Named Shareholder Paul J. Hanly Jr., Shareholder Justin Presnal serve as panelists
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest mass tort firms, is proud to announce that Named Shareholder Jayne Conroy co-chaired HarrisMartin’s MDL conference titled “An Analysis of Today’s Mass Tort Landscape.” The event took place today in Washington D.C. Conroy focuses her practice on complex civil cases, including litigation against Volkswagen in the wake of the company’s recent emissions scandal and high profile sexual abuse cases against multiple Catholic institutions.
In addition to co-chairing the conference, Conroy moderated a panel titled “High Stake Issues: 2018 in Review.” Other panelists included Harvey Brown, Lanier Law Firm; Nicholas J. Drakulich, Drakulich Firm; Brooks Cutter, Cutter Law, P.C.; and Justin Presnal, Shareholder in the Complex Litigation Department at Simmons Hanly Conroy. Some of the issues the panel discussed included:
- Jurisdiction — Personal / Subject Matter
- Preemption — Express / Implied
- Daubert — Keys to a Successful Challenge
Over her 30-year career, Conroy has developed a superb national reputation as a skilled strategist, trial lawyer, and negotiator. Based in New York, Conroy litigates product liability and mass torts cases, among other complex actions. She has spearheaded efforts to help thousands of victims in some of the largest nationwide cases obtain the medical help or financial resolution they need to again be whole.
The high-profile cases she has litigated include the Toyota Unintended Acceleration controversy, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, and representing sex abuse victims against a variety of religious, educational and civic organizations. Conroy has served in leadership positions on over a dozen multidistrict litigations throughout America.
Named Shareholder Paul J. Hanly, Jr. served as a panelist at the conference in a panel titled, “Complex Litigation: Ethical Conundrums.” Moderated by Professor Jaime L. Dodge of Emory University Law School, Hanly and others discussed:
- Aggregate Settlements
- Steering Committee Fiduciary Obligations
- Common Benefit Doctrine and Assessment Issues
- Litigation Funding Is Soaring; Mandatory Disclosure?
- Withdrawal from Cases When a Client Refuses to Settle
Last year, Hanly, along with attorneys Joseph F. Rice and Paul T. Farrell Jr., were appointed as co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL 2804 (N.D.Ohio 2018). The ongoing litigation, which includes thousands of states, cities, towns, tribes and other entities, is regarded as the largest and most complex litigation in U.S. history.
