Skadden is pleased to announce that its nationally recognized Mass Torts and Product Liability Group has expanded with the addition of five accomplished litigators — Lyn Pruitt, Adria Conklin, Mary Catherine Way and David Koehler as partners and Lauren Grinder as counsel — who join the firm affiliated with the Chicago office. Together with Brian O’Donoghue, a leading mass torts litigator who joined as a partner in July, these additions strengthen a trial bench already recognized as a leader in high-stakes product liability and mass tort defense. Skadden’s Mass Torts Group pioneered the “national counsel” model for managing mass tort litigation, and these new partners add significant experience across multidistrict litigation, coordinated proceedings, bellwether trials and the strategic defense of large-scale tort disputes.
“Lyn, Adria, Mary Catherine, David and Lauren are highly regarded litigators with extensive experience handling sophisticated pharmaceutical and medical device, PFAS environmental and other product liability matters,” said John Beisner, leader of Skadden’s Mass Torts and Product Liability Group. “Each has played a pivotal role in landmark litigation, opposed the most aggressive leading plaintiffs’ firms and built winning partnerships with local counsel across jurisdictions nationwide. Their arrival reflects our continued investment in exceptional mass torts talent, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the firm.”
“Skadden has a premier platform for handling complex litigation, and I am excited to welcome and work alongside an established team with a strong reputation in mass torts and product liability matters,” said Mr. O’Donoghue. “I have worked successfully with this team of litigators for years, often in the toughest jurisdictions. They bring deep knowledge of the national liability landscape and strategies for disputing plaintiffs’ tactics, leveraging technology and strategic relationships to resolve massive case dockets, and efficiently minimizing exposure for our clients."
Ms. Pruitt has spent more than three decades defending companies in high-stakes product liability litigation. She focuses her practice on representing leading pharmaceutical and medical device companies and has extensive experience representing other companies in consumer class actions and toxic tort disputes. A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, she has first-chaired trials for a broad range of clients and is widely sought after for her ability to craft compelling trial narratives in bellwether proceedings that shape the trajectory of entire MDLs. She has earned recognition from Chambers USA in its Nationwide Product Liability & Mass Torts category and from Chambers Global in its USA Litigation: Trial Lawyers category, among other accolades.
Ms. Conklin has extensive experience advising and defending clients across the full life cycle of large-scale litigation, including strategy development, discovery, case workup and trial. She focuses her practice on pharmaceutical litigation, product liability, mass tort matters and other complex commercial disputes. Ms. Conklin successfully coordinates large teams of lawyers across multiple firms in connection with complex analyses, case development and trial preparation.
Ms. Way is a seasoned product liability litigator with a practice focused on complex, multijurisdictional mass tort suits involving personal injury claims. She has extensive experience representing clients at all stages of litigation in significant state and federal proceedings nationwide. Ms. Way regularly works alongside counsel across multiple law firms and jurisdictions, developing unified litigation strategies that drive favorable results in high-stakes matters. Ms. Way excels at fostering collaboration among diverse legal teams and executing coordinated strategic defenses that advance client objectives.
Mr. Koehler regularly represents clients in large-scale mass tort actions, including federal and state product liability, consumer fraud and medical monitoring litigation, with particular experience representing pharmaceutical, medical device and other life sciences companies. Mr. Koehler has repeatedly been named one of Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch in America in recognition of his work.
Ms. Grinder handles high-stakes litigation from discovery through trial and appeal, with particular experience in trial strategy, witness preparation and bellwether cases. She also has experience advising clients on regulatory compliance, risk management and government investigations.