Evans

Cedric is a litigator and member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Group. His practice focuses on mass torts and the defense of product manufacturers. 

• Drug & Device Litigation
• Groundwater & Chemical Exposure Litigation
• Mass Torts

Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare

Cedric’s litigation experience includes taking lead or prominent pre-trial and trial roles in individual and consolidated actions involving a diverse range of products, including automobiles (air bags, fuel systems, crashworthiness), lawnmowers, coffee makers, toaster ovens, weight loss medications, antidepressants, Cox-2 inhibitors, anti-epilepsy drugs, blood pressure medications, anticoagulants, hernia mesh, hearing devices, surgical warming blankets and chemicals.

Cedric’s recent experience includes serving as a key member of the team representing a Fortune 500 company as National Coordinating Counsel for Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Wave Discovery in product liability mass torts involving hearing protection devices. In that litigation, he served as case work up counsel, deposing plaintiffs, physicians, and other fact witnesses in a compressed timeframe, and expert discovery counsel, working to identify, vet and retain hundreds of expert witnesses and prepare expert reports and take/defend dozens expert witness depositions.

In other recent mass torts representing a Fortune 500 company in multidistrict litigation defending environmental and product liability claims alleging groundwater contamination and personal injury, Cedric has been selected to lead a personal injury bellwether case workup team.

Additionally, in the Proceed and Prolene Multicounty Litigation (MCL) matters involving hernia mesh devices, a litigation in which Butler Snow serves as national counsel for Johnson & Johnson, Cedric led a fact discovery team that worked up numerous bellwether cases.

Cedric has been recognized in the editorial of The Legal 500, is rated AV® – Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell® and is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as one of the 2023 Thought Leaders, USA, Product Liability Defence. He has also been recognized by the American Bar Association Free Legal Answers as a 2022 Pro Bono Leader.

He is an armed forces veteran, serving as both an enlisted soldier and officer in the United States Army Reserves before retiring. Cedric obtained his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law, with distinction, and his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He is admitted in Texas.

• MDL and Mass Tort Management
  • Representation of chemical manufacturer in thousands of environmental and products liability PFAS claims in state and federal courts nationwide brought by individuals, municipalities, and states alleging groundwater contamination and personal injury as individual claims, consolidated proceedings, and class actions.
  • National wave discovery coordinating counsel for a multinational manufacturing company in the largest mass tort MDL in history concerning sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military.
  • Counsel for surgical warming blanket manufacturer in MDL involving claims of surgical infection filed in United States District Court, District of Minnesota.
  • Counsel for hernia mesh manufacturer in mass tort involving claims of surgical complication filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division, Atlantic County.
  • Counsel for anticoagulant medication manufacturer in MDL involving injury claims filed in the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois.
  • Counsel for anti-epilepsy drug manufacturer in MDL involving birth defect claims filed in United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois.
  • Counsel for blood pressure medication (angiotensin II receptor blocker) manufacturer in mass tort filed in Atlantic City, NJ and United States District Court, District of New Jersey, involving claims of gastrointestinal injury.
  • Counsel for an acne medication manufacturer in a mass tort involving claims of gastrointestinal injury filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division, Atlantic County.
  • Counsel for anti-seizure drug manufacturer in MDL involving suicidal and homicidal ideation claims filed in United States District Court, District of Massachusetts.
  • Counsel for Cox-2 drug manufacturer in mass tort cases involving claims of cardiovascular injury filed in United States District Court, North District of California.
• Trial Experience
  • Kendall vs. Hoffman La Roche, et al, Atlantic City, NJ – alleged gastrointestinal injury due to acne medication use – Assisted Trial Team (2014)
  • Reynold/Wilkinson/Rossitto/Young vs. Hoffman La Roche, et al, Atlantic City, NJ – claimed gastrointestinal injuries due to acne medication use – Assisted Trial Team (2012)
  • Tanna vs. Hoffman La Roche, et al, Atlantic City, NJ – involved claim of gastrointestinal injury due to use of acne medication – Assisted Trial Team (2012)
  • Andrews/Gaghan/Marshall vs. Hoffman La Roche, et al, Atlantic City, NJ – alleged gastrointestinal injury due to acne medication use – Trial Counsel (2011)
  • Moore vs. American Home Products, et al, 249th District Court, Cleburne, Texas – alleged cardiovascular injury due to Diet Drug use – Assisted Trial Team (1999)
  • Kellum vs. Chrysler Corporation, United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Lufkin Division – involving claim of defective glovebox design – Trial Counsel (1997)
  • Bullard vs. Chrysler Corporation, et al, United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division – air bag defect claim – Assisted Trial Team (1997)
  • Sandoval vs. Chrysler Corporation et al, District Court, Las Vegas, New Mexico – involved claim of post-collision fuel-fed fire – Assisted Trial Team (1996)

• The Legal 500 US
• Recognized in the editorial for nationwide Dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense, 2019.
• Thomson Reuters Texas Super Lawyers®
  • Rising Star, 2004-2006
• Martindale-Hubbell®
  • AV® – Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
• Who's Who Legal
  • Thought Leaders - USA - Product Liability Defence, 2023
  • Product Liability Defence, 2020-2022

• Texas, 1995
• U.S. District Courts
  • Texas: Eastern, Northern

• The University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., with distinction, 1995
  • Note Editor, Journal of Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, 1994-1995
• University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1991
  • U.S. Army R.O.T.C., 1987-1990

• Board Member, Central Texas Advisory Board, Texas Diversity Counsel, 2012
• Trustee, Huston-Tillotson University, 2009-2011
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Young Lawyers Steering Committee, 2000-2005
• United States Army Reserves
  • Officer, Field Artillery, 1990-1998
• International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
• Austin Bar Association

• Co-Presenter, “Trial Skills: Warnings, Experts and General Causation,” DRI Drug and Device Seminar, Washington, DC, May 15-16, 2014.
• Presenter, “The Treating Physician Deposition: The Keys to Creating Your Very Own Expert Witness,” DRI Young Lawyers Seminar, Henderson, NV, June 9-10, 2005.
• Co-Presenter, “Tort Reform and You – Perfect Together?,” DRI Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, October 6-10, 2004.
• Speaker, DRI Product Liability Seminar, Young Lawyers’ Breakout Session, 2003.
• Speaker, DRI Drug and Device Seminar, Young Lawyers’ Breakout Session, 2003.
• Author, “The Concept of “Treat to Peace” and Humanitarian Concerns: Probing the Limits of Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter,” Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, 1995.