Practice Areas
SHB Practice Areas

Class Actions & Complex Litigation

Shook, Hardy & Bacon has a long history of success defending putative class actions in state, federal and international venues. A leader in global complex litigation since the 1970s, SHB has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies affected by legal actions targeting entire industries. The SHB Class Actions & Complex Litigation Practice partners with companies to address their unique concerns and protect their business interests against predatory lawsuits. With access to the firm’s arsenal of veteran litigators and its extensive support system, SHB clients can expect creative and practical solutions at unsurpassed value.

Comprehensive Experience

SHB complex litigation attorneys have the expertise to defend complex litigation in state and federal courts, as well as those consolidated by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. SHB counsel has handled claims pertaining to products liability, environmental actions, consumer fraud, antitrust cases, employment discrimination, RICO, medical monitoring, personal injury, and wage-and-hour disputes. In this capacity, the firm’s trial teams have successfully opposed motions to certify classes in nearly 50 separate cases. SHB attorneys have also obtained dismissals, favorable settlements, and defense verdicts in dozens of putative or certified class actions.

Global Clients

The SHB Class Action & Complex Litigation Practice represents a geographically and commercially diverse set of industries, including leading automotive and aircraft companies, pharmaceutical and medical-devices manufacturers, agribusinesses, chemical companies, telecommunications providers, and tobacco and alcoholic-beverage companies. At the same time, SHB recognizes that there is no cookie-cutter approach to defending complex cases. Because many client matters involve complicated scientific issues, the firm has the ability to identify, develop and produce the type of medical and technical expert witnesses demanded in these situations. In addition, SHB litigators often coordinate with the Public Policy Practice to back legislative reform oramicus efforts that help shape the overall litigation environment and curtail large-scale threats.

A Trial-Ready Approach

SHB attorneys are experienced in controlling and containing complex litigation through a variety of measures, such as motions for federal multidistrict consolidation, motions for state/federal coordination, and motions for deference to earlier filed actions. Even when denial of class certification or settlement is the primarily goal, the Class Actions & Complex Litigation Practice works closely with clients to prepare for trial and anticipate potential demands. SHB counsel also delivers strategies to manage overlapping class actions in multiple jurisdictions and seek coordination between state and federal courts where no formal means exist.

Litigation Support & E-Discovery

The SHB Class Actions & Complex Litigation Practice draws on the firm’s extensive resources and technical infrastructure to support clients with large-scale data and document management needs. Because complex matters often involve a colossal amount of documents, SHB staffs its case management teams with attorneys who are experts in e-discovery, privilege law, and document preservation and production requirements. As a result, the SHB complex litigation group excels at providing comprehensive plans that minimize the risks and burdens of discovery.

Areas of Expertise/Representative Cases
The SHB Class Actions & Complex Litigation Practice has handled complex litigation cases pertaining to products liability, consumer fraud, antitrust matters, commercial transactions, employment policies, and environmental and toxic torts.   ...  

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