ALTON, Illinois – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest law firms focused on product liability and mass tort actions, is proud to announce one of the firm’s practices has been named among Law360’s Practice Groups of the Year for 2021.
Now in its 12th year, Law360’s Practice Groups of the Year honors the top law firms behind the previous year’s litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry. Simmons Hanly Conroy received honors for its mass torts practice area in the publication’s class action category.
“We are very proud to be recognized by Law360 for our commitment to our clients and the significant results we secure for them,” said Chairman John Simmons. “This honor is a testament to the knowledge and skills of our attorneys, as well as the tireless commitment of our legal and support teams in protecting the rights of workers, citizens and families harmed at the hands of corporate wrongdoing.”
A partial list of the firm’s substantial mass tort verdicts and settlements that contributed to its Law360 honors include:
- $26 billion settlement from three opioid distributors and an opioid manufacturer as part of the ongoing National Prescription Opiates MDL, which represents 34,000+ local governments across the country. The settlement was reached after more than a year of negotiation with the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee under the leadership of the co-leads, including the late Shareholder Paul J. Hanly, Jr. and Shareholder Jayne Conroy.
- Over $1.7 billion in settlements so far for the New York counties of Suffolk and Nassau as well as the state. Shareholder Jayne Conroy served as lead counsel during the New York State bellwether trial. This is the first opioid case to proceed to a jury trial in either state or federal court. It is considered to be one of the largest trial proceedings in U.S. history.
- The historic opioid verdict against opioid manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals and distributor Anda in the New York State opioid trial. This is the first opioid case to be heard before a state jury, and the ruling represents the culmination of several years of litigation and preparation by Suffolk County, Nassau County and New York State. The court is now moving onto the damages phase to determine the extent of liability.
In addition to the impressive settlements and verdicts listed above, the mass torts team — led by Jayne Conroy and Shareholder Trent Miracle — has also resolved hundreds of individual cases involving injuries from Essure birth control, Roundup and Attune knee replacements.
Thousands of additional mass tort cases are ongoing in the areas of Allergan breast implants — where Shareholder Laura Fitzpatrick serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee — and also in 3M military earplugs, hernia mesh, Elmiron, JUUL e-cigarettes and talcum powder.
Simmons Hanly Conroy was one of 91 law firms recognized out of nearly 900 submissions for this year’s awards. To view a full list of honorees, visit the Law360 website here.
