Single office Washington DC-based litigation powerhouse Williams & Connolly LLP has considerable experience handling complex product liability matters within the life sciences space, with well-known companies including Pfizer, GSK and AstraZeneca, regularly instructing the firm on high-profile matters relating to medicine/drugs produced by them. Many of these take the form of large MDLs involving joint defense groups, where the firm is appreciated for its strength at ‘dealing with the other counsel and acting as leaders’. With a plethora of ’first-rate trial lawyers’ in its ranks, the firm is also noted for its courtroom capabilities, and is a regular destination practice for trials. The ‘experienced’ Joseph Petrosinelli is ’technically terrific’, combining deep subject matter knowledge with superb advocacy skills to good effect for clients, both at a final trial, as well as at a motions stage. Although he is well-versed at handling MDLs throughout the litigation process, Paul Boehm is best-known for his trial skills. Other recommended practitioners include the ‘very talented’ Neelum Wadhwani and Heidi Hubbard , who co-heads the team alongside Petrosinelli.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'The team is well prepared and used to trying cases.'
'They are adept with managing complex products liability litigation that have joint defense groups and is excellent at dealing with the other counsel and acting as leaders.'
'Joseph Petrosinelli is experienced and technically terrific.'
'The very talented Neelum Wadwani is hardworking, smart and committed.'

Key clients

Pfizer, Inc.
GlaxoSmithKline LLC
Pfizer/Hospira
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp.
Beckman Coulter

Work highlights

Secured a complete victory on behalf of Pfizer in one of the largest personal injury MDLs ever—the closely-watched products liability MDL concerning the antacid medication Zantac®, a product that had been on the market for almost 40 years, and was one of the largest selling over-the-counter medications ever.
Represented GlaxoSmithKline as appellate, legal writing, and legal strategy counsel in the Zofran MDL proceeding in which a group of more than 400 plaintiffs attempted to attribute various birth defects, including heart defects and cleft palate, to the use of Zofran, an anti-nausea medication.
Won a series of important victories as lead trial counsel and national counsel for Pfizer’s subsidiary Hospira in an MDL in the Eastern District of Louisiana in which the plaintiffs allege they were inadequately warned about the risk of permanent hair loss associated with the chemotherapy medicine, Docetaxel, including a trio of back-to-back summary judgment wins in bellwether cases set for trial.