Jennifer M. Stevenson

Jennifer is the national co-chair of Shook’s Complex Litigation Strategic Counseling Group, ranked a Tier 1 practice by the Legal 500. Her practice is primarily dedicated to defending companies in complex product liability and class action litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country. She has represented companies in the technology, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical, medical device, automotive, personal care product, consumer goods and chemical industries.
 
A gifted strategist who sees the big picture, Jennifer has led litigation teams in both multidistrict litigation and individual cases. Her substantive experience includes overseeing all aspects of mass litigation, from initial coordination, foundational discovery, case management orders, and pleading responses, through fact and expert discovery and motion practice, to bellwether selection, pretrial filings, and trial. She has also managed lawyers from multiple firms in a virtual law firm setting. 
 
Jennifer has a special interest in discovery, frequently counsels clients on optimizing discovery in mass litigation, and was recently recognized by Missouri Lawyers Media among the 2025 KC Legal Leaders for her e-discovery practice. As a former federal law clerk in the District of Kansas, she is regularly called on to lead strategy in discovery conferences and to advise on discovery management orders. 

Jennifer’s representative experience includes:

• Leading affirmative discovery in high stakes MDL and JCCP bellwether cases in the In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3047 and JCCP No. 5255), including one of the first JCCP personal injury cases set for trial. 

• Leading Shook’s team in the In re: Ford Motor Co. DPS6 Powershift Transmission Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2814). Jennifer’s innovative legal thinking, persuasive writing, and strong oral advocacy have resulted in numerous favorable dispositive motion rulings and helped to shape the law across the industry.
  
  
• Co-leading the defense in the In re Zofran (Ondansetron) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2657. Her significant litigation successes include pioneering and implementing the motion to dismiss and show cause strategy, leading to the dismissal of more than 40% of the pending cases. Jennifer was part of the team that drafted the motion for summary judgment on federal preemption grounds, which resulted in the dismissal of all remaining MDL cases. 
  
  
• Leading the defense of nationwide class actions for clients in the automotive and medical devices industries. Jennifer developed the discovery and motion strategy in Carper v. Nissan North America, No. 3:23-01293 (M.D. Tenn.), a putative nationwide class action. She obtained a stay of all discovery, pending a ruling on Nissan’s motion to dismiss, which was recently granted in full.

• Serving as national e-discovery counsel for a company in the automotive industry. 

Jennifer frequently advises clients on strategies to best minimize litigation risk, if not avoid litigation altogether. This includes conducting in-depth risk assessments on a variety of products and issues and negotiating favorable resolutions prior to filing. 

Dedicated to pro bono service, Jennifer has represented families in adoption and guardianship proceedings throughout her career. She also served multiple terms on the board of directors for Kansas Legal Services, a non-profit law firm that provides equal access to justice for vulnerable Kansans and previously served as board president. 

Mentoring is important to Jennifer. She mentors numerous associates and has served on the firm’s Associates Committee.