Richelle is a member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Device and Healthcare Litigation Group and has handled motions covering every aspect of civil litigation. In conjunction with internal and external counsel, she has prepared thousands of pleadings, motions and responses over her 20+ years of experience. These range from removals to federal court, discovery motions, motions to dismiss, summary judgment motions, motions to exclude, motions in limine, choice of law analyses, motions to bifurcate, jury instructions and post-trial and appellate issues. Richelle’s primary focus is in federal court, and recently, Richelle has served as lead motions contact on complex Ethicon pelvic mesh cases in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, among others.
Overview
Richelle is a member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Device and Healthcare Litigation Group and has handled motions covering every aspect of civil litigation. In conjunction with internal and external counsel, she has prepared thousands of pleadings, motions and responses over her 20+ years of experience. These range from removals to federal court, discovery motions, motions to dismiss, summary judgment motions, motions to exclude, motions in limine, choice of law analyses, motions to bifurcate, jury instructions and post-trial and appellate issues. Richelle’s primary focus is in federal court, and recently, Richelle has served as lead motions contact on complex Ethicon pelvic mesh cases in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, among others.
About
Richelle also serves as a lead motions coordinator. On a weekly basis, Richelle oversees and coordinates the motions assignments and filings for Ethicon pelvic mesh cases in hundreds of pending cases. Richelle served in similar lead roles in Tylenol and Propecia® litigations, the latter of which included aggressive Rule 702 and dispositive motions practice that led to a global settlement on terms very favorable to the client. Through all of her work on motions, Richelle particularly enjoys a positive and strong working relationship with defense counsel from other law firms across the country.
Richelle participates in Butler Snow’s pro bono initiatives, presents substantive and best practices materials to colleagues, and frequently authors publications on litigation-related topics. Her articles for Pro Te: Solutio, Butler Snow’s publication for the pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare industries, have addressed issues including MDL trends, the admissibility of expert testimony, and key FDA initiatives.
Richelle has been selected as a 2022 Fellow of the Memphis Bar Foundation. The Memphis Bar Foundation annually selects attorneys and judges as Fellows in recognition of their service to the legal profession and community and their adherence to the highest standards of professional conduct. Approximately 1% of Memphis area attorneys and judges are invited to join each year. She obtained her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Houston and her B.A., with honors in the liberal arts, from The Ohio State University. Following law school, Richelle clerked for Judge David Hittner in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
Experience
- Experience in nationwide pharmaceutical products liability cases, including Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) and federal and state matters.
Distinctions
- Memphis Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Memphis Bar Association, Leadership Forum, Class of 2010-2011
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee, 2012
- Ohio, 2003
- Texas, 2000
Education
- University of Houston, J.D., summa cum laude, 2000
- Order of the Coif
- Chief Notes and Comments Editor, University of Houston Law Review
- Ohio State University, B.A., Political Science, with honors in the liberal arts, 1993
- Clerkship, Hon. David Hittner, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, 2000-2002
Papers, Presentations & Publications
- Co-Author, “Turnabout is Fair Play: 'Junk Science' Litigation Aftermath: Requisite Retractions and Dubious Do-Overs,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 18, No. 1, March 2025.
- Presenter, "The Ultimate Legal Writing Workshop: Tools for Building Effective Written Advocacy (2025 Edition)," myLawCLE, January 16, 2025.
- Author, “Paradigm Shift or Same-Old-Same-Old?” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 11 No. 4, 2018.
- Co-Author, “Time Flies? A Look Back at the Ten Key FDA Initiatives Over the Past Decade,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 11 No. 1, July 2018.
- Co-Author, “Jenga for Experts: How Much Can One Expert Rely on Another?” ABA, Section of Litigation, Mass Torts Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 3, Summer 2016.
- Author, “Lay of the (MDL) Land: A Bird’s-Eye View of Pharmaceutical Litigation,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 7, No. 4, December 2014.
- Author, "Is the Feeling Really ‘Mutual’? Supreme Court's Continued Frustration," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 6 No. 4, November 2013.
- Co-Author, "What’s In, What’s Out, What’s Next for Pharmaceutical Marketing," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 4 No. 4, 16-23, November 2011.
- Co-Author, "Proof of Knowledge Not Required," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 4 No. 2, May 2011.
- Author, Avenues of Assistance for the Federal District Courts: Certifying Questions of Law in the Ohio Supreme Court or Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, 77 CLEV. B.J. 9 (July/August 2006).
- Author, Escaping from Your Own Appeal in the Sixth Circuit: The Hirsch Remand, 76 CLEV. B.J. 9 (July/August 2005).
- Author, A Conciliatory Approach to Workplace Harassment: Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth and Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, 36 HOUS. L. REV. 1315 (1999).
- Federal District Court Attorney Admissions Workshop (Houston, Texas) (2000-02).
- A Saturday Morning in Court—Practice in Federal District Court CLE (Houston, Texas) (2000-02).