Press Releases
Legal 500 Recognizes Nelson Mullins for Two Litigation Practice Areas
(June 2, 2011) -- The 2011 U.S. edition of The Legal 500 calls Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough's product liability and mass tort defense practices in automotive/transport and pharmaceuticals and medical devices "true lawyers, not just litigators" and "extremely able." The UK-based organization highlights the works of South Carolina partners David Dukes, Steve Morrison, and Michael Cole, and West Virginia attorneys Marc Williams, Robert Massie and Melissa Foster Bird. (Pictured top left to bottom right.)
The legal directory selected 23 firms nationwide for inclusion for their practices in product liability and mass tort defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Nelson Mullins was among 15 selected in product liability and mass tort defense: automotive/transport.
According to the publication, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP’s large team in automotive/transport has "true lawyers, not just litigators," whose areas of expertise include litigation, risk management and accident investigations. "It is a team of ‘highly skilled attorneys’ who ‘combine a collaborative style with unyielding commitment to deliver top-notch courtroom advocacy’. The firm recently served as lead appellate counsel for Ford in Watson v Ford, a product liability action in which the South Carolina Supreme Court reversed an $18m jury verdict and entered judgment for Ford." Marc Williams, Robert Massie and Melissa Foster Bird are "trusted partners" and "exceptional trial attorneys," according to the publication.
In pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, the Firm is "highly respected, not least because of the international reputation of its ‘extremely able’ managing partner David Dukes, who has also been recognized as one of the world's top five product liability defense lawyers by Legal Media Group based on interviews with clients and peers. Recent high-profile instructions for the team include serving as lead counsel for Wyeth (now part of Pfizer) in a Prempro case. While the firm tends to take on local or regional counsel roles, it has proven its national scope by representing CR Bard in litigation relating to various urological products and in lawsuits relating to certain vascular devices. It is co-counsel to Eli Lilly for an action brought by South Carolina’s attorney general seeking restitution for state expenditure on Zyprexa. Michael Cole in Charleston is ‘great for multi-district litigation’. Stephen Morrison in Columbia is also highly recommended," according to the publication. Also, earlier this year Mr. Morrison was recognized for excellence in client services in the BTI Client Service All-Star Team for Law Firms 2011. BTI is a leading provider of strategic research to law firms and General Counsel.
The Legal 500 publishers interview law firm commercial clients and attorneys every year and develop recommendations for inclusion based on responses. The reference guide has been published annually for more than 20 years.
Established in 1897, Nelson Mullins has more than 420 attorneys and government relations professionals practicing from 12 office locations in the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. For more information on the Firm, go to www.nelsonmullins.com, or call 803.255.9794.
