Practices

A substantial portion of Sedgwick’s products liability work is performed on behalf of clients in the drug and medical device industry. Sedgwick attorneys have been litigating cases that impact the law and business of the pharmaceutical industry since the 1950s, when the firm represented Cutter Laboratories in connection with its polio vaccine. Our attorneys have developed a great deal of the case law that currently governs drug and medical device products liability actions.

A substantial portion of Sedgwick’s products liability work is performed on behalf of clients in the drug and medical device industry. Sedgwick attorneys have been litigating cases that impact the law and business of the pharmaceutical industry since the 1950s, when the firm represented Cutter Laboratories in connection with its polio vaccine. Our attorneys have developed a great deal of the case law that currently governs drug and medical device products liability actions.

We handle cases that range from simple to complex, multiple and interrelated cases filed in a variety of jurisdictions. Our clients value our experience in complex litigation procedure, such as class action practice, MDLs and statewide coordinated proceedings. They have frequently called upon us to serve as national, regional or statewide counsel.

Sedgwick’s drug and medical device defense team consists of experienced litigators, including nationally recognized trial counsel who have tried cases throughout the nation. Many of our attorneys have a special interest in medicine, and some have educational backgrounds in medicine, nursing and pharmacology. We have fostered relationships with experts in varied medical disciplines, statistics, epidemiology, genetics, biomechanics, and jury selection. We use the latest technology to produce demonstrative evidence, including computer-generated graphics, models, video reconstructions and full-scale product mock-ups.

Editors of MX Magazine listed Sedgwick among a small group of law firms that offer specialized expertise in the defense of pharmaceutical and medical device products liability actions. (“Medtech Liability Defense Firms,” MX Magazine, January/February 2005.)

Large-Scale Drug and Medical Device Litigation

Pharmaceutical litigation frequently occurs on a national, and international, scale. Sedgwick’s nine offices in the United States and three in Europe ensure clients’ immediate access to our expertise and permit us to coordinate and implement effective strategies for claims pending in multiple jurisdictions.

Sedgwick offers premier class action representation, having pooled our considerable experience into a dedicated class action task force that provides our clients immediate, strategic counsel on the complex procedural issues attendant to class action proceedings. We also have extensive experience navigating cases into, or away from, the federal MDL process or to state court coordinated proceedings. Our attorneys have been among the primary architects of significant MDLs and state coordinated proceedings, and have learned the systems’ advantages and disadvantages. We have also learned how to manage the parallel pre-trial processes to achieve cost-effective discovery and to implement consistent law and motion strategies.

In 2005, we resolved a nationwide class action involving thousands of individual claimants who alleged that a pharmaceutical product caused a variety of serious liver injuries, including transplantations and deaths. The financial terms reached were extremely favorable to our client, and we achieved global resolution of a complex MDL proceeding with limited discovery, resulting in low litigation expense.[A1]

Additionally, Sedgwick has served as national coordinating counsel and regional coordinating counsel in scores of drug and medical device matters. Our experience has allowed us to develop pre-trial litigation strategies, efficient workflows and proven defense practices that save our clients substantial expense, while also positioning cases for the best possible trial and/or negotiated resolution.

We confer with our client to identify its primary business and legal objectives, conduct a case assessment, and develop and implement appropriate themes and litigation strategy. We prepare pleadings; draft and respond to discovery; prepare company witnesses for deposition and trial testimony; develop the company story; identify, develop and prepare expert witnesses; and identify, retain and supervise local counsel. We oversee all facets of final trial preparation, conduct jury research and try the cases.

Complex Case Resolution

Successful negotiated resolutions of complex, high profile matters require the leadership of defense counsel who are ready to try the cases and who can negotiate with an understanding of the client’s legal, regulatory, business and public relations objectives. As national coordinating counsel and regional coordinating counsel, [A2] Sedgwick has created and managed numerous multi-plaintiff claim resolution agreements. Our attorneys have participated in many of the major mass tort settlements achieved over the past two decades. We have achieved great results for clients because we have negotiated from positions of strength, and have fully evaluated how our recommended courses of action will impact the client.

A substantial portion of Sedgwick’s products liability work is performed on behalf of clients in the drug and medical device industry. Sedgwick attorneys have been litigating cases that impact the law and business of the pharmaceutical industry since the 1950s, when the firm represented Cutter Laboratories in connection with its polio vaccine. Our attorneys have developed a great deal of the case law that currently governs drug and medical device products liability actions.

We handle cases that range from simple to complex, multiple and interrelated cases filed in a variety of jurisdictions. Our clients value our experience in complex litigation procedure, such as class action practice, MDLs and statewide coordinated proceedings. They have frequently called upon us to serve as national, regional or statewide counsel.

Sedgwick’s drug and medical device defense team consists of experienced litigators, including nationally recognized trial counsel who have tried cases throughout the nation. Many of our attorneys have a special interest in medicine, and some have educational backgrounds in medicine, nursing and pharmacology. We have fostered relationships with experts in varied medical disciplines, statistics, epidemiology, genetics, biomechanics, and jury selection. We use the latest technology to produce demonstrative evidence, including computer-generated graphics, models, video reconstructions and full-scale product mock-ups.

Editors of MX Magazine listed Sedgwick among a small group of law firms that offer specialized expertise in the defense of pharmaceutical and medical device products liability actions. (“Medtech Liability Defense Firms,” MX Magazine, January/February 2005.)

Large-Scale Drug and Medical Device Litigation

Pharmaceutical litigation frequently occurs on a national, and international, scale. Sedgwick’s nine offices in the United States and three in Europe ensure clients’ immediate access to our expertise and permit us to coordinate and implement effective strategies for claims pending in multiple jurisdictions.

Sedgwick offers premier class action representation, having pooled our considerable experience into a dedicated class action task force that provides our clients immediate, strategic counsel on the complex procedural issues attendant to class action proceedings. We also have extensive experience navigating cases into, or away from, the federal MDL process or to state court coordinated proceedings. Our attorneys have been among the primary architects of significant MDLs and state coordinated proceedings, and have learned the systems’ advantages and disadvantages. We have also learned how to manage the parallel pre-trial processes to achieve cost-effective discovery and to implement consistent law and motion strategies.

In 2005, we resolved a nationwide class action involving thousands of individual claimants who alleged that a pharmaceutical product caused a variety of serious liver injuries, including transplantations and deaths. The financial terms reached were extremely favorable to our client, and we achieved global resolution of a complex MDL proceeding with limited discovery, resulting in low litigation expense.[A1]

Additionally, Sedgwick has served as national coordinating counsel and regional coordinating counsel in scores of drug and medical device matters. Our experience has allowed us to develop pre-trial litigation strategies, efficient workflows and proven defense practices that save our clients substantial expense, while also positioning cases for the best possible trial and/or negotiated resolution.

We confer with our client to identify its primary business and legal objectives, conduct a case assessment, and develop and implement appropriate themes and litigation strategy. We prepare pleadings; draft and respond to discovery; prepare company witnesses for deposition and trial testimony; develop the company story; identify, develop and prepare expert witnesses; and identify, retain and supervise local counsel. We oversee all facets of final trial preparation, conduct jury research and try the cases.

Complex Case Resolution

Successful negotiated resolutions of complex, high profile matters require the leadership of defense counsel who are ready to try the cases and who can negotiate with an understanding of the client’s legal, regulatory, business and public relations objectives. As national coordinating counsel and regional coordinating counsel, [A2] Sedgwick has created and managed numerous multi-plaintiff claim resolution agreements. Our attorneys have participated in many of the major mass tort settlements achieved over the past two decades. We have achieved great results for clients because we have negotiated from positions of strength, and have fully evaluated how our recommended courses of action will impact the client.