately in Washington DC has also been key to the firm’s success for Bayer. New York-based Loren Brown is well-versed in handling large-scale aggregated litigation, including his ongoing work as co-national counsel for Sanofi in the Zantac MDL; where he has gained an excellent reputation for securing the early dismissal of matters through often innovative strategies. From Boston, Matthew Holian is also very effective at representing pharmaceutical companies engaged in MDLs, being as comfortable handling discovery issues, as he is cross-examining expert witnesses in Daubert hearings and in bellwether trials. Other key individuals include Dallas-based trial lawyer Lyn Pruitt; Boston-based Katie Insogna, who excels at developing expert witnesses and on discovery matters; and New York based Lucas Przymusinski , who ‘has an incredibly scientific mind in addition to legal expertise’. 

DLA Piper LLP (US) handles a range of high value disputes in the sector, helping clients defend their patents in cross-border litigation and also providing support in product liability and personal injury MDLs arising out of allegations of faulty products or drugs. Licensing and supply agreements also fall within the group’s purview, where the group acts for both suppliers and buyers of critical medical ingredients. Heading the team are Matthew Holian, a Boston-based litigator whose practice encompasses multi-jurisdictional product liability disputes, and New York’s Andrew Gilbert, who advises both public and private life sciences companies on M&As and securities law; February 2024 saw the arrival of FDA regulatory specialists Vernessa Pollard and Anisa Mohanty from McDermott Will & Emery LLP‘s Washington office, advising on pre-market strategy and post-market compliance. Loren Brown represents clients across the spectrum of litigation pertinent to life sciences clients, including patent and trade secret infringement claims, and securities class actions, and Lucas Przymusinski focusing on product liability suits tied to drugs and medical devices; both are located in New York. Boston’s Katie Insogna is recommended for her ability to handle both regulatory issues and litigation, including MDLs tied to product liability, and broader commercial litigation.

Leveraging ‘a deep bench of experts’ throughout the country including in California, a hotspot for environmental-related matters, DLA Piper LLP (US) provides a ‘very responsive’ service to clients in the defence of a range of toxic tort matters, including on cutting-edge climate change issues, and with regard to the proliferation of claims being brought through the courts with regard to PFAS  contamination.  Co-headed out of Boston and Baltimore by Matthew Holian and John Wellschlager, the firm is currently defending BASF in a high-profile PFAS MDL. Washington DC-based Buffy Mims is also part of this team, and as part of her broad trial practice, regularly represents clients in relation to toxic tort matters. In Los Angeles, first-chair trial lawyer Jayme Long  also regularly handles single and multi-plaintiff toxic tort and product liability cases, including for energy, chemical and manufacturing clients. In San Francisco, George Gigounas is a popular choice for clients seeking to comply with federal and California-specific environmental regulations, and is also regularly engaged in litigation and enforcement actions when litigation is challenged. Also located in San Francisco, the ‘exceptionally responsive’ Greg Sperla  combines regulatory and litigation skills to good effect in the context of Prop 65 work, consumer class actions and similar labeling claims, and is praised for his ability to ‘play the role of both tough litigator and careful negotiator very well’. Los Angeles-based trial lawyer Angela Agrusa, who co-heads the overarching mass torts and class action group with Christopher Campbell in Atlanta, is particularly skilled at defending clients in the food and beverages space, including recent work relating to alleged heavy metals in baby food and PFAS in food packaging.