Ruben Honik immigrated to the United States more than 50 years ago speaking not a word of English. He became the first member of his family to attend college and, subsequently, to obtain a professional degree. In the four decades since earning his law degree, Mr. Honik has achieved an extraordinary record of professional accomplishment, including the accolades and recognition of many from the civil trial bar, without ever forgetting, or straying very far from, his immigrant and working-class roots.
In cases spanning from environmental disasters to insurance and financial services fraud, from civil rights to product design defects, and from professional malpractice to mass torts, Mr. Honik has earned for his clients more than one billion dollars in verdicts and settlements over his distinguished career. No less importantly, his appellate advocacy has changed the law in numerous respects to help the victim and those most in need of access to our civil courts. This record of accomplishment has earned him the title of Super Lawyer in the areas of class action, mass torts and environmental law.
Mr. Honik's body of work, and his lifelong commitment to the ideals of justice and service, allowed him to be elected President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association (1997-98) and the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (2007-08, now the Pennsylvania Association for Justice) with which he remains actively involved. He is the longtime Editor of The Verdict, the monthly newsletter of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, and is a frequent lecturer and writer in his areas of practice.
Mr. Honik graduated from Syracuse University in 1977 and earned his law degree from Rutgers University in 1980. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the First, Third, Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Mr. Honik is the father of two adult daughters and sons-in-law, and the grandfather to two grandsons. He was a founder of Congregation Kol Ami in Elkins Park, Pa. where he served as President, and is a current member of the Board of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), the former Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA). A lifelong runner with six completed marathons under his belt, Mr. Honik resides in the Wissahickon Valley section of Philadelphia.
Representative cases and leadership appointments (Lead, Co-Lead, Executive or Steering Committees):
- In re Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, No. 1:18-md-2875 (D.N.J.)
- In re Metformin Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, No. 2:20-cv-02324 (D.N.J.)
- In re Fresenius Granuflo/Naturalyte Dialysate Products Liability Litigation, No. 13-md-2428 (D. Mass.)
- Cullen et al. v. Whitman Medical Corporation d/b/a Whitman Education Group, Inc., et al., 197 F.R.D. 136 (E.D. Pa.)
- In re Budeprion XL Marketing & Sales Litigation, MDL No. 2107 (E.D. Pa.)
- In re Checking Account Overdraft Litigation, MDL No. 2036 (2009)
- Mattel Lead Paint Class Action, MDL No. 1897 (E.D. Pa.)
- David v. American Suzuki Motor Corp., No. 08-CV-22278 (S.D. Fla.)
- In re Intuniv Antitrust Litigation, No. 16-cv-12653 (D. Mass.)