Barnes & Thornburg Expands National Complex Litigation and Life Sciences Practices With New Offices in New Jersey and Philadelphia

Barnes & Thornburg LLP is opening new offices in Northern New Jersey and in Philadelphia, its 21st and 22nd in the U.S. The new offices are anchored by well-respected and nationally recognized product liability, mass tort and life sciences litigators and counselors Michael C. Zogby, Jessica L. Brennan, and Kaitlyn E. Stone in New Jersey, and Chanda A. Miller, Molly E. Flynn, and Rebecca Trela in Philadelphia.

The New Jersey and Philadelphia offices will serve the bustling life sciences, healthcare, consumer products, global manufacturing, financial services, and sophisticated multinational companies that are resident in the corridor. In particular, both New Jersey and Philadelphia are major hubs for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, research and development, supply chain, medical technology, financial transactions, and investment funds activity.

Barnes & Thornburg’s latest East Coast expansion follows the opening of the firm’s Boston office and significant growth over the past two years in its Washington D.C., and Delaware offices. The firm also opened its New York office in 2020, which has grown to 30 lawyers and staff, while adding life sciences-focused locations in Raleigh, Ann Arbor, and Salt Lake City in 2019.

Partners Zogby, Brennan, Miller, and Flynn, and associates Stone and Trela previously practiced and served as firm leaders in the Product Liability & Mass Tort and Health & Life Sciences groups at an Am Law 50 law firm. The group has diverse trial and litigation experience, representing global clients in complex product liability, mass tort, class actions, intellectual property, antitrust, trade secret, and cross border disputes, particularly in Japan and Europe. They also have deep experience in e-discovery matters and appear regularly in state and federal courts throughout the U.S.

“I have known and worked alongside Barnes & Thornburg litigators for almost two decades, and have always been impressed with their track record and trial reputation, and the collegial nature of the firm,” said Zogby, who will serve as partner-in-charge of the New Jersey and Philadelphia offices. “We were attracted to the sophisticated nature and rapid growth of the firm’s health and life sciences practice, which boasts more than 200 practitioners located in leading life sciences and biotech hubs across the country. The firm’s platform is ideal for continuing to serve our clients at the highest level, and we look forward to collaborating with our new partners and colleagues.”

“New Jersey is recognized as the ‘medicine chest of the world’ for its world-renowned cluster of life sciences companies, while Philadelphia has long been one of the most attractive locations in the country for manufacturing, research and development, and international companies looking to establish operations in the states,” said Andrew J. Detherage, Barnes & Thornburg’s managing partner-elect, who has been leading the firm’s strategic expansion. “Given the importance of these markets to our life sciences and corporate clients, we’re thrilled to have this new team come on board to help us establish a first-rate presence in the region.”

About Barnes & Thornburg’s Product Liability and Mass Torts Practice

Barnes & Thornburg’s nationally recognized and Chambers nationally ranked Product Liability and Mass Tort practice defends products that improve the quality of consumers’ lives. A diverse roster of household names, clients come from all major aspects of the supply chain, from raw materials manufacturing to finished goods manufacturing to distribution to retail. The team works with clients to develop innovative solutions for their most sensitive and complex product liability matters, using a unique approach to product liability counseling, mass tort defense, large scale tort resolution, and scientific and regulatory strategy.

Sarah E. Johnston, co-chair of the Drug and Medical Device Litigation Practice Group, is enthusiastic about the expansion of the practice: “We have long considered Mike and his team to be trusted colleagues in our defense of complex product liability matters, and the opportunity to now grow our practice together – under the Barnes & Thornburg banner – is truly exciting. Mike, Jessica, Chanda, Molly, Kate, and Rebecca are exceptional litigators; their addition not only reinforces the strength of our existing team, but also gives us new opportunity to provide even greater value to our product liability clients.” 

About Barnes & Thornburg’s Global Life Sciences Practice

Barnes & Thornburg’s Life Sciences group combines its knowledge of IP, corporate transactional, litigation, and finance matters with innovative strategies to help clients reach their goals and advance innovations in the marketplace. The sector is booming across the country, and biotech companies, universities, hospitals, and technology centers in the initial stages of research and development rely on the firm’s attorneys and patent agents with backgrounds in chemistry, molecular biology, engineering, and genetics to assist with commercializing their assets. 

With a national platform and a presence on the ground in key U.S. markets for technology and biotech development, the addition of offices in New Jersey and Philadelphia adds an important layer to the firm’s capabilities in the sector. 

Barnes & Thornburg’s attorneys work with clients on licensing agreements, trademark analysis, pharmaceutical, and medical device patent prosecution, strategic patent portfolio management, Hatch-Waxman litigation, and pharmaceutical and biological client counseling. In addition, the firm’s transactional attorneys have experience advising clients on the proper business entity selection and preparing documents related to entity creation and regulatory compliance. 

“The addition of these skilled lawyers, all of whom have such a nuanced understanding of the life sciences industry, will undoubtedly strengthen our expanding practice and deepen existing client relationships,” said Ronald E. Cahill, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Life Sciences practice. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to the firm.”

About the Attorneys

Michael C. Zogby, partner-in-charge in New Jersey and Philadelphia, is a trial attorney focusing on global product liability, mass torts, and aggregated proceedings for clients in the life sciences and other highly regulated industries, and he advises clients in commercial and consumer disputes, class actions, intellectual property, antitrust, and trade secret challenges. Zogby also counsels clients in the United States, Asia, and Europe on data privacy, governance and security, and crisis management, and he coordinates cross-border trial issues and discovery involving multidistrict proceedings.  He is active in the legal community, including as a trustee of the Trial Attorneys of America and Trial Attorneys of New Jersey, an elected member of the Product Liability Advisory Council and International Association of Defense Counsel, and as a faculty member of the National Trial Advocacy College of the University of Virginial School of Law.

Jessica L. Brennan, partner, New Jersey, works with major pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer goods companies in a range of product liability, mass tort, consumer class actions, and multidistrict proceedings. She has trial and litigation experience before state and federal courts in a range of disputes, including product liability, breach of warranty, wrongful death actions, and negligence claims. Additionally, Brennan serves as national and local counsel for multinational clients and is well versed in cross-jurisdictional mass tort matters. She also serves as discovery counsel in complex litigation, coordinating all aspects of e-discovery, records and information management, and counseling.

Chanda A. Miller, partner, Philadelphia, is a trial attorney concentrating on high-stakes litigation, including product liability, class action, and appellate matters.  Miller has handled multidistrict litigation and coordinated state proceedings as national and local counsel for pharmaceutical and medical device companies facing claims for violating state consumer protection laws, deceptive trade practice acts, failure to warn, breach of warranty, common fraud, and manufacturing or design defects.  In addition, Miller serves as litigation counsel for companies and public entities in complex commercial and consumer disputes. She also advises companies on corporate litigation matters arising under the Pennsylvania business corporation law.

Molly E. Flynn, partner, Philadelphia, is a trial lawyer representing Fortune 500 and multinational companies in complex litigation matters including product liability, mass tort, and catastrophic injury claims. Flynn has appeared in state and federal courts around the country and regularly counsels clients seeking to manage risk and potential liability arising from the manufacture, sale, and use of products.  She also helps clients navigate contractual and other business disputes. 

Kaitlyn E. Stone, associate, New Jersey, represents pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, and life sciences companies in federal mass tort multidistrict and coordinated state court proceedings. She also has extensive commercial litigation experience involving a range of matters including class action, trade secret, qui tam, insurance defense, business tort, redevelopment, environmental, and public contract disputes.

Rebecca L. Trela, associate, Philadelphia, handles all phases of complex litigation for businesses in the life sciences sector, including pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer product manufacturers. She has helped clients achieve successful results at trial, mediation, on appeal, and through dispositive motion practice. Trela regularly represents clients in state and federal courts nationwide, including MDL and mass tort proceedings, and in a variety of commercial disputes. 

With more than 800 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg LLP is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 22 offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.