Michelle Hart Yeary is a litigator with extensive experience in product liability litigation, including the defense of mass torts in federal multidistrict litigation and coordinated state court proceedings where she has served as coordinating, regional, and defense liaison counsel. She also has considerable experience defending against claims seeking punitive damages, including working with punitive damages experts to develop trial testimony and strategy.
Ms. Yeary's mass tort experience includes the representation of Merck & Co. in litigation related to a painkiller, notably managing the consolidation of thousands of personal injury cases in New Jersey, including coordination of simultaneous discovery in 250 cases, as well as serving as lead counsel to the court on case management issues. Ms. Yeary continues to defend pharmaceutical manufacturers as local and liaison counsel, including representing Pfizer, Inc. in both its hormone therapy and Reglan® litigation in state and federal court.
Over her career, Ms. Yeary has handled all aspects of litigation strategy for complex mass torts involving a variety of products such as serving as national counsel for a medical device manufacturer in the In re Orthopedic Bone Screw Products liability litigation and as counsel for other medical device manufacturers, including manufacturers of stents, guidewires, latex gloves, and electrosurgical equipment, in defense of product liability claims. She also served as regional counsel and national discovery counsel for manufacturers of automobile industry products in cases involving serious personal injuries.
