As a member of the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Group, Paul defends pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in mass tort and individual cases pending in various state and federal venues throughout the country.
Overview
As a member of the Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare Group, Paul defends pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in mass tort and individual cases pending in various state and federal venues throughout the country.
Practice Areas
About
Paul is a seasoned attorney specializing in defending manufacturers in high-stakes product liability claims in both state and federal courts, including some of the nation’s most challenging jurisdictions. His practice concentrates on complex matters involving pharmaceuticals and medical devices, groundwater contamination, and other product-related claims. He has extensive experience handling Multi-District Litigations (MDL), class actions, mass torts, actions brought by state Attorneys General, and individual plaintiff cases. He has played a key role on national expert teams in some of the most high-profile and complex product liability and environmental litigations in the country. His experience includes representing Ethicon, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson involving surgical mesh device litigation; defending a multinational manufacturer in the largest mass tort MDL in history concerning the sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military; and representing a chemical manufacturer involving environmental and products liability PFAS claims. Paul brings a strategic, trial-focused perspective to every case, coordinating expert development, discovery, and case strategy to align with overarching litigation themes and to position clients for success in the courtroom.
Paul has extensive experience preparing, defending, and cross-examining case specific and general causation experts. Legal 500 US, which recognized Paul as a key lawyer in 2022-2024, states that he “is a subject matter expert and terrific with scientific experts.” Paul is an integral member of national case work-up, expert and trial teams for some of the largest MDLs in U.S. history. In these landmark cases, Paul has demonstrated his expertise in directing the development, strategic planning, and management of virtual firm expert teams, while working closely with hundreds of experts across various disciplines. As the second-chair trial attorney in a two-week pelvic mesh trial, Paul cross-examined the plaintiff’s primary case-specific and general causation experts, leading to a complete defense verdict. This successful outcome was highlighted in Law360’s article, “J&J Ethicon Unit Prevails In 2 Pelvic Mesh Trials,” on October 13, 2022. Paul has served as trial counsel for numerous cases that ultimately resolved shortly before trial. Additionally, he has provided on-site trial support to lead trial counsel in more than a dozen federal and state court trials involving surgical mesh devices. He is deeply involved in crafting trial strategies, arguing company witness deposition designations, arguing motions in limine and Daubert motions, preparing and defending company witnesses and experts, and cross-examining experts.
He frequently writes and speaks on litigation-related topics. He co-authored "Mastering the Art of Visual Advocacy: Ways to Elevate Your Trial Technology" for Butler Snow’s award winning Pro Te: Solutio in May 2024, and he spoke on "Best Practices and Pitfalls of Preparing Expert Reports" at the IADC Drug, Device & Biotechnology Committee Meeting in November 2023. He also spoke at Mississippi College School of Law’s Trial Practice class in February 2022 on “Effective Strategies for Attacking and Defending Expert Witnesses.”
He obtained his J.D., magna cum laude, from Mississippi College School of Law, his M.B.A. from Mississippi College, and his B.S., cum laude, from Longwood University. He is admitted to the State Bar of Mississippi.
Experience
- Specializes in leading national science teams to strategically develop and coordinate scientific defense strategies for Multi-District Litigations (MDLs) and mass tort cases.
- 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.
- Integral member of the national wave discovery teams, expert teams, and trial teams in some of the largest and most complex MDLs in history, including serving as national counsel for litigation involving surgical mesh medical devices for Ethicon, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, and as national coordinating counsel for a multinational manufacturing company concerning the sale of allegedly defective earplugs to the military.
- Extensively involved in all phases of fact and expert discovery, including taking depositions of plaintiffs, prescribing and treating physicians, and medical experts, as well as defending depositions of company witnesses and expert witnesses. Consistently approaches case development with trial in mind, ensuring that discovery, expert strategy, and witness preparation align with overall trial themes and objectives.
- Regularly prepares company fact witnesses, 30(b)(6) witnesses, and experts for deposition and trial testimony.
- Extensive experience in simplifying complex medical matters and skillfully defending and cross-examining experts during depositions and trials.
- Consistently obtains favorable testimony that results in the exclusion of plaintiffs' experts' opinions.
- Responsible for the identification, retention, preparation, and coordination of case-specific and general causation experts.
- Presents on pivotal scientific issues in mass tort litigation to clients, trial teams, new team members, and international counsel.
- Richards v. Johnson & Johnson, et al. (E.D. Texas): Served as second chair trial counsel in a 10-day jury trial involving pelvic mesh that resulted in a complete defense verdict (2022). “J&J Ethicon Unit Prevails In 2 Pelvic Mesh Trials,” Law360, October 13, 2022.
- Served as trial counsel in numerous surgical mesh cases across the country, with trial-ready preparation that strategically positioned the matters for resolution prior to trial.
- Cates v. Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc., Case No. 6:19-cv-1670-PGB-LRH, U.S.D.C. (M.D. Fla. 2021): Served as member of the AbbVie and Allergan expert team in a personal injury case involving the CoolSculpting® medical device that was dismissed as to all claims, with the court finding that the client’s product warnings were legally adequate. The dismissal was upheld by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. “11th Circ. Freezes CoolSculpting User’s Product Liability Suit,” Law360, July 24, 2023.
- Samuels Construction, LLC et al. v. Sinha et al. (Miss. 2019): Served as second chair trial counsel in a two-day trial involving a property dispute in Oxford, Mississippi that resulted in a favorable judgment granting easement rights.
- Provided on-site site trial support to lead trial counsel for Ethicon Inc. and Johnson & Johnson in more than a dozen federal and state court pelvic mesh trials.
- Bryant v. Thoratec Corp., et al., 343 F. Supp.3d 594 (S.D. Miss. 2018) Successfully represented St. Jude and Thoratec in securing dismissal of all claims in personal injury action involving a Class III left ventricular assist device.
- Represents recording artists, music publishers, and a distillery in matters involving intellectual property, contract negotiations, and brand protection. Maintains an active pro bono practice.
Distinctions
- BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America®
- Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2019-2025
- Health Care Law, 2023-2025
- The Legal 500 US
- Recognized as a key lawyer in the editorial for nationwide dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense, 2022-2024
- Benchmark Litigation
- Member of the team selected as nationwide Product Liability Firm of the Year, 2018
- Mississippi Business Journal, Top 50 Leaders in the Law, 2015
- Mississippi College School of Law’s National Trial Competition Teams, Coach, 2015
- International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy, Stanford Law School, Graduate, 2016
- Eagle Scout
Bar Admissions
- Mississippi, 2012
- U.S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit
- Admitted pro hac vice in several states throughout the country.
Education
- Mississippi College, J.D., magna cum laude, 2012
- Order of the Barristers
- Trial Advocacy Chair, Moot Court Board
- Best Paper Award, Appellate Advocacy
- Frisby Griffing Marble Scholarship
- Founder/President, Business Law Group
- National Trial Competition Team
- Mississippi College, M.B.A., 2012
- Longwood University, B.S., cum laude, 2005
Associations
- International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
- Capital Area Bar Association
Papers, Presentations & Publications
- Speaker, "When the End is Just the Beginning...How Remanded Cases Can Make or Break Multidistrict Litigation," International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Product Liability Roundtable, New Brunswick, New Jersey, September 12, 2024.
- Co-Author, "Mastering the Art of Visual Advocacy: Ways to Elevate Your Trial Technology," Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 17, No. 1, May 2024.
- Speaker, "Best Practices and Pitfalls of Preparing Expert Reports," IADC Drug, Device & Biotechnology Committee Meeting, November 13, 2023.
- Speaker, “Discussion on Medical Device Litigation from the Defense Perspective,” Mississippi College School of Law, April 2023.
- Mentioned, "Kate Skagerberg and Paul Rosenblatt Secure a Complete Defense Jury Verdict in Pelvic Mesh Case," IADC, January 9, 2023.
- Speaker, “Effective Strategies for Attacking and Defending Expert Witnesses,” Mississippi College School of Law, Trial Practice, February 2022.
- Co-Author, “An Examination of the Lack of Uniformity in a Post-MDL Remand, COVID-19 World,” DRI’s For the Defense, October 2020.
- Speaker, “Intersection of Medical Devices and Software: Mitigation the Cybersecurity Threats of Connected Medical Devices,” Presentation to the American Intellectual Property Law Association, Virtual Spring Meeting, May 2020.
- Speaker, “Health Law Speaker Series: Complex Drug and Device Litigation,” Mississippi College School of Law, October 2019.
- Co-Author, “Methodology Matters,” The Voice, Vol. 17, Issue 43, November 7, 2018.
- Author, “Fighting the Failure-to-Warn Claim: How Medical Literature Could be Your Greatest Weapon,” Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, The Quarterly, Spring 2018.
- Author, “Cybersecurity Threats in Healthcare,” Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 10 No. 4, January 2018.
- Speaker, “New FDA Guidance on Medical Device Cybersecurity Management: Addressing Insecurity of Medical Things,” Webinar, August 2017.
- Author, "Like it or Not? The FDA is Following Social Media" Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 7 No. 4, 23-29, December 2014.
- Co-Author, "Plaintiffs and Courts are Increasingly Adopting Predictive Coding Because of its Reliability: Should your Company Consider it for your Litigation?" Pro Te: Solutio, Vol. 6 No. 3, 13-17, September 2013.
- Author, "How to Obtain Social Media Discovery Effectively without Overstepping Any Ethical Boundaries," DRI’s The Whisper: Newsletter of the Young Lawyers Committee, Vol. 9, Issue 6/7, September 2013.
- Speaker, "Find it Free and Fast on the Net: Strategies for Legal Research on the Web," National Business Institute CLE, May 2013.