ALTON, Ill. (Nov. 1, 2016) – Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest law firms focused on consumer protection and mass tort actions, is pleased to announce that the National Law Journal (NLJ) has recognized the firm as among the 2016 “Elite Trial Lawyers.” The firm has earned a spot among the NLJ’s top firms for three consecutive years.
The NLJ’s “Elite Trial Lawyers” honors law firms in two categories: the 50 firms with the largest total recoveries over a 12-month period, and the firms that did some of the “most creative and significant work on the plaintiffs’ side.” Simmons Hanly Conroy earned accolades in both categories and is a finalist for its work involving medical devices litigation.
“We are humbled to be included on such a notable list and honored by the continued trust our clients place in us to be their advocates,” said John Simmons, chairman of Simmons Hanly Conroy.
Simmons Hanly Conroy’s recent work in the medical devices field is highlighted by its role in helping to secure a $502 million verdict in March 2016 against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in a bellwether trial concerning J&J’s DePuy Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip replacement devices. The jury verdict for $142 million compensatory and $360 million punitive damages involved five separate plaintiffs who claimed that the market-leading DePuy implants were defective and caused metal debris to enter into patients’ bloodstreams, causing severe injuries and sometimes leading to revision surgery. Simmons Hanly Conroy Shareholder Jayne Conroy is a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the DePuy Pinnacle multidistrict litigation (MDL) that includes more than 8,000 plaintiffs nationwide.
The firm also is currently litigating on behalf of 4,500 individuals and has reached settlements for more than half of its clients in multidistrict litigation concerning transvaginal mesh liability. The plaintiffs are women who have suffered complications from surgery that used transvaginal mesh as a repair to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence. Conroy and firm attorney John Foley serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the American Medical Systems, Inc., Boston Scientific Corp., and Ethicon, Inc. MDLs. Foley also serves on the Plaintiff Leadership Committees for the Coloplast Corp. and C.R. Bard, Inc. MDL.
The “Elite Trial Lawyers” were selected through research, analysis and vetting of nominations by editors and reporters with the ALM-published NLJ and Law.com, as well as ALM’s verdict and settlement research database. Rankings were based on verdicts and settlements with disposition dates between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016. Firms on the Top 50 list also had to have more than $40 million in awards and four or more cases totaling more than $15 million in awards during the evaluation period. Practice area finalists had to have scored at least one significant plaintiffs win (prevailing in a bench or jury trial or in a major settlement where the stakes were high) during the evaluation time period and possess an impressive track record of wins within the past three to five years. All finalists devote at least 50 percent of their litigation resources to plaintiffs work and derive half or more of their revenue from plaintiffs-side activities.
“Elite Trial Lawyers” honorees will be recognized at a dinner in New York City on Dec. 6, 2016.
About Simmons Hanly Conroy, LLC
Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC is one of the nation’s largest mass tort law firms and has recovered more than $5 billion in verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs. Primary areas of litigation include asbestos and mesothelioma, pharmaceutical, consumer protection, environmental and personal injury. The firm’s attorneys have been appointed to leadership in numerous national multidistrict litigations, including Vioxx, Yaz and Toyota Unintended Acceleration. The firm also represents small and mid-size corporations, inventors and entrepreneurs in matters involving business litigation. Offices are located in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Alton, Ill. Read More at www.simmonsfirm.com.
