The American Lawyer Reports on New Trio of Litigation Leaders Joining Shook

The American Lawyer covered the recent addition of Sedgwick Chair Michael Healy joining Shook Hardy & Bacon. As Sedgwick moves to shut down its operations, firm chairman Michael Healy has found a new home at Shook in San Francisco.

Healy is joining his new firm, known for its prowess in products liability work, as a partner in its products liability and business litigation group, along with former Sedgwick partner Wayne Wolff and associate Emily Weissenberger. All three lawyers will be based in San Francisco, where Shook Hardy has had an office since 1998. Wolff will be of counsel at his new firm, which last year elected Madeleine McDonough as its first female leader.

Healy, who first joined Sedgwick in 1980, said that his decision to join the Kansas City, Missouri-based Am Law 100 firm was predicated on its prowess and preeminence in the products liability space. For years, he worked alongside Shook representing the same clients in various matters, as well as some of the practice leaders, including global products liability chair Walter Cofer and pharmaceutical and medical device litigation division chair Alicia Donahue. So when it came time to determine his next steps, Healy said that Shook seemed like the obvious choice.

“The clients I deal with have a recognition and appreciation of the strong bench of trial attorneys and analyst teams at Shook ,” said Healy, adding that he anticipates that his move will be a seamless transition for many of his clients.